Dinghy Race Report: Laser Plate 2

After the success of the 2014 season I think we are all looking forward to another fantastic fun and competitive season of dinghy racing on the Helford. This season will again be a mix of line start courses, average lap racing and pursuit races. With the number of racers increasing we should be able to increase the use of the Q20 committee boat and have more line starts. Committee boat duties will be requested of racers during the season.

There will be a pre-season briefing on Thursday 16th April at 7.00pm. The weekend races are mainly on Sundays and I hope to organise several fun Saturday events to encourage new sailors and progressing juniors to join the fleet. The formal racing starts on Thursday 23rd April but depending on weather and enthusiasm there may be some informal practice races earlier in April. These events will be notified by email circulation. The Dinghy Regatta Day will be on Saturday 11th July, with the first race at 10.30am. This will be a day of 5 average lap races allowing all standards of sailing ability and speed of dinghy to compete in fun exciting races.

The Susanna May Cup will be held on Saturday 8th August at 3pm. The May family are again hosting this fun race afternoon and party/prize giving event, and everyone is welcome. My thanks to everyone who helped make the 2014 season such a success and I hope 2015 is as enjoyable for everyone.

If you would like to try dinghy sailing, experience racing or join the adult sailors in the Club fleet of Wayfarers on a Tuesday evening, then please get in touch. Email me on [email protected].

Andy Biggs – Captain Dinghies

Spring Evening Laser Plate Mini Series 1 of 3 Thursday 25th June : Olympic TSL, Wind SSW 3-4

Laser Plate Race 1

Veteran race officer Phil Samuel tasked his stewards with forming an old style Olympic Triangle course in a breeze that blew variously south to north, if not at all on Thursday

Hugo the Hugonaut – so called for his nautical adventures, took the opportunity at Helford’s 2015 Laser Plate miniseries to reprise his performance as a youthful Laser racer on the opposite side of the Channel some 17 years past. When it comes to beating his relation McD, on his own turf, it would not be a piece of cake; so it proved in a fluky evening’s breeze on Thursday.

Our garrulous Gallic guest took great care of Ginnie Sykes sleek Black craft, but of Hugo’s disarming chatter, it was wise to ignore as he scampered after McD; leaving all else behind. Biggsey was performing in fine style as he dinged his way about the Radials to finish fourth behind the Hugonaut.

Of the Juniors, Harry Broad eventually led the radials of his brother Matt Broad, Ben Johns, and Beks Hosking – with only1½ minutes separating them all after near an hour’s close racing. Despite his best efforts, Sam Philpott couldn’t go any faster than his 4.7 would let him. Sam’ s Uncle, Phil, had only got one sail, the right, one and gradually moved up to middle orders.

Beccy Kestin was the distant beacon to which the Radial racers aspired as she increased her lead to near 1½ minutes by the finish of this class. At the final accounting McD led by 22 seconds per lap over Beccy and 27 seconds over Hugo to win overall the first stage of 3.

Results

Overall 1st R McDonald, 2nd R Kestin, 3rd le Hugonaut

Juniors 1st H Broad, 2nd M Broad, 3rd B Johns

Laser Fleet 1st R McDonald, 2nd le Hugonaut, 3rd A Biggs

Radial Fleet 1st R Kestin, 2nd H Broad, 3rd M Broad

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

Committee & Safety: Phil Samuel, Andrew Hosking, Chris Broad.

Summer Evening Series Thursday 16th July : Ave Lap, Wind SSE2-3

An Evening Nap

There was about half the southerly wind forecast on the river so the fleet did not so much gallop as plod around an otherwise perfect course for the conditions laid out by Matt & Emma Broad – their first Average Lap PY race; ably assisted by Karen Biggs – veteran of   the scoreboard.

In the first race a proportion of the cortège prematurely slunk across the line – Andy Biggs Spars entangling with another forcing a penalty and came 8th. The Juniors were of as if tadpoles swimming in jelly, yet all bar Matt Broad suffered prolonged periods of enforced lassitude generally ascribed to the front of the fleet that had wind and the back which didn’t.

Team Kestin & McDonald’s citrus yellow spinnaker eventually filled but did not fulfil its usual promise as a bemused laser wafted curiously in tandem, until a little extra puff finally sent the lemon leopard languidly ahead to come second to the Lasers third.

In the second race: emerging rested from under the duvet in the king sized cockpit of his Blaze Phil, Philpott sped again to the head of the fleet; this time came 2nd. Young Beks Hosking saw of the challenge from both Andy & arch rival Matt to come third. Brooks had a late start, caught up with the radials and then went left at the windward mark whilst the rest of the fleet went right & came last. Dave Philpott had a consistently solid PY performance in both races and saw his grandson Sam in a 4.7 halve the margin to PN with a much improved 2nd race. Similarly, Ben Johns finding himself in a boat that could float had a much better 2nd race. Team McDonald & Kestin were in fine form – this time with Beccy trimming the spinnaker, and whilst not exactly zooming, glided to a good minute ahead of their closest threat – the Blaze. Saddle sore from 5 hours tending the HRCST Inter Schools Regatta and HRSC evening race, Andrew Hosking with equanimity, dutifully towed most of the smaller sailed dinghies home.

Results
Overall
1st R Kestin & R McDonald, 2nd M Broad, 3rd P Philpott 4th R Hosking
Juniors
1st M Broad. 2nd Beks Hosking, 3rd B Johns, 4th S Philpott

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on the day
Committee: Chris & Emma Broad, Karen Hemsley-Biggs
Safety Boat: Andrew Hosking