How well did you do? Here are the points and winners over 28 races – more than most years despite Covid.
Race Results for 2021
Race Report – Last Race, 7 November 2021
A crisp, sunny autumnal afternoon with a decent breeze saw a fleet of eight dinghies launched for the final race of the season – including “Ait Knots” as a spectator under electric motor for an inaugural outing for Tim’s grandson. The Safety Boat was manned by David Jones and Tim Williamson who efficiently laid buoys for course A in time for a prompt start at 14.35, with the Bell and Crown chimneys aligned and the signal flags (ably broken out and dropped by Mary S) being complemented by OOD Nick J’s whistle. This piercing noise went unnoticed by two boats, “Pakman” and “Distant Thunder”, that started 3-4 minutes late. (NB: ISAF: “Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded”). Leona, aboard the Tonic “Lightning” decided not to start due to gear failure so it became a four-boat race for the first 20 minutes as Jane aboard “Pakman” and Chris & Felicia aboard “Distant Thunder” duelled it out for last place at the first buoy in front of The City Barge, with three capsizes, all out of sight – and earshot – of the OOD. The Thames Barrier was closed so tide was negligible making for quick progress mid stream. The first lap saw just three minutes separating the four leaders: James’ “Zephyr” (9:50), Lev’s “Porpoise” (11:23), Ben’s “Envy” (12:05) and Ian’s “Backwash” (12:59). The two enterprises held the lead with “Zephyr” completing six laps in 56mins:27secs and “Porpoise” five laps (59:20), Ian’s Vibe four laps (1hour:3mins:55secs) and Ben’s Laser five laps (1:5:54). Chris’ Leader managed five laps (1:8:15) while Jane’s Gull took the final sound signal at 1 hour 12 mins and 26 seconds (including the 3-4 mins start) for three laps, six-year-old Kieran blowing the club’s horn loudly, to mark the end of the season’s racing. SGSC members and guests then enjoyed some excellent home brew beer, chicken soup, sausages, cheesy quiche tarts, Ukrainian pirogy, cup cakes and banana bread, Mary S expertly manning the BBQ and Commodore Ian thanking all for attending and sailing through the season.
Nick Jeffery
Parking at the weekend
Be warned. The rules for parking at Strand on the Green have changed. Formerly there were no restrictions at the weekend in SotG and the surrounding roads. As of last weekend there is, in effect, no weekend parking for non-residents between Kew Bridge and the Railway Bridge, and the adjoining roads.
But you can still park on SotG and adjoining roads south-east of the Railway Bridge (Magnoliia, Loraine, Riverview etc.) at the weekend.
Race Report 5th September 2021
A dry, sunny, windless Sunday afternoon with an Easterly wind blowing 4 but increasing to 6 Knots for short bursts. Because of the lack of wind and its direction it was decided to change from a “B” Course to a short “A”. The course was laid by Enoch and Andy in the safety boat, with a “Zoffany House” start line and buoys upstream of the Bell and Crown and at the upstream end of the PLA grid.
Amazingly, 11 Boats assembled on the foreshore, just like the old days.
4 Enterprises, Zephyr (James and Ruth), Porpoise (Lev and David), Big Polly (Henry and Mary), Ixion (Tim W and crew), and one Leader – Distant Thunder (Chris and crew) .
2 Lasers, Phoebe (Rob) and Envy (Ben).
Together with the little boats, Ait Knots (Tim Y), Pacman (Jane), Tonic (Leona) and the delightful tan sails of Eeyore (Nick with 3 crew).
The start line was crowded and confused with the lack of wind giving minimal control. The whistle was blown and the flags were dropped at 13-00. James quickly found the wind and sped away closely followed by Rob. Others were slow off the mark with some getting caught in the vegetation growing in the river close to the towpath and others struggled with the tide and the lack of wind.
James and Rob made the 1st lap in 5.56 and 7.04 respectively. The other Enterprises and Ben’s Laser followed 12-14mins after for the 1st lap. 1st lap for the little boats was – Tim Y in 23.26, Jane and Leona 40.10 and 40.12 respectively. Eeyore struggled to stay over the start line for most of the race, which was expected with such light winds and eventually retired.
James continued to lap at about 6-7 mins until he finished after 9 laps in 61.27. During the race Lev and Henry were very close for the first 3 laps, but Lev eventually lapped Henry and they finished together on 8 laps and 7 laps in 66.46 and 66.05. Chris (Leader) and Tim W in his Enterprise finished in a similar time to Lev and Henry, 66.57 and 67.08, completing 6 and 4 laps respectively.
Rob and Ben in their Lasers completed 7 laps in 64.29 and 6 laps 68.58 resp.
Tim Y finished 4 laps in 67.56, Leona 2 laps in 72.15 and Jane 1 lap 40.10.
A difficult day for the little boats but a fine sunny afternoon and a brilliant turn out.
Thanks to Enoch and Andy on the safety boat.
OOD John Bull
Race, Sunday 29th August
Dear Sailors,
This Sunday the club had planned an outing to Gins Farm on the Beaulieu River. An alternative (A) course starting at 18:10 has also been pencilled in. I’m aware that many people are away or may have other engagements planned for the bank holiday weekend, so please can you confirm using the email below that you definitely will be turning up.
Chris Greenwood
Duty Chaser
Gins weekend
28/29/30 August 2021
!!! IT’S TME TO CONFIRM & BOOK !!!
Dear members,
I now need to confirm with Royal Southampton Yacht Club how many of us will be attending Gins Farm over the August bank holiday.
Basic itinerary
Meet at Gins Farm Saturday morning.
Breakfast
Go sailing and/or canoeing.
Meal at Gins Farm clubhouse Saturday evening.
Meet at Gins Farm Sunday morning.
Breakfast
Morning activities
Lunch
Afternoon activities.
Evening meal
Monday is a free day; return home early or do some sightseeing
Please note:
You will need to book your own accommodation be it B&B, hotel or campsite.
We need a least 16 people to book the evening meal but breakfast can be booked individually.
If you plan to attend I need you to confirm how many will be in your party and attending the evening meals and whether you want to borrow a dinghy or if you will bringing your own aquatic transport.
Below is the original announcement for those who have questions.
Ian
Gins weekend – 28/29/30 August 2021
It is with great pleasure I can announce the reinstatement of our much loved Gins weekend and confirm the above dates over the August bank holiday weekend.
For our members who have not been before:
Gins Farm is the clubhouse of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club (RSYC) on the Beaulieu River just outside the New Forest (Post Code: SO42 7XG). Other than in recent years this weekend has been on our calendar since the 60s. This weekend is open to all members and their guests.
There is normally a small contingent of SGSC members yachts or chartered boats which can be moored alongside or put on one of the visitor buoys down river. (payment to Beaulieu River HM)
Dinghies are towed down from Strand or can be borrowed (for a nominal fee) from RSYC. Currently available are Wanderers, Lasers, Toppers and Picos. Dinghies towed can be left on site during our rally.
Canoes can be borrowed too but these of course are easily transportable from Strand.
Camping on site is no longer allowed but local to Gins are Roundhill campsite, Lepe Meadows campsite and Lepe Beach campsite.
Dinner is available and bookable in advance for numbers over 16 (I have the menu and it is mouth-wateringly good) and various breakfast options for bookings over 12 people.
There is access to changing, lavatory and shower facilities on the Gins site.
Outline itinerary (subject to weather and tides)
Friday pm: yacht and early arrival possible (HW Portsmouth 1544 LW 2045)
Saturday morning: Breakfast, rig and launch to explore the river with lunch perhaps at Bucklers Hard or down river overlooking the nature reserve. Venturing out on The Solent with dinghies and canoes is dependent on safety cover and conditions.
Saturday evening: Meal in the clubhouse.
Sunday morning: Breakfast then day sailing on the Solent either to Alum Bay/Keyhaven (by The Needles) with lunch in Newtown Creek or exploring the forts to the east with lunch in Osbourne Bay (by Cowes). Some people may choose to stay out and overnight at anchor.
Monday morning: Breakfast and spend the morning on the river before packing up and returning for home.
For now I only need expressions of interest but would ask they be more likely than not likely as RSYC need an idea of numbers. Also the numbers in your party and what vessels you may be taking to the water on, or would like to take to the water on.
I look forward to hearing from those of you interested.
Ian
Summer Picnic very soon …
SGSC River Picnic 16th June
We are organising a river picnic on Wednesday 16th June.
David Jones will be taking the safety boat and Tim Young will be taking his dinghy with an outboard. Others will be taking their dinghies / kayaks up the river by wind/paddle power.
We will meet at the club to launch between 1800 and 1830 to get under Kew Bridge before the river gets too high, and we will sail in convoy to some suitable spot on the shore. The London Apprentice is one option. Return before sunset.
High water is at 19:22 and sunset is almost as late as it gets: 21:19
Bring you own food and drink.
The weather looks perfect.
Enjoy
Nick Floyer
News from Nick Floyer
I was camping and sailing with my family on the Norfolk Broads last week. Stepping ashore, I overbalanced and fell into shallow water. On the way down, I hit my side on the gunwale of the boat, broke six ribs and punctured a lung. I am just back from amazing care in Norwich hospital.
As you can imagine, I shall not be able to return to sailing at Strand for a while. I have decided in principle to sell Tonic, my Lightning 368 dinghy. She is an old boat but perfectly sound and everything works. She has two sets of spars, all recent, and two sails, one being new and unused. The Lightning is an ideal boat for a lightweight single-hander: self-draining, pivoting centreboard, sail on a halyard. She is amazingly fast in some conditions. So meanwhile, if anyone would like to use her or try her out, that can be arranged.
I hope that this will not be my last boat at Strand, but I may need to find something more sedate. I shall continue to sail elsewhere with my family in our various small boats. I learned to sail from my father in the Straits of Johore at the age of eight, seventy-two years ago; now my four children have families of their own. All four are experienced sailors, both my sons being Yachtmasters, one the volunteer skipper of the Cornish Maritime Trust’s mackerel driver “Barnabus”, the other Lt Cmdr RN. In Norfolk, a good time was had by all, except me.
Nick
Race Report 4th April 2021
The Covid lockdown delayed the start of the season by three weeks, so this was the First Race (worthy of its own trophy), as well as the Easter Egg race, and, as it happens, the 75th anniversary of the Club’s first race back in 1946. Plenty to celebrate, and 10 boats trundled down the foreshore in welcoming spring sunshine. The only thing that was lacking was, as is often the case, a decent breeze to get us around the course. By common consent we had decided to sail a long B-course rather than the scheduled D, down to Hammersmith, for fear of being stuck far from home by contrary wind and tide.
The gentle westerly breeze aslant the river helped the fleet to the downstream mark opposite the Putney rowing club and it was immediately apparent that getting back up the river wasn’t going to be easy. A trio of boats, consisting of James Armitage in his brand-new Enterprise Zephyr, crewed by his son Joseph, Lev Kolobov (solo in James’ old boat Porpoise), and Ian Nethersell in his Vibe managed to work their way up the bank upstream of Chiswick Quay, and from there in slow stages back towards Strand. A second group consisting of the Browns, the Greenwoods and, briefly, Jane Watkins and Ben Chappell managed at least to stay up stream of the mark before first Jane and eventually Ben, decided to return by other means. Jane, fed up of being on the wrong side of the mark, took her Gull by the painter and dragged her home along the bank.
The Browns and the Greenwoods stayed together in a slow oscillating progress upstream, being overtaken by skulls, canoes, paddle boards, even the foreshore, until after an hour or so the current slowed enough for them to follow the leaders.
By then the safety boat had started to tow back the rear guard from the environs of Chiswick Bridge and ferry them back upstream. Ben was the last to accept the inevitable.
In the leading group an intriguing dilemma was being enacted: Porpoise, after 25 years of winning with James at the helm was being challenged by a shiny new upstart with James at the helm. In the end Porpoise’s habit of winning triumphed over her upstart rival and Lev helmed her over the line 39 seconds ahead of Zephyr. Ian was 14 minutes behind, and the Browns and the Greenwoods, 30 seconds apart, were another 14 minutes behind.
To add to the anniversary theme the race was the day after Mary Brown’s 75th birthday. So the first race was more memorable for these coincidences than for the quality of the sailing, which was more a challenge to patience than to skill. But at least it was a beautiful day and a hopeful prospect for the remaining sailing season.
Lev was awarded the Easter Egg and the First Race prize. Many thanks to Heather for serving as OOD and to Rob, David Jones and several helpers in the safety boat.
HB
Gins Weekend 2021
28/29/30 August 2021
It is with great pleasure I can announce the reinstatement of our much loved Gins weekend and confirm the above dates over the August bank holiday weekend.
For our members who have not been before:
Gins is the clubhouse of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club (RSYC) on the Beaulieu River just outside the New Forest. Other than in recent years this weekend has been on our calendar since the 60s. This weekend is open to all members and their guests.
There is normally a small contingent of SGSC members yachts or chartered boats which can be moored alongside or put on one of the visitor buoys down river. (payment to Beaulieu River HM)
Dinghies are towed down from Strand or can be borrowed (for a nominal fee) from RSYC. Currently available are Wanderers, Lasers, Toppers and Picos. Dinghies towed can be left on site during our rally.
Canoes can be borrowed too but these of course are easily transportable from Strand.
Camping on site is no longer allowed but local to Gins are Roundhill campsite, Lepe Meadows campsite and Lepe Beach campsite.
Dinner is available and bookable in advance for numbers over 16 (I have the menu and it is mouth-wateringly good) and various breakfast options for bookings over 12 people.
There is access to changing, lavatory and shower facilities on the Gins site.
Outline itinerary (subject to weather and tides)
Friday pm: yacht and early arrival possible (HW Portsmouth 1544 LW 2045)
Saturday morning: Breakfast, rig and launch to explore the river with lunch perhaps at Bucklers Hard or down river overlooking the nature reserve. Venturing out on The Solent with dinghies and canoes is dependent on safety cover and conditions.
Saturday evening: Meal in the clubhouse.
Sunday morning: Breakfast then day sailing on the Solent either to Alum Bay/Keyhaven (by The Needles) with lunch in Newtown Creek or exploring the forts to the east with lunch in Osbourne Bay (by Cowes). Some people may choose to stay out and overnight at anchor.
Monday morning: Breakfast and spend the morning on the river before packing up and returning for home.
For now I only need expressions of interest but would ask they be more likely than not likely as RSYC need an idea of numbers. Also the numbers in your party and what vessels you may be taking to the water on, or would like to take to the water on.
I look forward to hearing from those of you interested.
Ian