Freeman Iceberg Races 11 & 12 -11/12/2022

Freeman Iceberg Races 11 & 12 – 11/12/2022

Sunday dawned with grey cloud cover, 90%, with just the odd peep of blue breaking through, but it did not last. A very light breeze was showing on arrival at Piddinghoe but next to no takers and it was freezing cold. It was a fight to get the cover off the Streaker and eventually it came off after freeing the fore end as one solid frozen sheet. On the walk back to the hut Alan wondered if it was even worth while going afloat but he finally did so along with just three others.

The south west corner of the pond was covered with a sheet of Ice, an inch thick at the first slipway along the southern shore making launching in that area impossible, thus everybody had to go East beyond the ‘Disabled’ launch point to get afloat.

Michael Veale was RO with Mike Rosier as ARO and with Andy Beck and Thomas on Safety boat duty.

Michael set a basic course around the pond but with a slightly odd start line and a finish at a Mark close to the shore just to the east of the clubhouse, but in near dead calm water as below. 

The breeze, from the north west corner of the pond, allowed a windward leg to a mark off the Fisherman’s bay.

    Photos by Bett Simmons

First away at the gun was Ed Thorburn (Finn) tacking off to port whilst Alan Simmons (Streaker) and Bill Wates (Laser Radial) went towards the clubhouse end of the line. Last away in the fleet of four was Dave Murley starting near the pin end mark. Ed was first to turn the windward mark with Alan next and Bill right on his tail with Dave a good bit astern of Bill. Ed began to disappear ‘over the horizon’  and Alan began to pull ahead of Bill along the first and second off wind legs.

By the end of the first lap Ed was a minute and 14 seconds ahead of Alan who led Bill by 20 seconds with Dave 37 seconds further back.

Lap 2 saw no place changes but Ed only pulled another 2 seconds ahead of Alan. Bill dropped back to lie three minutes or so behind with Dave even further back.

Lap 3 again had no place changes as the fleet was rather scattered but with Ed extending his lead to 2 minutes 28 seconds from Alan who also pulled further ahead of Bill was he in turn increased the gap from Dave.

Lap 4 was much of a muchness with Ed way out in front and ahead of Alan  with Bill regaining a little to lie just 2 minutes astern and Dave a minute and 25 seconds further back.

Lap 5 A repeat of the previous lap with Ed in the lead, Alan second, Bill third and Dave fourth with the latter pair finishing.

Lap 6 saw just Ed and Alan still racing as Ed crossed the line first with Alan nearly 10 minutes astern.

The ‘calm’ patch, at the last mark off the clubhouse - outside the Ice sheet - was difficult to get to,- with a long beat up from the mark to the south of the Island.  with shifty winds, it was not always possible to make in one tack and once turned and rounded to get back up to speed on the leg to the mark off the Fisherman’s Bay.

With the result calculated the winner was Ed Thorburn with Alan Simmons second, Bill Wates third and Dave Murley fourth.        

                                    Race 11 - 11/12/2022    

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Place

Rank	Fleet	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Elapsed	Laps	Corrected	BCE	Points
1	Menagerie		FINN	595	NSSC	Ed Thorburn		1049	38.02	6	0.36.15	0.00.00	1.0
2	Menagerie	The Final Bash	STREAKER	1832	LANCING	Alan Simmons		1128	45.52	6	0.40.40	0.04.58	2.0
3	Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	26	NSSC	Bill Wates		1147	39.24	5	0.41.13	0.04.45	3.0
4	Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	142208	NSSC	Dave Murley		1147	40.56	5	0.42.49	0.06.17	4.0
5	Menagerie	Hot Toddy	RS 200	582	NSSC	Michael Veale	Mike Rosier	1046	OOD				5.8
6	Menagerie		Clasic Moth	3605	NSSC	Andy Beck		1145	OOD				8.5

After the break ashore, all four perhaps reluctantly, went afloat for race 12 of the series. Michael used the same course as for race 11. 

At the gun Ed was first away once more but this time closer to the clubhouse end of the line. Alan was next to leeward of him. Bill was third away and Dave again quite shy of the line was last to get racing. The breeze in this race had died a little from that experienced in race 11.

By the end of the first lap Ed was leading Alan by 38 seconds with Dave third 18 seconds ahead of Bill.

Lap 2 had no place changes as Ed pulled out to cross the line 50 seconds ahead of Alan who had pulled well ahead of Dave who in turn had extended the gap between himself and Bill.

Lap 3 Ed was now 49 seconds in front of Alan who in turn was nearly 4 minutes ahead of Dave with Bill now a minute and 35 seconds behind him.

Lap 4 Ed had somehow found some puff and substantially increased the gap ahead of Alan, now 4 and a half minutes ahead of him. Dave was about the same distance behind Alan and Bill a minute and 18 seconds later. Alan, Dave and Bill were then finished.

Lap 5 was sailed only by Ed who had been a bit too early to finish at the end of lap 4.

Having had the results calculated Ed Thorburn was declared the winner with Alan Simmons second, Dave Murley third and Bill Wates fourth – as below

`          Race 12 - 11/12/2022

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Place

Rank	Fleet	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Elapsed	Laps	Corrected	BCE	Points
1	Menagerie		FINN	595	NSSC	Ed Thorburn		1049	39.44	5	0.37.53	0.00.00	1.0
2	Menagerie	The Final Bash	STREAKER	1832	LANCING	Alan Simmons		1128	34.44	4	0.38.29	0.00.33	2.0
3	Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	142208	NSSC	Dave Murley		1147	39.06	4	0.42.37	0.04.21	3.0
4	Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	26	NSSC	Bill Wates		1147	40.24	4	0.44.02	0.05.39	4.0
5	Menagerie	Hot Toddy	RS 200	582	NSSC	Michael Veale	Mike Rosier	1046	OOD				5.8
6	Menagerie		Clasic Moth	3605	NSSC	Andy Beck		1145	OOD				8.5

 

Conditions were brutally cold with the rain beginning to fall during  lap 4 of the second race, it had turned to sleet by the time we got back to Hangleton but luckily it did not lay. The frost on Monday morning was very heavy but  there was no laying snow this side of the top of King George Ave/Dyke Road.

Bett was so cold that, once home, she had to curl up in an armchair in front of the gas fire (at near Maximum output) with two blankets, two hot water bottles and Coffee. She did not feel comfortable for at least a couple of hours.

Alan.S 1832