FOLKBOAT WEEK 2017 - 52nd - Royal Solent Yacht Club
T
he 52nd Folkboat Week took place in challenging conditions in the Solent, between
Saturday 19th and Saturday 26th August. Hosted by the Royal Solent Yacht Club
(RSYC) in Yarmouth, and proudly sponsored by Lymington Yacht Haven, the event
continues to be a popular end-of-season regatta for the Folkboat fleet.
Sailors may be notorious for complaining about the sea, but this year’s very light
winds and strong tides gave both the Race Team and sailors plenty to grumble about!
However, all nine races were completed, one entire race (billed as the Long Solent
Race East) with spinnakers flying, against the tide for five hours only to turn to come
back to Yarmouth against the tide! Still, this is all part of the week’s experience.
The 31 Nordic boats and the eight classic cruisers all had their chance to be in the
lead as the fickle wind changed people’s positions with only 200 yards difference
between them! The wind and tide tested one and all to the limit, but Pilgrim skippered
by Sally Kalis, had her best ever result of 7th overall.
The winner Stralende, owned by Simon Flack, came from Parkstone SC, Poole, and
had to beat the nearest boat on points, Crackerjack, owned by Matthew Jones and
Stuart Watson, from Lymington. 3rd was another local, well known boat Tak, owned
by Jeremy Austin, with Madelaine, owned by Ed Donald and crewed by his daughters
coming 4th.
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