New Years Day 2024 - Laurence Venus Trophy.

 

New Year’s Day 2024 - Laurence Venus Trophy

Grey and overcast but bright with a tiny ruffle of breeze but no rain or drizzle as we left home for Piddinghoe at noon on this New Year’s Day 2024. On arrival, which was a might early there were several car in the park but, bar Zoe McCaig who was already afloat, no other signs of boats getting rigged.

As this was the Laurence Venus trophy race Laurence was present as RO for the race and was setting up the course – as below- with an ‘M’ shape and an unusual start line, between a pair of marks off the south bank to the east of the first slipway. Alice Smith was ARO and Judd Brammah (vice Commodore) with Simon as crew in the safety boat.

                                Photographs by Bett Simmons

The start, in a very light breeze, was a bit of a shambles as half the fleet failed to realise that the line was between the two offshore marks, some where over the line anyway and had to return to start correctly.

 At the gun Andy Beck (Lightning), Rupert Smith (Laser Radial) and Jazz Turner (Hansa) were all over the line. Alan Simmons (Streaker) was early and hemmed in by Ewan Hamilton (Oppy) and sandwiched between him and Andy Hamilton (Laser full rig) and carried below the inshore line mark. 

Ed Thorburn (Finn) was well below the line on port tack. The rest of the fleet were coming down the line on Starboard from the offshore end mark but moving very slowly. This gave Ed.T the chance to get through and head off for the windward mark whilst Zoe (Laser Radial) was down wind of the mark with Alan was upwind of the same mark.

 Ed.T rounded first and set off on the run towards the mark off the Fisherman’s Bay with Alan second on this leg and thenj Rupert having sneaked past Zoe. 

She was in a tight group just ahead of Andy.B, Will Apps (Quba) and Chris Turner (Hansa – following his hip joint op.)  

After the next broad reach and tight fetch behind the Island Ed.T was in the lead followed by Alan, with Rupert, then Zoe and Andy.B, Andy.H, Mark Ramsay (Supernova), Will, Ed.Horne, Jo, Chris, Jazz and Ewan. This was the order as the fleet completed its first lap except that Jazz went ahead of Chris to cross the line 11^th.

Lap 2 saw Ed.T cross the line some two minutes ahead of Alan with the breeze now beginning to increase in strength. Rupert was next 23 seconds behind Alan with Zoe 11 seconds later. Andy.H was still 5^th and Mark went up to lie sixth as he overtook Andy.B.  Ed.Horne also went ahead of Andy.B to  lie 8^th. The order behind remained unchanged with Will, Ed.Horne and Andy.B all in close ‘combat’.

Lap 3 had no place changes among the front six but Rupert was now just 38 seconds behind Alan. Will dropped down the fleet to 10^th place with Ed.Horne moving up  lie 7^th with Andy.B and Jo behind him and Ed Hamilton staying ahead of Pete.

Lap 4 with Ed.T still well in the lead the increasing breeze enabled Zoe to pass both Rupert and Alan, dropping him to 4^th, to take second place. No places changed amongst the next four boats as Will went back to 9th ahead of Jo. The back four relative places remained unchanged and these four were finished.

Lap 5 Saw Ed.T hold his lead but Zoe closed the gap a trifle and increased her lead over Rupert and Alan. The order remained unchanged for the rest of the fleet. With Ed.T going on to sail another lap as the remainder were finished.

With the handicaps applied and corrections made the results were a win for Jazz, Chris second, Ewan third, Ed.T fourth and Zoe fifth.

Results:-

 

Rank	Fleet	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Race 1 01/01/2024	Total	Nett
1st	Menagerie		HANSA		NSSC	Jazz Turner		1630	1.0	1.0	1.0
2nd	Menagerie		HANSA		NSSC	Chris Turner		1630	2.0	2.0	2.0
3rd	Menagerie	Heatwave	OPTIMIST	6231	NSSC	Ewan Hamilton		1635	3.0	3.0	3.0
4th	Laser Hull		FINN		NSSC	Ed Thorburn		1049	4.0	4.0	4.0
5th	Laser Hull	Bruce	LASER RADIAL	146162	NSSC	Zoe McCaig		1150	5.0	5.0	5.0
6th	Laser Hull		Laser Radial	179808	NSSC	Rupert Smith		1150	6.0	6.0	6.0
7th	Menagerie		RS QUBA	No No	NSSC	Will Apps		1260	7.0	7.0	7.0
8th	Menagerie	TFB	STREAKER	1832	Lancing	Alan Simmons		1128	8.0	8.0	8.0
9th	Laser Hull		LASER	52309	NSSC	Andy Hamilton		1101	9.0	9.0	9.0
10th	Menagerie		LIGHTNING 368	225	NSSC	Andy Beck		1160	10.0	10.0	10.0
11th	Laser Hull		Laser Radial	189952	NSSC	Ed Horne		1150	11.0	11.0	11.0
12th	Laser Hull		Laser Radial	164421	NSSC	Jo Bruggenworth		1150	12.0	12.0	12.0
13th	Menagerie		SUPERNOVA	526	NSSC	Mark Ramsay		1077	13.0	13.0	13.0
14th	Menagerie		PICO	No No	NSSC	Pete Henderson		1358	14.0	14.0	14.0

 

It being a single race the Trophy was presented to Jazz by Judd with congratulation to Chris and Ewan for their second and third place finishes.  In spite of the forecast the breeze held off for the beginning of the race, rising to force 4 in the later stages – promoting planeing on the off wind legs – which some enjoyed after the difficult first lap or two. The few spots of rain mostly held off only to appear in the dark on the way home. However  it was a very good way to start the new year .

Alan.S 1832

PS. I hope to be present (and Sail) in the first race of the 2024 Elford Numbum Series on Sunday next  6^th January 2024 and report thereon.

PPS. When reading the online blog/report if you click on any picture it will enlarge! If you would like any specific photos then email me with a description/location within the blog.