Dinghy Racing: June 28th

ByJeff

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 28th June 2015 : Pursuit SW, Wind S-W 4-6 

In Pursuit of Happiness

Andy Biggs had a huge grin on his face as he had been just been thrashed by the 4.7s, and taken part in one of Helford’s best pursuit races of the season. Deciding his relative – the garrulous Gallic Hugonaut – should have a good workout before Sunday lunch, race officer Roger McDonald set a course that ran and reached in the odd 25+knot shifty gusts down river; strained sinew and shrouds on the gallop upriver.

First off, Beccy Kestin and Beks Hosking popped out of the Narrows in their 4.7’s planeing downwind in the big gusts; by the time they both rounded Toll Beccy was clearly well ahead. It wasn’t until a gust caught Beccy between Committee & Toll turtling the 4.7 that young Beks Hosking finally pounced and stayed at the head of fleet with Beccy snapping at her ankles to the end of the race for their 1-2.

A little stumble at the first hurdle and our chatty Hugonaut chum slipped to the back of the Laser queue; where, despite huge efforts, his loaned Laser scooped up water as if a Canadair. This flightless canard however was for sinking – and came last; not by much as the entire fleet were within seconds of each other.

So it was for the remaining Lasers to wait for the slightest error or favourable gust to gain advantage. Phil Philpott’s slowish start on his third Laser outing soon turned into a display of confident seamanship; the throttle opened 110% when Biggsey cuffed Central and turned a 360 penalty into a pirouette.  

Team Hosking & Brooks were out on their first date. Despite loose head prop Brook’s fight with the wet spaghetti in the front of the Laser 2 there was enough ballast & brains in the rear to hold the craft flat on the long beats and upright on the reaches to tease a third within seconds of the finish.   

Results 1st R Hosking, 2nd R Kestin, 3rd A Hosking

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

Safety Boat: R McDonald

  

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Dinghy Racing

ByDuncan Skingley

Hi All

We’ll be racing most Thursday evenings and Sundays, subject to weather conditions. All will be welcome and there are club boats available subject to booking.

For this to happen we are going to need volunteers to crew the committee / support boats maybe in some form of rota so we can all get some racing in as well ! If you are interested please contact me.

There will I am afraid a few restrictions to help keep us all safe.

Boats can be ether single handed or crewed by a family group/bubble.

Club boats must have a 72 hour gap between use by different family groups/bubbles, unless the boat and gear has been disinfected by an approved method.

Wind conditions will be restricted to 20mph (force 4 touching 5) max, maybe using xcweather forecast for helford as cut off but final decision should take sea conditions, tides and squalls into account. Also the ability of the sailors should be considered (general we say level 3 standard or above) This is to minimize the need for sailors needing help and reducing the chance of the committee / support boat crew having to put them or others at risk.

The final decision should be made by the race officer taking the above into account and completing the new dinghies risk assessment sheet before each race session .

The towing should be done in a line from the stern of the committee boat if needed ( extra floating line has been put on the rib and fun yak)

Committee / support boat crew should be of the same family group / bubble and be required to sign a declaration to say the understand the risks of maybe having to come into close contact during a rescue situation and the the club has put measures in place to reduce that risk.

We must all keep gatherings below 30 people on land and in groups of no more than 6 people so please give each other space when rigging and launching keeping at least 2m apart. 

Hope to see you all out sailing soon 

Cheers 

Duncan Skingley 

07817875706

[email protected]

Dinghy Racing: May 31st

ByJeff

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 31st May : Pursuit, Wind NW 4-6

Communal Capsize

Phil Samuels reports “The wind was pretty lively and all five lasers capsized. McD won from Andy Biggs with Phil Philpott in third, on his first laser outing. The two 4.7s had a close tussle with Matt Broad in 4th just ahead of Beks Hosking”

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

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

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

Dinghy Racing: April 30th

Dinghy Racing: April 30th

ByJeff

Spring Evening Series Thursday 30th April 2015 : Linestart NE, Wind 2-3

A Fine Line – By Chris Hosken

A NE line start at Voose was agreed as fitting for the evening’s handicap race, & with no hooter or whistle DO Chris Hosken conducted the countdown by loud shouting. With the usual jostling for pole position, Phil Samuel in his Solo, closely followed by Roger McDonald in his Laser were first off as the rest of the fleet ventured over the line in a close huddle. Ginnie Sykes, taking a dislike to the argy-bargy chose to follow the rest in a neat and tidy way.  Ginnie’s first outing for a couple of years; good to see her back racing.

The fleet split for the first mark at Central; Samuel chased by McD opted for mid channel, while a majority took a tip from Phil Philpott, and sailed the southern shore.  Andy Biggs decided a happy medium was best sailed between the two groups. It was the Solo that reached Central first, followed by Philpott, McD, and Biggs, while Brooks and Sykes brought up the rear.

The Solo and Blaze kept close on the run to Bosahan, the Lasers following looking for any advantage. Again the Solo rounded first, followed closely by the Blaze; the lasers of Biggs, McD, Brooks, and Sykes nearby.

Philpott’s Blaze also on its first outing soon moved away from Samuel’s Solo heading for Toll on the North shore. This mark was misjudged by all, apart from Philpott, & without the extra tack he gained the space needed to get a good lead. Gunnel to gunnel, Samuel and Biggs were next around Toll, McD, and Brooks following. Sykes sailed with thought and clarity and rounded each mark in a very seaman like manner, regaining her confidence on the water.

His lead growing, Philpott blazed ahead to Trebah, rounding at half time. Behind, two schools of thought were evident in the rest of the fleet.   Samuel and Biggs decided centre of the river was the place to be, McD and Brooks were convinced the north side might gain them some time. With all apart from the Blaze closing in on each other, it was McD’s mature Laser that took the mark followed by Samuel’s highly polished Solo – Biggs and Brooks next.

In lighter airs, Sykes decided a graceful retirement was her goal, and sailed impeccably back to the club house.

Heading to the mouth of the river on the final downward leg, the Blaze with its new larger sail continued to stretch the lead.  McD with a never say die attitude had put some distance between himself and Samuel – but would it be enough to beat the Solo’s handicap?  Philpott crossed the finishing line back at Voose in 59m10s, in the same calm and understated manner he had competed all evening.   McD followed 4 minutes later with Samuel at 65.44, the lasers of Biggs and Brooks battling it out to the end with 67.25 and 67.53. At the final accounting […]

Dinghy Racing: June 14th

Dinghy Racing: June 14th

ByJeff

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 14th June 2015 : Pursuit North N-NW 3-4

Matt’s Double First

Perfect racing conditions allowed a good laser fleet to closely race in Sunday’s Pursuit. There are four laser classes with representatives in each at Helford.   Setting of first was under 18’s Beks Hosking and Sam Philpot in 4.7s, the smallest rigged of the Laser class, relentlessly battled it out with each other throughout, but a tad underpowered for the day being caught by everyone except their parents.

Had Beks & Sam powered up with the larger Radial rigs of Matt Broad and Beccy Kestin, then the entire parent and senior’s fleet would have been routed by the Junior section. Matt & Beccy gave each other no quarter and fought to the head of the fleet where they stayed for the best part of the race – only seriously threatened at the final mark by Roger McDonald – otherwise distracted by extraordinarily interesting varieties of seaweed wrapped around his foils.

Starting at the pace of a Broccoli planter, team Hosken & Hosking were a little late to the line in their Laser 2 ; occasionally able to show   their potential with spinnaker hoisted on the shifty reach’s; not enough consistent wind for the trapeze artist Chris to get parallel in his harness.

Biggs and Brooks went a toing and froing with each other, McD teasingly wandering into and out of their sights as they fell into the Doldrums especially around the melee at Voose. Beaming parents Chris & Emma Broad in Safety boat were delighted to see Matt cross the line to take a double first – Overall and of the Juniors

Results
Overall:   1st M Broad, 2nd R Kestin, 3rd R McDonald,
Juniors: 1st M Broad, 2nd R Hosking, 3rd S Philpott.

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

Safety Boat & Photography: Chris & Emma Broad

 

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