Canterbury Tales

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
So priketh hem Nature in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
               

When April with its sweet-smelling showers

Has pierced the drought of March to the root,

And small birds make melody

Those that sleep all the night with open eyes

So Nature incites them in their hearts,

Then folk long to go on pilgrimages.

The General Prologue: The Canterbury Tales: Geoffrey Chaucer 1343-1400

Except that it hasn’t rained for the whole of April; with not even a sniff of ‘sweet-smelling showers’. A blocking High pressure over the UK as the jet stream shifted south bringing Arctic air across the North Sea had produced clear blue skies. A gusty East wind randomly tumbled over the Strand’s houses and helped to push on further the incoming tide that was meeting with no resistance from water coming down the river.

The small fowls [the geese anyway] were all making a honking melody – and Nature indeed had incited the hearts of SGSC sailors as: ‘folk longing to go on a pilgrimage’ since nine boats turned out to set forth on the scheduled ‘A’ course.  But pilgrimages are difficult journeys.

With a consistent wind apparent out on the main river the OOD decided to add in a ‘sausage’; historically reflecting our fondness for ‘beer and bangers’ [but perhaps more properly described as a loop], into the base of a triangle of buoys – and specifically requiring a return beat back and forth across the river from the Bell & Crown to the Surrey bank, before heading on the next lap downstream again to a third buoy that was set at the grid.

Carried with the wind and the tide the fleet easily reached the open water; roughened up with gusts.  As they turned and tacked back up to be at the start, so they separated.

A ‘Super League’ of James [with Emma], Rob, Lev [with David] and Henry [with Mary] more or less maintained a start line position while a ‘Championship League’ of Ian, Chris [with Laura], Tim Young, Ben and Tim [with John] carried on being drifted upstream by the tide.

Ominously, Rob capsized just before the start – and failing to get across the boat in time he fell into the water and struggled to get back on board but eventually did – and, soaking wet, resumed his position to be second across the line after James, followed by Lev, then Henry. But the rest of the fleet, without the sponsorship of such rich owners of ‘the luck of the gods’, were finding the combination of strong wind and tide were hard to overcome.  

Chris, in this second fleet, found the trick of sticking to the Surrey bank paid off sufficiently well to be able to cross over between the PLA trot and Oliver’s Island and then return and be able to cook his own sausage on this grill of a course. But it took them over 40 minutes. And then, having done it, they very gratefully proceeded back to the club to recover.

Meanwhile, exhilarating gusts were still sending the second fleet streaking back and forth – but without ever providing sufficient momentum to get them up to the start line.

Ian in Vibe followed Chris’ idea and tracked up all the way along the Surrey bank to try and get round the top of Oliver’s Island but was defeated there with no wind and returned back to the start – and then got drifted all the way back down to Kew bridge, where he crossed the river, and found himself becalmed at the Steam Packet – and decided to retire. 

Ben had begun his race with at least two capsizes before the start, but quickly re-righted and re-joined the race with a constantly zig-zagging course which eventually took him up to the buoy at the grid, where there was also very little wind – but he manged to round it and returned to confuse the OOD with a second lap largely spent sailing backwards while heading forwards while also tracking sideways; turning through all points of the compass. Eventually successfully.

But where was Tim Young? At the back of the second fleet, he had not only tipped over in a capsize just before Kew bridge but had turned turtle with the mast at risk of grounding on the riverbed.

With David Jones in the safety boat, crewed by Nick Jeffery on his first induction into the dangerous and complex procedure for rescue, they faced a collision with the bridge. Scraping the side, they got through it, though the sail was badly ripped by a log hidden in the water – and emerging on the far side, they tried to right the boat. The gusty wind, funnelling through the bridge arch capsized it again, and again.  They could not right it. Carried on by the tide and heavily waterlogged, they all drifted off together to Brentford. 

Tim and John had been gallantly jilling about, back and forth, and they eventually crossed the start line and found their way all the way around the triangle, until sinking back into a lagoon right in front of the Kew Pier pontoon – with the imminent risk of being carried into it with the heavy tide. Where was the safety boat? Nowhere in sight! Thankfully, and very skilfully, they gradually eased their way forward again, completed their sausage in a dancing skittish wind – and finally completed the course after well over an hour of strenuous sailing. 

While all this was going on, the ‘Super League’ triumphantly managed to score points.

Both James and Rob each completed four roundings of the course.  In particular, Lev [with David skipping lightly around from moment to moment with every shift and nuance in the wind to perfectly balance the boat] completed their first lap just 6 minutes behind James – though the strain began to show, and they dropped down to 6 minutes behind Henry and Mary; similarly completing three laps in just over one hour. They too, had manoeuvred their way around this complicated course surviving hair-raising dramas in sudden deep gusts followed by instant patches of dead calm – and back-sliding to end up exactly not where they wanted to be.

This racing spectacle was watched by an increasing crowd of spectators at the Bell & Crown.

They had dared to bare pallid skin in shorts and dresses that had not seen the sun for a year; and never in such company; either on the water – or amongst each other. Fiona, the landlady of the pub, standing guard on the pub steps with her laptop to QR her customers – and keenly observing how the dramatic sailing enabled them to engage in romantic conversations, pulled a pint of London Pride for the OOD! His first of the year! And by way of joining in with the telling of the tale, the scudding clouds blew off the froth on the beer!

Oh! How this Spring of love resembleth

The uncertain glory of an April day

Which now shows all the glory of the sun

And by and by a cloud taketh all away.

Shakespeare: The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Act 3. Sc1. L178.

Andy Ross

OOD

25 April 2021

Sunday was a lovely spring day with buds bursting, geese gaggling, pubs finding unaccustomed and thirsty customers, but little wind.  We set a short A-course starting at Zoffany House, top mark at the Bell and Crown and the bottom mark above the slip dock.

Five boats launched, including an Enterprise retrieved from the back of the site.  Lotte Cutts is the new owner, sailing with her neighbour, Pat. 

The trick, as ever in light conditions, was to hug the bank downwind against the flood tide, which was fortunately weak.  James Armitage (solo in Zephyr) was first around the short course in less than 6 minutes, followed by Lev Kolobov and David in Porpoise about a minute later, and then Ben Chappell in his Laser.  James proceeded to lap everyone else and tick off 6-8 minute laps but after his second lap he was very closely followed, and sometimes led, albeit a lap behind, by Lev.

James finished 8 laps in the hour, followed by Lev on 7 laps.  Lotte did very well given a new boat and unaccustomed tidal conditions to finish 5 laps.  Ben and Jane Watkins both did 4 laps.

Thanks to Mary Brown for officiating and to Chris and Mary for providing cans of outside-the-arch refreshment to celebrate our gradual return to normal.

Next week is also an A-course, starting at 12:45.

With F3 NNW wind blowing straight down the river the consensus was for a B-Course.

Eight boats launched and Rob Adams (Laser) led for most of the 3 laps ahead of James Armitage (Enterprise), but was pipped by 20 seconds at the finish.  Third over the line was Lev Kolobov (Enterprise).

Rob took the Handicap points ahead of Jane Watkins (Gull) and Chris and Mary (Leader).  James won the Big Boats and Polly points, and Jane won the Little Boats points.

Good afternoon Sailors

This afternoon would have been a cold and breezy Last Race with a sharp shower to accompany Beer and Bangers in an ankle-deep arch.  So perhaps we didn’t miss too much to the COVID clampdown.

Here are the final results for our extraordinary 2020 season.  We lost the first race to strong winds, the second to a PLA river closure, and the next 9 races to COVID-19 lockdown.  But from 17^th May to the second lockdown on 5^th November we had 21 races and some very good turn-outs.

James swept the board of 1^st prize silver for the Handicap, Big Boats and Polly prizes, with Alex winning the Little Boats prize.  Commodore Lev got two 2^nd places (Big Boats and Polly Prizes); Rob got 2^nd prize in the Handicap, and Ian 2^nd in the Little Boats.  Third places went to Rob (Big Boats), Alex (Handicap and Polly), and Jane for the Little Boats.

And our average turnout for points races was 6.4 boats.  Last season was 4.1 and the last time we had a higher number (6.7) was 2001.

Congratulations to all. 

Sunday was overcast and strong gusty winds with rain were forecast.  Nevertheless several helms turned up at the arch at 12:30 to get the feel of conditions.  Four boats decided to launch: James Armitage with his increasingly experienced Enterprise crew, grandson Ayanda; Alex Pape in his lugger; Ian Nethersell in his Vibe; and Jane Watkins in her Gull.  In view of the conditions, in consultation with the sailors, Mary Brown (OOD) decided on a short race of around 45 minutes.

In reality the weather wasn’t as bad as feared.  There was a F3-4 WSW wind blowing diagonally across the A-course and its force was somewhat diminished by the still leafy trees on the Surrey bank, and the rain didn’t materialise.  So the fleet had a broad reach on the way down to the bottom mark by the slip dock, and a fine reach on the way back to the top mark just below the Steam Packet.

James, Alex and Ian (in that order) all completed their first lap in about 5 minutes after which the Enterprise stretched its lead over the other two.  Jane had too close an encounter with the top mark, and re-rounding cost her some time.  Ian and Alex swapped positions at least three times during their 8 laps and finished 27 seconds apart with Jane, on six laps, sandwiched between them.  James had already completed 8 laps and was about 3 minutes ahead of Alex at the line.

After the sums, Alex won the Handicap points and the Little Boats points and James was first in the Polly Prize.  Henry Brown, in the safety boat, was pleased to have very little to do.

The Master of Sums apologises for having posted a misleading report that did disservice to Alex and Ian.  This is the true story.

Next week we intend to sail a B/D course at 13:40 if the new Covid rules allow but we shall email / post on the website the RYA/Government advice if we can’t.

Sunday was a lovely sunny autumn day with a nice F3 NNW wind blowing down the river from Kew Bridge.  We had scheduled a D-course (Hammersmith and back) but since the COVID restrictions came in we have been sailing laps on the B-course (between the railway bridge and Chiswick Bridge) instead, so that the safety boat can keep an eye on all competitors.  The fleet tends to get very stretched-out around all the bends to Hammersmith.  The main problem on Sunday was that we also had a strong ebb tide boosted by recent rain going in the same direction as the wind.

At 15:45 the fleet, an exceptional turn-out of 11 boats, set off with a rush down-wind and down current and reached the bottom buoy in a large bunch at the downstream end of Chiswick Staithe, in about 5 minutes.  That’s when the difficulties started.  The current was just too strong for most boats to make the turn and beat back against wind and tide.  And there was the added problem that, it being low water, the shelving gravel threatened centreboards and rudders and there wasn’t the width of river to luxuriate in long tacks.  And rowers, canoes and paddle boarders were also out in strength.

There were, of course, exceptions.  James Armitage with Ayanda as crew showed the way with short and accurate tacks in the lesser flow along the Middlesex bank, but even they made painfully slow progress.  Rob Adams (Laser) kept reasonably close company with them, as did Lev Kolobov (solo in his Enterprise).  James took 32 minutes to complete his first lap with Rob about ten minutes behind.  It was a full hour before Lev reached that point.  He was followed in 8 minutes by James on his second lap with Rob a quarter of an hour later.  Lev did his second lap in half an hour, finishing about 8 minutes after Rob.

Meanwhile the rest of the fleet tacked and cursed, and cursed and tacked, gradually drifting downstream of the bottom mark until, one by one, they gave up the struggle and either walked their boats back up stream or reluctantly accepted a tow from the safety boat. Chris and Mary’s Leader was an exception: they persisted heroically and completed a lap in one hour and 38 minutes.  Ian Nethersell almost made it but, after capsizing once (while remaining dry above the knees), decided that was enough.  And Ben Chappell, in his first race with us, in a new (to him) Laser, with a dodgy tiller extension and an immersive capsize, after almost two hours of struggle accepted a cold tow home.

In contempt of the tide tables (low water at Strand 16:14) the ebb was still running by then, although less strongly as the river level built up against the flood.

Mary Brown logged all the action from outside 1 Strand on the Green, and Henry B spent a busy afternoon in the safety boat.

HB

B Course  F3 NWW Gust 4+

A lively day on which James and grandson, Chris & Mary and Rob decided to challenge the gusty conditions and Ben to try out, but not to race Envy, his newly acquired Laser.

James and Rob positioned themselves for a Surrey bank start; Chris, after a late rigging delay, achieved a prompt Middlesex departure.  Conditions downstream favoured the southern pair who were back at the upstream mark in just under 11 minutes.  Rob, marginally in the lead approaching the buoy, was pipped round it at the last moment by James.  Chris & Mary followed 3 1/2 minutes later.

Rob & James were still only 27 seconds apart at the end of the second lap.  However, near the downstream mark on the third lap James came back into view sailing only on his jib.  The explanation for this proved to be a broken kicking strap.  However, they tacked back on the jib to complete their third lap.

In the meantime, Chris & Mary had lost further time but were valiantly staying upright in the gusts (which Rob had briefly failed to do – although it didn’t appear to delay him much).  They retired after crossing the line before exhaustion set in – or a final gust decided the issue.  Rob followed them across 13 seconds later and a lap ahead and was awarded the (shortened) race as being the only competitor remaining with a mainsail.

Tim Wellburn

Sunday was a perfect day for being out on the river – sunshine, the last of the summer warmth, and a gentle breeze to tease the sails, and even to fill them at times.  There was also a strong, even aggressive, spring tide that quickly took over the foreshore and caused most of the fleet to rig waist-deep in water.  The minor bonus was that the tide diluted the abundant algal slime that made the foreshore slippery and unpleasant.

Ten boats launched – another exceptional turnout for Strand – and after a slightly delayed start to get all boats launched and up to the start line, Inna Kolobov started the race on a shortened A-course with a Zoffany House line.  The triangular course had a downstream mark just off the PLA grid, an upstream Surrey-side mark opposite the top end of the PLA moorings, and a Strand top mark opposite the Bell and Crown.  The wind, according to the Met Office, was ENE F3, which meant that it was coming to the river over the roofs of Strand on the Green and being diverted by any building, island or other obstacle that struck its fancy.

About half the fleet decided to start in the clearer air but stronger current on the Surrey side of the PLA moorings, the other half hoping for better conditions off the Strand bank.  James Armitage (solo in his Enterprise) took the mid-stream choice and, guess what, he was right.  He followed the relatively slack water in the slipstream of Oliver Island and gained at each puff of clean wind as he almost disappeared into the foliage of the island before tacking across to make the mark.  It meant that he got around his first lap in under 12 minutes and almost got in another lap before boats 2 (Joseph Armitage, Laser) and 3 (the Browns, Enterprise) got back to the start line.  Joseph led the Browns by 5 minutes at that point and they continued in that order until their fourth lap when the Browns passed the line a mere 2 seconds ahead of Joseph, and 20 seconds behind James on his fifth and final lap.

Lev Kolobov (solo, Enterprise) finished about 12 minutes later on 3 laps with Ian Nethersell (Vibe) 2 minutes behind.  Rob Adams (Laser) had a bad day in several doldrums and only finished 2 laps, and Chris and Mary (Leader) managed one lap.  The rest of the fleet, Tim Young (in his shiny new Wanderer), Jane Watkins (Gull), and Clare Walker and son (Laser) all found the strength of the current too much for the fitful wind and had to accept a tow back from the dreaded Kew Bridge from Sam Shemtob in the safety boat.  A pity, but no shame: standard Strand conditions that can catch anyone, and hopefully doesn’t entirely spoil a lovely afternoon on the river.

The high spring tide meant that practically everyone, including the safety boat, could float onto their trolleys on the ramp platform and be dragged into the muddy arch.

Many thanks to Inna as OOD for keeping tabs on everyone, even when hidden by the PLA moorings, and to Sam for saving the unfortunates from Kew Bridge.

Next Sunday is a 10:20 B-course.

On a lovely mid-September Indian summer, nine boats turned out for this C course race. Sam was the last to leave the club – understandably so, given his two crew were both novices. They found themselves challenged with navigating Kew Bridge on a rising tide, half-rigged and drifting sideways but were successful. Dave in the Safety Boat hovered around ready to assist.

The OOD had established a line for the start and then allowed a five minute delay to enable Sam to re-rig and join in. After much impatient gilling-about in a decent South-West wind – with plenty of calls of ‘Starboard!’ – Joseph was first across the line, followed by Rob and then James. Behind them were Ian, Alex and then Tim, who was becalmed for a while. They were followed by Nick Jeffrey in his tiny red Duckling ‘Eeyore’, along with daughter Nicky on only her second SGSC outing in their new boat. Completing the fleet was Sam, with Stuart and Katy as crew.

First across the line coming back was Joseph (showing that an early start is usually a big advantage), followed by James and then Rob, all within a minute of each other. All three went on to pass under Kew Bridge, though James appeared to stall in mid-stream (and nearly got caught?).

Lev crossed the line 10 minutes later, followed within a minute by Alex and Tim, with Ian two minutes behind them. Nick & Nicky took a further ten minutes to reach the line.

Yet to return were Sam and the Safety Boat. Alex rowed up to look for them, without success, so the OOD cycled upriver. He found them still up at Syon, dealing with a slackening wind and relying mainly on the now fast-ebbing tide. They had not yet reached the upstream buoy and by the time they crossed the finish line Sam had dropped the sails and David had taken them in tow. Notwithstanding their misfortunes, it was a good race on a glorious day.

Many thanks again to Andy Ross for keeping a clear results sheet for an impressive turn-out.