Yesterday’s round of the Commodore’s Cup nearly didn’t happen. Uncertainty around road repairs meant it was well past Sally’s nap time before racing was confirmed.
11 boats took to the water in a fairly consistent force three from the Southwest.
There was action at Joel tried to sneak in to windward of Newton at the start. Newton was having none of that and closed the gap. Despite some evasive manoeuvres, Joel hit Newton and had to complete penalty turn. Steve S was the first to the windward mark in his Blaze. Followed by Newton (Solo) and Rhys (ILCA 6). By the end of the first lap, Rhys and Mark (Aero 7) had overtaken Newton, who was down to 4th place. Elsewhere in the race, Nigel, Aileen, Steve P and Ian were having a close fight for the best of the rest.
There was further drama on lap 3, when Newton was rammed into by Rhys whilst rounding the windward mark, in what was clearly an act of ageism. By the time Rhys had completed his penalty turns, he’d been passed by both Joel and Mark B.
Steve S was first across the line, followed by Newton and Mark B. On Handicap, Steve S held onto his win, with Joel 2nd. It was too close to call for the 3rd place, so Rhys and Newton share the final podium place.
A big thank you to Hugh and his team for organising the racing yesterday.
One of the victims of the uncertainty regarding road repairs was the post racing meal, which was cancelled. Sally had a Tuna sandwich for dinner instead which she said was very enjoyable, but didn’t offer to share it with anyone.
We’re back on Sunday for the 1st rounds of the Summer Series.
A gusty force three from the Southwest greeted sailors for the final races of the Spring Series.
12 sailors made it out to the start of the pursuit race, with Will S in his Topper setting off first. The majority of the fleet set off at the same time, passing Chris H in his Comet. Will S remained ahead for the rest of the race, finishing half a leg in front. Chris K finished 2nd (ILCA 6), with Darren 3rd.
There was an eventful start in the Handicap race, with only 8 sailors remaining. Mike and Alé were way over the line, but weren’t called out on it. Will S managed to hide behind their boat and was also over, both getting good starts. Mike and Alé maintained their lead throughout the race. Elsewhere Newton and Chris K were having a close battle for 2nd place, with Richard S also in the mix before dropping back. Elsewhere, Will S and Chris H were having a close battle, with Will finishing just ahead.
Mike and Alé crossed the line first with Chris K 2nd and Newton 3rd. On Handicap, Will S took the win, marking a clean sweep for the day. Chris K was 2nd and Newton 3rd.
Not many capsizes yesterday, probably due to the absence of the usual suspects…
A big thank you to Rhys and his team for running the racing yesterday.
We’re back on Wednesday for the next round of the Commodore’s Cup.
Sailors arrived nervously for the Commodore’s Cup last night. A constant squall was hitting the shore, leading to several sailors to wimp out…
11 boats made it onto the water, and just after the gun, the wind eased and the sun came out. Hugh, Steve S and Newton rounded the windward mark first, with Rhys close behind. Hugh lost out at the leeward mark due to a rigging failure (is it a rigging failure if you don’t rig your boat properly?!) Steve S had his smaller sail on (Blaze Fire) and struggled to pass Newton in his Solo. Hugh meanwhile had caught up again just as Steve Passed Newton to take the lead.
Elsewhere in the race, Rhys (ILCA 6) had caught up with the leaders, whilst Joel (also ILCA6) was closing too. Tim and Steve P were having a close battle to finish in the top 10.
On lap 4, Alé had a rigging failure leading to his retirement. Conveniently, this rigging failure happened very close to the shore…
Steve S crossed the line first, followed by Hugh, then Rhys. On Handicap, Rhys finished first, marking his first win of the year. Newton was 2nd and Joel finished 3rd.
Steve P was the only capsize of the night, a figure aided by the fact Mark didn’t race, instead valiantly volunteering for an OOD duty. Once the wind died, he abandoned his post (with permission) and went out to improve his Sail:Capsize ratio.
A big thank you to Karen and her team for organising the racing yesterday.
After the race, there was Lasagne and Chocolate Mousse, made by Tim.
We’re back on Sunday for the final rounds of the Spring Series.
Six sailors braved the squall-like conditions on Bank Holiday Monday, for the Whitsun Pennant.
Steve S decided to brave the Small sail on his Blaze Fire. And shot off into an early lead. This was closely followed by Newton (Solo). A bit of a gap followed, with Richard W and Joel neck and neck in their ILCA 6 sails. The remaining racers retired due to the conditions.
Steve extended his lead, with Richard and Joel catching up with Newton due to a rare capsize.
4 gruelling laps later the race came to an end, with Steve way out in front, followed by Newton, Richard and Joel. On Handicap, Steve S took the win, with Richard W 2nd and Newton 3rd.
A big thank you to Ian S and his team for organising the racing yesterday.
We’re back on Wednesday for the next round of the Commodore’s Cup.
A special treat for everyone this week, as the race report is brought to you by the Jolly Sailor’s apprentice. The Jolly Sailor was unavailable and not really interested as the race didn’t involve Mark capsizing his Aero.
Windy conditions and the bank holiday weekend seemed to put off many sailors.
Nigel had already offered to be 2nd PB for Peter Rose and his team. Rick also decided to join the race team after watching some big gusts come through.
Which left just three fools (sorry sailors) to compete in one pursuit race
By agreement the pursuit race was started at the 7.5minute mark as all three dinghies (a solo and two laser radials) had the same handicap.
A westerly wind meant that a land based start line could be used. However the start line pin was stuck fast in weed and mud at the far end of the lake, so a temporary mark had to be used instead.
At the start Chris Kilshaw got himself luffed up while the other two made good starts. That ended up being the story of the whole race – Chris K would catch and sometimes overtake Darren only to incur a penalty, catch a gust wrong or lose out to a wind shift. Newton in his solo kept challenging the two laser radials until near the end of the race when the gusts picked up and he seemed to settle for 3rd.
Darren finished first overall, with Chris K 2nd.
Only one capsize today despite the difficult conditions, the Honours for which go to Darren (Mark B must be proud).
A big thank you to Peter Rose and his team for organising the racing today.
We’re back on the Bank Holiday Monday for the Whitsun Pennant.
A lovely evening for the Commodore’s Cup last night. The earlier rain made way for some sun and a great force 2 wind from the North.
Steve S (Blaze) took an early lead, followed by Mark (Aero) and Rick (ILCA). By the second lap, Steve had extended his lead, whilst the Solo’s of Newton and Roland S had managed to pass Rick and were hot on the heels of Mark. Elsewhere in the Midfleet, Richard, Joel and Aileen were having a close fight, with Joel catching up and overtaking Rick by the end of the race.
Steve S was first across the line, followed by Newton and Roland S. On Handicap Newton took the win, demoting Steve to second place. Roland made up the final spot on the podium.
No capsizes last night either, a particularly proud achievement for Mark in his Aero.
A big thank you to Karen and her team for organising the racing last night.
After the race, there was Pulled Pork, rolls and salad, made by Sally.
We’re back on Sunday for the next installment of the Spring Series, followed by the Whitsun Pennant on Monday.
A variable North Easterly wind for the latest installment of the Spring Series yesterday.
15 boats took to the water for the start of the Pursuit race, which began with Paul W in his Morbic, before being chased down by the rest of the fleet. Chris H (Comet) quickly built up a lead, and held onto it for the remainder of the race. Roland S (Solo) was close behind, finishing 2nd. Steve S was 3rd in his Blaze.
The handicap race was led by Steve S. Richard S had a blinding 1st lap, before dropping back slightly. Ralph, Roland and James P were having a close battle for 3rd, before Ralph lost out on the second lap, dropping back by several minutes. Elsewhere in the midfleet. Ale, Chris H and Rick were having a tight race.
Steve Crossed the line 1st, followed by Roland S and James P (ILCA 7). On Handicap, Roland finished 1st overall, with Richard S 2nd and Chris H 3rd.
A big thank you to Newton and his team for running the racing yesterday.
After the race there were hot dogs, followed by the New members picnic. (There always seems to be food on Sunday when the Jolly Sailor isn’t there…)
We’re back on Wednesday for the next round of the Commodore’s Cup.
There was a lovely force 4 wind for the latest round of the Commodore’s Cup last night.
15 boats took to the water, with the start line right down the far end of the lake.
James C (RS 300) took an early lead, with Steve S (Blaze) following behind. Newton (Solo) rounded the first mark in 3rd place. In the midfleet, there was a close battle with several boats all jostling for position. Ralph (Solo) was leading this pack for much of the race, but was passed by Hugh and Joel on the last lap. James C crossed the line first, followed by Steve S & Newton. After handicap was calculated, Newton finished 1st, with Joel 2nd and James C 3rd.
There were capsizes a plenty, as Mark (Aero), James C, Richard W (ILCA) & Roland S (Solo) all went over.
A big thank you to Ale and his team for running the racing last night, especially to Ale for stepping in at the last minute.
After the race, there was Lasagna, Garlic Bread and Salad. Made by Carol.
We’re back on Sunday for the next installments of the Spring Series
Another shifty and Gusty day for the next installment of the Spring Series yesterday.
13 boats took to the water in what were truly boat breaking conditions.
The Pursuit Race was started with Ron in the Mirror, with the rest of the fleet setting off shortly afterwards. Karen got ahead of Ron and managed to keep ahead of the faster boats behind, finishing 1st. Newton finished 2nd, having overtaken Chris H, who finished 3rd. Mark B decided to retire in his Aero.
The Handicap race was led for the first 3 laps by Newton, but suffered a boat breakage and was forced to retire. Richard S inherited the lead in his ILCA 6, with Ralph not far behind. Elsewhere, Adrian retired in his Rooster 8.1.
Richard S crossed the line first, followed by Ralph (Solo) and Karen 3rd. On Handicap, Karen finished 2nd, demoting Ralph to 3rd place. Richard managed to retain his 1st place.
In the end, there were only 9 finishers by the end of the race, a testament to the trying conditions and the commitment of the racers.
The results yesterday mean Karen takes the lead in the Pursuit series. Whilst despite his retirement, Newton holds on to the lead of the Handicap series.
A big thank you to Chris K and the rest of the team for organizing the racing yesterday and for providing valuable safety boat cover.
We’re back on Wednesday for the next race in the Commodore’s Cup.
A lovely North East wind for the latest installment of the Commodore’s Cup last night.
Mark set a nice short course, as the winds on a Wednesday typically drop throughout the evening. That wasn’t the case this time and the winds picked up throughout the race, giving plenty of recording for the race team stationed on the finish line.
19 boats took to the water, the majority of whom were all right on the start line at the gun. I’m sure Mark was looking forward to a general recall, but that wasn’t to be the case and all the boats set off towards the upwind buoy.
Steve S (Blaze) was the first to round the windward mark, followed by Hugh (Aero) and Newton (Solo). Steve extended his lead and sailed into clear air, whilst Newton was overtaken by Ralph on lap 2. James P, Karen & Joel were close behind Newton.
There wasn’t much change to positions after several laps, the best opportunity to overtake was on the upwind leg, and the shifting winds made it difficult to gain an overall advantage.
After 5 laps, Mark called the race to an end, obviously running out of room on the timing sheets. Steve crossed the line 1st, with Hugh 2nd and Ralph 3rd. Newton, Karen and James P weren’t far behind in 4th-6th respectively. Joel (ILCA 6) had a great race and was keeping up with the midfleet, but missed the start line on the 2nd lap, leaving him with a dsq!
On Handicap, Karen finished 1st, with Steve S just 4 seconds behind in 2nd. The podium was rounded off by Ralph in 3rd.
A big thank you to Mark B and his team for running the racing yesterday, especially to Rick and Ann who both stepped in when the team was a bit short on people.
After the race there was Chicken Pasta Bake, made by Karen, followed by Chocolate Cake.
We’re back on Sunday for the next installment of the Spring Series.
A lovely North East wind for the latest installment of the Commodore’s Cup last night.
Mark set a nice short course, as the winds on a Wednesday typically drop throughout the evening. That wasn’t the case this time and the winds picked up throughout the race, giving plenty of recording for the race team stationed on the finish line.
19 boats took to the water, the majority of whom were all right on the start line at the gun. I’m sure Mark was looking forward to a general recall, but that wasn’t to be the case and all the boats set off towards the upwind buoy.
Steve S (Blaze) was the first to round the windward mark, followed by Hugh (Aero) and Newton (Solo). Steve extended his lead and sailed into clear air, whilst Newton was overtaken by Ralph on lap 2. James P, Karen & Joel were close behind Newton.
There wasn’t much change to positions after several laps, the best opportunity to overtake was on the upwind leg, and the shifting winds made it difficult to gain an overall advantage.
After 5 laps, Mark called the race to an end, obviously running out of room on the timing sheets. Steve crossed the line 1st, with Hugh 2nd and Ralph 3rd. Newton, Karen and James P weren’t far behind in 4th-6th respectively. Joel (ILCA 6) had a great race and was keeping up with the midfleet, but missed the start line on the 2nd lap, leaving him with a dsq!
On Handicap, Karen finished 1st, with Steve S just 4 seconds behind in 2nd. The podium was rounded off by Ralph in 3rd.
A big thank you to Mark B and his team for running the racing yesterday, especially to Rick and Ann who both stepped in when the team was a bit short on people.
After the race there was Chicken Pasta Bake, made by Karen, followed by Chocolate Cake.
We’re back on Sunday for the next installment of the Spring Series.
