Author: Ian Ayres

Calling all Wayfarer Owners

On the 10th September Rollesby has been asked to host the Ramuz Trophy,
the Norfolk Interclub Championships for club champions!

We ideally need 8 Wayfarers for use on the day. They need to be in good condition,
though it is part of the ‘luck’ of the competition that the do not all need to be
latest spec racing condition. We can get an expert to cast their eye over all boats
before hand.

All boats used will be covered by the event insurance and by the nature of the event
everyone competing is an experienced sailor.

So could you lend your boat for the event?
Or could you lend us a set of good racing sails so we can balance out the fleet
as best possible.

It is not necessary that you are available on the day, though you may prefer to be
there to either rig or pack away your own boat. We will be looking for a race /
rescue team for the day.

Please contact myself or Pete if you can be of any assistance.

Thanks
Ian

The overall results for the winter series are on the website results page – how did you do?

Below are this week’s report which should appear in Thurday’s EDP; scroll down for last week’s which they (accidentally?) edited off the end of Alan Mallett’s Sailing report!

 

Rollesby 31st Jan

Sunday 31^st saw the last of the races for the Winter Series at Rollesby; with only one of the five series already won there was lots to play for and all the contenders were out on the water, giving high quality racing and extra emphasis to getting a good start.

In the Multisail fleet Chris Sallis (D-One) seemed determined not to take home any silver ware – practising his capsize recovery technique whilst the starting gun sounded! Dave Houghton & Jon Symonds led round in their RS400 but it was Phil Highfield who sailed superb race in his Vareo to win comfortably and overtake Sallis for the series win. After a multireach first race clearly favoured the assymetrics a windward / leeward second race saw Wayfarer dominance despite only one of them flying a spinnaker. Val & Chris Hanson were fastest with a huge win; much closer for second as Jim Windley & Crew beat Bob Sparrow & Barry Graver by a whole second!

In the Single-handers Mike McNamara led the fleet round the first lap in his Harrier after the faster Phantoms suffered some navigational issues! The chase behind was led by Bob Hawkins and Ian Ayres in Solos and Daniel Bull in his Radial. These three stayed no more than a few boat lengths apart and each took their turn to lead throughout both morning races. In race 1 Ayres broke clear at the end but a mere 8 seconds covered McNamara in second to Hawkins in fourth with Daren Pike (Phantom) recovering well to take third. Race 2 with only three marks proved simpler fare with McNamara winning from Pike and Ayres third.

 

With the drizzle arriving as the fleet came ashore from race 2 there was unsurprisingly a much reduced fleet after lunch. Sparrow & Graver led comfortably on handicap for the first two laps but a poorer second half allowed Strode to overtake them on the water and Ayres & Dennis Manning (Albacore) to escape just enough for the handicap victor by two seconds.

Multisails

Race 1 (8 Entries)

1. Phil Highfield (Vareo)

2. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (RS400)

3. Val & Chris Hanson (Wayfarer)

 

Race 2 (10)

1. Val & Chris Hanson (Wayfarer)

2. Jim Windley & Crew (Wayfarer)

3. Bob Sparrow & Barry Graver (Wayfarer)

 

Single-Handers

Race 1 (12)

1. Ian Ayres (Solo)

2. Mike McNamara (Harrier+)

3. Daren Pike (Phantom)

 

Race 2 (12)

1. Mike McNamara (Harrier+)

2. Daren Pike (Phantom)

3. Ian Ayres (Solo)

 

PM Mixed Fleet (5)

1. Ian Ayres & Dennis Manning (Albacore)

2. Simon Strode & Crew (Enterprise)

3. Bob Sparrow & Barry Graver (Wayfarer)

 

Rollesby 25^th Jan

Crew swapping (mainly a success!)

With a good breeze blowing straight down the length of Rollesby Broad a long windward / leeward course was set for all three races.

In the multisail fleet there were several crew swaps / substitutions from regular pairings, which worked well for most; Val Hanson, pairing with grandson Daniel Bull in her Wayfarer, certainly had a successful morning recording 2, 1 results and proving the Wayfarers could match the faster assymetrics providing they were also willing to fly spinnakers! Dave Houghton & John Symonds led round in their RS400, but only Chris Sallis in his D-One gained sufficient time on the slower craft with Phil Highfield (Vareo) taking third. Hanson and Bull romped to victory in race 2, proving particularly fast as the wind eased a little, to take very solid win from Mike McNamara helming Dennis Manning in his Albacore.

In the singlehanders the day belonged to Ian Ayres in his Solo; the scores not reflecting how close the timings were; with fellow Soloist Bob Hawkins in close attention throughout, particularly as they changed places several times in race 1 to take 3^rd in both races. In both races Daren Pike was fastest round the track in his Phantom, but in race 1 it was his closest pursuer, Mike McNamara in his Harrier who was able to split the Solos, Ayres winning by a mere 2 seconds. In race 2 Pike beat Hawkins by 4 seconds….

Ayres continued in similar vein after lunch, following close enough to Keith Sykes’ Laser whilst regularly swapping places with Bob Sparrow & Barry Graver in their Wayfarer.

Multisails

Race 1 (9 Entries)

1. Chris Sallis (D-One)

2. Val Hanson & Daniel Bull (Wayfarer)

3. Phil Highfield (Vareo)

 

Race 2 (10)

1. Val Hanson & Daniel Bull (Wayfarer)

2. Mike McNamara & Dennis Manning (Albacore)

3. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (RS400)

 

Single-Handers

Race 1 (9)

1. Ian Ayres (Solo)

2. Mike McNamara (Harrier+)

3. Bob Hawkins (Solo)

 

Race 2 (10)

1. Ian Ayres (Solo)

2. Daren Pike (Phantom)

3. Bob Hawkins (Solo)

 

PM Mixed Fleet (7)

1. Ian Ayres (Solo)

2. Bob Sparrow & Barry Graver (Wayfarer)

3. Keith Sykes (Laser)

 

 

Rollesby Broad New Year Open 2016

 

Given the forecast for a light intermittent easterly breeze a turnout of 20 dinghies for Rollesby Broad’s annual New Year’s Open was more than expected gave close competition throughout the fleet.

 

At the race briefing OOD Jon Sallis wisely raised the postponement and sent competitors to the galley for coffee whilst waiting for any sign of the forecast breeze to arrive. After a 30 minute delay a short course with an awkward short first leg was set. After a general recall the fleet was led around the course by Chris Sallis in his D-One, with the visiting Richard Fryer in close pursuit in his RS300. However it was the slower singlehanders who were to enjoy the close racing most. Ian Ayres in his Solo was in contact early on but it was Veronica Falat in her Streaker who negotiated the ‘fast boat’ traffic best on the first run to lead this section of the fleet to the finish with Kevin Postlethwaite rounding out the top three in another Solo.

 

Race 2 saw slightly more wind and a clean start, with Fryer this time joined by Phil Highfield in his RS700 at the front of the fleet. Ayres and Falat were very close behind at the second mark and in this race it was Falat’s turn to fall back into the traffic whilst Ayres and Stuart Highfield (Laser) sailed sufficiently clear for the Laser to complete the podium places.

 

With a win and a second apiece it was down to Ayres and Falat to race for overall top place after lunch; however with a significant course change Fryer was determined to improve on his morning’s results and led away to win on handicap. Falat led Ayres early on before they swapped place on the second beat. Overlapped the pair approached the last windward mark of lap two, Ayres clipped the flag pole on the mark and the race appeared won by Falat. Conditions were such that a never give up policy was essential and a lap later the pair arrived at the last mark with Falat less than a boat length in front. As they crossed the line both thought the other had won as the gap was too close to call. In the end just two seconds on handicap gave Falat the place and the meeting.

 

Results (20 entries)

1. Veronica Falat – Streaker 3pts; 1,2,2
2. Ian Ayres – Solo 3; 2,1,3
3. Richard Fryer – RS300 5; 6,4,1
4. Stuart Highfield– Laser 8; 5,3,dns
5. John Saddington – Albacore 8; 4,5,4
6. Kevin Postletwaite – Solo 10; 3,7,dns
7. J Blankley – Wayfarer 13; 10,8,5
8. Val Hanson – Wayfarer 15; 9,6,dns
9. Bob Sparrow – Wayfarer 16; 12,10,6
10. Tamsin Highfield – Vario 16; 11,9,7
11. R. Brown – Wayfarer 19; 8,11,dns
12. Mike Broadbent – Xenon 20; 13,12,8
13. Phil Highfield – RS700 24; 17,15,9
14. Richard Foster – Laser 27; 14,13,dns
15. Phil Harlow – RS400 28; 19,18,10
16. Matt Boreham – Solo 29; 15,14,dns
17. Steve Gray – D-One 32; 16,16,dns
18. Keith Sykes – Lark 35; 18,17,dns
19. Vince Steele – Solo 39; 20,19,dnf
20. Chris Sallis – D-One   7,dns,dns

Winter Series (October to March)

If you wish to choose your own duty date
Please Sign Up For Duties on results board by 13th Sept
Or email me with at least 2 options for with your dates by same deadline.
sailing@rbsc.org.uk
Thanks
Ian

Solo Training Afternoon

 

Sat 18^th July 2pm – Other singlehanders welcome to join in;

particularly for on the water exercises.

 

Recently I’ve had s request from the Solo fleet to organise a training day; whilst the class association offers these, it’s too late for this year; I’ve never been able to get to one myself and we are rather out of the way!

 

So in the short term I am willing to offer some of the knowledge I’ve picked up in my 15 years of Solo ownership.

 

If anyone wants me to look at their boat setup before hand I’ll be around from about 1pm – bring boats to the front lawn.

 

I intend to spend about half hour talking through boat set up at 2pm, then on the water exercises, mainly tacking and a few practice starts, quite willing to incorporate anyone else’s ideas and be flexible on the afternoon.

 

Ian