Whitstable files

[Will_Lee]

Yesterday's sailing at Whitstable was awesome. I'm still laughing as I walk along corridors here at work and feeing fab.

It was pretty pokey when we set off from the beach: SWly up to 20 knots I should think. Race officer tough nut and hard man Rick Perkins set a non-shortenable 5 lapper windward leeward course a little way off the beach. It was wind against tide with big waves by the bottom mark but strange calmness by the windward mark. The effect of this was jumping and flying faster and faster towards the bottom mark, and really having to choose your spot to drop, within 100m either way of the buoy being better than a swim. One lap we dropped on  the wrong gybe, but the sea state was so confused by the wind, tide and reflected waves from the wall that we grannied round rather than gybing.

After five laps of airtime upwind and down, and one tack related swim, we finished the race ahead of the musto skiff and were thoroughly  knackered. Mindful of the extreme shallowness we pulled up the foils and jumped too early and I had to deliver a few breaststroke legs strokes whlie holding a wingbar to bring the boat in to the shore before we piled up on a groyne.

Once we were ashore we realised how windy it was: Very windy!

[ross_burkin]

I'm jealous, very jealous! I wanted to go sailing yesterday but I can't move my boat from my driveway . If I had gone sailing I wouldn't have been invited to jam at some blues/jazz club in Soho tonight 

Edit

I hope there wasn't negative T-foil in play!

[phil_kirk]

  I was race officer for Frampton's laser open.  We had 28 boats and just enough wind to make it challenging but not enough to scare people.

Sarah and I are running the racing for the Gloucester school's regatta on saturday and meeting the folks on Sunday. 

Wind could be pokey again. So hang on at Whistable!

[Will_Lee]

We'll do our best!

I am spending Sunday sorting out the T foil system. If anyone wants to come round and distract me they are v welcome. Twisty grip plus coarse rope adj. Also stronger tiller and a few jobettes to do around the boat. Might relead teh kicker to reduce boom centreage which was a bit of a problem on Sunday.

BW

Will

[simon_jones]

Dean and I were assistant race officers last sunday. We sat in the race box and watched the the Lee's start three minuites late, then romp through the field to destroy the opposition and our nice little 930 PY . Well done guys you did us proud. Hopefully we can do the same on Sunday!

[Will_Lee]

Yesterday was a 16 knot forecast but when we arried there was nowt.

At the start it was possibly 10knots sswly with a foul tide. It was the last race of the autumn series. We were leading, on equal points with Sergei the MPS sailor. We were lucky enough to have Graham and Eddie in the Platypus named Scumbag sailing as our guests. The race officer was Simon Reynolds who set a committee boat start a fair way off the shore.

Scumbag and Antidote started at the left and headed left with a 29er, but the MPS's took the boat end though they headed left out of the tide. The MPS's looked good to begin with Sergei pointing well, and when we (Antidote) tacked back we crossed just behind. He continued lefter, but we'd tacked out because of patchy breeze. We had a good leg to near the stbd layline and tacked back clear ahead.

We gybed immediately after hoisting and piled out into the favourable stream and Sergei followed. Far from the air-mixing effects of the many cats, Merlins and Wanderers we were able to make the jump to lightspeed. We gybed back early to ensure we didn't overshoot (more problematic when approaching on stbd). I am glad we did because extra pressure curved us nearly down to the buoy.

The next few laps were characterised by us tipping it in on a tack and having to catch up and pass Sergei again, a late hoist because advanced cat-dodging was required, and a steady increase in the breeze. At about this time Scumbags jib tack came loose and the quickly popped ashore mid race to sort it out: Top effort. I think we should have a prize at opens for the person who shows the most grit - and the Scumbags won it yesterday, no doubt.

Finally, in quite a lot of wind, and immediately after completely stopping on the beat to allow a stbd tack cat to go by we finished. We went for our obligatory burn (18.6 knots max and huge amounts of air) and headed in. Half way there the mainsheet snapped and we did the first ears-first double teabag we've done in a long time.

Sadly the locoists are sailing today but we can't make it due to mrsdrlee being at work!

[ross_burkin]

If you need a crew Will I'm only a phone call away. 

[Will_Lee]

Sorry I am making a new T foil!

[simon_jones]

It would seem that the Locoists and the Antidotes will miss each other this weekend as well. I believe the Antidotes are in Devon! Still lets pray for 15 knots and some sunshine for all. Are Graeme and Eddie considering a more permanent stay at Witstable? Could this be the begining of a fleet?

[Will_Lee]

How was it?

We will be there this weekend.

W

[simon_jones]

If I said there was no wind that would be an understatement!! However this weekend should be good as we can't sail due to work. Had an interesting chat with Si Reynolds though about maybe tagging a Cherub event onto the Musto Skiffs open?

[Will_Lee]

That would be fab: Hoppy are you there?

W

[neal_gibson]

suicide will be there from the 16th onwards hopefully, just need a ready and willing crew

[ross_burkin]

I can come down (I'll find a way) if you wan't, or maybe you could get someone new into the class?

At this rate I might have to join Whitstable! R+H, it's calling!

[simon_jones]

We will be there on the 16th. The Cherubs even got a mention in the club news letter,and several people have asked about ideal crew weights. We all know wieght is less important than a desire to go downhill in the fastest way possible. So maybe we will find some converts at the club.