| Adult PY | U16 PY | Feva Cup | ||||
| Josh Redgrave | 1st | Beks Hosking | 1st | Amy Bole & Jessie Chamberlain | ||
| Phil Samuel | 2nd | Ollie Chamberlain | 2nd | Optimist Cup | ||
| Beccy Kestin | 3rd | Jack Lawrence | 3rd | Thomas Henry Williams | ||
Our thanks to Safety Boats: Commodore Julian Samuel, Captain Moorings David Blanning, Dave Church and Dan Flunder (Photography), Nick Glossop (Photography) & Gary , Paul Greensmith.
Summer Weekend Series Sunday 17th August WNW 4-5 Pursuit West
Matt Makes his Move
Low pressure sat between Scotland & Norway dragged a breezy autumnal North Westerly over the Helford shoving adult and junior racers a good nautical mile out to the mouth of the river. With 20 pairs of eyes on him, first of on his first Pursuit race was Matt Broad in Laser 4.7 – a lonely and worrisome trek without the aid of a course map. With a hint from his parents following in safety boat, Matt successfully negotiated the correct leeward mark and plundered the rest of the fleet for 3rd overall and 1st Juniors. Staggering around the staggered start opposite the clubhouse, racers were grateful the rest of Cornwall was still abed as the odd 20kt gust indiscriminately flipped them over.
A used hanky tied to a colander masquerading as a Laser Radial, was proudly muscled back to vertical by Jack Lawrence – just before the full rig lasers set out to devour him. Which they did, – but not before Jack’s sail slipped down the mast as its head strap failed, forcing retirement with a tow home from Tony Marsland.
Capitalising on Jacks equipment failure, Brook Hill tasked his helm Chris Hosken, to take no prisoners and win. Missing a helmet, trapeze harness, & spinnaker, Brook could not go as fast as he dared to catch Harry Broad and Ollie Foreman, who in turn did not risk their spinni to keep pace with Beks Hosking and Ben Johns who took a 2nd to their 3rd in the juniors. Their dilemma – risk a spectacular dunking flying a kite in pursuit of Matt, or stay upright and dry.
Anton Chamberlain found his true metier on a rare Laser outing as he pressed Brooks and Andrew Hosking to the limit. Andrew, unsettled after a full British breakfast, regularly paused at Voose to recover equilibrium, nevertheless heroically flew back to the melee before agonisingly losing his landing gear on the gunwales.
A collective sharp intake of breath– a knowing smug chorus of “bet that hurt” and accompanying glow of hubris were immediately smothered by Phil Philpott’s Blaze as it scorched through the minnows on its way to victory. A moment later any re-emergent hopes of glory were scythed in the wake of Roger McDonald’s neon pink powered RS400 expertly trimmed by Beccy Kestin. Rejuvenated by a week’s working holiday packing and unpacking spinnakers the size of hot air balloons for Tony Statham’s Elsa in Falmouth Week, Beccy was however unable to gather sufficient wind on the remaining short course sections to catch the Blaze. After several weeks careful listening to the Red Hot Tamale, and a thorough race preparation- man, wind and the machine had come unassailably together
Junior: 1st M Broad, 2nd R Hosking & B Johns, 3rd H Broad & O Foreman
Adult: 1st PJ Philpott 2nd R McDonald, 3rd S Brooks
Overall 1st PJ Philpott, 2nd R McDonald, 3rd M Broad
Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on […]
Thursday 5th September Summer Evening Series NNW 4-12kts 80min Pursuit N
On Thursday 17 HRSC sailors were to make the most of the last evening race of the year with good turnouts from youth and senior sections. Ben Johns was first of into a fickle North Westerly bravely nursing a concussion received the previous Saturday in the Chamberlain Regatta when 21 youth sailors fought 3 races in difficult conditions.
Chasing Ben’s Pico blasting across the mouth of the Helford, James Lee and regatta medal winner Beks Hosking in a Feva XL, roared around Gew on their first lap, but were trapped in the doldrums of the second. The laser fleet was trounced by sparkling performances from Roger Philpott and welcome new crew Joseph Piercy in Graduate (4th) with Andy & Karen Biggs in the N12 always snapping at their heels.
The voracious appetites of 3 RS400s were soon to be satiated despite starting 17 minutes after Ben’s Pico. It’s not often that the wind on the Helford stays the same for 5 minutes let alone 17 and that’s always a challenge in a handicap pursuit race which is so designed, at least in constant conditions, to get all boats to finish at the same time.
Ollie Berryman and Ed Bolitho eventually pipped the Graduate for 3rd, behind rival successful 707 helms Phil Philpott & Tom Lake crewing together for the first time in Phil’s RS400. A teasing shifty wind constantly tempted the wary and unwary alike to change course: only for the wind to revert to where it was 10 seconds ago, or disappear altogether.
Rebooting his cerebral gyroscope in the salt mines of Wieliczka earlier in the week, seemed to have done the trick for Roger McDonald and his crew Beccy Kestin as they tacked on the headers that behaved themselves, and kept the big pink spinnaker filled on the downwind to take an emphatic first.
Results:
Race 1: 1st Roger McDonald & Beccy Kestin 2nd Phil Philpott & Tom Lake, 3rd Ollie Berryman & Ed Bolitho
Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those supporting the fleet on the day
Safety: Paul Greensmith
Thursday 5th September Summer Evening Series NNW 4-12kts 80min Pursuit NW
G U V ( G C B ) All Marks To Port
Helm
Crew
Class
Name-No.
PY
Status
HRSC Pursuit Time
Pos
After Hooter
Roger McDonald
Beccy Kestin
RS400
958
947
PY
32.39
1
Phil Philpott
Tom Lake
RS400
766
947
PY
32.39
2
Ollie Berryman
Ed Bolitho
RS400
588
947
PY
32.39
3
Roger Philpott
Joseph Piercy
Graduate
1918
1141
PY
22.57
4
Andy Biggs
Karen H-Biggs
Nat 12
3326
1104
CN
24.48
5
Stephen Brooks
Laser
179651
1087
PY
25.39
6
Andrew Hosking
Chris Hosken
Laser II
180
1087
CN
25.39
7
Amy
Laser 4.7
Club
1180
PY
21.00
8
James Lee
Beks Hosking
RS Feva
Club
1210
PY
19.30
9
Ben Johns
Laser Pico
Club
1300
PY
15.00
10
Spring Weekend Series Sunday 24th May 10:30am : Pursuit W, Wind WSW-W3-4
Youth Sailor Rebekah Hosking Wins All
Beks Hosking made the right choice in Sunday mornings freshening westerly with her 4.7 rigged Laser, setting of 3 minutes ahead of Phil Samuel’s Solo and Beccy Kestin’s Radial on the long run out to the mouth of the Helford river. Beks stayed at the head of the fleet the entire race despite a superb effort by both Beccy & Phil to close the gap – Beccy within inches – for a one two three finish.
Phil Philpott – bosun to the Philpott family fleet – had his work cut out. Alison, his daughter visiting from Oxford, was out for the first time in a renovated vintage ’78 Laser; his father Dave out for the first time racing in two years in a refurbished ‘85 International OK; all required his attention whilst trying to rig his Blaze. Without apparent fluster all three made it in time to the club pursuit start line.
Assuming the mantle of Grandfather of the Fleet from Phil Samuel, Dave Philpott was next of, sailing confidently a conservative first race in the powerful 1956 designed Knud Olsen OK, a smaller version of the Olympic Finn class. Without putting the pedal all the way to the metal on the 2000m run to Toll, Dave was met for the gybe by Andrew Hosking’s Laser 2 and Stephen Brooks’ Laser, both continuing their tussle for middle orders until race end.
Tendered good fatherly advice, Allison Philpott took the opposite tack suggested at the start, and got her first capsize drill out of the way before sailing in the right direction for the remainder. A saintly Phil Philpott tenderly stood by before Andy & Karen Biggs in the safety boat arrived. Ensuring Allison was fully settled on the run to Toll, Phil had delayed his own charge for victory; nevertheless catching Books on the first reach to Voose, but could not quite make it past the Solo for a podium finish.
Results 1st R Hosking 2nd R Kestin 3rd P Samuel
Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on the day
Summer Weekend Series: Sunday 20th July10.00am NW Pursuit NESW1-2
Whilst Culdrose recorded a gentle NW 8–12 mph breeze on Sunday morning Helford did its own thing. Light airs from every quarter got most of the 19 sailors from the club house to the mouth of the river and back again. Fortune favoured those that started first or knew where they were going. Brothers Harry & Ollie Broad, and Matt and Ben Johns got a great start in their club Fevas – staying at the head of the fleet until the big sails of Andy and Karen Biggs in their National 12, and Anton Chamberlain’s Comet reached them. Further back in the last Feva, the sound of Beks Hosking and Ed Hosken snoring could easily have been mistaken for the put-put of a grey Plymouth Pilot on its way to Gew.
Joining racers for the day was Dominic Horton’s 50 or so year old Albacore. A pleasant reminder when 3 of this class were raced on the Helford some 20 years ago. A 1954 design by Uffa Fox, built by Fairey Marine employing a cross laid ply technique developed from making WWII wooden aircraft such as the Mosquito. Confidently helmed by his young daughter with only the occasional instruction from her crew this lightweight large sailed dinghy took the Hortons to 4th place.
Setting of last in the Blaze – Phil Philpott with the patience of a saint crept past the laser fleet and to 6th place ahead of Phil Samuel.
It was a delight to see the return of Richard Graham-Vivian & crew Katie Sykes in the big Wayfarer – it being the only boat properly organised for the day with paddles – the rest content to drift wherever they wished or Church & Flunder in safety would tow them.
Results: 1st A&K Biggs, 2nd A Cha mberlain 3rd H&O Broad
Andy thanks all those supporting the fleet on the day – Dave Church Safety, Dan Flunder photography
Freya (13) & Lilly (12) had a great day crossing to and competing at the Percuil Regatta Sunday, 25th – results to follow at St Mawes SC. Thanks to their Parents and Tom & Troy for escorting them across! More Pics on St Mawes Face Book Page. Percuil SC and its regatta have been merged into St Mawes SC.
At HRSC on the same day TJ Hart gambled on a full RIG and took first over a TopperTastic holiday maker.
England a 123 v Canada
Helford’s summer returned to that of a maritime climate with a soft south westerly and soothingly gentle showers for Thursday’s evening pursuit. A fleet of Canadian Ian Bruce 1970’s designed Lasers and derivatives was comprehensively thrashed by a fleet of English designed craft with their origins in the 1936 National 12 & 1956 Solo. It was Phil Samuel and his Solo that ticked all the boxes for the evening, finding wind and keeping it to rise & stay at the front of the fleet.
Power or rather sail to weight ratio was the key for the day’s success, granted the helm might have had something to do with it! First of was young Ed Hosken in his Topper Byte –in effect a superb 2 foot shorter & 14kg lighter Laser Radial designed for the smaller helm. To the delight of his father Chris, Ed stayed at the head of the laser section & fourth overall. Anton Chamberlain borrowed his son’s Laser but was under dressed with Radial sail and without wetsuit and thus not tempted to test the easy righting characteristics of his craft.
Emily Broad’s welcome return to dinghy racing in smaller clothed Laser 4.7 but with a similar handicap rating to the Byte’s helped keep her in the top half of the Lasers. Laser 2’s need a force 4-5 to get going so a lithe Chris Hosken was just able to keep ahead of Andrew & Beks Hosking sailing the angles with their gennaker. Becky Kestin’s expert trimming of the big pink gennaker of McDonald’s RS400 kept it filled on the reaches getting them past team Biggs’ beautifully sailed N12.
As Church, Flunder and Goy signalled the close of 90 minutes racing it was clear that the rare occasions the wind failed had not allowed the RS to close sufficiently to let loose her final torpedo at the Solo.
Results: 1st P. Samuel, 2nd R. McDonald 3rd A. Biggs
Tempted? why not race at Helford’s Dinghy Regatta 10am – briefing 9am – Sunday 6th July. Download Forms
Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in support of the fleet on the day
Dave Church in safety with Dan Flunder & Keith Goy on camera.
