Monday 21 July 2014

Streaker Ramblings - Newhaven & Seaford SC - 19/07/2014


We left home at 09.00 for the short drive – about 30 minutes – to Newhaven and Seaford SC, having taken the boat over on Thursday and having taken Coffee at ‘The Shore Break’, the club franchised Café in the clubhouse during weekdays. The café staff also cater for the sailors over Sundays and for Open Meetings..
The sky was blue and virtually cloudless and just a gentle breeze was blowing from Seaford town at the east of the club. The programme was for three races, originally one in the morning and two back to back in the afternoon although this was changed to two B to B in the morning at the race briefing .
The RO set a course consisting of a trapezoid but  with a loop on the shore side of the course, starting from  a  two sailed motor sailor, acting as the committee boat. The wind was somewhat shifty and a postponement was called for it to settle and the marks to be more accurately laid.

At 11.10, and  the gun for race 1, it was Mike Hobin (West Oxfordshire) who was first away with Ian Bradley (Ouse ASC) just below him and  Graham Butler below Ian and at the pin end of the line. Nick Carter (Burghfield) was well on the wrong side of the line and eventually crossed correctly but well back. At the first windward mark Mike was just ahead of Graham but after the first reach and long run back towards the harbour Graham took the lead. Unfortunately he headed off on the second reach whilst everyone else started on the second beat. In the following pack Ian was lying second but being hard pressed by Laurence Venus (NSSC) with Alan Simmons (Lancing ) lying 5th , Gary Hogan (Emberton Park) 6th and Nick 7th.
In lap 2 Graham regained his lead ahead of Mike and Laurence passed Ian to hold third, Alan , Gary and Nick remained in the same positions to the finish of the race.
Race 2 was started shortly after the first race had finished and the course, and start line, had been adjusted to suit the fickle wind strength and direction. This time it was Ian who was soon in the lead followed by Graham and then Mike. Next up was Laurence, then Alan, Gary and lastly Nick. Graham made no mistake and  headed the correct way up the second beat.By the end of lap 1 Ian was firmly in front followed by Graham then Mike. In the second lap the wind had dropped to almost nothing and at the first Windward mark, although Ian managed to creep round, Mike, Graham, Laurence and Alan all bunched up and really struggled to make the mark. Laurence ‘drifted’ into second place but caught the mark as the incoming tide pushed him into it. He rounded and then did his turns. The other three were still struggling. Alan looked as though he might pass the other two but whilst standing he suddenly overbalanced and tipped in leaving Mike and Graham to finally get round. At the finish it was Ian first, Laurence second and Graham third.

Race3, after lunch (cost included in entry fee) and a bit more course mark adjustment, started at 12.20, with Mike again in the lead but with Alan next across the line and to windward of him. Ian, had been closest to the pin end but a wee bit behind Mike and Alan. Laurence appeared to be  tucked in behind Alan but in fact was over the line and was called back. By the time he re-crossed he was at the back of the fleet but soon began to claw his way back. It was not a good start for Graham who was behind, but to windward of Gary with Nick at the back again. By the middle of the run back along the shore, Mike was in front but Graham had caught right up. By the end of the first lap the order was Graham, ahead of Mike with Laurence third, having quickly passed Nick, Gary and Alan, In the second and final lap Laurence moved in front of Mike after some nifty downwind sailing  leaving the rest of the order unchanged.

Overall the meeting was won by Graham with Laurence second and Ian third, clinching it from Mike on a tie break with a win in race two to count against mike’s 2nd placing. Alan was 5th, having been thus placed in all three races whilst Gary had four 6th places and Nick, not sailing in the third race finished 7th.
The weather was kind, mostly sunny although there was a shower and thunder and lightning threatened. The breeze was very light but its strength and direction meant that launching and beaching were ‘plain sailing’ even without a beach party.







Results :-

Race 1
Race 2
Race3
Points
Position
Graham Butler
Frensham Pond
1760
1
-3
1
2
1
Laurence Venus
NSSC
1706
-3
2
2
4
2
Ian Bradley
Ouse ASC
1817
-4
1
4
5
3
Mike Hobin
West Oxfordshire
1814
2
-4
3
5
4
Alan Simmons
Lancing
1700
-5
5
5
10
5
Gary Hogan
Emberton Park
1757
-6
6
6
12
6
Nick Carter
Burghfield
1828
7
7
(DNC)
14
7
>
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Tuesday 8 July 2014

Streaker Ramblings - Stewartby - 5th July 2014

Rain, Rain and more rain as we set off for Stewartby, just south of Bedford, at 0700am. On arrival at the lake we had to call for the gate to be opened and then rigged the boat, still in the rain. The nearby huge modern windmill – do not recall seeing that last year – was indicating a fair bit of breeze and turning rapidly. At ground level the breeze was a good bit less.
The meeting was a joint affair with thirteen Streakers, thirteen Solos and seven Lasers, the Streaker event being the Streaker Southern Area, Pinnell and Bax sponsored, Championships. Although four races were programmed only the first three would count in the Streaker event. Competitors came from clubs as far afield as Sheffield in the north (relatively), Lancing in the south, West Oxford to the west and Thorpe Bay (Southend) to the east.
The lake is split into two halves, Sailing to the west and Motor boating to the east, with the marks 1 (nearest the clubhouse) to 4 on the east side and 5 to 8 on the west side with an additional mark ‘A’ between 8 and 1 at the south end.  The committee boat was stationed (for race 1) near mark 3 with a course off westwards to mark 6, down to A, back to 2, over to 7 and then back to 3.
 
First away, four minutes after the Solo fleet start, was James Wilson (Loughborough) – the youngest competitor), quickly tacking onto port, followed by Paul Jago (Hykeham), then Ian Bradley (Ouse ASC) and then Peter Cogill (Rotherham) towards the pin end of the line. In the light and shifty breeze it was Alan Gillard (Sheffield Vikings) however who rounded the windward mark ahead of Mike Holbin (West Oxfrdshire) and Ian Bradley. Next up was Ian Parish (Stewartby) with Alan Simmons (Lancing close behind. By the end of the lap the order was, first, Alan.G, Ian.B, Ian.P and Mike. Next up was James, then Ian Mansfield (Alton Water), Mark Langston (Beccles), Alan.S, Peter, Kevin Iles (Thorpe Bay), Paul, Bill Strange (Stewartby) and finally Nick Carter (Burghfield).
 
Lap 2 saw Alan.G maintaining his lead with Ian.B second and Ian.P third, having passed Mike. Fifth, Sixth and Seventh places remained unchanged whilst Paul climbed up to 8th, Kevin to 9th, Peter to 10th, and Bill to 11th, whilst Alan.S dropped back to 12th and Nick stayed at 13th.
 
Lap 3 saw no place changes amongst the first five helms but Mark gained a place to lie 6th at the finish, and Kevin two places up at 7th with Paul still 8th. Ian.M dropped back two places to finish 9th and Bill gained a scalp to finish 10th. Peter dropped one place to 11thwhilst Alan.S and Nick stayed at 12th and 13th respectively.
Lap 4, the final lap had Alan.G maintained the lead from Ian.B with Ian.P behind him. Mike lost a place as James overtook whilst mark hung on in 6th.Paul pulled up to 7th ahead of Ian.M and Bill took a scalp to finish 9thAhead of Kevin  who dropped 3 to finish 10th. Peter, Alan and Nick stayed as  on their  previous lap.
It had been a tricky race with the strength and direction of the breeze changing constantly. It did seem to pay to stay to the west on the first windward leg of each course and the same seemed to pay on the long downwind leg.
For Race 2 the RO changed the course somewhat, to make mark 5 the windward mark and omitting mark 7, making it a simple trapezoid. The rain, which had earlier eased, came back with a vengeance making the spotting of the marks difficult for those wearing specs and it was also not conducive to taking photos for the ladies ashore.
This time, with the decreased breeze, the first beat was even more critical and neither Alan.G nor Ian.B were at the front. This time it was Mike who took the lead with Ian.M behind him and then James 3rd with Bill in fourth, by the end of the lap, Alan.G was back in 6th place with Ian.B behind him followed in turn by Paul, then Ian.P.  Mark was 10th, Peter 11th, Nick 12th and Alan.S last of all at 13th.
By the end of lap two whilst Mike was still in the lead James had overtaken Ian.M and Kevin passed Bill whilst Paul overtook Alan.G and Ian.B to lie 6th. Ian.P still held 9th place and Mark 10th but Alan claimed two places up to 11th dropping Peter to 12th and Nick to 13th.
In lap three the front order remained Mike in front of James who was in turn ahead of Ian.M. Bill repassed Kevin to lie 4th and Ian.P claimed three places to lie 6th ahead of Paul and Ian.B who had in turn overtaken Alan.G. Helms in the last four places maintained the position of the previous lap.

After a break, ashore for lunch, the wind had died even more and the RO had difficulty in setting a reasonable course. Eventually the fleet got away and it was James who took the lead and held onto it for the first lap, ahead of Alan.G and Paul with Ian.B lying 4th. Mark was next up in front of Mike with Bill just behind in 7th.The order thereafter was Ian.P in 8th place ahead of Peter, then Kevin, Alan.S, Ian.M and Nick as tail gunner. The wind was such that only one further lap was run and it was Alan.G who took the lead and win with Paul 2nd, Ian.B 3rd and James relegated to 4th. Mark and Mike retained their 5th and 6th positions. Ian.P went ahead of Bill and Alan.S gained two places to 9th whilst Ian.M pulled back one to lie 11th. 12th and 13th places went to Peter and Nick.
That was all the races for the Championship concluded and it just remained for one more for the Open Meeting. The wind had died yet further and was swinging all over the place but finally the fleet was away – although somewhat depleted as a few could not stand the hanging about even though there was no rain and some sunshine. So only eight boats started and by the end of the lap Ian.B was in the lead ahead of Paul with Alan.G 3rd and James 4th. Ian.P was 5th, Bill 6th, Kevin 7th and Alan.S last.
Lap 2 was barely half over when the RO decided to shorten the course which Alan.G then won from Ian.B with Paul 3rd, James 4th, Kevin 5th, Ian.P 6th, Alan.S 7th and Bill 8th.
 
Results: (Unofficial):-




Helm
Sail No
Club
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
Posn S.Champs
Race 4
Posn Open

Alan Gillard
1832
Sheffield Vikings
1
(9)
1
1
1
1

Ian Bradley
1817
Ouse ASC
2
(8)
3
2
2
2

James Wilson
1668
Loughborough
(4)
2
4
3
4
3

Mike Holbin
1814
West Oxfordshire
5
1
(6)
4
DNC
5

Paul Jago
1763
Attenborough
(7)
7
2
5
3
4

Ian Parish
1886
Stewartby
3
6
(7)
6
6
6

Mark Langston
1789
Beccles
6
(10)
5
7
DNC
9

Bill Strange
1791
Stewartby
(9)
4
8
8
8
8

Ian Mansfiled
1723
Alton Water
8
3
(11)
9
DNC
10

Kevin Iles
1687
Thorpe Bay
10
5
(10)
10
5
7

Alan Simmons

1700
Lancing
(12)
11
9
11
7
11

Peter Cogill
1683
Rotheram
11
12
(12)
12
12
12

Nick Carter
1828
Burghfield
13
13
(13)
13
DNC
13

Please note that these results have been amended after recovery of Race 1, lap4-12/07/2014
 

Alan.S 1700

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