Streaker Ramblings - Elford Numbum Race 15 - 26.02.2017

Grey skies, fully overcast without a sign of the sun trying to break through. There was a light breeze in Hangleton coming from the south west. On arrival at the pond there was a little more breeze in evidence, top end force 2 to low end force 3. The rain came down, initially as a drizzle but later a real rain.

Laurence Venus was RO – he had to be able to work out the overall results as well as the results for the single, last race of the series – assisted by Sarah and with Terry Jones helming the safety boat. Laurence set the course, as shown, with an initial short windward leg to a mark in the south west corner of the pond, just off the clubhouse. This was followed by a long off-wind leg down the south side to a mark in the south east corner. The next leg was a broad reach behind the Island to a mark of the middle of the eastern shore. There followed a beat back to a mark in the centre of the pond and then another reach to a mark off the Fisherman’s Bay. The last leg was another windward leg back, through the gate to the mark in the south west corner.

Twelve boats took to the water for this last race of the series and at the gun the first starter was Dave Murley (Laser Radial) towards the pin end of the line. A little behind but further upwind was Duncan McDonald (Streaker) with Alan Simmons (Streaker) and Roger Mc Call (Laser full rig) together at the bank, favoured end. Alan with clear wind pulled away from Roger and approached the mark on port only to find Duncan trying to cross ahead of him on Port tack. A starboard call from Alan saw him tack and contact was made. Although he was first around the mark Duncan then had to do his turns and ended up at the back of the fleet.

Meanwhile Alan was off in clear air ahead of Roger and with Chris and Charlie Foster (Laser II) third down the offwind leg. Behind the leaders but closer to the bank Michael Veale and Mike Rosier (RS200) led a pack with Rupert Smith (Streaker) behind but ahead of Richard Beal (Laser Radial) and Dave but with Duncan catching up fast having taken a more off shore track. After a breezy broad reach behind the Island, the wind having increased to a good low force 4, Alan held on to his lead as Rupert began catching up with the two Michaels in the RS 200 whilst also passing Chris. Roger fell foul of a heavy gust as he went down the reach towards the Fisherman’s Bay mark and had a significant capsize. At the end of the lap Alan led Rupert by 27 seconds at the line with Michael also 27 seconds astern  Chris was in fourth place with Duncan fifth and Roger having finally recovered in sixth. Julian Dobson (Laser full rig) was eighth jointly with Richard Beal (Laser Radial) with Dave ninth, having fallen in. Penelope crossed the line tenth ahead of Charlie Rigg (Topper) and Geoff Sheridan (Byte original rig), Geoff having capsized and been assisted by the safety boat.

Lap 2 and Alan managed to hold onto the lead but Duncan was just 2 seconds astern at the end of the lap. Rupert managed to capsize which dropped him back to fourth place behind Chris who gained two places – from Roger who retired and Rupert. Michael also had an unwanted dip whilst on the windward leg from the mark near the middle of the east bank. Michael briefly went ahead of Rupert as did Julian but at the end of the lap the order was Alan, Duncan, Chris, Rupert Michael and Julian. Richard was next in 7^th place followed by Dave, Penelope, Geoff and Charlie. Geoff however had missed passing through the gate at the end of the lap and thus ended up sailing only counting four laps.

Lap 3 saw Duncan begin to establish an unchallengeable lead with Chris overtaking Alan who had Michael astern and Rupert behind him. Dave went briefly ahead of Julian and Richard dropped a place to lie behind Julian. Penelope was lying in 9^th place in front of Charlie with Geoff’s missed mark leaving him as tail end Charlie.

Lap 4 Duncan led Chris by 23 seconds across the line having gained another 11 seconds in the lap. Rupert was back up to third place having overtaken Michael and Alan and Alan also went ahead of Michael as they came to the south west mark along with Charlie and Michael had to take the outside berth. Julian went back ahead of Dave and Penelope also managed to miss the ‘gate’, on this and subsequent laps and was thereby disqualified.

Lap 5 Duncan was now 39 seconds ahead of Chris with Rupert still a good way behind the pair of them. Michael went ahead of Alan to cross the line with five seconds in hand in 4^th position. Julian was next still ahead of Dave with Richard behind him and Charlie 9^th.

Lap 6 the penultimate lap and there was no catching Duncan now 55 seconds in front of Chris and with Rupert still over a minute astern. Michael was about the same distance behind Rupert and 36 seconds ahead of 5^th place Alan. Julian, Dave and Richard remained in the same relative positions, Charlie having finished at the end of the fifth lap.

Lap 7 saw no place changes in the remaining seven boats, Richard having been finished at the end of lap 6 Duncan was first, Chris second, Rupert third, Michael fourth, Alan fifth, Julian sixth and Dave seventh. With handicaps applied the result was a win for Duncan, second place for Rupert, Third for Alan, fourth for Chris and fifth for Dave.

                                                                                  R15

Class	H Cap	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	Elapsed	BCE	Points
Streaker	1137	1934	NSSC	Duncan McDonald		46.24	0.00.00	1.0
Streaker	1137	1681	NSSC	Rupert Smith		48.01	0.01.37	2.0
Streaker	1137	1700	Lancing S C	Alan Simmons		50.04	0.03.40	3.0
Laser II	1065	10594	Lancing S C	Chris Foster	Charlie Foster	47.14	0.03.46	4.0
Laser Radial	1136	142208	NSSC	David Murley		50.56	0.04.34	5.0
Laser	1095	7/176670	NSSC	Julian Dobson		50.51	0.06.10	6.0
RS 200	1047	582	NSSC	Micheal Veale	Mike Rosier	49.10	0.06.26	7.0
Laser Radial	1136	43382	NSSC	Richard Beal		46.31	0.06.47	8.0
Topper 'c'	1341	27531	NSSC	Charlie Rigg		46.16	0.07.11	9.0
Byte (origl)	1190	671	NSSC	Geoff Sheridan		48.55	0.21.10	10.0
Laser	1095	191067	Pevensey SC	Roger McCall		DNF		13.0
Laser Radial	1136	81	NSSC	Penelope Duncan		DSQ		30.0

The prizegiving for the overall series was held once the boats were packed away starting with the Cadet Trophy won by Charlie Rigg,

a special prize for first Laser going to Julian Dobson

and the three top spots going to the Streakers of Laurence Venus,overall winner of the series,

Rupert Smith second placed and Alan Simmons third placed.

For results of the series overall go to the NSSC web site 2017 Racing Results page:-

http://www.nssc.org.uk/cms/index.php/club-series-results.

An excellent series overall with the weather generally moderate and no races lost to strong winds, 15 out of 15 sailed, although one or two races were on the border line of no wind. There were some 30 entrants, sailing at least one race although the turn-out in the cadet fleet was disappointing – unlike the Freeman Iceberg series before Xmas. It is normally somewhat colder for the Numbum but with ice only once on the pond, and that only over a quarter of the water, it was not a problem this year.

Alan.S 1700

PS. This is my last blog, at least for a while, until the Open Meeting Season (in the South East) starts in April and assuming that I attend any.