ACO 13th Musto Skiff 2024 Worlds at the WPNSA - Day 4
by Danny Boatman 20 Jul 12:41 UTC
14-20 July 2024
The fleet woke up to another warm day in Weymouth and Portland, with hot sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. The wind was not so great first thing, however, with just 5 knots in the harbour and 6 knots in the bay and looking rather 'patchy'.
The Race Officer continued to monitor the wind, and at 12 p.m., not surprisingly, the AP flag went up. Shortly after this, though, the D flag was raised for Bay Racing at 12.15 p.m., with the Race Officer feeling confident and banking on 10-12 knots kicking in at around 1 p.m. for the first race of the day.
Race 10 - The fleet was extremely keen on the first start following a 30-degree shift, leading to the PRO resetting his course. This led to a further three general recalls, including no less than 10 boats being black flagged. The reduced fleet got away on the next start with the fleet splitting, some heading towards the land expecting a shift off the shore; however, the left side paid with more pressure. Danny Boatman and Rick Peacock led off the pin, making the most of the breeze, leading at the top mark, with Dan Trotter following closely behind.
The second lap was followed by a similar pattern, with the leaders heading out for more pressure. Danny Boatman managed to keep the chasing pack behind, with Rick Peacock in second and Dan Trotter finishing third.
Race 11 - The fleet got away first time with the majority of the fleet holding back from the line. Danny Boatman won the pin and again made the most of the stronger breeze on the left side of the course, with Sam Pascoe and Jono Shelley close behind. At the leeward mark, Danny had a slight lead over Pascoe and managed to hold on to his lead up the beat. Shelley and Trotter battled it out for third and fourth with some fantastic racing in glamour conditions.
The final run saw a 40ft yacht sailing along on the lay line, which gave Pascoe an opening to gybe inside and show his superb pace once more. Pascoe took the win, with Boatman in second and Shelley in third.
Race 12 - The breeze was now a pretty perfect 10-15kts with the whole fleet enjoying a fantastic day out in the bay. Jono Shelley nailed the start and showed his electric pace to lead the pack, with Pascoe in second and Boatman in third at the top mark. Shelley managed to hold off Pascoe down the run and then extended his lead up the second beat!
This had to be Jono's moment of the week before overlaying the leeward mark, allowing Pascoe to take his opportunity, which he doesn't need, offering twice to take the win and the championship with it with races to spare.
Boatman claimed second, and Shelley third. The fleet then had a long sail home, contemplating their day's racing. A super day was had by all!
The fleet then headed to the Spinnaker Bar for the planned Gala Dinner, with friends and family joining the competitors, as well as special guests including the Event Title Sponsor, ACO, Keith Musto OBE, and guest speaker, Pete Goss MBE.
Thanks to the team at ACO, who arranged for Pete Goss to attend. He thoroughly entertained the class with his fantastic storytelling and amazing tales of his incredible sailing career, including his extraordinary courage and seamanship in the 1996 Vendée Globe, where he risked his own race to rescue fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli in a dramatic Southern Ocean rescue.
Pete shared the lessons he learned about mental resilience, risk management, and the sheer determination it takes to "just keep going" when the odds are stacked against you. He also shared his words of wisdom with the captivated audience of fellow sailors, including reminding the competitors to not fixate on mistakes and celebrate the learnings to achieve greater things.
With not too many mistakes to reflect on in his Championship so far, Sam Pascoe (GBR 636) is in first place and on track to win the Champion Title after 12 races. Also up there at the end of Race Day 4 is Robert Richardson (GBR 645) in second place, and Danny Boatman (GBR 650) in third.
The fleet is now looking forward to the final day of racing, with two races planned.