Race Report 16th November 2025 – Last Race

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Race Report 16th November 2025

OOD :  Enoch Rodriguez assisted by Andy Ross and Dave Jones

Safety Boat:  David Baker

Weather:  Cloudy, light NE wind, 2-3 Beaufort, 

Course: A

It was the last race of the season with a good turn-out of 8 boats on a fine Autumn morning.  James Armitage had Kieran Biekarck as crew in Zephyr (Enterprise); Lev Kolobov and Rob Adams were both solo in their Enterprises – Porpoise and Big Polly.  Chris Greenwood had Commodore Felicia Biekarck as crew in Distant Thunder (Leader) and Sam Shemtob had Timor Gottfried aboard to speed his Wayfarer, SY2.  Ben Chappell and Keith Clarke had their Lasers – Envy and Kaia, and Rebecca Hayle was all alone in Wagtail.

The wind was good for the Ents: James was consistently ahead doing laps in 5-7 minutes with Lev and Rob ending up about 4 minutes behind after 9 laps, and Chris followed closely about 90 seconds behind.  The two Lasers were lapped by the Ents and completed 7 laps in about the same time.  Sam in the Wayfarer had put a reef in his main (expecting to sail solo), which slowed him down despite Tamir’s assistance.  And the light wind was no friend to Rebecca who persisted heroically to overcome the flood tide in the approach to Kew bridge.  But she nevertheless completed 3 laps.

The race was over in just over an hour and all the boats made their way back to the Arch.  But spare a thought for Enoch and his helpers who had to record the times of eight boats crossing the line up to 9 times each – around 60 individual records.  And the race sheet was immaculate.

Meanwhile, back at the Arch, Mary Short (and others) had bought the barbeque to life to prepare a hot feast of bangers and other meats, plus pickles and sauces, plus buns, plus a wide variety of cakes, flapjacks and sweets, plus beer and other drinks.  The traditional beer and bangers to mark the end of the season, and 80 years of SGSC.   And we were honoured to have Marthe Armitage, a founder member of the club back in 1946, to share in the celebrations. 

Race Report 9th November 2025

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A good muster of boats ready for a D course in a decent breeze and sunshine. Boats included James Armitage and Felicia Biekarck in Zephyr (Enterprise), Keith Clarke (Kaia) and Tamir Gottfried in Lasers, Sam Shemtob and new crew in SY2 (Wayfarer), Nick Floyer in flo (Gull) and Olly Adams and Billy in Spinosaurus (Mirror).

The race got off to a start 5mins late with syncopated start sequence of horns and flags from OOD Heather Adams supported by Sienna. Sadly the tide was on the wane and it was clear that a full course was not possible. With James, Tamir and Keith stretching out and the little boats stuck at Chiswick Bridge, Rob Adams and Kieran in the safety boat put the buoy down just at the upstream end of the old Watney’s Brewery. 

Tamir lead James round the buoy with Keith close behind. The tide was exactly slack. The remaining boats managed to clear Chiswick Bridge and its wind shadow and began to make a little progress to the buoy but with an ever-strengthening incoming tide Rob and Kieran offered to move the buoy for the small boats, but both declined and pressed on. 

By this time Sam had retired finding it difficult to make it through Chiswick Bridge with a reef in his sail. 

To the great relief of the safety boat the wind changed a little more from the S allowing the two little boats to keep in to the Middlesex shore and reach up to the mark and round, Nick’s boat in the lead. The excitement was to see if the deployment of the Mirror’s spinnaker would give them a chance of catching up. Billy’s enthusiastic foredeck work finally got the bulging sail up and filled but wind was becoming more fickle and the positions didn’t change. 

The last two boats had a hour of sailing but by the time they got back the Wayfarer, Lasers and Enterprise were all put away. 

Rob Adams (from the safety boat)

Race Report 26th October 2025

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Race Report 26th October 2025

OOD and Safety Boat:  Keith Clarke

Cloudy, light rain, gusty, SW 12-28 knots, F 4-5 Beaufort

Course: A

Three boats launched late on a forbidding autumn day: back to GMT.  James Armitage in Zephyr (Enterprise) with Tom Wellburn as crew; Lev Kolobov solo in Porpoise (Enterprise); and Chris Greenwood with Mary Short in Distant Thunder (Leader).

Good start by all at 13:30.  Lev turned at the downstream mark first, followed by James and then Chris.  James overtook on the run upstream and led most of the way thereafter. (Lev was ahead on the 4th lap). Some strong gusts had all three leaning at times.  Six laps by James and Lev, 2 minutes apart at the end.  5 laps by Chris and Mary, about 5 minutes behind.  Daylight faded as the race procession ended.

Mary got moral points for crewing Chris in the rain and cold!

Thanks to Keith for doubling up on duties and enabling Tim to crew for James.

Keith Clarke OOD.

Race Report 5th October 2025

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OOD: Leona Shepherd

Safety Boat: James Armitage with Kieran Biekrack (crew)

Weather: Bright with strong gusty WNW winds. 

Course: A (the planned C course was changed due to strong winds)   

Start: 13:10  HWKB:14.10    Wind  WNW 14/ with gusts >30mph

3 boats launched with Ben Chappell in Envy (Laser), Felicia Biekrack and Paco in Distant Thunder (Leader) and Rebecca Hayes in Wagtail (Mirror). Following a few last minute repairs/improvements the boats launched and were whizzing up and down enjoying the wind against tide experience. 

All boats tested different positions in the river to optimise the conditions. It was neck and neck on the first leg with Felicia and Paco, on Distant Thunder, taking the lead at the end of the 1st lap, with Ben, on Envy, close behind by only 20seconds. Wagtail, unfortunately, capsized while on the return leg of the first lap and, despite getting righted while in the water, retired. Distant Thunder then developed a commanding lead on lap 2 crossing the line a full minute ahead of Envy. On the 3rd lap, Distant Thunder slowed and Envy accelerated, it was getting exciting!! However, it was not to last and on lap 4, after 3 capsizes while rounding the downstream buoy, Envy eventually retired. This left Distant Thunder with Felicia and Paco, to complete the 4 lap course unchallenged and the race ended in strong winds after 42minutes as the pace rounding the upstream buoy  was quite exciting. The OD apologies that there are no photos from the race. 

Good fun was had, even by the soggy but happy sailors!

Leona(OOD)

Race Results 25th August 2025

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David Jones did the OOD honours for an A-course on Bank Holiday Monday, starting at 15:30 in glorious sunshine with a variable breeze from the South. There were four competitors: Andy Ross with Enoch Rodriguez in Comma (Enterprise) – first outing this season ; Lev and Inna Kolobov in Porpoise (Enterprise); Felicia Biekarck and daughter in Chris’ Distant Thunder (Leader); and Sam Shemtob solo in SY2 (Wayfarer). Lev and Felicia had a close race throughout the hour with Felicia in the lead for four laps before being overtaken by Lev for the last two laps. They finished about one minute apart. Andy managed three laps in the same time with Enoch busily bailing throughout, and Sam with a reef in his main brought up the rear in just over one hour. David Baker, from the safety boat, posted some lovely photos on the WhatsApp group.

Next week is an A or B course at 17:40.

Race Results 10th August 2025

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No race report (yet) but all involve posted that they had a good time on the lovely C-course.

And congratulations to Rebecca for claiming top points in each of the three series. That’s a characteristic of the C and D courses where the little boats benefit by having the tide under them all the way.

Race Report, 3rd August 2025

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Race report 3rd August 2025

Course: D,  OOD: Olly Adams,  Safety Boat: David Baker;   Start: 16:30      Wind  WSW 14/19knots, 4/5 Beaufort (according to the Met Office in Kew Gardens)

Arriving at SotG on Sunday I was surprised that the tide was well out and on checking found that low tide was around 17:15.  Never having done a D course before I wasn’t expecting that!  In any case we managed to launch four boats and the SB (on rollers down the ‘beach’). The race started about 10 mins late with a plan to head as far as Chiswick Eyot. Unfortunately wind and tide were against us in the early part of the race, and progress was slow. Sam Shemtob, in his first time in a laser (Keith Clarke’s Kaia) slowly started to fall back from James Armitage (in ‘Zephyr’, Enterprise, crewed by the youngest Biekark),  Felicia Biekark (in Joe Armitage’s Laser ‘Punt’) and Ben Chappell in his Laser, ‘Envy’, who were pretty much neck and neck heading down to Chiswick Bridge with the lead changing several times. The wind dropped after the bridge and the sailing to Barnes Bridge was slow going. By this time Sam was well behind the others and decided to retire and head back to SotG. We were already 35 mins into the race, so I decided to turn us at Chiswick Bandstand. By this stage James had decided to take the Surrey Bank which proved to be a decisive factor in him taking the lead at the turn and with wind and tide in his favour he soon pulled away from the others. The sail back to SotG was a lot quicker as the tide came in but the race still did last 15 mins longer than planned, with James finishing first ahead of Felicia and Ben in third place. All enjoyed the day and the race, I chalked up my first D course in the SB and there were smiles all round back in the clubhouse.

David Baker

At the start of the race the four dinghies and the SB had a close encounter with one of the smaller tourist cruisers.  The fleet was heading downstream with the tide, beating into the light SWW wind.  The cruiser came up fast behind them and gave a long blast on its horn.  It had to slow down fast and probably put its engine in reverse. It was in shallowing water towards the bank and was probably ‘limited in its ability to manoeuvre’ with the tide pushing downstream and Olly, from his vantage point on the foreshore notes that it was “Worth making a reminder that even though there is a general Colregs rule that power gives way to sail, the Colregs state (and they apply on tidal Thames) that vessels constrained by draft or commercial ferries have a right of way. There is also an amendment to the Colregs (Art 27 Port of London Thames Byelaws 2012) that gives 20m+ vessels priority. Finally, there are exemptions to Colregs for crossing the fairway. This shouldn’t happen too often as we will be in the fairway with the tide and out of the fairway without the tide, but vessels crossing the fairway shouldn’t impede vessels proceeding along the fairway”.  So the general SGSC rule is: ‘keep out of the way of everything’. 

Olly Adams

Next week is a C-course at 15:40.

Race Results, 27 July 2025

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Race Report 27 July 2025

A cloudy day for a B course, with a reasonable showing of five boats, starting in very light winds.

I mistakenly started the six-minute countdown one minute early, and as a couple of boats were not yet close to the finish line, took the decision to do a seven and three minute countdown, rather than the usual six and three, in order to start at the correct time and not unduly penalise the later arrivals.  Unfortunately, this decision could not be communicated to the sailors, who were left confused as to what was going on. Apologies and lesson learned, the countdown will never again be adjusted once it has begun!

 James Armitage/Felicia Bierkark (Zephyr, Enterprise) and Lev/Inna Kolobov (Porpoise, Enterprise) kicked off neck and neck over the starting line, with Lev pulling away from James, Keith (Kaia, Laser) in third place, Rebecca Hayes (Wagtail, Mirror) in fourth, and Nick Floyer (flo, Gull) trailing in final position. 

Some 10 minutes into the first lap, the wind picked up enough to make for a good race.  At the end of the first lap, James/Felicia had overtaken Lev/Inna by a full minute, a lead which he consolidated over the next three laps, winning the race almost five minutes ahead of Lev.  

In third place was Keith who maintained a good position throughout, completing four laps just 90secs behind Lev.  

An interesting battle played out for the 4th and 5th places, with Nick overtaking Rebecca during their first lap, and starting the second just 20s ahead of her.  By the start of their third and final lap Rebeccas had once again overtaken Nick.  The boats were neck and neck coming into the home straight, with Rebecca beating Nick over the finish line by a mere 11secs.  

Many thanks to Bob, Russ and Charlie for safety boat duties and Ella who was a very helpful OOD’s assistant. 

Sam Shemtob, OOD

The Handicap calculations made significant change to the winners:  Rebecca won the Handicap points ahead of Keith and then Nick;  James and Rebecca won the Big Boats and Little Boats respectively, and James, followed by Lev and then Keith led the little boats in the Polly Prize.

Next week is the Summer Party on Saturday and a D-course on Sunday at 16:30.

Race Report 20 July 2025

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Race Report 20 July 2025

OOD: Olly Adams,     Safety Boat: Rob Adams

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. 

Rob Adams

Race Report 1st June 2025

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Race Report 1st June 2025

OOD: Andy Ross             Safety Boat: Enoch Rodriguez

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.