Post by abby on May 1, 2012 13:05:34 GMT
The weather did its worst but 8 sailors ventured out on Lackford Lake over the weekend and had some very good sailing. Our travellers came from London, Hertfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to sail 3 races on Saturday and Sunday The wind was such that Paul Lohr (Welwyn Garden city SC) missed the first time signal and was sadly late for the start, and Mike Steele (SESCA) and Roger Witt (Frampton) both missed out the start/finish gate, leaving Tim Lupton of Bury St Edmunds but sailing now at Hunts SC, Steve Seargeant ( ?will check which Club), Mark Wiltshire (Whitefriars SC) and Gary Tompkins (SESCA) to contest a windy race. Steve was on the inside of Tim at the last mark but in the dropping (yes, it did) wind Tim got ahead.
Tim Lupton (1), Stephen Seargeant (2), Mark Wiltshire (3) Gary Tompkins (4) and Paul Lohr (5)
The second race was over a different course with everyone starting together, and sailing the correct course. Although the places behind changed Tim Lupton led the fleet around the Lake where he learnt to sail, chased by Gary and Roger, who overtook Gary and was catching Tim but not fast enough. Mike Steele, sailing Lappet for the second time, struggled with Abby’s rigging (and she is very happy with his tuning adjustments) and her centreboard which wouldn’t go down quite far enough
Tim Lupton (1) Roger Witt (2) Gary Tompkins (3) Steve Seargeant (4) Mike Steele (5) Mark Wiltshire (6) Paul Lohr (7)
For race 3 the fleet were joined by Ed Deacon (Hunts SC) sailing Laura Lee generously loaned by Dennis Miles (Staines SC). Ed has recently bought an International Moth (low rider) and struggled to remember how to make a British Moth go. Roger Witt had now got in gear and had a good race with Tim Lupton. Mark Wiltshire got hit by a Pike (well, that is what he says) and broke the rudder downhaul. Paul Lohr had much the same trouble in much the same place (nasty, those big fish) and they both retired.
Roger (1) Tim (2) Steve (3) Mike (4) Gary (5) Ed (6)
Saturday saw the return of Rock of Ages (Tim Skelton and Paul…) to entertain us with an hour of blues based music before the tired and emotional sailors retired to their ‘camp sites’ in SESCA members houses.
Sunday, if anything, was wetter, colder and windier but still Roger, Tim, Gary, Mike, and Mark were joined before the start by Abby sailing Laura Lee for 10 mins before falling in. She was not to be the only one. Mike Steele, getting to grips with Lappet led the fleet for the first lap until Tim’s greater experience in a Moth reeled him in. One particular mark saw very shifty conditions and they influenced the race considerably. On the 3rd lap there was a split in tactics on which way to approach. Tim got it right and never looked back, Mark caught up with Mike, Gary fell in – and he was not the only one. Mike was planing up the long reach catching Mark when sadly the gust died and the boat went in to windward – and no, Moths won’t pick you up the way a Laser will. Since the centreboard was still jamming (ed. now repaired) he could not get the boat upright and had to be recovered. The watchers on shore had a great time watching the boats coming back to the s/f gate (which again sadly Roger missed) wondering if the submarining bows would ever pop up.
Tim Lupton (1) Mark Wiltshire (2) Gary Tompkins (3) were the survivors.
Ed Deacon again joined the fun for the second race. Although Tim led pretty much from the beginning Mike was there behind waiting for an opportunity. The placing again changed hands frequently but finished up
Tim (1), Mike (2) Mark (3) Ed (4) Gary (5) .
With the outcome of both days decided the fleet all packed up their boats at the end of Race 2.
As they left the club later in the afternoon, the wind was dropping. By the time we had cleaned up, the sun was shining, there was a beautiful breeze and it was a lovely late afternoon. Ah Spring.
My thanks to all the weekend helpers: Mike Senior (Race Officer) Neville Bonham (assistant Race Officer) the two safety boat drivers (Chris & Tim) Fliss Elsom-Cooke (serving lunch and producing Rock of Ages), Richard and Sam Keefe (Race Reporting and Boarding house arrangements), Gary Tompkins – for bringing British Moths to Bury St Edmunds and carting all the gear and boats to SESCA
Abby
Tim Lupton (1), Stephen Seargeant (2), Mark Wiltshire (3) Gary Tompkins (4) and Paul Lohr (5)
The second race was over a different course with everyone starting together, and sailing the correct course. Although the places behind changed Tim Lupton led the fleet around the Lake where he learnt to sail, chased by Gary and Roger, who overtook Gary and was catching Tim but not fast enough. Mike Steele, sailing Lappet for the second time, struggled with Abby’s rigging (and she is very happy with his tuning adjustments) and her centreboard which wouldn’t go down quite far enough
Tim Lupton (1) Roger Witt (2) Gary Tompkins (3) Steve Seargeant (4) Mike Steele (5) Mark Wiltshire (6) Paul Lohr (7)
For race 3 the fleet were joined by Ed Deacon (Hunts SC) sailing Laura Lee generously loaned by Dennis Miles (Staines SC). Ed has recently bought an International Moth (low rider) and struggled to remember how to make a British Moth go. Roger Witt had now got in gear and had a good race with Tim Lupton. Mark Wiltshire got hit by a Pike (well, that is what he says) and broke the rudder downhaul. Paul Lohr had much the same trouble in much the same place (nasty, those big fish) and they both retired.
Roger (1) Tim (2) Steve (3) Mike (4) Gary (5) Ed (6)
Saturday saw the return of Rock of Ages (Tim Skelton and Paul…) to entertain us with an hour of blues based music before the tired and emotional sailors retired to their ‘camp sites’ in SESCA members houses.
Sunday, if anything, was wetter, colder and windier but still Roger, Tim, Gary, Mike, and Mark were joined before the start by Abby sailing Laura Lee for 10 mins before falling in. She was not to be the only one. Mike Steele, getting to grips with Lappet led the fleet for the first lap until Tim’s greater experience in a Moth reeled him in. One particular mark saw very shifty conditions and they influenced the race considerably. On the 3rd lap there was a split in tactics on which way to approach. Tim got it right and never looked back, Mark caught up with Mike, Gary fell in – and he was not the only one. Mike was planing up the long reach catching Mark when sadly the gust died and the boat went in to windward – and no, Moths won’t pick you up the way a Laser will. Since the centreboard was still jamming (ed. now repaired) he could not get the boat upright and had to be recovered. The watchers on shore had a great time watching the boats coming back to the s/f gate (which again sadly Roger missed) wondering if the submarining bows would ever pop up.
Tim Lupton (1) Mark Wiltshire (2) Gary Tompkins (3) were the survivors.
Ed Deacon again joined the fun for the second race. Although Tim led pretty much from the beginning Mike was there behind waiting for an opportunity. The placing again changed hands frequently but finished up
Tim (1), Mike (2) Mark (3) Ed (4) Gary (5) .
With the outcome of both days decided the fleet all packed up their boats at the end of Race 2.
As they left the club later in the afternoon, the wind was dropping. By the time we had cleaned up, the sun was shining, there was a beautiful breeze and it was a lovely late afternoon. Ah Spring.
My thanks to all the weekend helpers: Mike Senior (Race Officer) Neville Bonham (assistant Race Officer) the two safety boat drivers (Chris & Tim) Fliss Elsom-Cooke (serving lunch and producing Rock of Ages), Richard and Sam Keefe (Race Reporting and Boarding house arrangements), Gary Tompkins – for bringing British Moths to Bury St Edmunds and carting all the gear and boats to SESCA
Abby
