WATCHING the racing on Sunday was someone who clearly knew the area around the club well enough to walk it with a dog.
In chatting they asked about the presence of two RNLI lifeboats, around thirty racing dinghies of a wide range, but were most confused by our rather unique weather! Why was it significantly less windy, less rain, more sun, and generally nice after the forecasts had variously predicted worse.
The lifeboats were easy, MYCs anniversary; the dinghies were easy, RSC is a great club with a very active racing community; the weather? Ah, mumble, mumble, blah, blah – we are a microclimate in the southwest, we stick out south and west, water currents, oh give up explaining just get outside and enjoy it when it is nice!
The sailing was by all accounts a bit crazy. Club sailors capsized, a Laser boom was broken, an Aero lost a tiller extension whilst upside down, a Musto Skiff simply didn’t manage the conditions so that sailor took a blast out and around Black Rock Buoy before coming in and packing up.
Parts of the fleet in fierce competition rounded one mark and all hit a patch with as good as no wind so they all stopped, and bobbed around for a bit until another gust blasted them forward.
I asked one Laser sailor what he had done in those still moments and he replied carefully that he had braced himself for the inevitable zero to twenty-knot wind blast whilst offering thoughts that his urgent desire was to stay upright.
He did; that time at least! The wind was from the north and bouncing between 13 to 20 knots officially but as described sailors floundered in huge windless holes!
Three Fireflys started, two survived; well done to Ben Lumby and Liz Evans in both races. The Pirates fleet and its races were sadly postponed as the St Just side was maybe too much for these racing novices. Race Officer Ben Lloyd-King was surely aware his largest fleet would normally be the medium handicap.
Maybe discretion in some minds was the better part of valour as only four Aeros and two Europes set out; one Aero, as mentioned lost a tiller extension and one Europe retired after the first race. Tim Laws took both races in Europe 399, terrific sailing.
Three Darts looked to be flying along, Jeremy and Sabine Underwood taking both races but with close finishes. The Lasers remained in the order Poppy, Geoff, Richard and Simon with Poppy’s huge advantage being the unwinding of the handicap system. On the water, the boats were seconds apart but the great benefit of the radial sail handicap won the day. The asymmetric fleet, that is all RS200s was again dominated by Henry and Rose Hallam.
The other three boats shared honours and the speed of the Hallam pair didn’t go unnoticed with very tongue-in-cheek mutterings about thin gel coats. Of course, it must be said, not remotely true. The turbo fleet, often mentioned first, saw Ralph Singleton and his long-standing crew member share their last race together. Ralph a stalwart and inspirational figure in the club is leaving for waters slightly further east.
He will be missed as his RS800 is a magnificent sight on the water as he and his crew fight to sail flat and true. We all hope he will grace us with his presence at events that warrant towing down to RSC. In a marvelous twist of the hand of fate, or should that be sail of fate Ralph won both races over his time-honored adversary Peter Knight in his B14.
A huge shout-out to Kitty and Lilly O’Halloran in their new 29er who took both second slots. A great first outing as they prepare for a summer of fierce competition. Ralph, safe travels; Kitty and Lilly please come back decked out in medals.
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