Hi Folks Please take note, the Club Series Eels Foot race is incorrect on the printed / published programme.It should be on Sunday 12th May (not 5th). It is correct on the duty list. For those of you with double-handers, don’t forget our double-hander open on May 19th which also includes and Eels foot in the afternoon! Can I also take this opportunity to ask race officer that if they work out the times for races on a separate scrap paper (this is fine by me) that they copy at least the finish times (ideally calculated times as well) onto the official sheet so that if anyone questions a result I have something to refer back to and not just the positions. Thanks
The weather looks absolutely awful on Saturday. Too wet and too windy and not for beginners!.
So the Saturday event is postponed until 11th May, where we will ask everyone, volunteers and newbies alike, when to fit the missing day back in to the schedule. I have spoken or left voicemails with everyone who has offered to help on Saturday but if any of you were intending to turn up on spec this is just advise you of the cancellation.
Try Sailing has been a great success for the club and it’s disappointing to have our first cancellation in however many years. But hopefully we’re all OK for the 11th May.
The course will be run by club members in both members’ boats and our own club boats.
The course will be open to both youngsters and adults.
Sailing is perceived as being an expensive sport. Nothing could be further from the truth. You don’t even need to own a boat since we have a fleet of club boats available.
For more information all Rachel or Pete on 01953 606334.
This year our personal start pursuit racing starts on 24th April it is intended that racing starts at 6.30 for a Mirror (rather than 7) to allow more sailing time before the breeze dies. If you arrive a bit late you may be able to request a small delay from our friendly race team!
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!
I intend to provide a baked potato meal around 6.45; if anyone wants to partake in this please let me know by Sunday 14thso I know roughly how many to bring!
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.
Rollesby ‘Solo’ Sailors (All others more than welcome) Saturday 6th April 2 pm
Several people have asked me if I would repeat the training day I ran about 3 years ago. I have been trouble finding a suitable space in my diary! I would intend this particular session to be land based only; though nothing to stop people having a sail afterwards. To talk through set ups and maneuvers. I will be laying my boat on the lawn so we can play with control lines (could someone with a stiff rig supply a boat to do the same so we can compare the two).
If you would like to have your rig measured / tweaked I intend to be there by 1 pm (could possibly also fiddle afterwards) bring your boat, rigged but without sail to the main lawn area and I’ll try to help as best I can.
I imagine the formal session lasting around an hour – though it depends on how many questions are asked! If you you sail another single-hander I’m quite happy to talk about those too. Should be time for a sail afterwards if you are so inclined!
As I am unlikely to be traveling so much this year I hope to be able to offer a single-hander on the water session later in the season (and a separate double-hander afternoon as well).
If you have any questions please contact me directly (see below) rather than replying to this mail
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.
