Streaker Ramblings - Elford Numbum Races 7 & 8 - 26/01/2014

Grey and Overcast – not a break in sight – not particularly warm and with a southerly breeze of about force 3 as we left Hove to travel to Piddinghoe. On arrival it was little different although there were some chunky gusts coming through – well into force 4 and above.

Brendan Smith was RO, assisted by Bea Cameron  and a course was set, with dad Ruperts help, starting, on a reach, at the Clubhouse Mark in the south west corner of the pond. The first leg, down to the south east corner, was a broad reach then bearing off on a second reach to pass a mark midway along the eastern shore. The next leg was a beat back to a mark north of the clubhouse followed by a run to a mark at the Fisherman’s Bay. It was then a beat back to the starting mark along the western shore.
Alan Simmons (Streaker), the first competitor to arrive, uncovered his boat, changed into his dry suit just as the rain started – and the wind increased. Whistling through the rigging of the shore side boats – a good indication of force 6 – and he decided not to sail today, as it transpired a wise choice.

None the less seven boats took to the water and at the start, first away, were Michael Veale and Mike Rosier in their RS200 with Chris Turner (Byte CII) next and then Darren Field crewed by Rupert Smith in their RS200 and David Murley and Jamie Smith in the Pico fourth away. The two RS 200s put up their Gennakers but were some what overwhelmed in the ensuing gusts down this leg with a tendancy to head to the north rather than south end of the Island. Jazz Sayed (Laser 4.7) was hanging on by the skin of her teeth down this first leg and just avoiding a swim.

On the following leg up the east side of the pond Roger McCall (laser full rig) was the first casualty capsizing just ahead of Darren who then also went swimming. It was along this leg that Jazz suffered the loss of her kicking strap boom key and, after starting the next beat, had to be towed back ashore when the boom came away from the mast. Roger, with the help of the safety boat eventually got his boat upright, with the usual mud stained top of his sail, and decided to call it a day. Chris Turner likewise failed to complete a lap as he could not truthfully say that he was in charge of the Byte and came ashore. By the end of Lap one Michael.V was leading ,by about a minute and a half from David with Matt, having already taken his first (of Many) dip of the day, just ahead of Darren and Rupert who had finally recovered from their swim.

Lap 2 saw Michael still out in front by an increased margin but with Darren now ahead of David in the Pico and Matt continuing with his underwater surveys.

Lap 3 and Michael was leading, nearly four minutes ahead of Darren, David third and Matt even further adrift at the back of the group.
In lap 4 Darren clawed a few seconds back from Michael when the latter capsized near the east shoreline, David was still third on the water and Matt was taking yet more dips and was finished at the end of this lap.
Lap 5, the final lap, had Michael first to cross the line with Darren still closing the gap – finally at about a minute and three quarters.
With the Handicaps applied David and Jamie were the winners with Michael second, Darren third and Matt fourth.

Race 8, starting at noon, was held over the same course. The wind had not abated and if anything had increased slightly to a top end four with gust close to force 6. For this race the fleet was down to five boats, Jazz having rigged a Topper, since she did not have the fittings to repair the 4.7. First away was Matt with the two RS200s in hot pursuit and David just a touch behind. Jazz was till struggling with the reduced sail area of the Topper and was last to start down the reach. This time Michael used his Gennaker but Darren kept his in the chute. No casualties were noted in this first lap and it was Matt first to cross the line with Michael 5 seconds astern and Darren a further 10 seconds back. Next up were David and Jamie with Jazz behind him.

 

In lap 2 Matt pulled out a nice little lead on the run down the south side and stayed out in front up the first windward leg from the mid-east mark. Darren was close behind Michael up this beat and got ahead by the windward mark, however he gybed onto starboard for the run whilst Michael stayed on port for the leg. By the turn, at Fisherman’s Bay, Michael was ahead of Darren and Matt. Having to gybe back at the Fisherman’s Bay mark ensured Darren and Rupert had an extended swim. David and Jamie took time out to sample the waters with a capsize on the first run but righted the Pico without help from the safety boat. Jazz also came to grief in this lap and spent several minutes attempting to get her boat back upright. In the process she snapped the tiller off the rudder  and had to be ‘rescued’ again. By the end of the lap Michael was leading Matt  by less than half a minute and Darren was 13minute adrift.

Lap 3 saw the fleet now down to three boats and Michael having a further dip which allowed Matt to come home in the lead  about a minute in front of Michael. However the Pico was just 12 seconds aft of Matt and with the handicaps applied was the clear winner – some 4 minutes on corrected time. Michael was third a further 2 minutes behind and Darren fourth fifteen minutes adrift of David.

After the racing Michael.V was seen to be haring back and forth across the pond in a real ‘burn up’ – just for the fun of it. Jamie, in the Pico, looked drenched but had a grin on his face from ear to ear. Jazz was not so enthused having broken two boats.

Alan.S 1700
PS. The Photos here were taken from the doorway of the Ladies Loo - out of the rain.
 
Results:-

R7

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Place

Rank	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY No	Elapsed	BCE	Points
1		Pico 2	2072	NSSC	David Murley		1332	41.02	0.00.00	1.0
2	Hot Toddy	RS 200	582	NSSC	Micheal Veale	Mike Rosier	1053	35.47	0.03.21	2.0
3		RS 200	285	NSSC	Darren Field	Louise Cullen	1053	37.33	0.05.07	3.0
3		Pico		NSSC	Brendon Smith	c	1332	OOD		3.0
3		Topper	6	NSSC	Bea Cameron	c	1313	OOD		3.0
6		Laser	81	NSSC	Matt Springall		1087	41.33	0.14.46	4.0
7		Laser	191067	Pevensey SC	Roger McCall		1087	DNF		7.0
7		Laser 4.7	206330	NSSC	Jasmin Sayed	c	1180	DNF		7.0
7		Byte CII	2941	NSSC	Chris Turner		1146	DNF		7.0

R8

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Place

Rank	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY No	Elapsed	BCE	Points
1		Pico 2	2072	NSSC	David Murley		1332	22.35	0.00.00	1.0
2		Laser	81	NSSC	Matt Springall		1087	22.27	0.04.01	2.0
3	Hot Toddy	RS 200	582	NSSC	Micheal Veale	Mike Rosier	1053	23.39	0.05.48	3.0
3		Pico		NSSC	Brendon Smith	c	1332	OOD		3.0
3		Topper	6	NSSC	Bea Cameron	c	1313	OOD		3.0
6		RS 200	285	NSSC	Darren Field	Louise Cullen	1053	26.55	0.15.01	4.0
7		Topper	13	NSSC	Jazz Sayed		1313	DNF		5.0