Close action at Draycote Dash

Gareth Caldwell’s International Canoe leads the 90-boat fleet after day one of the Draycote Dash, the first of six handicap events in the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series.

With four races run today at Draycote Water near Rugby, just 5 points separate the top six boats, with nine different classes filling the top 10. Sunday’s one and only heat is a 100-minute Pursuit Race, worth double points and non-discardable, so Caldwell’s lead is not at all secure.

Andy Smith and Alex Davies had a disastrous start to Saturday with a 77th place, but followed up with 1,9,3, and with the discard now sit just a point behind the International Canoe. Some of the faster handicap boats were looking slow in the light 4-knot winds of the morning, but as the breeze built to 12-14 knots by the afternoon, it was time for the faster boats to shine. 

Ben Schooling capitalised on the stronger wind to win the last two races in his Musto Skiff, and Gareth Davies’ International Moth improved from 80th and 56th in the first two races to get up on the hydrofoils for an 8th and 2nd in the final two heats.

Results after Day 1 of Draycote Dash 2012

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