Race Report,  1 September 2019, SBSC and RSC visit

It was quite an intimidating sight for the hosts to see a fleet of 11 dinghies beating up the river towards us.  There were 11 from SBSC and one from Ranelagh.  We managed to muster six on the foreshore but Tim had to retire before the start with a bad case of gravel in the centreboard slot.

We set a B-course, downstream of the Railway Bridge, and the wind was a brisk F3-4, and mostly F4. Quite challenging for the mixed fleet of mostly single-handers.

Una-Jane Winfield (Ranelagh), solo in her RS200, led almost from the start. On the first lap she was followed closely by Lev, solo in his Enterprise, with Rob Adams (Laser) close behind.  Lev had a spectacular capsize at the upstream mark on the second lap, was swept under the bridge and spent some time bailing on the foreshore before re-joining the race.  Rob passed the line in second place on the second lap and continued close to Una-Jane’s transom to the end of the race. At this stage Ian (Vibe) was in third place but with a flock of SBSC boats in hot pursuit.  On the third lap Henry Cook (SBSC, Laser) was in third place with Ian in 4^th, and on the fourth and final lap Henry in 3^rd place was followed by Jacob Grunig, flying Estonia’s Olympic colours (Laser), Allen Munro (Enterprise),  Nick Ives (Xenon), and then Ian.

Eleven of the 16 boats completed 4 laps with the remainder completing 3, and despite at least eleven capsizes (before the safety boat ran out of fingers), in very frisky conditions, no one sought help and retired.

After the Yardstick sums were done, the finishing order was Rob (SGSC) 1^st, Una-Jane (RSC) 2^nd by about 6 seconds on corrected time, and Ian (SGSC) 3^rd.  The team trophy was award to SBSC: it’s awarded on the sum of the positions of, this year, the first five boats in each fleet.  Lowest score wins.

The after-race socialising, initially wading in ankle-deep water, centered around Stephen Newell’s excellent home brew and mounds of cake, soup, cheese and biscuits from many volunteers.  As usual, a good time was had by all.

Please note: The results below have been corrected to reflect the fact that Sarah Bennett did 4 laps, not 3.  Many apologies to her.

Race Report Sunday 18^th August 2019

OOD John Bull           Safety Boat  Dave Jones

A sunny, dry day with blustery WSW winds, F3 gusting F4 – 5.

Three boats prepared for the race. Lev sailing solo in White Angel (E), Ian in Backwash (V) and Tim Wellburn and crew in Ixon (E).

After a discussion regarding the blustery conditions and the need for keeping the boats within easy reach of the safety boat, a 3 buoy, “A” course was set. Starting at the Bell and Crown, down stream to the Grid and then over to the rowing buoy on the Kew Bank. David Jones ably supported by Tim Young and his canine companion laid the course. The Dog approved so Tim was Happy.

Conditions were gusty and proving testing as the boats made their way to the start line.

The start was delayed as Tim had some rigging problem. However, after a 13-minute delay, we started without Tim.

Lev and Ian raced speedily to the first buoy together and continued closely for the first lap in just over 6 minutes. For the next two laps the race pattern was repeated both Lev and Ian lapping in approx. 6 minutes. By now, Tim had sorted his problem and was quickly making his way around the course. His first lap being at 21.50.

Lap 6 saw Ian taking the lead over Lev and there was only two seconds between them at the Bell and Crown line. They continued to race closely with Tim rounding the course quicker each lap.

The gusting wind conditions made it very testing and all three boats experienced near capsizes much to the entertainment of the landlubbers at the Bell and Crown. However, all three boats mastered the conditions and continued with Lev and Ian completing 9 laps and Tim 6 laps.

Timings:  Lev 56.27 and Ian 58.32. Tim 62.38.

JB

Race Report 11 August 2019

It was a bright but blustery day and 4 boats, all sailing single-handed set out for a mid-morning B course.  The conditions were challenging  due to the ever-changing, unpredictable wind.  3 boats completed the race, each doing 4 laps but Tim had retired after his first lap and a stop on the riverbank to bail out.

Alex was first to complete the second lap. Lev then overtook him and finished the race first,  despite having to do a significant amount of bailing out while sailing along.   An equally tenacious Ian finished third and all the sailors showed their skills by avoiding any capsizing despite the fickle winds.

Mary Short

A windy morning, which saw just two dinghies, Ian’s Gull and Alex’s boat, in a face off.  Ian’s almost capsized off the ramp as a gust came up just as she was getting in the water.  They quickly tacked down to the start where the 6 minute warning was reduced to a 1 minute warning, with 10 second reminders and a countdown from 5.

Alex got off to a good start and maintained his lead around the top marker, which both boats turned in under 3 minutes.   Ian stayed on Alex’s tail and, with the bottom marker just 20 yds away, caught up just enough to set a collision course with Alex’s boat.

Alex had right of way, being on a starboard tack vs. Ian’s on port tack and overtaking.   But Alex blinked first, turning away to give Ian the lead. Alex laid chase, but as they completed lap two, Ian pulled away as they again neared the back marker.

By lap 4 Ian was a full course length away.  In lap 5 Alex began to catch up but foundered again at the back marker, leaving Ian with a convincing win.  A very frisky sail which both sailors enjoyed.

Sam Shemtob

Race Report 21 April 2019

A race characterised by fickle light and dying winds and an increasingly strong Spring tide.  Only two marks were set, aiming (unsuccessfully) to keep the competitors clear of Kew Bridge.  As the river was still quite low at 15:30, the start was delayed for 15 minutes awaiting more water.

James’s and David Berger’s (on loan from Rob Collingwood) Enterprises both achieved prompt starts, but an almost immediate lull stranded the other four boats, putting them a lap behind.  After 40 minutes James had completed 4 laps and David two, but it was clear that the elements were now against us, and the race was ended at that point.  In fact nobody else managed to complete more than one lap, and ultimately the rescue boat was fully occupied retrieving stranded boats from the environs of Kew Bridge.

Tim Wellburn

D Course, 4.40pm start.

Four boats started the D-course on this afternoon with North Easterly blustery wind, two Enterprises (Porpoise sailed by James, and Rob Collingwood’s Tiamat sailed by Josh and Caroline), a Vibe (Backwash, Ian Nethersell), and a Laser ( Phoebe, Rob Adams). In the first few minutes all were together, however by Chiswick Bridge Rob and James had broken away and the fleet began to stretch out. Conditions meant for much leaning out on the beat downstream and although the fleet was somewhat becalmed by Chiswick Pier, progress was only halted momentarily. The buoy was laid just downstream of the Corinthians starting line, with Rob coming round first, followed by James soon after.  Ian and Josh rounded without difficulty some time later and began their sail back upstream, which was uneventful and all four boats finished in the order that had emerged soon after the start.

The total time was quite fast for a D-course:  89 minutes for Rob, and 108 minutes for Josh and Caroline.  After the handicaps were taken into account Rob still won in all three series, with Ian sneaking into second place in the Handicap series ahead of James.

Next week, Easter Sunday, it’s an A-course at 15:30 with the added incentive of an Easter Egg prize.

Alex Pape

SGSC RACE REPORT – SUNDAY 7 APRIL

An overcast day of very light and fickle winds, demanding some tactical sailing from the three entrants, James, Henry & Mary and Jane.

We set a shortish two-mark course, allowing a fairly slow run downstream and a brisker beat back up, with the tide.

On the first lap, all three boats reached the downstream mark in close echelon formation, but thereafter, Jane’s Gull lacked the sail area to make the best of the light wind conditions. The water immediately after the upstream mark, in particular, seemed plagued by the doldrums.

On the first lap, Henry found the wind here whereas James, seeking it on the Surrey Bank, was disappointed for a while and the lead switched. However, Henry was less fortunate with the doldrums thereafter, allowing James to steal almost a lap on him by mid-race.

This pattern of lulls and relative spurts continued, dampened by intermittent light showers, until James crossed the line on his seventh lap 10 seconds short of the hour, Henry on his 6th a couple of minutes later, followed by Jane just a lap behind him a minute or so afterwards.

Tim Wellburn

The 31 March race was switched from a scheduled B course to an A after brief assessment of wind, and word of an impending river closure downstream of the railway bridge after noon.

Four sailors turned out on a somewhat grey and occasionally blustery morning. Dave B, sailing Big Polly single-handed, rounded the downstream mark just outside the grid first and maintained the lead throughout the race.  Rob C sailing Tiamat single-handed and Rob A sailing Phoebe followed round the mark soon after, however a gust pushed Tiamat over moments after. It proved impossible to right her, Rob C opted to retire and was attended to by Lev and crew and in the safety boat. Ian N in the Vibe had a slow first lap but then settled into a rhythm and was frequently seen leaning out far near the Surrey bank, making the most of the NE breeze. Rob A’s Laser appeared to have ever declining freeboard and was stopped in the shallow water at Middlesex bank on several occasions to drain water from the hull, before resuming the race and finishing 3^rd after 4 laps. Ian was 2^nd on the water, also with 4 laps. Dave’s mast came dangerously close to horizontal at the upstream mark on his 5th lap but after that, victory was never in doubt, and the whistle went after 6 laps completed around the hour mark. Many thanks to Lev, and Dave (x2) in the safety boat and Chris and James off the water.

Alex

Next week it’s another A-course at 15:30

It was a beautiful sunny spring day but as we stood on the hard the wind began to build from the NW.

Four boats rigged but as the wind increased John Bull made what proved to be a wise decision not to go afloat in his laser.

The remaining three, two enterprises and one gull, were all fully crewed with SGSC newcomers: welcome to Josh Mellor (crewing for Rob Collingwood for the second time), Caroline Watt (with Lev Kolobov) and Glenda (with Tim Young).

There was a subtle rig difference between the enterprises: Lev with a full rig and Rob sporting a firefly mainsail.

All started on the Bell and Crown line with the customary running start and Heather firmly in control thanks to young David Kolobov lending her a watch. My apologies to Paul Williamson who had canvassed me to set a beating start during the week which I failed to do. May be next time.   The three boats set off on a long A, single “sausage” course running down to a buoy off the City Barge.  A good run it was too, the first lap completed in 18 minutes. Lev was in the lead to the upstream end of the island when he was caught out by a gust and elegantly pirouetted, including a controlled gybe, letting Rob through to a lead he was to hold, more or less, to the end. But a great race between the two enterprises. The canny reduced sail of RC just out witting Lev with speed on the run but less control on the beat back.

All seemed comfortable with sailors and rescue boat. The rescue boat was full of spectators including my grandson, Billy, Louis from Corsica, Lev’s son David, and David Jones as assistant rescue.

But drama was to unfold with Tim charging for the upstream buoy in a stronger gust.  He dipped his bow and created an instability that resulted in capsize. The new Kurt Berger was on hand to rescue. Tricky rescue too. The first part, to haul Tim’s crew aboard Kurt Berger, was easy.  Did she say “I haven’t been manhandled by men like this for a long time”?   But on the second attempt the Gull was towed to the shore, righted, and then with expert seamanship from Tim, with mast lowered, she was towed back down stream through the bridge and back home. What Tim had not realised at the time was that he had lost his shorts including some weighty keys during the swimming (essential dignity and warmth was preserved by leggings).   SGSC residents please look out for them at low tide.

Rescue over we were to see the two enterprises level at the final mark only for RC to pull away in a personal wind to the line for the line honours.

Thank you for all my assistants.  Next time we have a Corsican on board I need to look up the Corsican word for “painter”!   The Kurt Berger did its job well and safely.

Rob Adams

Race Report Sunday 17^th March 2019

OOD John Bull           Safety Boat Ian Nethersell

Second race of the 2019 season and the first points race. A cold but dry day with a westerly F2 wind, gusting F4. A scheduled C course was changed to an A course to suit the wind direction and the lack of time to pass under Kew Bridge. The time of HWKB was checked, approx. 11am and it was agreed that a start of 10am would be fine. Three boats prepared for the race – Robert with Josh (new member) in Tiamat (E), Lev sailing solo in White Angel (E) and Tim in Axolotl (G).The course was set – 3 buoys, Bell and Crown pub, City Barge pub and the Kew Bank rowing buoy, with Ian in the safety boat with the assistance of Henry Brown and David Jones. The race started at 10.06. Tiamat and Axolotl raced away with Lev struggling to find the wind to cross the start line. Sailing was close between Tiamat and Axolotl rounding the first buoy together. Axolotl choosing to take the Kew Bank behind Oliver’s Island with Tiamat tacking upstream on the Strand. In the meantime, Lev in White Angle had capsized. However, Lev quickly righted his Enterprise, bailed out and continued on to round the first buoy.

Tiamat was moving further ahead of Axolotl, although Axolotl’s move behind the Island did not lose too much ground. Tiamat rounded the next two buoys and raced across the line at 14.16, Axolotl followed at 18.50.

Race conditions were becoming difficult with strong gusts of wind and strangely the tide was turning early, only 18 minutes into the race. Lev in White Angel capsized again and again he quickly recovered but decided to retire. Tiamat and Axolotl continued to fight the gusts and now the strengthening ebbing tide, and because of the change in the tide it was decided to conclude the race at two laps. Tiamat managed to complete the second lap at 29.15. Axolotl continued against the tide, but behind the trot moorings, trying to reach the Kew Buoy, had the added difficulty of avoiding numerous rowers. In particular a fast moving eight, scary. He eventually retired at 58mins. But a great effort.

An eventful race day, finished in the arch with the Commodore’PPs Rum and blackcurrant and good humour.

John Bull