Dinghy Racing: May 31st

What a great 2015 year hosted by Team Captains Dinghies Andy and Karen Biggs. Writing this with 70 mph gusts outside we are reminded how generous the wind was with only one outright race cancellation. Andy gained huge support from the Committee for re-investment in 2016 dinghy racing.

Two RS Visions – think Wayfarer with easy righting / crew recovery, naturally aspirated with huge Spinnaker and a 1134 Handicap to die for. The perfect introduction to club racing.

A dual purpose Safety / Committee boat with a robust construction we think will tempt more Safety Boaters out in all weathers.

We need to get on the water a little earlier for three equipment acquaint sessions starting 3rd April to hone our Safety and Asymmetric skills before racing starts on 14th April.

Andy on [email protected] is keen to take out new and adult Members for refresher race training in the Visions on Tuesday evenings or as convenient. If any juniors’ parents are kicking their heels on the quay, we hope to offer similar temptation on Friday evenings. The Club’s stock of lovingly maintained Wayfarers is also available for adult sailing / training on Tuesday evenings. Contact Dave Sumner on 01326 240350 or [email protected].

We are actively exploring ways HRSC and HRCST can encourage the flow of adults and juniors into racing and hope there are opportunities with RNAS Culdrose. The Club, founded in 1948 by many ex-RN members, naturally should exploit their “special relationship”.

Saturday 18th June 14:00 – HRSC Dinghy Regatta: we have the return of the Junior Feva Travellers , Laser 4.7ers, and let’s see if we can lure RNAS Culdrose to the friendly melee. We are delighted and proud to have secured Commodore Grafham Water – Tom Smith, to RO the day. Tom will require the generous loan of a Committee boat capable of comfortably holding 4-6 volunteer spotters and recorders under cover.

Saturday 23rd July 18:00 – Susanna May Memorial Cup: the perennially popular event for the May family and friends to joust with HRSC Dinghies. Congratulations to Captain Reginald ‘Fido’ Vivian-May for his British Empire Medal awarded last September!

Saturday 17th or Sunday 18th September – Bart’s Bash: www.bartsbash.com it is appropriate in an Olympic year to honour Sir Ben Ainslie’s late friend Bart Simpson by sailing for Bart on 18th September.

I look forward to meeting old and new rivals alike on the river for an exciting programme of Club racing, regattas, and even the odd expedition or two.

Stephen Brooks – Captain Dinghies [email protected]

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 21st June 2015 : Linestart NW, Wind 4-5

Beccy Bests the Bunch

Walking and talking the dogs at 5am, is how Laser specialist Beccy Kestin starts her preparation on race days, and gets in two Sunday breakfasts before the farmers. To give the reader some indication of what Beccy does to win her races, do a search on You Tube for Hiking Tips from GB’s Nick Thompson 2016 Olympic hopeful or click here

youtube.com/watch?v=1fKYrWw6UNE

Race Officers Beks Hosking & Jim Lea set a superb course with a huge beat West up river that would test or rather remind racers they had abs and quads and needed to use them. Starting in the middle of the river off Grebe, the handicap fleet ran out of wind near the committee boat; on the opposite side 50 yards away Brooks was on a planeing reach to the Pin, but couldn’t quite make out the numbers on his stopwatch. Phil Philpott new exactly where and when he was going in the Blaze and the rest of the fleet followed, although Andrew Hosking did take pause to reconsider his options – twice – and came last.

Bionic man Andy Biggs knows how to keep a Laser flat, swapping the lead with a glistening Blaze in the unpredictable wind of the first Lap to eventually to come second. Phil Samuel a former exponent of the physical Laser seemed effortlessly to guide his Solo about the course but was denied a podium position by just one fine second.

With the wind shifting in the Blazes favour for the remaining laps Philpott together with Biggs stretched their lead, but were trumped by Beccy’s 4.7 at the final accounting

Results 1st R Kestin, 2nd A Biggs 3rd S Brooks

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on the day

Committee: R Hosking & J Lea