Capsizes a feature of Sunday racing

7:10pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

THERE were a couple of exciting races at the Evesham club last Sunday.

The first, a pursuit, saw Team Baylis shoot away and gain over a lap before the British Moths of Ian Edwards, Tony Jacks, Peter Green and John Pickford were brought into the race, followed closely by Simon and Adam Styles in their Lightnings.

Vicious gusts coming up over the weir created havoc as the fleet attempted to turn together, and gybe for the following mark, resulting in a mass of capsized boats with only Edwards and Adam Styles surviving.

Damage to Team Baylis's Mirror forced them to retire followed by Green while Jacks, Styles senior and Pickford restarted the chase.

As the clock ticked down, it seemed that Edwards had it in the bag but Adam Styles relentlessly closed him down.

A sudden hard gust near the end of an exhilarating planing run upstream was the undoing of Edwards as he vanished in a plume of spray as he capsized allowing his rival through.

As the hooter sounded it was Adam Styles first, Simon Styles second and the unlucky Edwards in third.

The second race was a handicap with a mass start upstream where Edwards, Adam Styles,Pickford and Jacks were in close company.

Styles took a narrow lead as Edwards broached to allow Pickford and Jacks through.

The duel between Styles and Pickford continued lap after lap with the latter finally managing to gain a small lead only to capsize at the gybe mark to let Styles in.

Edwards had managed to shake off the attentions of Jacks and was intent on catching Pickford but, another capsize, put paid to his efforts, and Styles was the victor ahead of Pickford and Edwards.