Dinghy Racing: August 30th

Autumn Sunday Series 14th Sept 2014: Triangular Average Lap x 3 Calamansac

Easterlies – Never a Grey Day

In the vanity market, a lot of money is spent lined up like sardines in white malodorous rooms on punishing muscles, facials, and other unsavoury & unnatural embellishments.  Dinghy sailors get: to work out in a huge airy room, unlimited isometrics, a soothing algae based spray on tan, and a tingling sea salt exfoliation.  So that’s what Laser 4.7 racers Emily Broad and Beccy Kestin did first thing on Sunday – and got a first and second prize doing it.

The surf was perhaps too much for all to be racing at rivers mouth so a triangular course up river was laid with a couple of solid beats in and out of calmer waters before negotiating a Venturi effect at the windward mark in the narrows near Porth Navas creek.  Records at Culdrose, a mile or two further up, gave 18 gusting 30 knots.  Roger McDonald generously donated the most capsizes of the day – 6 of the very best – a scourge too far and, was thus confined to middle orders.   Three quarters of the fleet fell over on the bare away at this, the windiest of windward marks the club has negotiated this year.  Not so Phil Philpott, who sailed conservatively at the head of the pack battling it out with Josh Redgrave – who paused for refreshment on only 3 occasions to pip the Blaze for a third at the final accounting.

Two double handers out were the venerable Laser 2’s of Andrew Hosking and Chris Hosken. Andrew wisely kept the spinnaker permanently in its tube and would have done without the mainsail had his daughter Beks insisted otherwise, pausing on Calamansac beach to put it up again.  Ed Hosken ensured all the rigging was secure and himself dry despite his father’s alarming preference for a 45 degree list on the beat. A farmer’s aversion to water is well known –   and we presume the tilt maximises the distance between themselves and the briny. A novel, and indeed in the Hosken’s case, successful technique to avoid a bath.  The Hosking’s were less successful in this regard, finding their boat & themselves a lot cleaner by race end.

After 3 exhausting laps, a relieved Church & Flunder in safety boat successfully shepherded their flock back to the clubhouse – exhilarated and radiant with the very healthiest of glows.

Results:
Juniors: 1St E Broad, 2nd E Hosken, 3rd R Hosking
Overall: 1st E Broad,  2nd R Kestin, 3rd J Redgrave

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

Race Officer Stephen Brooks

Safety Boat: Dave Church & Dan Flunder

Photography Dan Flunder

Following E Bolitho & E Broad

Beccy takes 2nd

Emily takes 3rd

On the way home

Josh takes 3rd

1st lap Josh over

2nd Lap Josh 1st Over

Church & Flunder see Andrew & Beks over

Chris & Ed – Dry Finish

However did we get […]

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 4pm 17th May 2015 : Pursuit S Wind SW3-5

Beccy’s Breeze

There’s nothing that Beccy Kestin likes more than a good breeze in a 4.7 Laser on the Helford and to prove the point sat at the head of the Helford PY fleet the entire race. Sitting is perhaps not an accurate description of what Beccy does on her sleek craft as she uses all are her skill and agility to keep it upright and pointing in the right direction. Setting of with Beccy were the two other 4.7’s of Beks Hosking, and on his first race of the season, Sam Philpott. Sam made the correct rounding of the Leeward mark at Toll without his mainsheet wrapped around the Laser’s stern. Unfortunately the race camera’s battery had already expired and thus DO Andrew Hosking was unable to capture the tender moment. Steam rose as Beks pulled her sail out of the water and spent the rest of the race chasing down Sam’s superbly prepared hull.

Phil Samuel having mastered a good breeze the previous weekend was well prepared for the gusts in his Solo but despite a sail near double that of the 4.7 at 90 sq ft was unable to quite catch Beccy on her breeze-around. Always putting every ounce of effort into his racing, Andy Biggs can and did catch Kestin at the final can; had he stayed on the same tack, his full rigged laser might have worn Gold. Phil Philpott’s Blaze wasn’t wearing its Halo – possibly needed if Phil could have wrestled the larger 124sq ft rig round the circuit but had nearly made it to the Solo.

Then came a threesome of double handers. Anton in the Comet Trio and Ben Johns in a Feva, risking it without crew, but definitely not risking their spinnakers. Both valiantly made it all the way round to the back of the fleet – but stayed dry. Brooks wisely had a crew, the very trusting novice Vinod Ghantiwala, on his first ever sail & race and was promptly tipped in on the first gybe at Toll. Much to his credit Vinod calmly did whatever he was told and thanked his helm for the experience of racing – keenly observed from the rear of the fleet.

Results 1st R Kestin 2nd A Biggs 3rd Phil Samuel
Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on the day

Safety Boat & Photography: A Hosking, N Glossop