Race Report 1^st September 2024

OOD: Mary Brown;  Safety boat: Henry Brown and Dave Baker

Meteorological Autumn started with a beautiful, sunny, warm summer’s day with a nice breeze recorded as 9 knots gusting 15 from ENE in Kew Gardens.  Down at Strand this gave testing conditions for our fleet of six, divided equally between Big Boats and Little Boats.  The wind had to find its way diagonally over the houses at Strand and then blow with the tide further out in the river.

The fleet comprised Rob Adams, crewed by Billy, in Big Polly (Enterprise); Tim Wellburn, with crew, in Ixion (Enterprise); and Sam Shemtob with crew in Spirit of Youth (Wayfarer) represented the Big Boats.  Tim Young in Ait Knots (Wanderer); Nick Floyer in flo (Gull); and Olly Adams with Felicity in Spinosaurus (Mirror) made up the Little Boats.

From the start (downriver from the Bell & Crown) Rob headed into the middle of the river to catch the cleaner wind and the weakened tide upstream of Oliver Island.  He managed to catch the wind and sail practically into the trees of Oliver Island before reaching across to the mark just above the slip dock.  He managed to complete his first lap in 10 minutes.  Others tried to beat down the Strand shore or were less successful in the middle.  Sam, Olly and Nick completed their first laps in around 30 minutes, having been lapped almost twice by Rob.

There were equal and familiar problems at the upstream mark where the strong tide and fickle wind caused frustration.  Tim Young spent practically his entire race oscillating between the start line and Kew Bridge before, in the end, accepting a tow back to the Club.

Rob went on to complete 5 laps before Mary, taking pity on the following boats, finished Rob after 50 minutes.  The star of the rest of the fleet was Olly, in the smallest boat, who did 3 laps in 57 minutes, while Sam, in the largest boat and Nick in his little Gull both finished 2 laps, and Tim Wellburn had to content himself with one.

Thanks to Mary with the stopwatch at the Bell and Crown, and David Baker for help before, during and after in the safety boat.

Next week is a D-course starting at 1245.

HB

Report to follow, but, briefly, Lev was OOD and safety boat driver and reported that, almost from the start the order was James, then Ben, then Tim.

The race on Sunday 31st March will be an A-course starting at 17:40, not at 16:50 as stated on the last race report. Sorry.

Here are the results of the 2023 season. A good one by any standards: 27 races, attendance of up to 9 boats; and new sailors enough to make up for departing ones.

James won everything in sight but Lev, Chris and Rob kept him up to scratch. And Olly/Billy in their Mirror were a close contender after the handicap sums were done.

The next event is the infamous dance on 23rd March.

The Last Race of 2023

OOD:  Enoch Rodriguez and Andy Ross

Safety boat:  Keith Clarke and David Jones

The drizzle that threatened the overcast day stopped well before the 12:20 start. Several bodies were around in good time to make ready the safety boat but the amount of rainwater in the river meant that the foreshore was awash before most of the nine dinghies could launch in dry feet, and the exceptional number attempting to launch meant a lot of shuffling of boats and trolleys in the yard.  The wind was a light SE, blowing with the weakened flood tide that was pushing against the flow coming down river.  But all boats made it to the Bell and Crown on time.

James Armitage with Kiren Biekark in Zephyr (Enterprise) made good progress in the beat downstream to a mark just off the slip-dock and ran back easily to finish his first lap in under 10 minutes. He was followed by Lev, solo in Porpoise (Enterprise), then Dave and Sheila Berger in Entre Nous (Enterprise), Rob Adams in Phoebe (Laser), Chris Greenwood and Felicia Biekark in Distant Thunder (Leader), Toby Hicks in Cid… (Laser), and Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser).  Olly Adams and Billy in Spinosaurus (Mirror) were about 12 minutes behind, with Sam Shemtob solo in his Wayfarer bringing up the rear.

After his first lap Lev picked up a crew in the form of half a tree. The OOD reported that “the new crew slowed him down – they were just dead wood really! Once ruthlessly casting off the new crew he started catching up with the leaders” but didn’t quite make it.  James completed five laps in just under the hour followed closely by Dave and then Rob.  Lev, Ben and Chris completed four laps, Olly and Toby three, and Sam two.

The water was welly-boot deep on the ramp and much warmth-creating energy was expended by all in recovering and parking the fleet in preparation for the main event – Beer and Bangers.

B&B lived up to its high reputation.  Steve Newell had brewed an exceptional beer and Mary Short had barbequed the sausages well on the way to perfection by the time the cold and weary competitors were ready for them, and there was several tables-full of delights contributed by too many members to mention to satisfy every palate.

Mention must, however, be made of the OOD team of Enoch and Andy.  Keeping tabs of 9 boats, making 35 separate crossings of the line, with rising water and falling temperature, is no mean feat. 

So that was the last race.  A report on the sailing season will follow shortly, but please note that the Dinner and Dance will be held on 23^rd March 2024.  Mark in your diary and contact Marian for tickets.

We have been discussing methods of getting to and from the start of the C course through Kew Bridge recently and have trialed some ideas of Andrew Ross. This has been helpful and the Committee has agreed that it would be appropriate to publish these notes about the discussions:

The first thing to remember is that each sailing dinghy has a skipper who is responsible for the safety of his crew and boat. She/he should not do anything or ask anybody else to do anything which he/she is not confident is safe and prudent. The safety boat driver is responsible for the safety boat and if she/he is not comfortable to provide requested assistance he/she should refuse, and the club will support him /her.  

For large vessels, travelling under Kew Bridge is awkward, because the current is quite strong the arch is narrow and the bridge is on a bend in the river with poor visibility. It is important therefore that the river is clear before setting up to enter the central arch.

In the old days Bermuda rigged boats set off early enough before high water so that they could get under the bridge without having to heel over. This is a good idea and should be routine!   An Enterprise can get under the central arch until the water gets up to the top of the vertical part of bridge piers.  We certainly need to get back to the habit of allowing extra time, say 30 minutes, to prepare and get to the start of a C course.

If a boat launches late and if the safety boat driver is prepared to help sailors under the bridge, it’s better if he has two competent people on board. If he has more, he can always put the surplus ashore and pick them up again later.

Heeling the dinghies over is easier if no one is aboard, so the helm and crew should transfer to the safety boat, having lifted both the centre board and rudder (this makes the dinghy much more manoeuvrable). Unless the wind is light it’s easier to take down the sails, in which case it is possible to wait for your turn for help by the ramp just downstream. If going through with the sails up the dinghy must be head to wind, so it might be taken through backwards. The safety boat driver must decide if he is happy to take the safety boat backwards or would prefer to go forwards with the dinghy facing backwards. The safety boat driver must be happy that there is enough time to get properly set up before the current takes the boats under the bridge.

After the race roughly the same applies to the return through the bridge!   Or preferably wait for the tide to fall. 

James Armitage

September 2023

Monday Bank Holiday Race, 28^th August – revised

The Bank Holiday race will now be an A or B course (depending on conditions)

Starting at 11:20

Dear members and friends,

Please note the race next Sunday, August 27th is cancelled, instead we will race on Monday, August of 28th at 10:50, C course.

All the best and happy sailing.

SGSC

OOD: Leona Shepherd

Safety boat: Tim Young and Frankie Skrzezewski

Weather: Fair, light wind F1-2 from WNW (according to the Met Office)

Course:  short ‘A’ with a Zoffany House start line.

Five boats were launched by 16:00, in good time for the 16:15 start.  The wind had been teasing us all day and was still undecided as we approached the start time.

On the water were: Rob Adams in Phoebe (Laser); Henry and Mary Brown in Big Polly (Enterprise); Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser); Nick Floyer in flo (Gull); and Lev Kolobov in Porpoise (Enterprise).

A fine afternoon sailing progressed as the wind chose at this point to pick up nicely and the sun came out to make the scene photogenic.  Although Lev was first over the start line and Rob rounded the first buoy in the lead it was Ben who led at the first lap.  On the second lap, Mary and Henry flew past Rob and Lev to complete the second lap just behind Ben.  Never-the-less Ben held the lead for the first five laps.

For 35 minutes the wind helped produce good times and some pacey down-river runs.  And then it seemed to give up!  Lap six was the slow one.  However, just as quickly, the wind picked up again and the lap times picked up accordingly.

On the 6^th lap, the Browns. Lev and Rob all overtook Ben with Lev moving into a convincing lead which he held for the rest of the race.  With the high tide lapping the footpath the race finished after 62 minutes with 10 laps completed by all but Nick, who had briefly been becalmed above the upstream mark.

Thanks to Mary Brown for the new Covid-friendly starting horn – a significant improvement for the OOD.

Leona Shepherd (OOD)

Next week it’s a B-course starting early at 10:00.

No ‘C’ race today.  No wind at all.  Only sailors Tim and Felicia.  Not quorate.  Huge volume of rain water.  Fast rising tide.  Kew Bridge un-navigable.  Long streaks of foaming yellow-brown sludge ex backside of Isleworth Ait Thames Water’s overnight discharge.  Bubbles glinting and popping in bright sunshine.  Smell obvious.  ‘A’ course jaunt unattractive.  Sam (safety boat) not unhappy.  Boat washing and site clearing.  Otherwise a nice spring day. 

Andy Ross (OOD)

Next week it’s an ‘A’ course starting at 16:15.