June - July  2009

Thursday the 23rd saw the racing cancelled with a nasty looking sea, but perhaps thoughts were elsewhere with Regatta week looming and events elsewhere.
 

Saturday was the Vancouver cup race which started beautifully but ended ugly. Seven of the limited fleet did not finish. The Johnsons did however, despite damage to their boat, take 1st place. Simon Cory and mystery crew member with new mast were 2nd in a Buzz and John Cass and Julia Blackman were 3rd also in a buzz.

Sunday was a little chaotic with a Regatta fast and slow cup race. The wind gradually increased as the previous day gusting 5-6 southerly to SE and numerous boats retired hurt. Their was a dangerous crossing point between the fast and slow fleet. Chis Dutton and Martyn Wyman narrowly missed the Restalls at
high speed, an impact would have destroyed both boats !
 

George Hyett managed the course in a lone topper but it was scary and enjoyable at the same time.
Two hours after the race the bridge crew were still wrestling with the results and after 5 printouts it is still not clear. The club then hosted rippling flesh for the swimming event to the pier in a now strong tide and the swimmers were gone in a flash. The fisherman's raft race was next to follow, some vessels putting some club member's boats to shame!
 

The only morose people around seemed to be the helicopter ride pilots on a day that engines seemed to be ignored.
Don't forget the Beauchamp cup race on Tuesday 28th and the famous Bank Buoy scramble on Wednesday night, fresh from the B/W images seen on screen at the Ball last week.

The summer ball seems to have been a roaring success. A succulent hog, endless fascination with the old 8mm footage and a roarcus band to end on.
 

There was a high level of formal attire for the men (with the odd exception)and best bow tie award goes
to club secretary Mike Heeley. The ladies being a little more colourful arrived a little ruffled due to the
high winds and one feather boa was lost to the sea ! Least ruffled award goes to a glamorous Mrs Turgoose.
 

The evening certainly brought out a huge contingent of tall leggy '20 something's who showed others how to
dance and drink. The younger cadets looked a little stunned by the end but had lots of fun playing in the
marquee on Sunday.

 A plethora of gooey left over desserts were doled out on Sunday and when l arrived at 10a.m legions of
helpers had already stripped the party trappings, along with the hog, to the bare ribs !
 

Thanks to everyone who put in an enormous effort especially the Blackmans. Julia was sweeping up broken glasses, removing squashed cheesecake from every corner and still managed to look glamorous!
 

Oh, the race on  Sunday. Well it was fierce Westerly gusting 5-6 which tore through the fleet. Simon Cory's mast was snapped and 8 other boats failed to finish.
 

Three boats were over at the start including Nigel Cureton's contender, but this must have spurred him on for
he took the race in style for a rare victory. Chris Shelton was again reduced to 2nd in his phantom.

Thursday the 2nd of July had a distinct lack of wind and became a skilful art at slow speeds. Simon Cory and Claire Hansell won the fast race in 'The Buzz', Chris Stubbs and Frank Catt were 2nd in an RS400, Richard White and Martyn Styles finished down in 3rd.
 

It was business as usual for the Restalls RS200 except katie was onboard in the slow race, Roger Philips and Atticus Hansell were 2nd in a laser2000 and Steve Juden 3rd in a laser. 23 boats took part.
 

Sunday points 2 carried on from Thursday with a limp southerly that took time to pick up. Simon and Claire
took the honours yet again but there was a cheeky performance from Chris Dutton and Martyn Wyman's Buzz for 2nd could this be a new awakening??????  Eric Styles was 3rd in his Hornet. Steve and Judy Restall took the slow race with Chris Shelton 2nd in his Phantom.
       

Summer points 6 was an electric scene, heat, sun, surf and a passerby who was so excited by the action
applied for membership on the spot ! 23 boats took part the same as Thursday.
 

Don and Jenny Johnson stole the show in their RS800 forcing Simon and Claire into 2nd with earnest Eric again 3rd in his Hornet. Tony Cook and Nigel Cureton capsized their 14 at least 3 times to finish last, but many went over.

The slow race saw Phil and Dave Spicer win in a laser2000, Annie Lindley 2nd in her Byte to add to her third
in the previous race. The Restalls were in a lowly 3rd. Tim Waite and John Sharvill have to be mentioned with their 4th place or they become very upset.
 

So to the Byte sagas of Rosie Lord who has had a pedestrian week, with her anti-capsize  rig ,lost out in the
light winds and lost sight of Phil who seems to get faster and Annie who is on another planet!

For those who strip off naked and help launch boats ( namely me, Kevin ) the water has now turned a lot warmer since April.    
 

Tuesday night has suddenly become more popular than Thursday, with 18 boats. Chris Stubbs and 'Chris' won the fast race in an RS400, with Ed and Sarah Styles 2nd.
 

The slow race was won by Steve and Judy Restall in their RS200 with Roger Philips and kieran Anglim 2nd in a laser 2000.

Thursday night was a fast win for Richard White and Martyn Styles in their RS400 with Chris Stubbs and Frank Catt 2nd also in a RS400. Infact the first 4 places were taken by this craft !
  

Seb Hansell won the slow race in his speedy Topper with his father Jason 2nd in a Laser. In fact it took the whole race for him to catch his son. for wildlife fans a deranged seal got in the way around some of the marks but was ignored.
  

Sunday saw strange winds and gusts from N to NW. Numbers were thin on the ground due to races elsewhere but there were still 18 boats.
The longest day of the year held the first Sunday points followed by summer points 4. The result sheets were not a printing error for the results were a complete repeat. Chris and Nicki Catt took both fast races in a RS500 and Ed and Sarah Styles took 2nd twice in their Buzz.Deciding to keep it in the family Frank Catt's Streaker took both slow races ahead of Chris Shelton's Phantom. Could this be a new battle front ?
 For those fascinated club members following Rosie Lord's progress with her new Byte would be shocked to learn that she would have had a high finish
in the first race but was sent around again for some reason and capsized 4 times there-after, shame !
  As the nights now start drawing in make sure not to miss the evening sails they have been excellent.

There has been an exceptional week at the club with all races and courses completed in near perfect conditions.
  

There was Tuesday and Thursday evenings , 'All Aboard' with John Sharvill and the Ladies cup race on Friday. Junior training at Dover on Saturday with Martyn Styles, Sunday saw the 'Lets get racing' with Chris Shelton followed by summer points 3, then junior RIB training with Chris Dannican all afternoon.
 

The highlights included a 'Buzz Bashing' performance from Nigel Cureton on thursday night in his Contender to win. The ladies cup race for the most elegant 1960's trophy in the cabinet included 6 Toppers, 1 Byte and 1 Buzz, the latter being the winning boat with Claire Hansell and Julia Blackman. Best solo performance was Sarah Hyett in second place with a Topper.
 

Sunday saw 16 boats in the 'Lets get racing' won by Simon Cory and Seb Hansell in a Buzz. There was a neck and neck struggle withe the two Bytes of Rosie Lord and Phil Halldron. But these two would capsize too many times in the next race to give Byte pro Annie 4th place. First place of 24 boats with only 6 fast handicap was Seb Hansell in his Topper, his brother and Roger Philips were 2nd in a laser 2000. Richard White borrowed Chris Shelton's Phantom to come 3rd, in a beautiful brisk southerly that everone seemed to enjoy.
 

All except in one little corner where Rosie Lord sat exhausted on the beach with a blue imprint of a laser 2000 on her white deck after a collision at the start.
 

P.S     We must mention John Sharvill and Tim Waite's  2nd place on Sunday 7th in their laser 2000 as some sort of miracle act... well done !

7th June

Tuesday the 2nd of June the race was cancelled due to a horrendous swell yet Thursday would prove even worse at the end.
 

Fourteen boats took part in a gentle NE, with Ed and Sarah Styles winning in their Buzz. However they paid for this on landing and were hit by enormous wave with Sen Hansell disappearing under the boat !
  

This was an ominous sign fo the others who circled nervously waiting their turn. Steve and Judy Restall having won the slow race landed easily but some lasers hit the shingle with a sickening crunch.
 

Rosie Lord finished her first race in  her new Byte and was carried ashore by 7 helpers like 'Cleopatra'.
 

Saturday was all action at Redoubt lake for the junior training session, the longest of its kind from 9 till 5. It was a cold start with an E wind and 26 youngstershad to learn quickly about swinging booms and sudden gusts. At least there were no be-calmed moments though even the Optimist fleet had folded sails at times.
  Thanks to all the helpers.
 

Sunday the 7th of June saw 19 boats in a steady SW with gusts of 4-5 towards the end., causing 5 of the slow fleet not to finish. With a ripping tide it took some boats ages to even cross the start line.
 

Simon Cory and Seb Hansell won the fast race , revenge for their failings on Thursday,Tony Cook 2nd in a Contender, 3rd Chris Dutton and Matin Wyman in thier Buzz.
 

Chris Shelton won the slow race, John Sharvill and Tim Waite 2nd in a Laser 2000 and a sterling performance for Jeremy Blackman in his Laser.
  

The two Bytes had to be brought ashore by swopping crews, but everyone seemed pleased.