Friday, 17 January 2025

Elford Numbum 2025 - 12.01.2025

 

Elford Numbum Races 3 & 4 –12/01/2025

Not a good start to 2025 with the New Years Day race cancelled due to strong winds and then the first two races of the Numbum series also cancelled for the same reason, however on arriving at the pond on Sunday 5th January the wind was not as strong as forecast and had there been any young, strong and fearless takers it would have been testing anyway.

Come Sunday 12th Jan it was a lovely sunny morning upon leaving Hove. breeze however was noticeable by its absence and upon arrival at the Pond there was not much in evidence. Ed Thorburn was RO – the writer did not find the name of the ARO on the Lap sheets and the safety boat Skipper was listed as Geoff?

 Ed found some breeze, from the north and set an ‘X’ shaped course, as shown below, avoiding the south west corner of the Pond which was still covered in Ice as far east as the first slipway. 


Ed also set an unusual Start (and Finish) line, the former between two ‘pink’ buoys with only the one nearest the shore as the Finish (slightly hooked).

Twelve boats took to the water, Red Sheridan although with his Oppy rigged felt too cold to venture out, although he did do so in the second race of the day.



                                    Photos by Bett Simmons

At the gun it was Lorien Howard McDonald (Topper) who crossed the line first. Alan Simmons (Streaker) was next just nosing ahead of Rupert Smith (OK) both at the outer end of the line. Fourth away was Geoff Sheridan (ByteCII) just to weather of Julian Dobson (Laser full rig). 




Alan and Rupert tacked off soon after crossing the line whilst Geoff and Julian held on towards the clubhouse to the edge of the Ice before tacking towards the mark off the Fisherman’s Bay.



Rupert was first to round the mark off the Fisherman’s Bay to set off on the run to the mark to the south east of the Island. Alan was next to go with Julian third and Geoff fourth. 


There were no changes in position in the early part of this lap until Julian pulled up and went ahead of Alan to finish the lap in Second place. Geoff was fourth to cross the line with David Hitchens (Laser Radial) fifth, Jo Brugenwerth (Laser Radial) sixth, Lorien seventh, Carolyn Turner (Laser Radial) eighth, Dave Murley (Laser Radial) nineth, Jazz Turner (Hansa s/h) tenth, Adam (Hansa s/h) eleventh and Dave Parkyns (Laser Radial) twelfth.


Lap 2 Saw Rupert pull further into the lead and second placed Julian pull away ahead of Alan lying third. Geoff Caught up with Alan on the run across the pond and passed him only to be repassed on the upwind legs and crossing the line just 2 seconds ahead. Jo went in front of David.H crossing the line five seconds in front. Dave.M crossed the line in 7th place having passed Lorien as she fell back behind Carolyn. Jazz was in 10th place, as in lap 1, with Dave.P went ahead of Adam to cross in 11th place.



Lap 3 Rupert crossed the line 2 minutes and 10 seconds ahead of second placed Julian with Alan and Geoff continuing to battle it out on the water and Alan then 12 seconds ahead at the line. Jo retained 5th place  with David.H still astern and Dave.M 7th behind him. Carolyn went ahead of Lorien with Jazz, Dave.P and Adam  behind her, these last three and Lorien being finished here.


Lap 4 Rupert just stretched his lead over second placed Julian by 6 seconds. The lap sheet shows Alan still ahead of Geoff but the writer recalls that Geoff had overtaken Alan and that he, Alan, had a Jammed mainsheet on the final reach across the pond and thus finished behind him. Jo was in 5th place ahead of David.H and Dave.M  next in 7th place with Carolyn 8th and last to finish this Lap.


Lap 5 was sailed only by Rupert – as he was so far out in front at the end of lap 4.



With handicaps applied and calculations completed the winner of the race was Jazz with Rupert second, Adam third Geoff fourth and Jo fifth – see results below:-

Race 3 - 12/01/2025

Fleet

Boat

Class

SailNo

Club

HelmName

CrewName

PY

Elapsed

BCE

Points

Menagerie

Violet

HANSA s/h

848

NSSC

Jazz Turner

 

1580

38.53

0.00.00

1.0

Menagerie

Saxon

OK

2239

NSSC

Rupert Smith

 

1100

45.21

0.00.14

2.0

Menagerie

Phoebe

HANSA s/h

28

NSSC

Adam Billany

 

1580

40.45

0.01.52

3.0

 

Mothers Ruin

BYTE CII

3394

NSSC

Geoff Sheridan

 

1132

40.08

0.02.59

4.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

1644421

NSSC

Jo Bruggenworth

 

1154

41.03

0.03.11

5.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER

7

NSSC

Julian Dobson

 

1102

39.18

0.03.08

6.0

Menagerie

TFB

STREAKER

18932

Lancing

Alan Simmons

 

1124

40.35

0.03.42

7.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

122461

NSSC

David Hitchens

 

1154

42.12

0.04.20

8.0

Menagerie

 

TOPPER

8177

NSSC

Lorien Howard McDonald

 

1369

37.37

0.03.56

9.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

142208

NSSC

Dave Murley

 

1154

44.36

0.06.44

10.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

158365

NSSC

Carolyn Turner

 

1154

45.11

0.07.19

11.0

Menagerie

 

FINN

595

NSSC

Ed Thorburn

 

1049

OOD

 

12.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

2063

NSSC

Dave Parkyns

 

1154

39.26

0.11.02

12.0

Menagerie

Seahorse

OPTIMIST

4769

NSSC

Red Sheridan

 

1628

DNC

 

18.0

Laser Hull

Bruce

LASER RADIAL

46

NSSC

Zoe McCaig

 

1154

DNC

 

18.0

Menagerie

 

SUPERNOVA

526

NSSC

Mark Ramsay

 

1077

DNC

 

18.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

26

NSSC

Bill Wates

 

1147

DNC

 

18.0


Race 4 was to be sailed over the same course with the breeze a bit lighter than in race 3. 


At the gun Rupert and Alan were first away again with Rupert to windward of the pair. Next to start was Geoff towards the pin end of the line followed by David H then Jo followed by Julian. 

 


The order was the same at the mark off the Fisherman’s Bay and on the run to the south east. The fleet began to be stretched out on this leg and the subsequent legs with Rupert extending his lead over Alan to a minute and 3 seconds as he crossed the line. Geoff was lying 3rd, 31 seconds later with Julian next 20 seconds later. David.H was 5th just 4 seconds ahead of Dave.M. Carolyn, 7th, was next 10 seconds later. Jo was 8th to cross the line 51 seconds later with  Jazz next in 9th place with Adam 58 seconds behind her and with Red in 11th place 52 seconds later. David.H and Lorien did not take part in this race.


Lap 2 had Rupert continuing to stretch his lead over Alan to a minute and 31 seconds. Geoff lost a bit of ground on Alan to cross the line 48 seconds later but still ahead of Julian. Dave.M was now 5th having passed David.H and with Jo behind him, having gone ahead of Carolyn. Jazz, Adam and Red held onto the same relative places.


Lap 3  and the fleet order remained as in lap 2, for the first six places, although Geoff made up ground on Alan to lie 14 seconds astern at the finish. Carolyn passed ahead of Jo to finish in 7th place  with the last three in unchanged positions.




Lap 4 was once again sailed only by Rupert, who found a bit of extra breeze.

With handicaps applied the winner of the race was Rupert with Geoff second, Alan third, Jazz fourth and Dave.M fifth.

See results below:-

Race 4 - 12/01/2025

Fleet

Boat

Class

SailNo

Club

HelmName

CrewName

PY

Elapsed

BCE

Points

Menagerie

Saxon

OK

2239

NSSC

Rupert Smith

 

1100

48.49

0.00.00

1.0

 

Mothers Ruin

BYTE CII

3394

NSSC

Geoff Sheridan

 

1132

37.50

0.00.09

2.0

Menagerie

TFB

STREAKER

18932

Lancing

Alan Simmons

 

1124

37.36

0.00.11

3.0

Menagerie

Violet

HANSA s/h

848

NSSC

Jazz Turner

 

1580

36.01

0.00.57

4.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

142208

NSSC

Dave Murley

 

1154

40.24

0.01.59

5.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER

7

NSSC

Julian Dobson

 

1102

38.48

0.02.07

6.0

Menagerie

Seahorse

OPTIMIST

4769

NSSC

Red Sheridan

 

1628

38.41

0.02.34

7.0

Menagerie

Phoebe

HANSA s/h

28

NSSC

Adam Billany

 

1580

38.19

0.03.15

8.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

122461

NSSC

David Hitchens

 

1154

43.15

0.04.50

9.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

158365

NSSC

Carolyn Turner

 

1154

44.30

0.06.05

10.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

1644421

NSSC

Jo Bruggenworth

 

1154

45.53

0.07.28

11.0

Menagerie

 

FINN

595

NSSC

Ed Thorburn

 

1049

OOD

 

11.0

Menagerie

 

TOPPER

8177

NSSC

Lorien Howard Mid***

 

1369

DNC

 

18.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

2063

NSSC

Dave Parkyns

 

1154

DNC

 

18.0

Laser Hull

Bruce

LASER RADIAL

46

NSSC

Zoe McCaig

 

1154

DNC

 

18.0

Menagerie

 

SUPERNOVA

526

NSSC

Mark Ramsay

 

1077

DNC

 

18.0

Laser Hull

 

LASER RADIAL

26

NSSC

Bill Wates

 

1147

DNC

 

18.0

 

With the light breezes experienced conditions were quite difficult for most competitors, except for Rupert who loved it. The distances between the boats were subject to ups and downs but without much changing of places. Certainly concentration was king in both races.

The outlook. Forecasts, for Sunday 19th Jan, is for much of the same – at the time of writing, 17th Jan.

Alan.S 18328