The annual Christmas Pursuit Race at Rollesby attracted a mixed fleet of 28 boats ranging from a Splash to an RS700. With the breeze blowing down the Broad the course was set with a beat, run and two reaches. Ellie Edwards in her splash was first away and held the lead for four laps. On the final part of the last lap Roger Wilson and Dennis Manning got passed in their Wayfarer. The next Wayfarer of David Houghton and John Symonds also passed. Good spinnaker action at the gibe mark allowed Houghton to get in front of Wilson to take the win and Bent Vase Trophy.
With a building breeze a general all commers race was next using the full length of the Broad. Phil Highfield in his RS 700 soon established a commanding lead but with a PY number of 845 stood no chance of a win. The other asymmetric boat the RS Vareo sailed by Howard Astley made good use of his down wind speed to take the win followed by Dan Bull, Laser and Roger Wilson now in his Solo.
Results
Pursuit Race (28) 1. W10000 D.|Houghton & J. Symonds, 2. W11111 R. Wilson & D. Manning, 3. Splash E. Edwards, 4 Laser A. Basset, 5 Solo R. Hawkins
All Comers (19) 1. Vareo H. Astley, 2. Laser Dan Bull, 3. Solo R.Wilson 4. Splash E.Edwards.
It was a day for bending burgees and washing sails with probably
more sailors getting a close up of their centreboard than those that didn’t at
Rollesby on Sun 8th Dec.
Just four multi-sailed boats took to the water. Dave Hougton & John Symonds, revelling that there was a long run, flew their Wayfarers kite to good effect leaving their competitors long in their wake. Howard Astley-Jones having made a cautious start to his first race at the club soon got his Vareo up to speed to take second. Mike McNamara & Andy Smith joined the fleet for race 2 but conditions were a bit lively for Albacore sailing and they had to settle for second on handicap behind Houghton.
In the single-handers anyone who could stay upright looked likely
to do very well, though it didn’t guarantee success if you weren’t going fast, and
despite a fair few swims there were ten finishers! Roger Wilson (Solo) &
Tamsin Highfield (Streaker) made the best starts, with Stuart Highfield (Laser)
and Ian Ayres (Solo) completing a tight top 4 at the windward end of the broad.
Stuart was the first casualty at the front of the fleet and with Tamsin finding
the shifting winds under the trees not doing her any favours it looked like
Wilson and Ayres would be battling it out. On the penultimate beat Ayres
capsized and whilst waiting for the wind to ease slightly Tamsin slipped by. As
these two flew down the last run Wilson managed to throw away a commanding lead
with a double roll less than 100 yds from the line; Tamsin won on the water but
Ayres took the race on handicap.
A couple of competitors were led slightly astray by Oscar Norris
(Radial) as they mis-judged (or possibly forgot about) the new windward mark
for race 2. Stuart led round but was immediately in trouble and Ayres and
Wilson had to take dramatic avoiding action to avoid a synchronised triple ducking!
This allowed Phil Highfield now taking over Streaker duties and Steve Whitby
(Europe) to join the Solos in a front group. Ayres decided one lap was enough
and Wilson rolled in on the next beat to allow Phil, who looked very much under
control, to establish a lead he would hold until the finish. Wilson was second
and Whitby held off a late challenge by Matt Boreham (Solo) to take third by 4
seconds.
Needless to say there were no takers for a third race after a
warming club lunch !
Multisails
Race 1 (4 entries)
1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer) 2. Howard Astley-Jones (Vareo) 3. Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons (Wayfarer)
Race 2 (3)
1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer) 2. Mike McNamara & Andy Smith (Albacore)
SingleHanders
Race 1 (12 entries)
1. Ian Ayres (Solo) 2. Tamsin Highfield (Streaker) 3. Roger Wilson (Solo) 4. Steve Whitby (MiniSail)
Race 2 (10)
1. Phil Highfield (Streaker) 2. Roger Wilson (Solo) 2. Steve Whitby (Europe) 4. Matt Breham (Solo)
It certainly felt seasonal as 25 boats were rigging for Rollesby Broad’s Winter regatta in a cold northerly breeze on Sunday 1st December. However the sun appeared from behind the cloud, the rain eased off and an excellent days racing ensued.
Heading out to the start
With a short first beat set into the more sheltered corner of the broad it was a question of who would gamble on a port or at least port end start and who would play the safer but less windy starboard end!
Despite launching their new boat the multisails were not in generous mood, cutting out Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons attempt at the port start. Dave Houghton & John Symonds starting near that end lead round the first mark. Roger Wilson & Dennis Manning recovered well from a mid fleet start to eventually take the win by one second, with Mike McNamara & Andy Smith third in their Albacore.
In the single handers Ian Ayres (Solo) nailed the port start with Daniel Bull (Laser) in close attendance, these two rapidly cleared off into a huge lead as the rest of the fleet blanketed each other on the run down the broad. Chris Foster (Laser) and John Saddington (Solo) led the chasing pack with only Richard Brown in his Solution ever getting clear. The rising wind on the last lap favoured Bull who won by 10 seconds on handicap from Ayres with Brown third.
A slightly more even start in race two saw McNamara gain just enough ground on the Wayfarers to take the win from Wilson by 8 seconds with Houghton third. Bull was not messing around, leading the single-handers from start to finish with only Foster in close pursuit. Keith Sykes and Stuart Highfield made it a top four of Lasers on the water, though Ayres recovered from dead last at the second mark to take third on handicap.
Race office Chris Mann had kept the results hidden and with a good turnout decided to keep the fleets in split starts for the afternoon sail. McNamara showed how a port start should be done leading well round the first mark; the Wayfarers set their spinnakers for the run and were off in good pursuit. Wilson pipped Houghton on the line but was forced to retire following an earlier incident, leaving the first three boats all on three points! Houghton & Symonds took the event on countback.
The single handers were more spread out on the line; Ayres, Foster and Saddington were ahead in that order at the first mark. After a close three way battle, Foster had to retire with gear failure on lap two leaving the two Solos to swap places several times with Ayres getting well ahead on lap 3 and Keving Postlethwaite completing the class podium clean sweep.
For the final episode of the Autumn series the wind took a little while to arrive but a light breeze blowing up the broad arrived mid way through the first race. Before the sailing there was much discussion in the Multisail fleet relating to ‘Bobs new boat’, a lovely new Wayfarer. Many were disappointed to learn that Bob was going to delay it’s initial launch as he needs to learn what to do with all the extra ropes he now has to play with and so ‘Non Teaky Two’ was launched instead ! In the Multisail fleet the light winds caught everyone out as all were a little late over the start.
light winds caught everyone out as all were a little late over the start.
The Wayfarer of Dave Houghton & John Symonds were the first to cross taking an early but short lived lead as Mike McNamara & Andy Smith sailing an Albacore quickly passed to lead to the finish. However the long downwind leg allowed the pursuing Wayfarers to fly spinnakers with Dave & John just keeping close enough to win on handicap with Mike & Andy second and Bob Sparrow & Tony Gibbs sailing their ‘old’ Wayfarer third.
There was a good turnout for the Singlehander start with fifteen entries. Daniel Bull (Laser) hit the line with speed to gain a small lead at the first mark which he extended over the next three laps to cross the line a minute and a half ahead of the next boat to take the race. Behind Dan Harvey (Laser) worked is way up the fleet crossing the line next and just one second ahead of the Streaker of Phil Highfield. Not far behind were the Solos of John Saddington and Kevin Postlewaite crossing the line one second apart and taking second and third on corrected time.
Race 2 – Single handers pre start
For the second race the wind had increased a tad. The Multisail fleet were all lined up at the start in good time! Mike & Andy led from the start to the finish but not clear enough as Dave & John just took the win on corrected time with Mike & Any second. Daniel continued his good form leading race two from start to finish, although this time joined by Andy Bassett, also sailing a Laser just a few seconds behind. These two opened up a good lead on the rest of the fleet to claim the top two places. Clive Girling worked his way up the fleet to cross the line third in his Laser but was piped by the Solos of John & Kevin who again crossed the line just one second apart with John again just ahead to take third.
Whilst there was still a reasonable wind at the start of race three it slowly decreased throughout the race. Mike & Andy led from the start to the finish crossing the line over four and a half minutes ahead of the next boat to take the race win. The Solos of Kevin and Mike Horowitz led the rest of the fleet to finish second and third.
Rollesby Broad SC Autumn series Race 1 Multisail (4) : 1 Wayfarer 10000 (D Houghton & J Symonds), 2 Albacore 8225 (M McNamara & A Smith), 3 Wayfarer 10213 (R Sparrow & A Gibbs). Race 1 Singlehanders (15) : 1 Laser 207011 ( D Bull), 2 Solo 5443 (J Saddington), 3 Solo 4896 (K Postlethwaite). Race 2 Multisail : 1 Wayfarer 10000, 2 Albacore 8225, 3 Wayfarer 10213. Race 2 Singlehanders (14) : 1 Laser 207011, 2 Laser 216564 (A Bassett), 3 Solo 5443. Race 3 Combined (10) : 1 Albacore 8225, 2 Solo 4896, 3 Solo 4405 (M Horowitz).
A beautiful sunny morning greeted the competitors for Rollesby Broad’s Solo and Single-hander open meeting on Easter Sunday, only the wind direction was not ideal creating shifty conditions but it was at least strong enough to give a reasonable first beat all day.
The Solos completed four races; Mark Maskell (Blackwater) set off as he meant to continue by leading from the start with John Saddington (Rollesby) his closest pursuer at the first turn. The rest of the pack was very tight and there were regular changes for any boat jumping from 10th to fourth and just as quickly back again! Steve Bishop (Girton) was a little unlucky to be in the pack but once clear set off in pursuit of the leading twosome; eventually nailing the short beat at the farther end of the course to take a narrow win. Ian Ayres (Rollesby) recovered from being OCS to take third by overtaking Pete Matthews (WOBYC) a few meters from the finish..
Maskell won race two by a large margin after sailing away from the first mark on his own private puff! Bishop and Ayres slowed each other by arriving at the mark together but slowly cleared the rest with Saddington leading the pack home in fourth.
After lunch a slight change of course clearly suited Maskell as he won both races, in the third his long term closest challenger was Roger Wilson (Rollesby) before Bishop and Saddington came through on one of the long reaches.
The final race proved the closest. Maskell again looked clear with Ayres and Matthews in pursuit before Bishop spotted an in filling shift at the bottom of the beat on lap two and took several places, bringing through Terry Palmer (Upper Thames) with him. The leading pair pulled clear as the pack played snakes and ladders until the last lap when Maskell had just enough to hang on for the win. Matthews came from behind to gain an overlap on Ayres at the last mark and this time held on for third.
Six Streakers joined a mixed single-handed fleet and proved how keen they were by needing a general recall in race 1! Tamsin Highfield (Rollesby) had a good first beat but couldn’t live with the ultimate speed of visitors Veronica Falat (WOBYC) and Ian Bradley (Ouse Amateur). These two swapped places twice within the last 30 seconds of the race with Falat coming out on top.
Bradley had much less problem winning race 2 after picking the right side of the first beat with Falat and Mark Langston (Beccles Amateur) taking the minor places. Having decided their meeting would be only three races Falat set off with determination in race 3 but the shifty beats meant Bradley and Langston could never be written off until the last beat which Falat sailed almost straight up whilst they had to tack several times to reach the finish line.
Mike McNamara in his Harrier perhaps unsurprisingly won the mixed fleet, though he did have to come from behind after race 1. Steve Whitby in his MiniSail took second on count-back from Daniel Bull’s Laser.
The Spring series at Rollesby started with the first “Eels Foot Race” of the year. Fourteen boat set out but, as the wind died after the start, the short beat across the Broad turned into a torturous affair. Mike McNamara in his Harrier with Ian and Sharon Ayres in their Leader came round the windward mark ahead of the rest. After a slow broad reach down the Broad the wind picked up and once through the cut, the fleet had a good sail in the bigger Broad. McNamara lead the fleet home. The Leader and the Hansons in their Wayfarer were not far behind having made good use of spinnakers. Handicap results gave the Ayres a win with McNamara second and Val and Chris Hanson third. The second race with a figure of eight course saw a clear win for McNamara with Ian Hanson in a solo second and the Leader third.
Three Lasers and a Wayfarer stayed for the afternoon race. Keith Sykes Laser took the win two second infront of Bob Sparrow and Steve in the Wayfarer.
Don’t forget its Mike Macs – Rules talk this Wednesday
To kick off the season, and at the request of several Wednesday Sailors, Mike McNamara has agreed to give a talk on the racing rules on the previous Wednesday evening i.e. 17thApril.
We would intend this kick off at 7 and Mike has promised to aim it at those who have done a little racing but would benefit from knowing more than just the port / starboard rule!
An inconsistent westerly breeze meant short beats, long reaches
and increased the importance of a good start at Rollebsy on Sunday 24th
March. With the mutlisail series already sorting themselves out the tighter competition
is with the single-handers , where the winners are still open to several
sailors with only one more week to go.
Close Racing
The Solos were again to the fore, but not exclusively so. Roger
Wilson and Ian Ayres led at the first mark with Daniel Bull in his Laser for
company. On the first reach Mike McNamara took his rightful place in front in
his Harrier, eventually being joined by Dave Frary in his Finn. Neither they or
Bull could pull out enough from the two Solos who appeared to be tied together,
they were generally so close to each other; with Wilson taking the win. Steve
Whitby kept his Minisail in touch with the pack to take fourth on handicap.
Twenty seconds before the start of race 2 Clive Girling (Laser) managed
to capsize and lasso the windward line marker causing complete mayhem at that
end of the line. Wilson was the only boat with a clear run and led by around 10
lengths at the first mark from Ayres, Matt Boreham and Bull. Bull charged down
the first full reach and as the fleet tried to sort itself out, Chris Codling
showed a good turn of speed to bring his Laser into fourth with Phil
Highfield’s Streaker in close pursuit. Bull gained just enough to win by 3
seconds from Wilson and Ayres who finished over lapped.
Multisail Race 1 Start
Dave Houghton & Jon Symonds won both multisail races from Pete
& Rachel Smith. These two sailed well clear of the six Wayfarers in race 1,
but had to get past Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons who started late but in the
right place and tacked off first to lead round the first mark and the first lap
in race 2.
The bright conditions encouraged 13 craft back out after lunch though the wind direction altered slightly making the race somewhat processional with Wilson and Keith Sykes (Laser) splitting the Wayfarers of Houghton & Sparrow from the Terry Palmer led (7 strong) Solo pack.
A strong westerly breeze coming over the trees on the west bank
meant conditions were tricky at Rollesby Broad on Sunday 18th March,
indeed given the number of capsizes it was impressive that there were only two
retirements amongst the 15 starters.
The Solos were dominant in the single handed fleet; Roger Wilson
started fast in race 1 having shut out Daniel Bull in his Laser; to round the
first mark on a lifting wind-shift and gain an already good lead from Ian
Ayres. Bull worked hard to catch up but capsized both times that he looked like
putting in a serious challenge; meanwhile Tamsin Highfield in her Streaker was
leading the pack with Terry Palmer in close attendance. Palmer was close enough
at the finish to give the Solos a clean sweep of the podium places.
In race 2 Wilson was again away first but infringed Steve Whitby
in his Minisail and had to do turns. Phil Highfield, having taken over the
Streaker, led up the second beat pursued closely by Ayres; however a large
shift coming through the trees turned the top six upside down and it was the
lasers of Keith Sykes and Stuart Highfield who led the rapid charge back down
the broad with Kevin Postlethwaite leading the Solos. Alas the Lasers could not
cope so well upwind and Ayres spotted an early wind-shift to take the lead up
the next beat; Phil slowly closed in, especially downwind, but despite
splitting the Solos on the water could not beat Wilson on handicap.
Despite a capsize in race 1 Dave Houghton & Jon Symonds
(Wayfarer) won both multi-sail races. John Saddington & Dennis Manning
retired after suffering the same fate, whilst Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons sacrificed
speed for safety flying their jib rather than genoa and took (an albeit
distant) second in both races.
It was definitely a game of two halves; to mix sporting metaphors;
at Rollesby Broad this Sunday (3rd March). Race officer Matt Boreham
chose to set 4 gybes on a downwind slalom as opposed to the three previous
weeks of long runs.
Race one was bit of a damp squib (literally) as the gentle force 2
the race started in came down the broad in varying puffs accompanied by
occasional drizzle. Dave Houghton & John Symonds won the Wayfarer race by a
margin from Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons who only just pipped John
Saddington & Dennis Manning for second. In the single-handers David Frary in
his Finn, slowly pulled away from the fleet of 14 led by the Solos of Robert
Hawkins and Ian Ayres to take the win.
As the noon start time for the second race approached the
postponement flag was raised and hung limply from its hoist as the sailors
wandered around ashore quaffing coffee and pondering whether or not to give-up
and go home! At 12.15 a few ripples appeared on the water, the flag was lowered
and launching commenced. The first capsize (Keith Sykes in his Laser) was less
than 5 minutes away as the anticipated storm Freya arrived with aplomb.
Only three Wayfarers started; Houghton wobbled down the first short run with Saddington in pursuit; Sparrow already on third, decided to wear round at the first gybe, only to end up in the reeds. Houghton took a somewhat cautious approach from there on but was able to hold on for a narrow win from Saddington.
Race 2 Start, Ian gets away on port.
Meanwhile the single-handers were either relishing the breeze or stretching the rescue services. More than one sailor was seen to head ashore even before the start. Ayres went for the port start in a cloud of spray, he had to duck a couple of transoms, but only the Laser of Daniel Bull went with him to the right. Thomas suffered the indignity of his mast coming down recovering from a capsize after only 100yds. Bull led round the windward mark, but then put in a double capsize at the first gybe mark. Phil Highfield took the lead in his Streaker only to lose his mainsheet at the last (fourth) gybe of the lap; yes they were all still in the course. Ayres took the lead as a charging James Letts (Laser) flew into second before a wipeout broach at the leeward mark. The next beat proved less eventful but as the fleet turned downwind on lap two the wind was rising; Ayres capsized briefly at the first gybe this time, giving the lead back to Bull and Phil with Stuart Highfield bringing his Laser into contention. By lap 3 the hardy few left racing hard were starting to manage the conditions; but they were still glad to hear the shorten course signal! Bull led Phil across the line but not by far enough; Ayres was third with Stuart fourth on the water, but with Hawkins – the first finisher to stay upright close enough to take him on handicap.
Two things happened with the fleets at Rollesby this week; that
were almost as rare as the un-February like weather. Firstly the multis-sails
outnumbered the single-handers an event no-one can recall in recent years, and
secondly the singlehanded fleet was entirely a Solo fleet in race 2 after the
single Phantom who joined them in race 1 stayed ashore, the Lasers had already
decided there was insufficient wind; which may have been true at 10.30 but
there was a comfortable breeze by midday!
And so whilst Gareth Thomas (Phantom) did for a while lead the
single-handers round in race 1, it was winter member Terry Palmer who took the
win for the Solos from John Saddington and Steve Leigh. In race 2 Kevin
Postlethwaite had a good lead at the first leeward mark with the remainder of
the fleet rounding four abreast. However unable to defend both sides of the
beat Saddington and Palmer were both able to get close to Postlethwaite and
take full advantage of a perfectly timed (for them) gust at the windward mark
to catch and pass him on the run back down the broad.
In the Multisails it was spinnakers to the fore in race 1; the
three boats with, coming out on top. Ian & Sharon Ayres in their Leader
were able to use their greater tacking agility to keep in touch with the faster
straight line speed of Dave Houghton & John Symonds and Peter and Eileen
Dearnley in their Wayfarers. However as the wind slowly rotated to the east
giving less options upwind, the Wayfarers took the spoils. In race 2 Val &
Chris Hanson along with Pete & Rachel Smith both started at the less
obvious but breezier leeward end of the line and as those at the windward end
succumbed to a hole, were able to sail out underneath them and create a tight
top four at the windward mark. As the wind had shifted to stop ‘goose-winging’
the spinnakers of Dearnley and Houghton paid even more and they slowly pulled
away with the Smiths leading home the rest of the pack.
In the afternoon it looked like Saddington and Leigh might hold on the Wayfarers and for a lap they were certainly close enough to challenge, but once again the lopsided upwind leg saw the Houghton and Dearnley pull away to take the top two spots.
