Freeman Iceberg 2022 - Races 1 & 2 - 6th Nov 2022

With a forecast at Piddinghoe of Force 5 to 6 we set off for the pond in grey cloudy skies and rain. I thought I took my camera , just in case anyone was fool enough to go afloat. On arrival it was blowing quite hard but three boats were getting ready to go afloat, Thomas Beck with a Topper, Lewis Johns with a full rig Laser and Thomas Harland-Smith with a Laser Radial. 

Ed Thorburn (Finn) was present but not too keen to join in and Alan was defrinitely averse to going on the water. We had arrived early for the 10.30 start and then suddenly the wind dropped off to about force 2 to 3. 

Both Ed and Alan Simmons decided that it was possible to get afloat for the second of the day's two races and so got rigged up, neither of them in time for the first race anyway and it was still raining.

Regretably, due in no little part to the rain I did not make a note of the RO, Aro nor the Safety boat crew - my appologies - but a course was set with a committee boat start to the east of the clubhouse and the first leg off south ward to a mark off the clubhouse. The next leg was a reach down the southern shore to a mark south of the island followed by another reach along the east shore back to the start area.

 

 At the gun all three contestants were close to the line with the two Lasers off first in close contention. Seveal place changes occured between Lewis and Thomas H-S over the eight laps they completed in the lighter breeze with no capsizes recorded until Lewis was the first boat to cross the line with Thomas H-S crossing some 27 seconds astern with Thomas B a minute and five seconds earlier after five laps.

With the handicaps applied to thier elapsed times the calculated times gave the win to Thomas H-S with Lewis second and Thomas B in third place.

Results:-

Rank	Fleet	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Finish	Elapsed	Laps	Corrected	BCE	Points
1	Laser Hull	Calimity	LASER RADIAL	72341	NSSC	Thomas Harland-S［ith		1147		37:08	8	0:32:22	0:00:00	1.0
2	Laser Hull		LASER	179808	NSSC	Lewis Johns		1100		36.41	8	0.33.21	0.01.04	2.0
3	Menagerie		TOPPER	47124	NSSC	Thomas Beck		1365		36.03	5	0.42.15	0.08.26	3.0

The second race was held over the same course with a committee boat start once more. This time the fleet was increased by having Ed Thorburn (Finn) and Alan Simmons (Streaker) both now on the water. At the gun it was Ed first across the line with Lewis and Thomas H0S close behind and followed by Alan and then Thomas B.

Ed was first to round the windward mark, close to the clubhouse, with Thomas H-S just ahead of Lewis and followed by Alan with Thomas B at the tail end as the fleet set off on the broad reach along the south shore. There were no spills at the gybe in the corner behind the Island and all continued along the east shore to the turning mark just before the start/finish line. All hardened up to just before the committee boat end of the line before tacking off back up wind where there was a choice to be made between continuing on port or tacking off towards the Fisherman's bay with a final tack backonto port to round the windward mark.

Ed began to pull out a big lead with Lewis falling back, from Thomas H-S, and Alan nearly catching Lewis on this leg.

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Alan was gradually catching up with Thomas B in his Topper to lap him, until in the leg along the east shore he capsized to windward in a gust, the wind having begun to rise again halfway through the race. After what seemed to be an age the safety boat eventually arrived and after a struggle got him upright again. Lewis who had by then finished jumped into the pond to assist.. Alan then went on to finish the lap he was on and crossed the line to a finishing signal. two laps behind the Lasers. Lewis had managed at long last to close up and pass Thomas H-S to cross the line in second place. 

I should add that competitors are allowed to receive outside help in a capsize on the pond and then continue racing in accordance with the special Pond S.I.s - due to the sticky black pond mud which as, in this instance, made self-recovery almost impossible when the boat goes over

With the result handicaps applied and calcs made the winner of race 2 was Ed with Thomas H-S second, Lewis third, Thomas B fourth and yours truely fifth and last.- must try harder next time and stay upright.

Resulsts:-

Race 2 - 5/11/2022

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Place

Rank	Fleet	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Finish	Elapsed	Laps	Corrected	BCE	Points
1	Menagerie		FINN	595	NSSC	Ed Thorburn		1049		44.57	11	0.42.51	0.00.00	1.0
2	Laser Hull	Calimity	LASER RADIAL	72341	NSSC	Thomas Harland-S［ith		1147		45.05	10	0.43.14	0.00.24	2.0
3	Laser Hull		LASER	179808	NSSC	Lewis Johns		1100		44.35	10	0.44.35	0.01.44	3.0
4	Menagerie		TOPPER	47124	NSSC	Thomas Beck		1365		44.07	7	0.50.47	0.06.54	4.0
5	Menagerie	The Final Bash	STREAKER	1832	LANCING	Alan Simmons		1128		49.29	8	1.00.19	0.14.20	5.0

An interesting mornings races, especially as the forecast was for strong winds - force 5 to 6 - but which fortunately fell away, almost, just in time for the first race.

This blog is a bit short on photos as those Bett Simmons took were with a small digital camera - not the usual large one (left at home) - thus not much in the way of zooming - and it was raining for a lot of the time. Just to add to the mix there were no individual lap times available, only the final elapsed times.