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DF65 & DF95 Social racing 2025 – 17/12/25

DF65’s

Bit grey to start with for the DF65 fleet, but enough breeze to make for a good days sailing. We had all expected much more pressure based on the various forecasts, but in the event the day was top end of A+ with some lulls and a few punchy gusts as the morning sailing progressed.

The start line at the far end was pretty good although it seemed to be better up at the clubhouse side rather than at the pin, Another excellent turnout of 10 skippers, although there was a bit of coming and going as James missed the first race due to transport problems, and Duncan Neale made it later on but after only two races got a call out and had to leave straight away. It was great to welcome IOM and 95 sailor Guy Cowper to the 65 fleet, and after a long absence it was also very nice to welcome Frans back. He had decided not to sail so very kindly offered to RO for the morning.

Start 1 was pretty much on time and was won by Clive. James just made race 2 but only due to a general recall after a very confused (omnishambles? / snafu?) start which was then won by Mike. James then put in a second and three straight wins on his way to win.

As always the conditions were tricky with a bit of easterly in the breeze, and got more so as the direction went slightly right during the morning. Starting the first beat with a long starboard tack looked right but then getting back across didn’t work reliably. At the same time taking some shifts to get closer to the windward side of the lake paid off well but wasn’t entirely consistent.

Behind James there was some very close racing with Clive, Mike and John all winning one or more races. There were also a number of boat to boat touches and some mistakes at mark roundings. James ended four points clear of Clive in second, with second to fourth all within four points. Guy and Richard also had a number of good results with Guy becoming very competitive with a bit of boat tweaking input from Clive.

A really competitive day with many thanks to Frans for ROing and Malcolm for the results as shown below, plus Dave as resident photographer of the 65’s. Finishing on a slightly sad note, Sally has decided to retire from the fleet due to other commitments – we will all miss you Sally.

DF95’s

The morning southerly breeze continued for the majority of the afternoon providing a good mid range for A rig. Six skippers took to the water, a couple of regulars down but enough for some good close racing. The starts were self monitored and the finish recorded by the first home. The same course as the morning was used using the full length of the lake, to a windward mark, spreader a single leeward rounding mark and to the finish line ¾ of the way up the lake providing a good beat. Before racing started Clive gave some useful rigging pointers to Andy, Stuart and Steve which was well received.

The Southerly breeze was tricky enough to cause some place changes, mainly due to picking wrong shifts rather than holes. Racing was competitive from the start but in reality split into 2 groups, with Guy, Andy and Clive in the first group and Steve, Stuart and Malcolm in the second, although occasionally someone would jump up or slip down. Nine races were sailed in total before bad light and heavy storm clouds threatening an imminent rain storm forced a stop.

Race 1 saw close competition between the whole fleet with Guy taking the win, Andy who sailed extremely well and consistently throughout the afternoon taking 2nd which turned out to be the first of 6, and Malcolm filling the final podium spot.

Race 2 and 3 ended the same way with Clive taking the wins, Andy theb 2nd and Guy the 3rd spot

Race 4 and Guy returned to the top spot followed by Stuart who sailed well to finish 2nd and Andy with the only blotch on his score sheet if you can call a 3rd blotch.

Race 5 and it was Clives turn to take the win with Andy continuing his run of 2nds with Guy 3rd. The minor placings were being well contested with Steve Miller just about getting the better of Stuart and Malcolm, however Stuart suffered boat failure in race 5 which ended his afternoon

Race 6 and after another close race at the front Andy got his first well deserved win, with Guy 2nd and Clive 3rd. After sailing in the 65s in the morning and 6 races in the afternoon Malcolm decided it was time to put his feet up and call it a day.

For Races  7, 8, and 9 and after Malcolms retirement only 4 helms remained, the wind was probably the best it had been all day, so 3 more races were sailed. The results were to close to call with Guy on 2 wins, Clive on 3, Andy on 1 but with a bag full of 2nds it was all to play for The final 3 races were just as close and resulted in 3 different winners Guy, Clive and Andy with Andy,  taking 2 seconds, and Clive taking the other. Steve Miller sailed a great last race to take a 3rd spot.

To summarise, it was a very enjoyable afternoon with a pretty good  breeze providing a very good afternoons racing.

 

IOM Xmas Open 2025

(c) Stuart MearnsThis years IOM Xmas Open attracted a decent fleet of 18 sailors including 4 of the GBR Team for the 2026 IOM Worlds, so it was always going to be a difficult day to get a good result.

The forecast was for a SSE backing to S around mid-day.  This theoretically might give us a breeze diagonal across the lake, but we were fortunate that the breeze was  nearly straight down the lake from the Clubhouse with a strength that was low to middle of Top suit.

(c) Stuart MearnsAfter a short briefing by Peter Baldwin standing in for the Sailing Sec, we got started on time at 10:15 and completed five races before a short drinls break.  This first session was doominated by Brad Gibson (first in every race) and Graham Elliott, who took second in the first three and then a third in Race 5, with Darin Ballington picking up a  couple of thirds,  Josh King two seconds in races 4 and 5, with Peter Baldwin and John Brierley a third each.  There was some close racing throughout the fleet, with errors in the middle bunch being penalised by plenty of lost places it was so tight.

(c) Stuart MearnsJohn Tushingham had an unfortunate early bath after gear failure before the start of Race 3 and Robbie Mac lost three races in this early session with gear problems.

In the second session a further four races were completed and it was now Graham’s turn to give a better performance with three win’s to Brad’s single win.  The podium spots were once again filled by similar names as in the first session, with Josh, Darin, Martin and Peter all picking up at least one decent score.  However, by the time we stopped for lunch, the breeze had dropped and also backed, so that it was more over the houses and a little more of a lottery as to who might get the breeze along the race course.

(c) Paul PlestedLunch taken, we sailed an additional seven races, but with only 17 starting as John Brierley also had un-fixable gear failure ending his day.  Starts were interesting as we could be fetching, reaching or running off the line.  Surpisingly considering the conditions, very few General recalls were called and only an occasional single OCS by someone who was well proud and visible to the Start Line Judge.

Unsurprisingly, the same names figured as race winners, with Brad taking four more and then the remainder in the hands of Josh, Graham and for the final race Paul Middleton.  Most of the same names as before figured in the remaining podium spots, with the addition of John Smith taking a well deserved second in Race 15.

(c) Paul PlestedOverall a decent days racing with some close competition and some tricky close finishes to call for our Line Judge in training.  Not surpringly, Brad Gibson took the day, with Graham Elliott in second and Josh King in third.

Brad thanked the Race Team (Dave Williams, Steve Miller and Judith Baldwin) and Joss Watkinson who did a sterling job in the galley, keeping everyone supplied with hot drinks and tasty snacks.  More photos to follow in the Gallery tomorrow.  There will be an additional post to provide the link.

DF65 Social Racing 2025 – 10/12/25

A lovely bright start to sailing today, although the South West wind blowing right over the houses provided a somewhat lucky dip element to the days sailing. One of the clubhouse end start marks remains missing despite a pre-sailing search party, but the remaining start mark and the nearer gate mark provided a good start line, and it was agreed to use the finish mark as a windward mark providing a good – if very unpredictable – beat. The first few races then used the rest of the usual course, but as races were proving quite lengthy it was agreed to use a shortened course using the finish mark, outer start mark and gate.

Racing got away promptly from the clubhouse end with the line working OK. It was really very shifty (Neil would say people kept opening and closing doors in the next road) and it was somewhat of a lucky dip where to start. The first beat to round the finishing mark was also very tricky with different tactics working for different races.

Overall it seemed to pay to start on Starboard at the outer end and then sail until headed closer to the windward bank, but there were plenty of exceptions meaning there were five different winners during the mornings eight races. Almost everyone had at least one good result during the morning with Mike managing to stay clear overall.

Thanks to Commodore Dave for keeping things moving, taking pictures and doing the results which are shown below. A really pleasant day to be outside followed by an excellent Christmas meal very well organised by Malcolm – many thanks again

 

  1. 35 Mike de St Paer        10pts 3 wins
  2. 53 Clive Warren             13pts 2 wins
  3. 373 Alan Watkinson    18 pts1 win
  4. 233 Dave Williams       21 pts 2 wins  (ahead on countback).
  5. 39 Richard Walker       21 pts
  6. 21 Charles Legg             30 pts
  7. 80 John Beech                33 pts
  8. 94 Dave White                35 pts

DF95 Winter Series 2025/26 #1 – 6/12/25

The lake didn’t look very inviting for sailing as the 12 skippers arrived for the first of the DF95 series of races including Brian Crosse from Great Orme and David Worron from Gresford. On a positive note the overnight rain had disappeared, but then grey skies remained and the promised wind had not materialised leaving a glassy look on the lake with only the odd zephyr managing to pass through.

Guy Cowper had problems with his FlySky transmitter and it took Dave Howard to sort it, (for those interested it turns out you can not bind on channel 2 if channel 1 is empty). Apart from this the pre race antics where trouble free. Neil Westbrook, was our RO for then day ably assisted by Dave Howard. By the time racing got underway on time at 12-00 there was just enough wind to note which direction it was generally coming from enabling a standard course to set, starting at the clubhouse end a spreader mark at the far end, and a gate at the leeward, a short beat back to the finish line halfway up the lake. Due to the lake of ‘real’ wind a single lap was set.

The start line looked like it had a port bias to it, but in reality there was a trade of between starting at the committee end and chancing your luck with the wind, or at the pin end where the wind was more reliable. Whichever position the skippers chose it resulted in a long port tack, then trying to navigate the best approach to the windward mark where many a place was lost and gained. The short beat back to the finish from the leeward gate was also a tricky win or lose leg, meaning the places were not secure until you’d crossed the line.

Unfortunately Martin R was a late arrival and missed the first 2 races. Racing was very tight, right from the outset, but John Brierley showed his class in the first race shooting out from the middle of the pack on the first beat, taking the win with Guy and Alan following him home. Race 2 and it was commodore Dave sneaking home first passing Clive and John B on the final beat. Race 3 and Martin joined in and showed his class straight away taking what was the start of 4 second places in a row but couldn’t topple John B from taking his 2nd win and the start of a run of 4 bullets. The minor places were keenly fought with Clive being very consistent having a run of 3 thirds and Brian C taking 1. The final 4 races were business as usual for our top 2 helms taking 2 wins each, but dropping out of podium positions when not winning, second places went Guy with 2 and Clive with 1 and final podium positions being filled by Dave W, Guy and John Beech

Special mentions go to Dave W for his win in race 2, John Beech who led convincingly at the first mark only to be pegged back, and Steve Miller who was in 3rd place in one race coming through the gate mark.

All in all, an enjoyable if not frustrating at times where everyone was close to the lead at some stage, but as always the cream always seems to float towards the top, Well done John B and Martin.

Thanks again to our ROs for the day and to Dave Howard for the photos.