Author: Keith Sykes

Spring / Eels Foot Report

The Spring series at Rollesby started with the first “Eels Foot Race” of the year. Fourteen boat set out but, as the wind died after the start, the short beat across the Broad turned into a torturous affair. Mike McNamara in his Harrier with Ian and Sharon Ayres in their Leader came round the windward mark ahead of the rest. After a slow broad reach down the Broad the wind picked up and once through the cut, the fleet had a good sail in the bigger Broad. McNamara lead the fleet home. The Leader and the Hansons in their Wayfarer were not far behind having made good use of spinnakers. Handicap results gave the Ayres a win with McNamara second and Val and Chris Hanson third.
The second race with a figure of eight course saw a clear win for McNamara with Ian Hanson in a solo second and the Leader third.

Three Lasers and a Wayfarer stayed for the afternoon race. Keith Sykes
Laser took the win two second infront of Bob Sparrow and Steve in the Wayfarer.

Don’t forget its Mike Macs – Rules talk this Wednesday

To kick off the season, and at the request of several Wednesday Sailors, Mike McNamara has agreed to give a talk on the racing rules on the previous Wednesday evening i.e. 17thApril.

We would intend this kick off at 7 and Mike has promised to aim it at those who have done a little racing but would benefit from knowing more than just the port / starboard rule!

Learn to Sail Starts- April 27th.

Free lessons provided for new club members

Courses will run on Saturdays
April 27th
May 11th
May 25th
June 8th
From 10:00 to 16:00

Click on Leaflet Image for more details

Please pass on to any interested parties.  

The course will be run by club members in both members’ boats and our own club boats.

The course will be open to both youngsters and adults.

Sailing is perceived as being an expensive sport. Nothing could be further from the truth. You don’t even need to own a boat since we have a fleet of club boats available.  

For more information all Rachel or Pete on 01953 606334.

Spring Regatta

Rollesby held their Spring Regatta on Sunday. In the pouring rain, at the start of the morning, it did not feel like spring but eleven single handers turned out. As the rain stopped a fresh breeze developed from the north blowing down the Broad and the fleet was treated to some good sailing conditions.
In race one John Saddington in a solo and Matt Boreham in his laser got clear of the rest. Boreham crossed the line first but Saddington took the win on handicap with Steve Whitby in his mini sail second.
In race two Boreham gained a substantial lead on the first lap and was not to be caught. The solo of Ian Hanson made second with the mini sail third. With mixed results and a discard available the regatta win was up for grabs in the third race. With an increasing wind the lasers lead the way with a win by Boreham, the mini sail second. The results reconciled gave Boreham the
trophy with the mini sail second and Ian Hanson in the solo third.
Results Spring Regatta.

  1. Laser Matt Boreham
  2. Mini Sail Steve Whitby
  3. Solo Ian Hanson

FYI — Car Number Plate – AU14 HKN, Found on floor now in Club house

Wednesdays & Rule Talk

This year our personal start pursuit racing starts on 24th April it is intended that racing starts at 6.30 for a Mirror (rather than 7) to allow more sailing time before the breeze dies. If you arrive a bit late you may be able to request a small delay from our friendly race team!

To kick off the season, and at the request of several Wednesday Sailors, Mike McNamara has agreed to give a talk on the racing rules on the previous Wednesday evening i.e. 17thApril.

We would intend this kick off at 7 and Mike has promised to aim it at those who have done a little racing but would benefit from knowing more than just the port / starboard rule!

I intend to provide a baked potato meal around 6.45; if anyone wants to partake in this please let me know by Sunday 14thso I know roughly how many to bring!

01692 670547; sailing@rbsc.org.uk or catch me at the club.

Thanks

Ian

End of Frostbite Series

A suitably chilly start as winter sailing at Rollesby came to its conclusion with the final races of the Frostbite Series which warmed up to a beautifully sunny spring day for all those who remembered the clocks had changed! An impressive entry of 65 different craft have taken part over the winter with 19 different Solos, 12 Wayfarers and 10 Lasers making up the bulk of the fleet.

With the Multisail series results already in the bag for Dave Houghton & John Symonds it was great to see Mike & Sam McNamara on the water; showing the fleet how it should be done, though they may have been aided a little in race 1 by Houghton’s spinnaker snagging on the first hoist. Bob Saprrow & Tony Gibbs were not to be entirely out done by port tacking the McNamaras in race 2 to lead until the kites went up!

Both single hander series were still fairly open; with McNamara Wayfarering and Ian Ayres on race duty surely some low point scores were available to the other protagonists. The conditions (and possibly the course) clearly suited the Lasers, as in both races Matt Boreham led the way by the end of lap one. In race 1 Dan Bull recovered well from an unnecessary restart to be second on the water however he was not far enough in front of either the Solos of Roger Wilson or Terry Palmer or the flying MiniSail of Steve Whitby who took the handicap win. Wilson’s third was enough to take the series from Palmer. In race 2 Whitby suffered a broken mast when well in contention and Bull slowly reeled in Boreham to take the win. Phil Highfield in his Streaker worked particularly hard on the third lap to drop the Solos taking second from Boreham by 2 seconds and the series win from Wilson.

Multisails
Race 1 & 2 (5 entries)

  1. Mike & Sam McNamara (Wayfarer)
  2. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer)
  3. Bob Sparrow & Tony Gibbs (Wayfarer)

SingleHanders
Race 1 (16 entries)

  1. Steve Whitby (MiniSail)
  2. Matt Boreham (Laser)
  3. Roger Wilson (Solo)

Race 2 (14)

  1. Daniel Bull (Laser)
  2. Phil Highfield (Streaker)
  3. Matt Boreham (Laser)

Mixed PM Race 3 (3)

  1. Ian Hanson (Solo)
  2. Simon Strode (Solo)
  3. Phil Alison (Solo)

Autumn Series Results Overall

Multisails
Race 1 &2 (16 entries) – same positions

  1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer) – 5 / 5 pts
  2. Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons (Wayfarer) – 12 / 14
  3. John Saddington & Dennis Manning (Albacore) – 15 /18

SingleHanders
Race 1 (32 entries)

  1. Roger Wilson (Solo) – 10 pts
  2. Terry Palmer (Solo) – 12
  3. Matt Boreham (Solo/Laser) – 26
  4. Tamsin Highfield (Streaker) – 26

Race 2 (32)

  1. Phil Highfield (Streaker) – 10 pts
  2. Roger Wilson (Solo) – 14
  3. Daniel Bull (Laser Radial) – 17
  4. Terry Palmer (Solo) – 20

Mixed PM Race 3 (23)

  1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer) – 3 pts
  2. Roger Wilson (Solo) – 7
  3. John Saddington & Dennis Manning (Wayfarer) – 10

Report – 24th March

An inconsistent westerly breeze meant short beats, long reaches and increased the importance of a good start at Rollebsy on Sunday 24th March. With the mutlisail series already sorting themselves out the tighter competition is with the single-handers , where the winners are still open to several sailors with only one more week to go.

Close Racing

The Solos were again to the fore, but not exclusively so. Roger Wilson and Ian Ayres led at the first mark with Daniel Bull in his Laser for company. On the first reach Mike McNamara took his rightful place in front in his Harrier, eventually being joined by Dave Frary in his Finn. Neither they or Bull could pull out enough from the two Solos who appeared to be tied together, they were generally so close to each other; with Wilson taking the win. Steve Whitby kept his Minisail in touch with the pack to take fourth on handicap.

Twenty seconds before the start of race 2 Clive Girling (Laser) managed to capsize and lasso the windward line marker causing complete mayhem at that end of the line. Wilson was the only boat with a clear run and led by around 10 lengths at the first mark from Ayres, Matt Boreham and Bull. Bull charged down the first full reach and as the fleet tried to sort itself out, Chris Codling showed a good turn of speed to bring his Laser into fourth with Phil Highfield’s Streaker in close pursuit. Bull gained just enough to win by 3 seconds from Wilson and Ayres who finished over lapped.

Multisail Race 1 Start

Dave Houghton & Jon Symonds won both multisail races from Pete & Rachel Smith. These two sailed well clear of the six Wayfarers in race 1, but had to get past Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons who started late but in the right place and tacked off first to lead round the first mark and the first lap in race 2.

The bright conditions encouraged 13 craft back out after lunch though the wind direction altered slightly making the race somewhat processional with Wilson and Keith Sykes (Laser) splitting the Wayfarers of Houghton & Sparrow from the Terry Palmer led (7 strong) Solo pack.

Multisails
Race 1 (7 entries)

  1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer)
  2. Pete & Rachel Smith (Wayfarer)
  3. Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons (Wayfarer)

Race 2 (7)

  1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer)
  2. Pete & Rachel Smith (Wayfarer)
  3. Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons (Wayfarer)

SingleHanders
Race 1 (20 entries)

  1. RogerWilson (Solo)
  2. Ian Ayres (Solo)
  3. Mike McNamara (Harrier)
  4. Steve Whitby (MiniSail)

Race 2 (17)

  1. Daniel Bull (Laser)
  2. RogerWilson (Solo)
  3. Ian Ayres (Solo)
  4. Phil Highfield (Streaker)

PM Mixed Fleet (13)

  1. Dave Houghton & John Symonds (Wayfarer)
  2. Roger Wilson (Solo)
  3. Bob Sparrow & Steve Gibbons (Wayfarer)
  4. Terry Palmer (Solo)