Dinghy Racing: June 18th

HRSC Dinghy Race Report Sunday 4th May 2014

May the 4th be with you!

Warmed by the hospitality and superb cuisine of new club stewards Jack & Sophie, a majority of Helford’s dinghy and keel boat racers have been content to be lavishly spoilt indoors. For the hardier few electing to be spoilt both in & outdoors; there is no calmer launch in the county, allowing both novice and hotshot alike an essential minute or two to settle before the day’s excitement.

Prematurely warmed in the WIndies, Phil Philpott rediscovered the benefits of his dry suit twice in April’s second race. With a new burgee to replace the one left in an overhanging Oak tree, Phil was the seasoned veteran of 3 races and 2 firsts. Chasing Phil to within two fine seconds, Roger McDonald & Beccy Kestin were faultless on their 1st outing and 2nd place in the RS400.

Saturday being a little less breezy than April, stalwarts Andy & Karen Biggs on their third race duty delivered superb average lap racing. A triangular course set from Trebah featured a long beat into a gusty12kt south easterly to the rivers mouth buoy, a planeing reach to Gew, and a surfing run back to the committee boat.

A clewstrapless Brooks knew better and raced direct to Gew by tacking behind Phil’s Solo. Despite early good advice – too late realised the error of his ways, but did enjoy an invigorating pause in front of the fleet and committee boat 50 m from the finish.

For their second 2014 outing, Andrew Hosking, and daughter Beks went their separate ways. Andy bravely single handing a Laser II down the centre of the river – more tide to carry the beat, but less wind and an almost missed first lap baptism. Beks – in Pico quietly sailed an upright immaculate two laps to come third.

Results:
1st P Philpott, 2nd R. McDonald, 3rd Beks Hosking.

HRSC Dinghy Race Report Sunday 18th May 2014

10:22am SW 2-3 Average Lap CUV all to port

A Sunny Disposition

The prospect of warm sunshine and a soft breeze, tempted out anything that could float up and down Helford’s spring tide on Sunday. Rescue boat’s Church & Flunder laid a westerly triangular course mid river off Durgan, promising a beat to Trebah, a reach across the river to Voose before a relaxing meander back down to the start gate. Bravely responding to a late night call for a scribe, Dom Brandreth a little woodenly sounded starter’s orders. Unleashed, the RS400 of Roger McD made a precision start to head the fleet and would stay there for the entire race were it not for his merciless nemeses – Messer’s Philpott & Biggs in Solo and Laser taking 1 -2 at the final accounting.

Down the fleet saw the first appearance of pristine new craft. Young Oliver Chamberlain performed the perfect limbo to drive his gleaming Laser Radial in the right direction, beating his delighted Father in Comet Trio – an ecstatic mum Lisa following in supporting Dory.

3 Hurrahs for the return of the Royal Navy’s James McGarry and a shiny 4th place in Laser behind McD. Normally a National 12 crew Karen Biggs in Topaz UNO showed she could go just as competently solo, giving the RS Feva of Beks Hosking and Ben Johns, a good chasing.

Chris Hosken successfully wrestled alone his feisty Laser II on her first outing to middle orders, but she let him know who was boss – tipping him in for the enjoyment of Durgan’s race spectators after race end. Reserving her voluntary capsize practice for an appreciative club house audience, Rachel Brandreth completed her first race ever race in a full rigged laser dry and undamaged – only for a squashed finger to appear with Dom’s help derigging.

Results:
1st P Philpott, 2nd A Biggs, 3rd R. McDonald

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

Dave Church & Dan Flunder: Safety & Photography
Dom Brandreth: Duty

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Thursday 13th June  6.30pm Summer Thursday Series   Westerly 4-6   Pursuit West
T U V Q ( U V C ) 

Biggs’ Steely Resolve

Last Thursday in a stiff Westerly breeze Helford’s dinghy racers burst out of the moorings with lasers planeing straight downwind & a spinnaker fleet slaloming left and right to the mouth of the river.

RS400 heavy weather sailors Phil Philpott & Carrie Hoskins rocketed ahead of Roger McDonald & Beccy Kestin in the early stages only to come to grief on a North Shore gybe.  Surfacing holding the mainsheet block attached to a large lump of shredded fibre glass Phil nursed the wounded RS400 back to the clubhouse.  Thus ended this year’s capsize drought.

Undeterred from a little dipette on the penultimate beat McD and Beccy chased the dry lasers for all their worth but on this particular day the lasers ability to plane happily in the no go zone straight down wind was just sufficient to keep Brooks ahead by the final mark

Andy Biggs in fine muscular form kept his Laser flat on the beat and upright on the run maintaining at least a 2 minute distance over his rival Laser racers.

Results  1st Andy Biggs 2nd Stephen Brooks, 3rd Roger McDonald

Helm
Crew
Class

Name-No.

PY

HRSC Pursuit Time

Pos

After Hooter

Andy Biggs

Laser

138471

1087

25.39

1

Stephen Brooks

Laser

179651

1087

25.39

2

Roger McDonald
Beccy Kestin
RS400

958

947

32.39

3

Phil Philpott
Carrie Hoskins
RS400

766

947

32.39

Retd

Helford’s free open Regatta takes place Sunday 30th June

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those supporting the fleet on the day

Safety cover and photography: James McGarry, Dom Brandreth

HRSC Dinghy Race Report Saturday 24th May 2014

Saturday 24th May 14:00 SW 3-4 90Min Pursuit T D U Q T U Q ( T C Q) All Marks to Port

What a Grey Day!

A Russian high obdurately blocking the passage of North Atlantic air eastwards bumped the centre of a slow moving low over Biscay up the Channel. Replacing the soggy front over Cornwall came more of the same dampness with a westerly 3-4 breeze attached- just in time to perk up the remains of a dull bank holiday Saturday.
Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs wisely chose a SW Pursuit course starting with a shifty run from the Club House to the mouth of the river under Toll. An “it’s cheaper than a tummy tuck” slog back up to Trebah, before the slithering back down – this time the gybe being at Committee for a little reach to Toll – and so back & forth.

First to plough the field in a Pico, bend it like Beks Hosking showed the less supple how to touch toes – the reverse way round, and would have finished much further up the field were it not for an error with her satnav.
A plucky Karen Biggs set of in commanding style only to fall victim to a leeward mark, the splash requiring the assistance of Messer’s Church, Flunder, and Goy in safety and so retired.

A wisely reefed Anton Chamberlain was un-Comet like to the start with his son Oliver in Laser Radial although both returned to light speed in race mode. It was to the Laser fleet of Hosking in reefer, Biggs, Brooks, and McGarry on full rigs to chase down Phil Philpott in his immaculately attired yet ultimately unassailable Solo.
Andrew Hosking masterfully sailed the downwind legs with all 3 sails flying (not incl burgee) but was forced to deviate to reprogram Beks’ satnav and so did not finish. Brooks edged just in front for the first 2 legs before McGarry’s power on the beat and a keener sense of navigation helped him ahead of Biggsey until robbed of a podium finish by a pirouette before the final Gybe.

Such was the competition amongst the Lasers that they failed to notice the huge pink spinnaker on the RS400 expertly trimmed by Beccy Kestin cantering past them on the third downwind leg. Leaving the Lasers wobbling in his slipstream around the Gybe, McDonald’s HUD lit up on the Solo in front and despite his best corkscrewing efforts on the beat Phil was gradually reeled in for an honourable second.
Results: 1st R. McDonald, 2nd PJ. Philpott, 3rd A. Biggs

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

Dave Church & Dan Flunder: Safety & Photography
Keith Goy: Duty 

Sun 7th July 2013 Dinghy Race Report Helford River Sailing Club

Sunday 7th July          Summer Weekend Series    Easterly 5Kts  Average Lap W/L x 

Perfect Day

Helford had tempted out all who could float, swim, or bask in brilliant sunshine. Race officer Roger McDonald conjured sufficient easterly wind on a flood tide for two gentle average lap races of Bosahan.  By the time that Andy & Karen Biggs’ N12 had rounded the Windward Mark on the first leg the days finishing order was established – save for the battle for 2nd and 3rd between the Hosken and Hosking farming families.

Results  1st Andy Biggs, 2nd Chris Hosken, 3rd Andrew Hosking

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those supporting the fleet on the day

Race Officer:  Roger McDonald
Safety: Stephen Brooks
Photography: Stephen Brooks, Roger McDonald