Dinghy Racing: June 21st

ByJeff Monday June 22nd, 2015Monday January 20th, 2020

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 21^st 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 1^st R Kestin, 2^nd A Biggs 3^rd S Brooks

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

Committee: R Hosking & J Lea

Dinghy racing

Dinghy Racing: May 21st

ByJeff Friday May 22nd, 2015Monday January 20th, 2020

Spring Evening Series Thursday 21st May 2015 : Linestart NW, Wind W-NW 3-4

A Hot Line

Starting in the middle of the river between Bosahan and Durgan HRSC’s PY fleet set of on Thursday evening’s NW course into variously a W-NW moderate breeze and a perfect flooding tide. Just back from an Italian job, a thirsty McD executed a perfect manoeuvre to get to the head of the Bosahan cream tea queue; except this was race night and the rest of the fleet had gone to Trebah, the short way.

Phil Philpott’s Blaze with its 125sq ft Halo was the first to elegantly round Trebah before the gentle run out to the Gew. Luring no one with him, McD’s Laser rejoined the main peloton at the rear, chattily working his way through its congenial ranks to within 30 seconds of Andy Biggs’ Laser, himself 30 exhausting seconds behind the understated gentleman on the Blaze.

Out racing for the first time this season, Andrew Hosking anticipating a forecast gentle breeze soloed his immaculate Laser 2 against the refurbished Radial rig of his daughter Beks. Both found themselves performing limbo dance like as the shifty gusts on the beat over powered their sails; the more supple Beks finally chalking up a good two minutes ahead of her father.

Phil Samuel’s Solo and Beccy Kestin’s Radial stuck glue like to the Peloton the entire race; their dogged persistence & skilful navigation paid off at the final accounting – Beccy piping the Solo for first by 3 small seconds, and the Blaze with Bronze a further minute behind.

Results 1st R Kestin. 2nd P Samuel 3rd P Philpott

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

Safety Boat & Photography: Stephen Brooks

Dinghy racing

Dinghy Racing: July 5th

ByJeff Wednesday July 15th, 2015Sunday May 8th, 2016

Summer Weekend Series Sunday 5th July : Pursuit, Wind SW 4-6

Hasty Pursuit

With no Lasers out Sunday the PY handicap fleet had the morning to themselves. With the Hooter Blown at 9.30 under large black clouds, a clap of thunder in the distance, and flat calm at the clubhouse was the usually reliable Met Office forecast for Culdrose going to deliver? 25 minutes later as a Wayfarer and National 12 crossed the startline, gone was the mill pond, to be replaced by streaks of foam as gusts +25knots propelling racers through the narrows and into the main racing area. Beccy Kestin helming and racing her new Wayfarer for the first time, enjoyed the shove in the back as her craft nosed ahead of Andy & Karen Biggs’ sea sawing N12 – but not for long as the Wayfarer needed its Lemon coloured spinnaker to stay ahead. Nothing like sorting a vessel out in the last race before Saturday 11th July Open Regatta at Helford.

As the sun broke out fully on the beat back up river to Trebah the force of the gusts soon became apparent as the double handers showed excessive hull and even a hint of centreboard – useful if checking for seaweed fouling the foils. Needing a winch to haul in the ropes Beccy gave the helm to her crew Roger McDonald as Trebah beach drew a little close for comfort. With a look of intense concentration on their faces Andy & Karen planed on the bareaway around Trebah mark; looking back to see the Wayfarer about ½, and Roger Philpott’s Halo hardly a minute away. By the time the N12 reached the mouth of the river, it was well and truly in the Halo’s gaze, and from this point on – apart from an unplanned dismount to free up the Cunningham of Toll it was Phil’s race to sail at the edge of the crafts stability.

Stretched over the bow Beccy managed to free the launch of her spinnaker and began to make inroads on the N12’s lead. Racing became a lot closer as a double gybe and pirouette around the leeward mark saw Karen bailing the N12 furiously. Staying together the two similarly handicapped boats close raced until the 90th minute with N12 just ahead for 2nd.

Results 1st R Philpott, 2nd A&K Biggs, 3rd R McDonald

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

Safety & Photography: Stephen Brooks.

Andy & Karen Biggs in their N12 round the Leeward mark as Phil Philpott in the Halo prepares to overtake

Andy & Karen Biggs in their N12 overtaken by Phil Philpott in the Halo