Course: D Weather: very changeable, 12-17 knots SSW
4 boats signed up to race, but this dropped to two when the forecast suggested gusty wind. The two sailors: Lev Kolobov and Inna in Porpoise (Enterprise) and Rebecca Hayes in Wagtail (Mirror) were persuaded to sail by Rob Adams now on safety boat with young Billy, and Olly Adams as OOD.
The start was 10 mins late due to lack of manpower to get the boats and rescue boat ready. Conditions were perfect for a challenging sail in wind and sun for what they call in Salcombe “champagne sailing” conditions.
The Chiswick reach had a strong gusty headwind but both Lev and Rebecca handled it with aplomb. Lev and Inna set off into the distance with Rebecca making steady progress towards Chiswick Bridge. Rob in the rescue boat was keen to keep both boats in sight due to the capsize conditions so agreed with Lev that he should turn on Chiswick Bridge but if still keen could try another lap. But by this time the tide had turned and was forcing Rebecca back to Strand. As Lev returned in the Enterprise Rebecca sensibly turned for home too. Both boats finished close together with Lev doing a full Chiswick Bridge lap and Rebecca a Little Boats half lap to Chiswick Staithe and back. Congratulations to both competitors: no swimming and a good healthy sail.
Course: A Weather: hot and sunny, light E wind at 6 knots gusting 10.
Five boats launched for a 15.35 start on a slimy and diminishing foreshore: Lev Kolobov and Inna sailing in Porpoise (Enterprise); Chris Greenwood and Felicia in Distant Thunder (Leader); Keith Clarke in Kaia (Laser); Tim Wellburn and daughter in Ixion (Enterprise); and Rebecca Hayle and daughter in Wagtail (Mirror).
The wind was mostly with the tide, so we set a short A-course with the downstream mark above the PLA grid and an upstream mark opposite the City Barge. Even so, the conditions were too much for Wagtail who failed to complete a lap despite patience and perseverance. Tim started well and finished a lap in third place but that was all that Ixion could manage, and eventually she accepted a tow back to the Arch.
Lev led from the start with Keith and Chris close behind for three laps before he stretched his lead and finishing 6 laps in an hour and ten minutes. Keith finished his fifth lap about two minutes later with Chris close behind. A typical lovely Sunday on the river.
The tide was up over the ramp by the time they all finished and the substantial fencing erected to repair the bridge meant that it was a struggle to get the boats back in their places (as well as at the launch).
Thanks to Mary for officiating – she just managed to keep her feet dry. The next race is a late D-course at 18.05.
Weather: fine, warm, wind WSW 13-17 knots, (F4-5), felt like F3-4: Start: 17:50: Course A.
Four boats started the evening’s sail: James Armitage with Johannes as crew in Zephyr (Enterprise); Chris Greenwood with Felicia Biekarck in Distant Thunder (Leader); Sam Shemtob with David in SY2 (Wayfarer); and Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser).
James did a 10-minute first lap followed by Ben, then Chris, then Sam about 4mins later, and they stayed in that order for the next four laps. Chris overhauled Ben after he paused to capsize and squeezed in an extra lap to complete eight laps, as did James about 7 minutes in the lead. Sam completed a more leisurely 6 laps and was last back at the arch.
Next Sunday is another A/B course starting at 12:15.
I’m afraid I have no first-hand race report, but this is what I can infer from the race sheet.
Felicia Biekark was OOD; it was an A-course, with a very fresh breeze, which the Met Office said was from the west, 19 knots gusting 25 knots (Beaufort 5-6); and three brave / foolhardy dinghies dared to launch. James Armitage, with a novice crew, in Zephyr (Enterprise); Joe Armitage in Punt (Laser); and Sam Shemtob and crew in a heavily-reefed SY2 (Wayfarer).
James was just ahead of his son at the first lap, which took just under 8 minutes, with Sam three minutes behind. Soon after that James capsized and was not able immediately to right Zephyr from a mast-down position. Fortunately he didn’t suffer the famous fate of the Bayesian and remained afloat. His crew retired to the safety boat while James managed to right the Enterprise and retired, cold, wet and exhausted.
Meanwhile Joe zoomed around for about 40 minutes completing 6 laps, and Sam carried on for 4 heroic laps before Felicia took pity on them. It was a busy day for Keith Clarke in the safety boat with Ben Chappell. Many thanks for their seamanship and care.
Next week, who knows? It’s an A-B course at 17:50.
A calm and mostly sunny evening, with a rising neap tide. The wind was nominally in the north, from behind the houses along Strand, but in practice from all points.
Four boats started: James Armitage (Zephyr) crewed by Rebecca Hayes and Rob Adams (Big Polly), both in Enterprises; Felicia Biekarck (Punt) and Ben Chappell (Envy) in Lasers.
All made slow progress around a short A-course, completing 5, 4, 4 and 3 laps respectively, and in that finishing order.
Another beautiful warm sunny day with a strong wind from the East. This time blowing upstream off the Middlesex bank. Due to the curve in the river, it was a cleaner wind on the A Course although it was still coming off the bank a little. A long A course with 2 buoys, one off the Bell & Crown and the other off the City Barge was laid. Becky Hayes in her Mirror Wagtail, Keith Clarke in the laser Kaia, and three single-handed Enterprises Big Polly with Rob Adams, Porpoise with Lev Kolobov and Zephyr with James Armitage took to the water shepherded by Dave Baker in the safety boat and overseen by Heather Adams as OOD.
The gusty wind coming over the houses of Strand on the Green was difficult to handle and both Keith and Becky retired leaving the three Enterprises to battle each other and the gusts. After an hour and six laps James came in first followed by Lev (6 laps) and Rob (5 laps). Thank you to Dave for managing the safety boat and Heather for being OOD.
James Armitage
Next week its another A or B course, starting at 17:30
Sunday 4th May brought brisk, gusty conditions to the Thames for a scheduled start time of 7pm. James prepared the safety boat, then it was agreed that the OOD, Nick J, would start the race from the safety boat, combining duties, and sailors take their own times over the finish line of a course B – allowing Zephyr to race and increase the fleet to five. It was emphasised that safety duty was to take priority over timings.
Without flags to look at, James Armitage thought the starting hooter was in fact the 3-minute warning signal so Zephyr (Enterprise) started astern of the fleet – that was initially led by Chris Greenwood and Felicia Biekarck in Distant Thunder (Leader) – but Zephyr took the opposite bank on the first downwind leg to Chiswick Staithe and overtook all four boats just before the leeward mark. Lev Kolobov in Porpoise (Enterprise) rounded in second place, Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser) in third place, Joe Armitage in Punt (another Laser) kissing Ben’s transom and Distant Thunder having slipped to fifth.
Beating to the windward mark – positioned close to the spectators in the Bull’s Head – saw more changes with Ben’s older sail making it hard to keep up with Joe, all sailors busy spilling and trimming sails as they tacked to stay in the favourable tide. 14 minutes from the start Joe led the fleet around the mark with James, Lev, Chris & Felicia following close behind, Ben rounding 5 minutes after Joe.
Positions remained the same at the second windward mark rounding, 28 minutes after the start, Envy rounding the leeward mark for the second time one minute later. On the third lap, times at the leeward mark saw Joe gybing around at 33 mins 50 secs from the start, James at 35 mins 31 secs, Lev at 37 mins 47 secs and Chris & Felicia, less than 4 minutes behind the leader, at 39 mins 37 secs.
The OOD decided to play safe – after much encouragement from Joe – and shortened the course after three laps, the chilly May breeze starting to bite and the Bull’s Head drinkers having retreated indoors. Just 20 seconds separated Joe from James, the Laser and Enterprise finishing after 44 mins 36 secs and 44 mins 56 seconds respectively. Lev finished third after 49 mins 23 seconds and Distant Thunder touched the line 52 minutes after the start, just as Envy capsized further downstream – Ben immediately righting her and getting to the finish line 1 hour, 11 minutes and 20 secs after the start.
Boats were all derigged, engine hoisted out, safety boat locked on its mooring and arch closed by 8.45pm.
Nick Jeffery OOD and SB!!
Many thanks to Nick for dual-duties, and a prompt race report. Apologies from the Master of Sums for the delay in publishing – absent on Grand Parental duties/pleasures in Edinburgh.
Next week (11th May) is another A/B course at 13:40.
The race sheet reports that four boats took part in an A-course that lasted just over an hour, and that it was a sunny afternoon with a slight breeze.
Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser) completed 10 laps, Keith Clarke in Kaia (Laser) and Rob Adams in Big Polly (Enterprise) both did 11 laps, and Chris Greenwood with Felicia Biekark in Distant Thunder (Leader) did 12. So it can’t have been that slight a breeze, or it was a very short course.
The time sheet didn’t record the OOD’s name legibly or that of the Safety Boat operator, but the time keeping was impeccable and the Master of Sums is happy to record that Chris/Felicia were the winners, followed by Rob Adams, then Ben and finally Keith. Well done all.
Next week is another A or B-course starting at 1900.
It was Boat Race Day for Oxbridge rowers, and Cambridge made a clean sweep down below Chiswick Bridge on an overcast afternoon that deteriorated into a fine drizzle at times after our sailors’ start at 14:40.
Six boats rigged on a diminishing foreshore. Lev Kolobov, solo in Porpoise (Enterprise); Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser); Tim Young in Ait Knots (Wanderer); Olly Adams and Felicity in Spinosaurus (Mirror); Rebecca Hayes and Ella in Wagtail (Mirror); and Nick Jeffery in Eeyore (Duckling). Nick managed to capsize as he boarded Eeyore and retired, rather wet.
The rest set off on a short A-course, giving everyone a good chance to do several laps. Lev set the pace with a lap of under 5 minutes, followed by Ben (6:17) and Olly / Felicity close on his transom two seconds later. Tim followed about a minute after that, and finally Rebecca / Ella in 9 mins 25 seconds.
This was the pattern for the for the next hour of brisk sailing for all concerned. Lev and Ben finished 11 laps 1 minute 90 seconds apart with Spinosaurus about 2 minutes behind on 10 laps. Tim finished his 8 laps about a minute later, and Rebecca / Ella finished their 7 laps after another 10 minutes. Quite a challenge for the OOD: almost 50-line crossings to note on a race sheet threatened by drizzle.
There was a traffic jam outside the ramp until someone found some keys, but eventually all the boats managed to squeeze onto the boat-park around the safety fencing, as the cracks in the brickwork of the bridge become more apparent. And most had time for tea and biscuits and a chat.
First in the Handicap Cup went to Lev: first in the Polly Prize to a masterful sail by Olly and Felicity.
Weather: Bright and Breezy, ENE 3-5 Beaufort, 9-16 knots
Course: D
Three boats launched with Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser), Chris Greenwood and Felicia Biekarck in Distant Thunder (Leader) and Lev Kolobov in Porpoise (Enterprise). Following a few last-minute repairs to a couple of boats, Lev took to the water first and was whizzing up and down enjoying the breeze. Shortly all the boats were on the water and testing the fine sailing conditions.
Ben, in Envy, crossed the start line first with a fine set to his sail. However, this was not to last and Chris and Felcia in Distant Thunder overtook Envy and held the lead for the rest of the race. Within 15mins all the boats were passing Barnes and heading to Chiswick pier. Despite little tide, the wind held up most of the time and made for some fun sailing – check out the photos.
The turning buoy was dropped at 17.33 opposite Chiswick pier with Distant Thunder turning first, followed by Porpoise and then Envy. The return leg was faster than the downstream, no doubt helped slightly by the flood tide, but a steady wind ensured the return leg was made on a single tack in most cases. A lovely evening to be sailing on the water.
Leona (OOD)
Next week is an A or B Course, depending on conditions, starting at 14:40.
