Dinghy Racing: May 21st

ByJeff

21-05-152Spring 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

dinghies-21-05-15

 

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Dinghy Racing: June 21st

ByJeff

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

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

Committee: R Hosking & J Lea

Strong Easterlies ….

ByDuncan Skingley

It’s looking like with the forecast for tomorrow’s dinghy racing (Thursday) and Sundays, we are going to have to cancel.

Especially as it is going to be wind against tide !

So next race is going to be Thursday evening 29th April and then some race training on the Sunday 2nd.

If any one can help with safety boats on any of these days or for other races please contact me.

Cheers Duncan 07817875706

Dinghy Racing: April 26th

ByJeff

Spring Weekend Series Sunday 26th April 2015 :
Triangular Average Lap x 2 BCX Wind N3-4

A Pin Tale

A faultless Met Office forecast for Thursday’s racing gave way to one that lost 15 & 35mph gusts over 36hrs for Sunday. Culdrose recorded a sun blessed 11-14MPH during the race – perfect for a spring’s first outing. Thus a cosy little fleet set of from Bosahan without the un-persuaded – usually attired in wetsuit shorties, or indeed shorts of the red kind. The Met Office is still working with their old 2009 £33 million computer – before a new 140 tonne £97 million replacement begins service in September 2015, reaching full capacity by 2017. In the Interim, keep wetting the forefinger.

Each race was decided almost from the start, with Roger McDonald taking a 30 yard advantage the Pin end offered in shifty conditions of the lee shore. It took the first race to loosen the rust from Andy Biggs navigational gyros – giving away, as he did, near 50 seconds per lap. Despite voluntarily acknowledging the error of his starting ways, Biggsey was again lured to the Committee boat for the start of the second race. Giving himself a stiff and unrepeatable talking to, and a kick to the gyros, Andy’s resolve returned and caught McD half way to Central.
Whispering in his old & faithful Laser’s ear with a promise both: to polish her bottom, and buy a shiny new mast before the next race; McD encouraged his charge to victory by 7 small seconds.

Results 1st R McDonald 2nd A Biggs

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on the day
Safety Boat: Stephen Brooks

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 […]