Sunday 5th October 2014

"Sunday 5th October 2014"

  That's me and Jo-Anna sailing in Barts Bash two weeks ago (red  boat in centre ) . This week was our best race of the season . I have sailed more than usual this year and I am now getting MY 4 basics right .

1) GET TO THE START ON TIME
2) GET THE COURSE
3)SET YOUR WATCH
4) BE MOVING AND ON THE LINE WHEN THE GUN GOES.

In the two races we sailed (twisted my knee for the last race ) we rounded the first mark in the lead on both occasions . OK in the first race we only held the lead for 3 marks,but I know where I went wrong up the beat. We were going from A all the way up to F . I decided not to tack on a shift and carried on,on starboard. Not only did I miss the wind-shift but I was sailing away from the mark !! . We lost two places  and finished 3rd . The next race was a cracker , we had the lead for nearly a lap dropped back to 3rd but got back in the lead with 1 lap to go . Unfortunately we were passed again and it was another 3rd but we definitely gave it a go!

Sunday 28th September 2014

"Sunday 28th September 2014"

 This was fun . Nothing to do with Sunday but more exciting . I managed to fix my rudder but I think it will go again so I need to look for a new one . It was very light winds today but just enough to get round the course . But where had all the boats gone ? After the very big turnout last week for Bart's Bash we were down to single figures again . Only two  GP's sailed the first race and then only us for race 2 and 3 .

It was lovely day though and a very pleasant sail . I was sailing with Jo-Anna and we chatted about the club and the poor turn out of boat's . There was enough wind to race so that wasn't the problem . Maybe the format needs a shakeup ? Plenty of boats turned up last week and you even had to donate to enter ! Wednesday sailing is always popular and the training is proving a big hit so things still look good for the future .

Sunday 21st September 2014

'Sunday 21st September 2014'

This Sunday was 'Bart's Bash ' . It was a worldwide  record attempt at the total number of boats sailed in a race to raise money for charity on behalf of Andrew' Bart' Simpson who drowned  whilst sailing an America's Cup boat . 32 boats took to  Hollingworth Lake (18,000 participants world wide ) for a mass start , each making a donation to the charity . The afternoon continued with normal club racing .We had a minor mishap with the tiller .

It had been repaired before a number of years ago and must have been going for a while . Luckily we were still near shore and it was light winds  . It could have been a problem in a strong breeze . We managed to borrow a replacement for the rest of the day so still had a good day's sailing in pleasant conditions . I now have it at home and I am attempting a repair , another member is bringing up a spare one on Sunday and I have also been looking on E bay . A new replacement would cost in the region of £350.00 !
         

Wednesday 27th August 2014

"Wednesday 27th August 2014"

     I have not sailed for a couple of weeks due to Officer Of The Day (OOD) duty and a weekend in the Lake-District . This Wednesday night sail (the penultimate) did not disappoint. It was a mass start due to fading light which meant a crowded line and plenty of port and starboard on the first beat . We battled round in windy conditions without incident , but I must mention the harbour at H.L.S.C.

  As you can see it's narrow and a bit tricky to exit and enter even  in good conditions. Now when a strong wind is blowing straight into the harbour it is a spectator sport to rival any extreme sport . A small group of spectators gather on the harbour wall to offer advice and support as the sailors gallantly try to save their precious boats from damage against the concrete walls . It is such a spectacle it can be heard being discussed weeks later .Entering the harbour can be just as tricky with sailors leaping from their boats into deep water to avoid a collision . All part of the fun!

But I yearn for a civilized jetty ! 

Wednesday 13th August 2014

"Wednesday 13th August 2014"

 This was our best race of the season so far . When I started sailing it was normal to get 20 plus boats of the same fleet starting a race.

 This doesn't happen anymore at club level  with 3 to 4 being the norm . Anyway don't worry because all you need is one boat of similar ability to you and its game on . Racing sailing dinghy's is a very exciting sport and you don't have to be at the front to enjoy the thrill . Keeping a boat of similar ability behind you is hard work and needs concentration and a bit of luck  from both  helm and crew . Mistakes are costly and the tension grows as the race progresses . The last leg is a nervous time as the race can easily be lost at this stage but it's a great feeling if you can cross the line in front . Make sure you celebrate and enjoy the feeling  as you can bet that  next time it will be you doing the chasing .! The previous weeks practicing the spinnaker paid off as this is a sail that can lose you a race if you are not careful . 

Going well 

Not so well .

Wednesday 6th August & Sunday 10th August 2014

"Wednesday 6th August  & Sunday 10th August 2014"

       I have some great results to report , a 2nd on Wednesday and 2 x 1st's on Sunday . The golden rule's of  "you have to turn up" and "get the course right " paid off . I sailed with Nicola on Wednesday and we had an eventful evening . Late for the start and then the spinnaker going under the boat twice ! With the wind direction there was a dead run the whole length of the lake  meaning we had to gybe three times . This was ok but taking the spinnaker down with it billowing out in front  resulted in the sheets going under the boat. We sorted it out both times with Nicola having to go to the bow and pass the sheet round the fore-stay . It lost us ground on the 3rd placed boat and it was a 3rd until John got the course wrong and we stole 2nd place .    

    On Sunday the word on everybody's lips was  Hurricane Bertha . It was all over the news and was due to effect the North West on Sunday. The result of this and the heavy rain resulted in the worst Sunday turn out at HLSC I have ever seen . It was deserted . The wind wasn't too strong but it appeared to be increasing and only two boats went out for the first race . We didn't go out but the drop in the wind and change of direction  tempted us out in the 2nd race . Now there was 3 but only us in the GP14 . The wind started to increase towards the end but we went out for the 3rd race . This race luckily was nearly over when the predicted strong winds arrived and we just got ashore in time . We did have a great sail and we both were pleased we went out.

 This was in the news the following day !! 11th August

The Exe Sails GP14 2014 World Championship are taking place at East Down Yacht Club this week. The event sees one of the biggest fleets of single class twin crew dinghies assemble in Northern Ireland.
Competitors were on their way back to shore when the incident happened.
A spokesperson for the event said the first race had been due to take place at 11.55am this morning, but it had been cancelled due to bad weather.
Following the rescue, organisers said boats had begun to head ashore when a "strong squall of 31 knots" passed over the race area.
"The effect of this was that some of the GP14 boats capsized - this is not an unusual situation and crews are trained on how to 'right' their boast, " a statement said.
"Unfortunately a further squall registering 37 knots followed the first, capsizing a further number of the fleet."
The Coastguard today said: "Belfast Coastguard was first contacted just before 2pm reporting that some of the boats had capsized, while others were struggling to cope in the strong winds and squally showers."
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt praised the efforts of the emergency services.
"It was people of all ages, and some very high winds presented themselves. A lot of the boats were ditched into the water," he said.
"It's very cold out there, all credit to the emergency services.
"Some people have minor injuries. some have some signs of hypothermia - but the situation, thank God, appears to be under control."
One of the competitors, Tom Daniel, 20, from Halifax in Yorkshire, said his boat overturned twice.
"A massive squall came through, a lot of boats went over. We got very wet, a few got various knocks and bumps going over but nothing serious," he said.
"A bit further along the line a lot of people went in because a massive squall came in and we ended up back in.
"We thought somebody was seriously hurt. We thought there was more damage than there was because a few people did look like they were struggling but it is part of the sport and this would not normally attract too much attention but people from the shore saw that there was damage and it has been blown out of proportion."
Mr Daniel said the wind was not extreme.

"The guys coped with it very well but some people did struggle a bit," he said.

  It made Sky news and Yahoo !!

Part of the fun !!

Wednesday 30th July 2014 & Sunday 3rd August 2014

"Wednesday 30th July 2014 & Sunday 3rd August 2014 "

I am going to forget Wednesday , it was a disaster . It started off breezy but the wind soon dropped . I can't put my finger on it but we seemed to be going backwards . Maybe I had too much rig tension ? Who knows?

 Anyway Sunday was a cracker . The first windy day in ages and a reminder that sailing is excellent exercise as well as a competitive day out   . We sailed 3 races and I was totally shattered (in a good way)  at the end . We had some good battles with Graham but  he always got the better us . Our best chance to beat him was the first race . He rounded the last mark in-front and we tacked off immediately . When we crossed again we had gained significantly and seemed to be going faster . However a Merlin Rocket caught us on Starboard , we didn't see it till late and completely messed up the tack losing any advantage we had and ended up sailing  for the wrong end of the line . In the other two races we swapped positions during the race but Graham always came out on top . Grrrrr. Plenty of gybes and plenty of spinnaker practice !!

Sunday 27th July 2014

"Sunday 27th July 2014"

I have been away for a few weeks and the winds have been like this picture , but today we had some breeze . I didn't have a crew for the first race but John an old sea dog had capsized in the first race and was press- ganged into crewing for me . Together we engineered the perfect start ! Starting is difficult and extremely important , it is very rare you get a perfect line and as a rule one end is favorable. This means a lot of competition for one spot . A beginner should just try to be on time on Starboard (fairly easy ) be moving when the gun goes (reasonably easy) and have clear wind (not too easy ) . Forget getting the best position for now , you won't get it ,and will end up head to wind, missing the mark or even worse ramming the committee boat . Anyway after trying out both ends of the line we plumped for the outer buoy . 30 seconds to go the other boats were going for the committee boat end . We started on Port (risky) at the opposite end and managed to cross in front of the fast approaching Starboard boats putting us in the lead . We rounded the first mark in 2nd place but slipped back as the race progressed . Nevertheless are start proved a talking point and we had a great sail in breezy conditions .

    

Sunday 29th June 2014

"Sunday 29th June 2014 "

More light winds again today . I was involved in the training and was out with  Tom  in the club GP. We sailed between two marks , beating then running back . We practiced tacks and gybes for about an hour . Tom did well , the problems came when the wind direction changed , its difficult to get your head round, but the wind direction is seldom constant on an inland water . Being effected by the surrounding hills and obstacles . All part of the fun!! In the afternoon I sailed with Nicola . There was just enough breeze to get round , but it was frustrating . After an initial 20 boats taking to the water only 3 turned out for the last race . We were one of them and miraculously the wind strength increased and we had by far the best sail of the day . Unfortunately the O.O.D set the course for light winds with only 3 laps and it was all over in 20 minutes . Made the day though .

Wednesday 25th June 2014

"Wednesday 25th June 2014"

More light winds , but not as bad as this photo. Its Bassenthwaite and I think 1966 . It was a good Wednesday night sail , a light breeze but it was steady and we completed the 4 laps which were set . As a rule the races are under an hour , but tonight it was 1 hr 6 min as we started the last lap . It was a risky decision from the O.O.D but with plenty of daylight left and no sign of the wind dropping it was a good call . Get it wrong and you will get some serious earache . I was sailing with Jo-Anna and the course had 3 beats and 3 spinnaker legs so we got in some serious spinnaker practice, and tried to improve our roll tacks. I have to admit I am ready for a bit of a blow now , but checking the weather forecast , I could be in for a wait .

           Would you like to race this round the world single handed ? 

  She Did !!!

Wednesday 11th June Sunday 15th June , Sunday 22nd June

"Wednesday 11th June Sunday 15th June , Sunday 22nd June "

Summer has arrived , and Hollingworth Lake is a wonderful place when the sun shines . Membership of HLSC costs £225 per annum for joint membership , that's an amazing £112.50 each add the £63.00 boat fee and for less than 50p a day you have 365 days a year access to the lake and clubhouse plus storage for your boat , organized racing with rescue cover , Sunday , Wednesday and Friday evening during the season , and beer at £2.00 a pint . A no brainer !! To put this in perspective in you were not a member it would  cost £15.00 a day to launch a boat on the lake , plus you would have to transport it there and store it somewhere. Not always , but the warm sunny weather brings light winds , and this was the case on Wednesday 11th June Sunday 15th June and  Sunday 22nd June . At midday on Sunday 15th there was no wind and racing was postponed for an hour . By 2 o'clock a small breeze picked up and we managed to get two races in . Light winds bring a new challenge , its a knack , some people have it . I tend to rely on luck . Never give up , 30 boat lengths behind , you get the wind first and you can catch and pass your competitors very quickly . There is no better feeling than creeping up un noticed , gliding past and waiting for the comments from your becalmed rival . Prepare to get the same treatment at some point in the race , but do enjoy it while it lasts . Light winds are a good opportunity to practice roll tacks , spinnaker gybes and catching up on the gossip with your crew ( if you have one ). I prefer a stronger breeze , as very light winds can be boring and frustrating as well as challenging, but you have the scenery to enjoy and none of the scary moments that strong winds can bring , so ideal for novices .  

Sunday 4th May and Wednesday May 7th 2014

                                                             

Sunday 4th May and Wednesday May 7th  2014

I sailed 3 races Sunday and 1 on Wednesday race with Karen . Sunday was light winds and the Wednesday was very gusty . Our results were 1st 2nd 2nd and  1st . Very impressive if you ignore the fact that only two boats sailed(in our class) and when we were 1st the boat behind retired on both occasions . So cynically you could say we were last in every race .However I am having none of it we got 2 firsts and 2 seconds . We turned up, started on time, followed the rules, completed the course ,and  finished . The results in the club will show 2 firsts and 2 seconds , so there! I have to say this is an ongoing joke in the boat , it started when I sailed with James my son . He insisted we had come last while I bragged we had won .Had a good tip off Karen as well , when writing down the course stagger the marks left and right .

                                                    F

                                                                       D

                                                                       E

                                                                       A

                                                                       B

Wednesday 30th April 2014

Wednesday 30th April 2014 


Light winds for the first time this season . I was sailing with Nicola who has also only started sailing recently but is picking it up quickly now. Tonight would be a good opportunity for spinnaker practice. To Nicola's surprise we were in the lead after the first mark . A couple of weeks ago I made a glib comment to  Adam saying it wasn't a disaster that we hadn't time to check the course as we could follow the other boats . Realizing this was poor advice I vowed to leave the club in plenty of time in future to allow us to set watches and take down the course . Luckily I had heeded my advice and we headed for the correct 2nd mark . Our lead didn't last long however , unfortunately not even to the next mark, but not to worry, the course had 3 spinnaker gybe's per lap so Nicola had plenty of chance to learn a new skill . With 2 marks to go the wind dropped off completely . After a short discussion we both agreed on the paddle and headed for home . A bit disappointing not to finish but we at least we had a good hour's sail .    

Sunday April 27th 2014

 Sunday April 27th 2014

 Had a good days sailing today . My crew was Jo-Anna who had only started sailing last season . There was a good breeze in the first race , we were both on deck and we concentrated on our upwind sailing . The boat seemed to be going well and we held our own against more experienced opposition . The GP has a large foresail and Jo-Anna has struggled uncleating the sail ready for a tack . It is more technique than strength so we practiced this and we managed some great tacks . In the 2nd race the wind got up considerably ,  we were subjected to a 10 minute squall with heavy rain . I was expecting Jo-Anna to want to retire , but no chance . WELL DONE Jo-Anna !! 

Wednesday April 23rd 2014

"Wednesday April 23rd 2014"

 I was back with Adam tonight and the capsize the previous Sunday had only served to increase his enthusiasm . There was a decent breeze but nothing like Sunday . On the agenda tonight  was flying the spinnaker. This was completely new for Adam so we went through the drill on shore first . The spinnaker is my favorite sail and once mastered by the crew is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience . It will take a few weeks to get the hang of but reaching in a strong wind with the spinnaker flying is exhilarating . There were only two GP's out but what a race ! Mind you John might not agree . We were a good 6 to 7 boat lengths behind when we reached the last mark G and the line was only 50 meters away . I don't know fully what happened but John's boat stalled and after a good tack we started to creep up on him. We were also heading to the favorable end of the line and won by a fraction . Happy days . They do say never give up especially in light fluky conditions

     

Sunday April 20th 2014 VERY WINDY!

"Sunday April 20th 2014"

Today was very windy , and it was blowing straight into the harbour . Everyone was standing about . No boats were being rigged and Adam my crew was wondering why . It was his 2nd time in a boat , he was raring to go and couldn't understand the lack of activity . I tried  to explain the possible damage to boats , too windy to race , but he wasn't convinced . When Martin started rigging I felt under pressure to go . So we went !

     The first job was getting out of the harbour . This is always tricky but it can be mastered . I like to watch what others do first . I followed Martins lead and launched the boat before putting up the sails . A push off and we were out  with one tack. It was windy but we had plenty of weight and it was manageable  . Only 4 boats ventured out 2 x GP'S 1x Merlin and 1x Solo . We all set off together ( mass start) and we battled up the first beat . A nice broad reach to follow and then another beat . The Merlin capsized . Rounding the buoy we had another broad reach , the full length of the lake . Our speed picked up , I moved further back but too late the bow started to dive . The steering went heavy , I couldn't hold the tiller extension  and we broached into wind . 9 times out of 10 I manage to climb on the centre board , but I was sat well back and slid off the capsized hull into the water . I shouted for Adam , he was ok on the other side of the boat . We met up at the rudder, hanging on as the boat turned turtle . Shit !The rudder was the  only thing  to hold onto . Adam momentarily let go and quickly got separated from the boat as the force of the wind on the hull took it away from him . Luckily he his a strong swimmer and made it back . Rescue was at hand and they managed to bring the bow round into the wind and slowly raise the mast . Once the mast was parallel with the water I swam inside the boat and climbed over the side onto the centerboard . Between us we managed to right the boat . I helped Adam aboard , we lowered the main and had a good laugh sailing back to harbour . The remaining 2 boats retired and the rest of the days sailing was abandoned . Glad we gave it a go!