Elford NumBum Races 5 & 6 - 21/1/2024

 

Elford NumBum Races 5 & 6 – 21/1/2024

Grey overcast skies, a very fresh southerly breeze, cold but dry on leaving home for Piddinghoe. With the XCWeather forecast for force 6 (24 to 28 knots) and Storm Isha due later in the day the writer left his sailing gear at home and Bett just took her camera and Wellies with her although she did not put on the latter as it happens. 

Connie Sturt (Skipper) was RO assisted by Michael Veale (RS200) with Mike Rosier (RS200) and Paul in the safety boat, set an X shaped course with the Start from the west bank adjacent to the Sailboard ‘beach’. The finish was to be close by to the mark in the south west corner with the line from the clubhouse.

Photos by Bett Simmons

At the gun for off the two Hansas – Rupert Smith and Jazz Turner were both over the line and had to hastily return to the correct side of the line. This meant that Ed Thorburn (Finn) was first away, at the pin end, with Todd Grady-Gales (Solo) next , mid line. Sam Beevers (Topper) also started towards the pin end and all had to tack back to the corner mark. 

Todd was first to round  the windward mark followed by Ed and then Rupert with Sam behind him. Jazz meanwhile managed to capture the ‘finish’ mark with her rudder and spent a while releasing herself.

The second leg of the course was almost dead downwind with the gusts coming fast one after another giving some rather tippy sailing. 

Todd was first to turn the mark off the middle of the east bank, followed by Ed, then Sam with Rupert behind and lastly Jazz. It was a brisk reach along behind the Island to the mark in the south east corner of the pond with a similar leg back to the mark off the Fisherman’s Bay. 

The final leg, each lap, was a beat back to the finish line off the clubhouse. The gusts were still thumping down but there were no capsizes in this lap although Rupert nearly had a swim and lost ground to Jazz who caught up and passed him by the time he had covered the second half of the lap. The order at the end of lap 1 was Todd followed by Ed and then Sam with Jazz now ahead of Rupert.

Lap 2 has Todd still in the lead with Sam behind him and then Jazz who had extended her lead over Rupert. Ed started the lap and then halfway through thought better of it and retired finding it a bit too much for his liking.

Lap 3 had Todd still in the lead but then on the downwind leg to the mark off the middle of the east shore had a spectacular capsize. Somehow he managed to keep the top of his mast free from the mud on the bottom of the pond and finally got the boat upright and himself back on board. He then continued and still crossed the line in first place ahead of Jazz and Rupert who were finished here. 

Sam also retired having found the wind with its gusts too much for him to handle comfortably.

Lap 4 was sailed solely by Todd, having been well ahead of the two Hansas and Ed and Sam having retired.

With Handicaps applied and calcs done the winner of the trace was Jazz with Todd second and Rupert third.

Results:-                            Race 5 - 21/01/2024

Fleet	Boat	Class	SailNo	Club	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Elapsed	BCE	Points
Menagerie		HANSA	No No	NSSC	Jazz Turner		1580	28.40	0.00.00	1.0
Menagerie		SOLO	4084	Lancing	Todd Grady-Gales		1142	28.47	0.01.09	2.0
Menagerie		HANSA	2277	NSSC	Rupert Smith		1580	30.38	0.01.58	3.0
Menagerie		FINN	595	NSSC	Ed Thorburn		1049	RET		5.0
Menagerie		TOPPER	49079	NSSC	Sam Beevers		1358	RET		5.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	61663	NSSC	Mike Rosier		1150	OOD		8.0
Laser Hull	Bruce	LASER RADIAL	46	NSSC	Zoe McCaig		1150	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	179808	NSSC	Rupert Smith		1150	DNC		25.0
Menagerie	TFB	STREAKER	1832	Lancing	Alan Simmons		1128	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	142208	NSSC	Dave Murley		1150	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	26	NSSC	Bill Wates		1150	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	46237	NSSC	Sean Beevers		1150	DNC		25.0
Menagerie		SUPERNOVA	526	NSSC	Mark Ramsay		1077	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	164421	NSSC	Jo Bruggenworth		1150	DNC		25.0
Menagerie		HANSA	1477	NSSC	Bex Foulshan		1580	DNC		25.0
Menagerie		HANSA	2277	NSSC	Adam Bivany		1580	DNC		25.0
Menagerie		RS QUBA	No No	NSSC	Will Apps		1260	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER RADIAL	217834	NSSC	Darrel Topp		1150	DNC		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER	122461	NSSC	David Hitchens		1098	DNC		25.0
Menagerie		SKIPPER		NSSC	Connie Sturt			OOD		25.0
Menagerie		RS 200		NSSC	Michael Veale	Mike Rosier	1046	OOD		25.0
					Paul			OOD		25.0
Laser Hull		LASER	7	NSSC	Julian Dobson		1098	DNC		25.0
Menagerie		TOPPER	No No	NSSC	Phil Naylor		1358	DNC		25.0

Race 6 did not take place as all had gone ashore and packed up – one race in those conditions had been enough.

The writer’s choice to stay shore bound would appear to have been a wise call – he is not keen on swimming even in the middle of the summer in warmer waters. Those who did ‘bite the bullet’ had some interesting sailing, even the Hansas had close calls.

Alan.S 1832