Category: dragonforce

A very light and shifty breeze started the day, coming mostly from ‘over the houses’, which as we all know makes for difficult conditions for racing. After a difference of opinion over which rigs to sail in Race 1, we all changed up to A Plus sails for the rest of the day. The breeze decided to fill in from the West for the last scored race, making sailing downwind a challenge, and only seven races were scored and counted. We did finish the day with a 2 lap un-scored race, but a mixture of poor wind conditions and equipment failures meant we only managed 7 races to count.

Thanks to Paul Whalley for Race officer duties today, and to Graham Reeves for the loan of a new Race Starter timer, as the old one seems to have disappeared for good.

1. Mike de St Paer       35  11 pts
2. James Douglas        73  13 pts
3. Andrew Peter        919  28 pts
4. Dave Williams      233  29 pts
5. Richard Walker      39  32 pts
6. Charles Legg            21  36 pts
7. John Carlin                11  37 pts
8. Andrew Potter      194  39 pts  (1 x 2^nd)
9. Malcolm Harvey 1019  39 pts
10. Alan Watkinson    373  48 pts
11. Paul Little                  45   51 pts
12. John Beech                80   66 pts

Whoever said ‘in like a lion, out like a lamb’ didn’t have today’s weather in mind, as the end of March brought bitter cold, occasional sleet and a fickle breeze that tested the fleet to its limit.  A course was set along the pond, with the start at the western end, a port-hand windward mark and separator at the east, a gate at the far western end for the downwind leg and a beat up to the finish at middle of the course.  At least that was the plan, but the wind didn’t always cooperate, turning the start into a reach on port at some moments and heading and lifting sailors unpredictably at the windward end. Just to make life really difficult, it looked as if the finish could be fetched on a single tack until many boats got headed just before the line. Despite the vagaries of the wind, competition was close, as the results after 8 races show.

1. John Carlin                 11       8 pts
2. Paul Little                  45     11 pts
3. Paul Hounslow         82    13 pts
4. Stan Metcalfe          146   19 pts
5. Malcolm Harvey   1019  28 pts
6. John Beech                  80  34 pts

A beautiful spring morning, with brilliant sunshine and a light southerly breeze greeted 14 sailors for race 12 of the DF65 Social racing series. A plus rigs were chosen, and as the designated race officer Dave Williams had unfortunately taken to his bed with Covid, Paul Little stepped up and did a grand job of running 10 races, with a two lap race to finish the day, despite having no starter clock.

Another very enjoyable Wednesday’s racing, with very good competition and close results across the fleet.

1. Mike de St Paer          35  18 pts – 3 wins
2. Neil Westbrook          03 24 pts – 2 wins
3. Richard Robinson   901  24 pts – 1 win
4. Andrew Peter            919  30 pts – 2 wins
5. Simon Bates                69  33 pts – 1 win
6. Andrew Potter          194 39 pts – 1 win
7. John Carlin                   11  40 pts
8. Martin James            813  50 pts
9. John Beech                  80  66 pts
10. Charles Legg               21  68 pts
11. Malcolm Harvey    1019 72 pts
12. Stan Metcalf                46 79 pts
13. Paul Whalley               53  98 pts

Our best wishes to Dave Williams for a speedy recovery, and if anyone has the DF race starter clock hidden away, please return it to the normal locker in the clubhouse.

On arrival at the the lake today our RO, Neil Westbrook thought he was going to have problems setting a course due to the lack of wind, but within 15 mins it miraculously filled in to a good A+ choice. Donning the waders he was able to set a good start line with only a couple of eager starters being caught out.

Up to the windward mark, spreader, down through the gate to the usual finish halfway up the lake. Richard started with a win but the following races were taken between Mike and John with James allowed to take just one.

The final two lap race, saw John Carlin after his TT race weekend away romp ahead to win by half a lake distance. The overall winner Mike, was so consistent his lowest position after discards was 3rd. Thanks again to Neil for keeping the race moving and managing ten races.

1. Mike de St Paer        12 pts 5wins
2. John Carlin                14 pts 3wins
3. Richard Robinson  20 pts 1win
4. Andrew Potter         27 pts
5. James Douglas        40 pts 1 win
6. Paul Little                 50 pts
7. David Williams       56 pts
8. Martin Allan            59 pts
9. Charles Legg           62 pts 1 x 5th
10. Stan Metcalf            62 pts
11. Don Mackinnon     73 pts
12. John Beech               86 pts

17 boats turned up to race with the wind threatening to increase during the day. The wind direction from the south east and A rig was chosen to be used. As racing progressed the wind increased in strength and altered in direction, this caused the wind to become very shifty with big gusts and areas of no wind. The direction was now from over the clubhouse and at times coming down vertically and going in all directions with many boats turning into submarines on the downwind legs.

When the scores were finally added up, it was all very close at the top with only 5 points separating the first four boats.  Thanks to RO Simon Bates who managed to give us 10 races in the difficult conditions.

1. Alan Watkinson        19 pts 4wins
2. Mike de St Paer         22 pts 3wins
3. Neil Westbrook        22 pts 4th
4. Richard Robinson   24 pts 1win
5. James Douglas          36 pts 2wins
6.  John Carlin                36 pts
7. Charles Legg              45 pts
8. Don Mackinnon        57 pts
9. Richard Walker         70 pts
10. Paul Hounslow          73 pts
11. Paul Little                   78 pts
12. Martin James            79 pts
13. John Beech                 94 pts
14. Andrew Potter          97 pts 2 x7ths
15. Malcolm Harvey      97 pts
16. Paul Whalley           110 pts
17. Ken Roscoe               129 pts

A great turnout of 17 Skippers showed on a rather cold, grey, and wet day.

Although there were some lulls, the choice of A rigs proved to be correct as there were some chunky gusts making for quite testing racing. The wind direction allowed OD Mike St Paer set a standard windward / leeward course using the full length of the lake – a relief after the last couple of weeks of S. Westerlies blowing over the houses.

Competition was keen right from the off, with five different winners for the first five races. Conditions led to a number of collisions but with no apparent damage.

Neil Westbrook ran out the eventual winner, with five firsts beating a consistent Peter Baldwin who was unlucky to be tagged more than once near the start.

1. Neil Westbrook       03     14pts – 5 wins
2. Peter Baldwin          63     22pts – 1 win
3. Andrew Potter         94     31pts – 2 wins
4. Alan Watkinson    373     35pts – 1 win
5. Richard Robinson 901    37pts
6. John Carlin                 11     41pts
7. Andrew Peter          919    51pts
8. James Cameron        73    52pts
9. Simon Bates               69   66pts
10. Dave Williams          233   70pts (ahead on countback (one second))
11. Paul Little                     95   70pts
12. Richard Walker          39    74pts
13. Charles Legg                21    94 pts
14. John Beech                   80   96pts
15. Sally Collings           829    110pts
16. Paul Whalley              53      112pts
17. Malcolm Harvey    1019    117pts