Streaker Ramblings – Mengeham Rythe - 21/09/2013

Mengeham Rythe is one of our ‘local’ clubs, just over an hour away, down in Chichester Harbour. We set off under grey skies, dry and barely a hint of breeze and arrived in plenty of Time for the Pinnel and Bax sponsored Streaker Southern Area Open Meeting. At the briefing we were advised that as well as the companion Solo event, they started each race 5 minutes before the Streakers, there was an event being held from Hayling Island Sailing club for Feva dinghies with some 50 of these little boats expected. Fortunately there is more than sufficient space – at high water – for both events not to impinge upon one another.

 

Launching from the club was just possible and the breeze just filled in from the west to give a good force 3 for most of the day. The course was laid in mid harbour, well away from the Feva’s site, in Olympic format with a very long beat almost straight into the current, which by the time we started was running at just about full spate. The tide was not fully up however and to the west of the committee boat Alan Simmons (LancingSC) still managed to hit bottom which did not do his dagger board a lot of good, taking a good chip out of the rear edge. The Solos had some dozen boats from Mengeham but this was reinforced by another dozen or so from Hayling. They, starting before the Streakers helped as they showed the way up the first beat.
First away, in the small Streaker fleet of six boats, was Graham Butler ((Frensham Ponds SC) with Alan.S just to leeward and Frank Catt (Downs SC) a bit behind but close up under the committee boat. Behind these three were Nick Carter ( Burghfield SC) and Gary Hogan (Emberton SC). Bringing up the rear was Basil Messenger (Megeham SC) just back from a trip to France and rather a late launcher from Mengeham.Frank.C quickly tacked off to starboard and Alan.S and Graham.B held on to port tack for a while longer with Graham.B speeding off but Alan.S sailing higher. There were several tacks up the beat for everyone, each trying to read some sense in the currents which was extremely strong. Frank.C was first to the windward mark followed by Graham. and then Alan.S and with Nick.C fourth to round having been forced to tack just behind him as the current pushed him to the east of the mark at the last minute. Alan was also pushed towards the mark and just brushed it and had to do a turn on the following leg. The leading pair began to pull away and continued to do so on the second beat by now having got to grips with the vagaries of the current. They continued to extend, and exchange places until Frank.C made an error at the final leeward  mark letting Graham.C ahead on the final beat to the line. Alan.S pulled out ahead of Nick.C to take third place with Gary.H some way back and Basil.M at the rear.
In the second Race, held back to back with the first, the start was as the first with Graham.B first away then Alan.S and Frank.C third. This time Graham.B led from start to finish, Frank.C next and Alan.S third. Although these three were never far apart there were no place changes and behind them this time Gary.H managed to get ahead and stay ahead of Nick.C.. Basil.M did not start this or the final race and returned to the club house. By the end of this race the strength of the current was easing but it turned almost instantaneously to begin to ebb out the main Birdham/Itchenor channel.

In race three, again back to back with race two, it was yet again Graham.B who was first across the line at the start. Both he and Alan.S were a few seconds early and had to duck back, Graham.B managed to get under Alan.S’s stern and hit the line just in front. There was a single Laser 4.7 – from Mengeham – racing with the Streakers and he managed in this race to just get inside Graham.B by the Committee boat but was soon left well behind. Frank.C was yet again third Streaker to start but soon passed Alan.S. Graham.B, having made some sail setup adjustments between the races, soon pulled out in front of Frank.C and Alan.S. The breeze seemed to have dropped a little and the Tidal stream had changed to the ebb so there was yet again a question as to the best side of the course to take. To head straight out towards the harbour entrance seemed to be a good idea but nearer to the windward mark the current was from the west, out of the Mengeham channel. Graham.B obviously made the right choices and pulled out ahead of Frank.C with Alan.S initially still in third place. The RO decided for this race to change the course to two triangles one either side of the sausage and he also brought the windward mark back a bit towards the Committee boat. On the second beat Graham.B continued to pull ahead of Frank.C whilst Alan.S struggled to keep anywhere near either of them. On the second beat Alan.S was to see his third place position usurped by Gary.H and had to follow him down the run. Gary stayed ahead of Alan.S up the third beat but was gradually reeled in on the following reaches and by the time they reached the bottom (Leeward) mark just scraped back into third place which he held until the finish line. Nick.C brought up the rear in fifth place. Graham.B pulled out a convincing lead, as he later said , finished ahead of at least half the Solos whilst Frank.C was unable to make any impression on him and was not that far ahead of Alan.S.

On the way back to Mengeham there was enough water to bypass most of the long twisting channel back to the club and it was only in the last few hundred yards that it was essential to stay in the deeper channel. Alan.S caught up with Frank.C and thse two were having a tacking duel of their own when Alan lost the breeze, failed to make it to the upper side of the boat and ended up capsizing. He got the boat upright but was unable to haul himself aboard when the outgoing current turned the boat around and capsized it again. Finally he got back aboard and completed the fifty or so yards back to the landing area.

Results:-

Posn	Helm	Club	Sail No	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Total	Nett
1	Graham Butler	Frensham Pond	1760	(1.0)	1.0	1.0	3.0	2.0
2	Frank Catt	Downs	1696	(2.0)	2.0	2.0	6.0	4.0
3	Alan Simmons	Lancing	1700	(3.0)	3.0	3.0	9.0	6.0
4	Gary Hogan	Emberton	1757	(5.0)	4.0	4.0	13.0	8.0
5	Nick Carter	Burgfield	1828	4.0	(5.0)	5.0	14.0	9.0
6	Basil Messenger	Mengeham Rythe	1784	6.0	(7.0 DNC)	7.0 DNC	20.0	13.0

 PS. due to the distance from the club to the sailing area - about 30 minutes sail - there are no pictures of the actual racing, sorry!

Alan.S 1700