South Bank Sailing Club
The Towpath, Embankment, Putney, London SW15 1LB Tel: 020 8788 9786
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The Towpath, Embankment, Putney, London SW15 1LB Tel: 020 8788 9786 |
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Sailing Reports Winter 2009 IEntries: 20 Races Sailed: 8
Sunday 13th December 2009 - Winter Series Race 10 A few pictures captured with my phone camera.. If anyone wants the original size (about 600k only
I am afraid) just email me the number and I'll send it to you. Jerome Sunday 6th December 2009 - Winter Series Race 9, Downriver series race 5 Despite the most atrocious weather conditions to start the day, as soon as 9 boats got onto the slipway, the sun shone, and a glorious clear blue sky emerged. The wind was an unpredictable and gusty south westerly, which caught nearly everybody out at some stage of the race with varying degrees of severity. Five Lasers set out with Renato, Ross, Stephanie, Sally and Joseph, and suffice to say only Renato made it back to the finish line. Gary was crewless so took the Solo and he made it back too. The conditions down by Albert Bridge were treacherous with John and Jeremy capsizing and breaking their mast in very difficult conditions. Allan and Callum in their Enterprise, Gary in The Joker and Renato were the only boats to make it round the buoy which was laid half way between Albert Bridge and Battersea Bridge. Steph and Ross found it virtually impossible to make any headway against the still strong out-going tide, and despite valiant efforts, Sally decided to go ashore for a rest. The only boat which actually remained upright throughout the whole race was No Idea with Tom and Digby but they too found that the force of the tide was too much to be able to get onto the return leg. A little encampment of the Lasers and No Idea was made on the north bank of the river until the “getting back home” strategy had been sorted out! Allan, Callum and Renato persevered for what seemed like an eternity to get away from Albert Bridge but eventually pushed their way upriver despite the attraction of semi-naked model who appeared on one of the barges and watched them (and they, her, we understand) for 10 minutes! Renato claims not to have noticed this, or so he says! The 2 safety boats then started the towing back process, with Don and Sara taking the three Lasers and Joe towing John’s Enterprise. Sally swapped from the Laser and helmed No Idea back with Digby and a fine sight they made as they sailed down the home straight, coming in 4th! Well done to both. Although Renato came first the line, frustratingly for him Allan and Callum won on handicap by 1 minute. So final results are: 1st Allan and Callum 2nd Renato 3rd Gary 4th Sally and Digby Sara Bennett Photo selection: Downriver race 6 December 2009
Sunday 29th November 2009 -Winter Series Race 7ResultsStart: Sun 29 Nov 09 10:16:00
Sunday 8th November 2009 -Downriver Race 3 Today’s race began with the OOD of the day, Chris, making sure the 5 minute bell was rung shortly after the scheduled On Water time of 11:30. This ‘people need to postpone the chatting and get sailing’ approach certainly worked as it left the crews scrambling to get the 10 boats launched. The one minute bell was met with perhaps only half of the fleet on the water and the rest pushing off from the shore. Remarkably, with a bit of wind and a strong tide the race got off to a respectable flying start. Today’s boat yard buzz was centred on the Koe family’s new toy, a yellow Wayfarer called No Idea, yet to have sailed along the Thames. Hoping that No Idea would not have to be renamed the ‘Yellow Submarine’, a quietly confident Sara gracefully accepted the duty of helm and set off from the shores of the Thames while Digby, the kids and their extremely excitable dog, stood waving farewell. According to regular race winner Allan, “racing was ok up until the last run in from Putney rail bridge when it was turned into a complete drift, with most positions changing as the Enterprises overtook the Lasers and the back of the fleet pushing up towards the front (but not catching) with the increasing tide bringing them in”. Laser experts Renato and Robbie had a slow motion tussle, with Renato edging ever so slightly ahead of Robbie as they crossed the finish line. Unknown to the majority, a second competition was being run alongside the sailing, namely ‘Who could collect the most interesting floating item’ which was eventually declared a draw between the Halloween pumpkin, a shopping bag with an uneaten soggy baguette and a helium balloon with religious inscriptions on it. To close to call! After a glorious inaugural sail, a very proud Koe family welcomed back No Idea, which returned without a drop of water in it and a mast where it should be. Well done Sara! After a slightly chilly but enormously fun day on the river, a very welcome warm cup of soup was waiting for everyone back in the clubhouse (thank you Jeremy!).Ross
Macbean Sunday 25th October A very exciting race downriver to Albert Bridge with force 5 winds and lots to say so jumping right in… Armand and Jeremy + Stephanie started well, with Allan and Callum snapping at their heels. Renato, normally the front-runner and favourite to win, surprisingly, and to the relief of anyone with a shred of competitiveness in them, seemed to be spinning around instead of going forward and found himself in the unusual situation of being back of the pack. Then – disaster – just before Putney Bridge a huge gust took Team Jeremy by surprise and their enterprise Sooty capsized. In a bid to avoid a Thames dunking (an objective that was to be tested repeatedly later) his crew found herself on the centreboard and having to haul both Jeremy and boat back up but too late the boat was filled with water and they made their way to the bank. Meanwhile Allan was now in the lead, Armand having capsized. Sally and Ross in the GP14 were not far behind. Robbie and Tom were putting their spinnaker up and were flying – the others would have to watch out for these two. The other two lasers, Renato and Hannah, were also closing in and making their way steadily through the fleet soon joining Allan at the front. Back upriver, Team Jeremy had emptied their boat and were determined to catch the fleet so set off again. With the use of Jeremy’s new magical flying jib stick they fairly flew downriver and soon enough could see white sails. Excitement grew as they appeared to be gaining faster and faster on the fleet until Team J realised that in fact the fleet were on their way back and coming towards them!! As they met the fleet just ahead of the turning point at Albert Bridge, hoping everyone would notice how impressive their catch-up had been, Team Jeremy took their eye off the ball and capsized again (to their chagrin), and now hoped no one had noticed their presence at all. Beating back up was hard work with extremely strong gusts and very changeable winds making the experience more one of survival than anything else. The leading trio extended their lead on the rest of the fleet. Sally and Ross “decided” not to put their centreboard down “to give the others a chance” (their words not mine) and were stuck by Albert Bridge for a while until gently reminded/instructed by the commodore and whoosh sure enough they were back in the race again. Upriver, the three leaders were still vying with each other and the order kept changing as one or other laser capsized until unexpectedly Allan capsized by Putney Bridge. Renato seized the opportunity to pull away from the others. Team Allan decided to finish the race in a water-filled boat and managed to pass the finish line second with Hannah not far behind. Not too far behind them, the others were still fighting a desperate battle against the wind. Armand seemed to get stuck in an air hole under one of the bridges. Both Team Sally and Team Robbie capsized (Team R into the waste discharge area of Thames, inconveniently!) giving Team Jeremy a chance to pull away. As they approached the finish line, the wind had suddenly died down completely so all started roll tacking. With 20m to go, one roll tack in Team J went disastrously wrong and resulted in yet another capsize (to great amusement) - schoolboy error. Jeremy wanted to go back for his bucket that was floating away from the finish line (!!), and in all the confusion Sally and Ross slipped past, followed by Robbie and Tom and then Armand. Final results (with handicaps): 1st - Allan and Callum 2nd – Renato 3rd – Hannah 4th – Sally and Ross 5th – Robbie and Tom(or Armand?) 6th – Armand(?) Jeremy and Stephanie – disqualified (to be appealed) Stephanie Tollemache
Sunday 16th August This is the story of the John Cope Race: A race it is said that has generated fear and trepidation to sailors of all creeds and colours to whom the Fastnet and the Sydney to Hobart, never mind the Vendee Globe, held merely a passing thought. This was it! What dark secrets do the still dark waters of the Thames hold? Would the dreaded curse of Commodore Cope be unleashed on our brave mariners on that warm and pleasant sunny afternoon? Little then, did the helms and crews, know what awaited them on that fateful day. It all started pleasantly enough. Dinghies were rigged, Enterprises and Wayfarer alike. Sails flapped in the breeze, burgees and halyards tinkled a message of hope and encouragement. Gentle airs came from the South West at about 10 Knots. The sun shone down smiling at all present. What could go wrong? The chat was about the start time being delayed. Would we be back on time for assignations already agreed elsewhere? Was this the first dark cloud on the horizon? Or, more lightly was it the echo of disgruntled sailors around the world who have to suffer the fact that time and tide waits for no man? In this case we waited for the time and tide. The rescue boats were launched Jane and Ray were in the metal boat and Peter in the inflatable rib. At the last minute Valeria arrived and, having no-one to crew for, joined Peter in the rib. A cosy situation! Two beautiful people thrown together by unexpected circumstance! It could not last! Both were not ready for such intimacy in a rib for one powered by two. Valeria, to protect her honour, begged to join Jane and Ray in the larger boat for safety in numbers. Ho Ho, ménage a trios. A daring and spectacular mid-river transfer was performed using skills passed down from father to son, mother to daughter in the seafaring tradition in the community of the South Bank Sailing Club. The amazed passersby on the river bank burst into spontaneous applause when Valeria sat triumphant on the bow of the Rescue Launch. The dangerous yet, approved by the Health and Safety Executive, difficult manoeuvre had been carried out with panache and expertise. Jane and Ray smiled modestly at the “job-well-done”. Pride comes before a fall and this may have been the harbinger of doom. The race was on!!! Flags were raised, bells were rung by the officer in the Club House on the start line. Tim the officer in charge was in full flow. We had been instructed by this stalwart that the form of address to him was Sir. Other forms also came to mind. Renato led the pack which were baying at his heels. We three on the Rescue boat raced ahead to place the buoy near Westminster Pier to mark the turning point that was the halfway marker of the John Cope conflict. This was not without incident. At the first attempt to place the buoy in the right place it stopped about 1 metre from the edge of the pier and directly in front of a revving powerful ferry that had better things to do than be hampered and delayed by three incompetent race officials in a rescue boat. The third attempt appeared to have the yellow buoy in the right place and one red-faced boy, me, returned to the cut-and-thrust of the South Bank’s John Cope. Returning to the race we passed Westminster Sailing Club, who’s officials were instructing novice helms and crews in 10 or 11 dinghies. It was noted that some of them were wearing traditional middle-eastern sailing gear. The chadors and Jelbas fluttered in the breeze. Their safety officer was warned that an official race from up river was bearing down on them and collision should be avoided at all costs. We sped on. Renato was still in the vanguard and in the following pack flounced Bob and Nina with not a care in the world. What could be nicer than an easy beam-reach? They were gaining in speed and confidence by the second. It could not last. Bob took his mind off helming just for a few seconds and then, to avoid a false jibe over-corrected and over he went into an “early bath”. He efficiently swam around the yacht and mounted the centre board in an attempt right the boat. This failed for two reasons: i) The crew had decided to hold on to the upper side of the boat and: ii) The mast was in the river bed. Encouragement and hints that ensued from the safety boat helped not at all. Yet through bravery and cunning, trial and error and a touch of great seamanship the enterprise was righted and they decided to return home to the clubhouse. A warm shower and food verses mud and cold water was no contest. In the meantime the competitors had reached the middle-eastern novice mariners flapping around in the river near their clubhouse. Needless to say a collision occurred but in sh’allah no damage was done. The race hurtled on still headed by Renato in the Laser. Is there no stopping him? Are the breezes too light for the heavier boats? The participants were told to leave the halfway yellow buoy to starboard. Unbelievably all the contestants got this right and were noted by Jane and Valeria keeping the time and sale numbers written down in the event of a dispute. I have always enjoyed watching the tourists having a good time whilst aboard the yellow duck amphibious transporters navigating the river near Westminster. They embark onto the river on the south bank upstream of the Houses of Parliament where a ramp meets the water. Jerome at the back of the pack was close to this point. Co-incidentally a “Duck” was heading to this point too, to leave the river. The wind had dropped from 10 knots to 2 or 3 and with the tide at about 2 knots. Progress was slow to say the least. The horn blaring and the waving of what may have been mid-European arms in the Duck threatened our brave helm and crew with a fate worse than death. Enter your trusty Safety Boat: the warning Claxton was blown. Shouts of “sail before steam” and other pleasantries were fired off in a broadside worthy of Nelson, Rodney and Drake and, yes! The duck backed off, the breeze picked up and the battle won.
But what now? A sail! A boat aground? Or had Meg and Debbie decided to hunt for shells amongst the flotsam and jetsam on the bank near the Battersea Park Pagoda. No, they had lost steerage and needed our help. They no longer hoped to raise the coveted cup on their return to the clubhouse. With tears brimming in their eyes they asked for a tow back. Tricky job getting off a lea shore yet, on the third attempt the mast was secured to a line and a tired yet, now happy, helm and crew looked forward to a bar-b-cue and the camaraderie of the club house. It should be noted at this point that all communication between the Race Officer (Sir Tim) and the safety boats was in line of sight only. In other words for about 10 minutes of a 3 hour race, information could be passed and instruction given. Also, due to the distance between the leaders of the race and the rearguard (losers) the cheap walkie-talkies were useless between the safety boats. Only 1 boat had one anyway. A passing rib was hailed and asked to deliver a message that a contestant was under tow and could Peter return on the rearguard patrol. This was Jane’s idea and it worked a treat. I must learn not to be so cynical. Then as if all that could happen had already occurred there was a shout “starboard” , “water”, “We are racing get out of the way” (re-phrased) in Californian or was it a mid-Western accent. A racer of the best kind, lying second to last, was hailing the Rescue Boat that had a casualty and a yacht under tow. A collision course! Bare away! But, No! Our brave and intrepid American members were determined to uphold maritime law and hit the rescue boat a-beam. Thank God that all hands were on deck and still euphoric from the ‘Duck Incident’. They warded off the plucky American racer with practiced skill worthy of the British Navy two hundred years ago. The race was won and done. Stories to be told. A bar-b-cue to be had. We were on dry land and all accounted for. Renato had won! What could go wrong now? God moves in mysterious ways and the curse of Cope not been revealed. Is that burning I smell? Are there flames I see? Yes the gas bar-b-cue is on fire and is feeding itself on the meat. Don, with his usual laid-back lightening reactions, moved the singed food and doused the flames. Disaster averted. Another quiet Sunday at the South Bank.
Any connection between the above and reality is strenuously denied by the writer. Ray Burnett
Sunday 2nd August Squidditch comes to SBSC Eighteen hardy souls in nine boats sped onto the water yesterday (2 August) at 11h00 to take part in SBSC’s first ever game of Squidditch. Based (loosely) on the game of Quidditch, as featured in Rowling’s Harry Potter books, and the brainchild of the good Doctor Don, Squidditch requires awareness, balance, tactical skill & just the right amount of silliness; all of which were present in abundance yesterday. Briefly: if your boat was hit by a Bludger (aka a lightweight child’s plastic football) thrown from another boat, you have to make an immediate 360 degree turn. If, however, you manage to catch the Bludger or it misses you entirely, it is the thrower’s boat that has to make an immediate 360 degree turn. Somewhere in the mix yesterday was also a Golden Snitch (aka a yellow(ish) tennis ball), but no one was quite sure what to do with it or about it. No Quaffles were used this time. The course set was short enough to allow for close-up sailing and for having a good chance of hitting another boat with a Bludger. Four games were played. Peter and Rachel Mack were the clear winners of the series, winning three games outright. Everyone had fun and it’s certain that Squidditch will be played at South Bank SC again. (In case you’re wondering; no Bludgers or Golden Snitches were harmed in any way, and all were recovered safely.) Joseph Cabon And now for the results:
Sunday 19th July REPORT ON RACE 10 It was a lovely sailing day, warm with a light westerly gusting to moderate, start time 10.15. The RO had made an effort, got out of bed early and rushed his breakfast and opened the club soon after 9.00. Jeremy arrived, then Meg and Debbie, then Roger and Edith who had come for a taster sail, then Toni and Tony to help with in the office and the safety boat. Then nobody else. As 10.00 approached it became clear that no one else was going to come but it was too nice a day not to sail. Toni and Tony had “things to do” and were glad to go home so it was two Wayfarers and a sail about. Then we realised that we probably did not have the muscle to get the Dory back up the ramp so we searched for the inflatable, found it and mounted the Tohatsu but it wouldn’t start, desperate call to Allan just as he was getting into his car to drive to Scotland. “Have you attached the kill cord?” “Kill Cord?” No see. So borrow one from Armand’s outboard and we were off. Then it was all plain sailing as you might say. Meg helmed Katie round the river and though, with Jeremy sometimes as negative ballast, the leeward gunnel got close to the water in the gusts, they stayed dry. Roger and Edith sailed around comfortably, now and then approaching maximum displacement speed, though there was a moment’s anxiety when they strayed up river and nearly lost the wind. The RO/Cox’n enjoyed the sunshine & passed the time estimating the width of the tide shadow on the Fulham bank by comparing the speeds of bits of rubbish.(its very narrow). Then it was going home time, Armand’s kill cord was returned and the inflatable was reconcealed, and we found the Tohatsu cord in the petrol store. Edith had thoroughly enjoyed herself and said she would join. Then we all had some coffee and lived happily ever after. John Parke
Sunday 12th July SOUTH BANK SAILING CLUB ENTERPRISE OPEN AND SOUTH EAST AREA CHAMPIONSHIP RACE REPORTSouth Bank Sailing Club on the tidal Thames in Putney, London, were delighted to host an Enterprise Open and the South East Area Enterprise Championship on Sunday 12 July 2009. The event was made up of two long distance races followed by a round-the-buoys race, each timed to take advantage of the varying tidal conditions throughout the day. Long distance racing on the Thames has it all, bridges, shallows, strong currents, pleasure boats and more often than not variable wind patterns, all of which offers a unique challenge to sailors whatever their ability. Race 1 was down river from Putney to Westminster, a distance of some 6 miles. Starting in a very fickle wind with a following tide, the fleet made a cautious start. Aided by the tide and a freshening breeze good progress was made towards Westminster. By the halfway stage the boats of Beaney and Bird had a good lead on the rest of the fleet, however in the closing stages they both misread the run-in to the finishing line letting Davis through to claim first, followed by Munroe-Faure and Henderson in third. The fleet was then held for half an hour to wait for slack water prior to the start of Race 2. This in itself was a challenge with busy river traffic to avoid including Tate Gallery’s huge Damien Hurst decorated catamaran and “Duck Tours” amphibious vehicles. Race 2 was back to Putney and got off to a textbook start in a solid force 4 westerly. The fleet quickly spread out with the front-runners excelling in the long beat back to Putney. In total contrast to heavy winds on the majority of the course that saw a number of capsizes, the closing leg from Putney Bridge to the finish was hampered by the unwelcome shelter of very tall trees lining the Surrey bank. Positions established by the half way stage were held with Beaney 1st, Davis 2nd and Bird, recovering brilliantly from an earlier capsize in 3rd. After a very welcome lunch break the majority of the fleet was back on the water for Race 3. Whilst the river level was by now much higher and therefore the racing area more exposed, the wind dropped progressively during the course of the race. This made it very tactical and with the last of the flood tide still pushing strongly through the centre of the river most of the fleet electing to hug the Middlesex bank in order to make headway. Beaney finished first by a county mile followed by Chambers and Hodgson. The final results were: Tideway Race Enterprise open (combined result for Races 1 & 2) : 1st Davis, 2nd Munro-Faure, 3rd Bird. South East Area Championship (combined result of Races 1, 2 & 3 with one race discarded): 1st Beaney, 2nd Davis, 3rd Munro-Faure. The top junior crew was Master Bird and the top veteran was John Parke. SBSC were delighted to host the event and look forward to hosting another Enterprise Open next season. http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=147862 Chris Phillips
Sunday 17th May
Today the racing conditions when we arrived at the club in mid afternoon looked fierce with a generally westerly wind, but with regular strong gusting and rain showers. Heavy dark grey cloud banks loomed overhead interspersed with beautiful clear blue patches of sky. The assembled sailors gathered and pondered and donned both wet and dry suits. Rigging commenced and most boats rigged for the conditions with either cut down sails or 4.7 rigs for the Lasers. When we were almost ready we phoned Ranelagh who we were joining as our host club to take part in their annual RNLI race. Surprised there was no answer we sent a runner (well firstly friends Cathy and Steve Collins who were visiting from Minima) down to see what was going on and they didn’t re-appear so then Sara was despatched – we were beginning to think the wind must have taken the telephone lines down. In fact rather unusually for SBSC we were down very early for the race and with most boats ready rigged to go around 6.00pm the start wasn’t actually until 6.45. We phoned in the details of our gallant sailors all 7 boats with assorted crews. While we were launching the clouds parted and more blue skies appeared and the several boats set off with their little handkerchiefs up. The water turned to a glassy oily look and the boats all were swept away with the tide and had to be towed up to the Ranelagh start line. Meanwhile Ranelagh started to rig their boats and seeing the formidable SBSC armada of big boats led by our flagship in the shape of Armand's Laser 16 appearing under tow. I think they twigged there was no wind anymore and set their biggest sails. The start was set off with the usual medley of start bells from Ranelagh with the first bell being the five minute. Usually there is a four minute bell to follow the five Minute and this was the case, then low and behold there was a three minute bell. This threw crews into a bit of confusion as the heavier boats were drifting rapidly towards the line when they realised the three minute bell was actually a four minute bell and there was a frantic struggle to stay above the line. One of the SBSC Lasers manned by David had slipped over the line and the race was started. Poor David took another five minutes to get back over the line with his handkerchief, trying manfully to grapple with the wind. Still we were off and while drifting to the first mark there was pretty competitive racing, then turning this first corner the Lasers all turned around the mark and headed off back upstream and the rest of our Armada continued on its way towards Hammersmith. The third rowing mark on the shaded windless bank was too sheltered for several boats to get around and several gave up. So we didn't really give this race our collective best shot So all in all it was rather disappointing to rig in such a fine wind and end up in so little, and rather than labour on individual performances we can usefully describe this in terms of team effort with the results being that Ranelagh overall 'just pipped' (!) SBSC into second place. SBSC was attended by Joe Driver, Jenna Browning and David Kennedy in lasers, Allan Munro-Faure plus Callum MF and Ross Macbean, Gary Marshall and Steve Maddock in Wayfarer Worlds, Jeremy Khan and Sara Bennett in the GP14 and Armand Attard and Matt Williamson in the Laser 16. And thanks to Ray Burnett rolling up in his Rolls Royce with family to do safety boat duty. We would have had a few other crews but the strong wind put off our Commodore and Enterprise captains (no names please). Off the water afterwards we all quickly packed our boats away and joined Ranelagh in their smartly refurbished bar and dining areas for a fantastic spread of food and wine. Allan M-F Enterprise Open – John Livingston Trophy
Sunday 10th May Six SBSC sailors attended the London Corinthian S.C. Enterprise open meeting. We now have the published results - our guys in yellow. Looks as though they had an SBSC tussle while there... 1 – David Beaney and John
Beaney - 20234 Blank Bgan Castaways
Sunday 3rd May 14 boats raced downriver to Albert Bridge and back today in what was generally a very lively wind, with the more experienced Laser sailors all opting for a radial rather than a full rig. Don Henderson produced a stunning first leg and opened up a significant lead which lasted most of the first leg, with Renato Hidalgo chasing him well towards the turning mark. Meanwhile others were finding the wind too much and both safety boats were sorting things towards the back of the fleet when the front-runners reached Albert. This was unfortunate since a lengthening of the course was definitely in order, and the significant current still ebbing out meant that everyone caught up. To make matters worse, the plan to tack the fleet around the bridge rather than gybe them left the leaders in the worst spot of the river. So the race effectively re-started but as the wind re-appeared the original leaders were seriously disadvantaged. Ander de Bustos now made his move in a Laser radial, and he squeezed his way through the southern arch and into a slight breeze on the other side which carried him into a good lead which he held all the way back to the Club to take first place. John Parke, Armand Attard and Bob Jackson fought it out for the next three places, but I can't remember exactly who got what - apologies! It was great to see such a good fleet on a bank holiday weekend. Joe D
Sunday 26th April
With a fleet of 11 boats, and none of them able to get
to the line to start because of a south westerly wind blowing them all up
river, we eventually got them started using the red marker buoy as the start
line. A triangular course was set by Paul, and it proved quite testing for
some to get to the 2nd red marker buoy.
Sailing reports for Feb to April 2009 Sorry for no reports over this period. We have sorted the website glitches now, so new reports are needed!
Sailing Report for 22nd February 2009
An excellent turn out - 8 boats in total. Norma kindly stepped in to take
charge in the Race Box ably assisted by Judi.
Sailing Report for2nd February 2009
A. Munro-Faure J. Parke
Bloody Mary Pursuit Race at Queen Mary Reservoir
Robbie had hired a truck to tow a club Enterprise and we took my laser on
top Race Report for 14th December 2008
Four boats went out in the cold on Sunday 14th, a 4 lap race, all
The Week-end at Poole 4th/4th October. 2008 We watched the weather forecasts all week, Would it be 25-35mph (Windguru) or 12-15 on Saturday dying away to 1mph at mid-day Sunday? (Metcheck) Friday was perfect sailing weather of course. Saturday morning was confusing, total overcast no wind at all at first, during breakfast the leaves began to rustle and by the time we got to the harbour the trees were swaying and there were whitecaps. Two Wayfarers, reefed and with four aboard went carefully out, Instructor training they said. Then Bill Phillips brought word from the OC Rockley Windguru had been right. "NO SAILING" (Not for you lot anyway) I for one, was relieved. We watched, like spectators at a bull fight with no wish to follow them, while 20 Hobie cats set off for a national open. The crews well out on their trapezes before they had left the shelter of the bay. Now what to do? We drove down to Weymouth to see Chesil Beach in a strong Sou’wester. We struggled over the ridge against the wind and, with grave respect for generations of fishermen who had landed there daily, watched an angry, grey, lumpy sea pounding the stones. Then we skipped down wind, back over the beach to watch modern sailors, windsurfers and kitesurfers, playing with the wind on screaming reaches. One kite surfer standing on something the size of a tea tray, turned at the end of his reach by hoisting himself a good ten feet clear of the water, turning in the air and simply setting off back again. Then a visit to the National Sailing School, all eco-friendly, plate glass and hushed empty halls where we learned that the wind kite surfers were being officially timed at 45-50 mph! There were any amount of Lasers but no, they don’t offer courses in Enterprise sailing. Then back to Poole for an excellent team filling (sorry, building) supper in a room to ourselves in a local pub. Driving rain all night with gusts that shook the caravan, no need to hurry breakfast. Not surprisingly A rather wet Bill appeared to report more 25-05 mph winds forecast and to repeat yesterday’s message from Rockley; No sailing. And incidentally 18 of the 20 cats had capsized yesterday and some had broken masts. So a good-will visit to our new friends in the other caravan parked on the cliff top overlooking the harbour, where we enjoyed hot coffee and Wendy’s home made chocolate brownies. So cosy you could think the weather was not so bad after all. Hang on! The rain had stopped and the wind had dropped, Metcheck had been at least partly right. Emergency call to the ever helpful Bill, back to our caravan pile into wet gear, and down to the harbour and launched two Wayfarers and Chris’ 18 ft Dart cat. before the weather changed its mind again. The Wayfarers sailed comfortably across the harbour while Chris zipped around giving turns on the trapeze and had some of our new members whooping with delight. Then packed the boats away, packed in a good supper on the rest of Sara’s excellent lassagne, ( two glasses of wine for the commodore because he wasn’t driving), packed our kit and made the long journey home. We’d made the best of a frustrating week-end, at least we’d got afloat and everyone was happy.
Sunday 21st September - Race 8 Gary.
Report on race 7th
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