Anyone got any gen on Hamble?
Everyone we speak to that knows Hamble says...
"Ooh LETHAL tides" and "very choppy waters, very brown and lots of short chop, careful of the chop...oh and the tides...LETHAL tides!"
Cripes!
Seems there might be some tide then...and some chop. Anyone know any secrets that might help us get around quicker? It would only be fair to give us a chance against the locals!
The race course is supposed to be within 1 mile of William Buoy.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Falmouth Week provides final tune-up
A glorious day of sunshine in Falmouth today. The best we have had in a month. Finally Cornwall's visitors (aka Emmets)can go to the beach and meanwhile the Martitime Museum can draw a deep breath after so much rain has washed so many visitors through the doors over the wet weeks.
For Liz and I it was a chance to engage the dinghies competing n Falmouth Dinghy Week (FDW) for a last tune-up before we hit the long road to Hamble.
Arriving at the scene it was good to see a Firefly (Peter and Dawn Langdon to no-one's surprise)at the top of the leaders board in Division 3 which with 24 boats includes a whole range of small dinghies including Solos, Enterprises, RS Fevas, Laser radials and so on.
The Wayfarer Nationals is being run within FDW and provides a busy racecourse. No sign of Frank and Margaret Dye - probably off Norway somewhere...
The race begins under Trefusis Point in fickle conditions. The Langdons cleverly pick their way up to the shore and catch the Wayfarers up by the first mark - who all seem to be wallowing - perhaps chatting about their lunch or their last summer cruise or something!
We creep around behind them. This is a harbour race around the whole of the Carrick Roads. Somehow we manage to overhaul Peter & Dawn, and then eventually an Enterprise which has been dumped on by a huge wind shift.
After 2 hours of racing, isn't it incredible that two Fireflies can finish within seconds of eachother. Happily for us it was us just one boat-length ahead of the Langdons at the Finish. First over the line and first on handicap.
Then it was pack the boat onto trailer and ready for the road tomorrow.
The sailing's not over for the day yet though. This evening we sailed a SMOD (St Mawes One Design) in a 'Parade of Sail' around Falmouth Harbour. This is SMOD No 1, Aileen, a resident of the Maritime Museum floating collection on display on the pontoon. Here's a picture. My crew are Andy and Liz Palmer-Felgate - used to sail Fireflies but jumped ship to the faster RS500 and currently leading the FDW asymetric fleet.
Also pictured below is Daisy Belle sailed by Museum Director Jonatahan Griffin. This little boat has spent well over 100 years on the Fal.
For Liz and I it was a chance to engage the dinghies competing n Falmouth Dinghy Week (FDW) for a last tune-up before we hit the long road to Hamble.
Arriving at the scene it was good to see a Firefly (Peter and Dawn Langdon to no-one's surprise)at the top of the leaders board in Division 3 which with 24 boats includes a whole range of small dinghies including Solos, Enterprises, RS Fevas, Laser radials and so on.
The Wayfarer Nationals is being run within FDW and provides a busy racecourse. No sign of Frank and Margaret Dye - probably off Norway somewhere...
The race begins under Trefusis Point in fickle conditions. The Langdons cleverly pick their way up to the shore and catch the Wayfarers up by the first mark - who all seem to be wallowing - perhaps chatting about their lunch or their last summer cruise or something!
We creep around behind them. This is a harbour race around the whole of the Carrick Roads. Somehow we manage to overhaul Peter & Dawn, and then eventually an Enterprise which has been dumped on by a huge wind shift.
After 2 hours of racing, isn't it incredible that two Fireflies can finish within seconds of eachother. Happily for us it was us just one boat-length ahead of the Langdons at the Finish. First over the line and first on handicap.
Then it was pack the boat onto trailer and ready for the road tomorrow.
The sailing's not over for the day yet though. This evening we sailed a SMOD (St Mawes One Design) in a 'Parade of Sail' around Falmouth Harbour. This is SMOD No 1, Aileen, a resident of the Maritime Museum floating collection on display on the pontoon. Here's a picture. My crew are Andy and Liz Palmer-Felgate - used to sail Fireflies but jumped ship to the faster RS500 and currently leading the FDW asymetric fleet.
Also pictured below is Daisy Belle sailed by Museum Director Jonatahan Griffin. This little boat has spent well over 100 years on the Fal.
Thursday, 6 August 2009
2009 National Firefly Championships
The 2009 Nationals will be hosted by Hamble River Sailing Club from Saturday 15th - Friday 21st August.
I'll do my best to provide some kind of daily running commentary on this blog on the goings on, triumphs and troubles, glory and gossip from the event. Please join us on the journey and leave your comments.
I'll do my best to provide some kind of daily running commentary on this blog on the goings on, triumphs and troubles, glory and gossip from the event. Please join us on the journey and leave your comments.
My crew for this event is Liz, an old friend and very experienced Firefly sailor. This will be our 3rd Nationals together in my vintage Firefly 'Kong'. We also took part in the 2007 National Inland Championships and several Southwestern Championships which we won this year to our utter astonishment. See the report at http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=146746Better get back to my sitting-out exercises now....
Hhurrgggg,
Ben
Friday, 8 August 2008
Champions
See the results at http://www.royaltorbayyc.org.uk/hosted2008/fire/fireos.html
Jamie collects a brand spanking new jib for winning "Best Improver" - like he needs the help!
Winners of the Restronguet Ovaloid Trophy for best under 18 helm in the Championships, Matt Johnson and Emma Mackley. I think my Dad was responsible for gifting this trophy back in the day, and it has been encouraging young helms ever since.
Congratulations to winners of Top Lady Helm, Lizzie Edwards (R) and crew Ruth Verrier-Jones (L)...and thanks for the friendly little shunt at the Leward mark today...women drivers, I don't know!
Paul and Laura Kameen, winners of the overall Championship.
Phil and Jilly win the Ultimate Trophy, Peter and Dawn win top helm in the Gore over 41 yrs old, Jamie wins 3rd helm under 18 and Best Improver, Sophie wins 3rd Lady Helm - Go Restronguet!
Jamie collects a brand spanking new jib for winning "Best Improver" - like he needs the help!
Winners of the Restronguet Ovaloid Trophy for best under 18 helm in the Championships, Matt Johnson and Emma Mackley. I think my Dad was responsible for gifting this trophy back in the day, and it has been encouraging young helms ever since.
Congratulations to winners of Top Lady Helm, Lizzie Edwards (R) and crew Ruth Verrier-Jones (L)...and thanks for the friendly little shunt at the Leward mark today...women drivers, I don't know!
The Final Countdown - Race 8/8
The Final Countdown – Race 8/8Conditions: NW moderate. Big shifts coming off the land. It's shifty, shifty, very very shifty....its very shifty!
Before the last race the race for the championships was tied between Mark Tait and Paul Kameen. We were on 23rd (dropped a place overnight as a result of a protest, which allowed someone to leapfrog us.)
Gate starts again today. The first is abandoned halfway after a huge header causes the starting procession to turn sharply into the melee of waiting boats. We are quite relieved after a second rate start, it being very crowded at the pin end.
The second start we take off with some space about half way along the line. Great, but the pathfinder is released just as we go, and tacks right on top of us. To make matters worse this is the boat we have to beat to gain a place in the series.
Crikey it’s shifty out there. Did I say that already? The boats that got away early are able to make more of the shifts. Peter and Dawn are 4th around the w-ward mark. We get there in the early 20’s with Dave&Betty on our tails. The boats that went left did best.
It’s opposite on the 2nd beat. A few boats head far right and overtake everyone to the w-ward mark. Nigel Wakefield goes so far right you’d think he was going home. But he effectively cuts a huge corner and comes out 100m in the lead. We play it safer up the middle-right and gain a few places, rounding in 19th.
The wind fills in on the final reaches and we manage to catch another, and some more on the final beats to finish 15th, just catching Peter&Dawn at the end. Sorry about that P&D!
At the front, Nigel manages to win the race, but the Chapionship is secured by Paul Kameen by keeping Mark Tait a few boats behind in the final beat. A series decided on the final beat of the final race – now that is proper job!
It has been a great week of sailing with some really challenging conditions. Our hands are raw, legs bruised and thighs aching. It looks like everyone feels the same, pretty much slumping into the bilges across the finishing line.Our last score is enough to push us up to 21st out of 69 in the series, just inside the top-third where we were aiming to be. We are stoked. With no discards and including the practice race (Rothman’s Tropy) we have finished 14th overall. Whoaa, that’s worth the bruises – eh Liz! Thanks to Liz for putting up with me and being a top top crew!
Phil & Jilly finished top RSC boat, and 16th overall. Nice one guys.
Now for prize giving and the short drive back to sunny Kernow!
Catcha Later,
Ben
Cornish Olympics
Cornish Olympics
Twas fancy dress night, and the theme was Olympics, but to no ones surprise some of the Cornish contingent showed up in full Pirate costume. ARRRRR!
The contest for best dress was between a pair of gymnasts and a group of synchronised dancers who won with an impressive piece of choreography on the dance floor.
Liz and I won nothing for our Olympic efforts, but did win the day’s buddy prize with our buddies Lucy and Rachael (Buddies are allocated to eachother at the beginning of the week). Their 29th added to our 7th was the lowest buddy-score of the day.
One more race to go. Catcha later, Ben
Twas fancy dress night, and the theme was Olympics, but to no ones surprise some of the Cornish contingent showed up in full Pirate costume. ARRRRR!
The contest for best dress was between a pair of gymnasts and a group of synchronised dancers who won with an impressive piece of choreography on the dance floor.
Liz and I won nothing for our Olympic efforts, but did win the day’s buddy prize with our buddies Lucy and Rachael (Buddies are allocated to eachother at the beginning of the week). Their 29th added to our 7th was the lowest buddy-score of the day.
One more race to go. Catcha later, Ben
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Full Frontal - Race 7/8
Full Frontal - Race 7/8
This one was a gate start, so we went early to make the most of the shifts. We got a clean start, clean air, and hey presto, crossed off all bar a couple of the entire fleet. 4th to the windward mark. What a great feeling - its supposed to be easy from here, but we were sailing with butterflies now! After a long reach we began a long run. Liz even managed to get this photo in-between trimming the jib, bailing, and feeding her helm water! What a crew!! And just to be clear - thats looking behind, not infront!
The course was a Trapezoid, Sausage, Trapezoid, Beat to finish. We held off as many as we could, but the sailors at this end of the fleet arent just quick they are tactical and aggressive. we finished 7th overall - our best result yet.
Talking about great crews, check out 8yr old Ella, the lightest crew in the series, sailing with Dad Dan.
We are now lying 22nd. Just inside the top third where we wanted to be. There's only 7 points between us and 19th - so a good result tomorrow might move us up the board. Here's hoping.
Now for a beer,
Catcha later,
Ben
PS. Thanks for all your comments and support - keep them coming.
This one was a gate start, so we went early to make the most of the shifts. We got a clean start, clean air, and hey presto, crossed off all bar a couple of the entire fleet. 4th to the windward mark. What a great feeling - its supposed to be easy from here, but we were sailing with butterflies now! After a long reach we began a long run. Liz even managed to get this photo in-between trimming the jib, bailing, and feeding her helm water! What a crew!! And just to be clear - thats looking behind, not infront!
The course was a Trapezoid, Sausage, Trapezoid, Beat to finish. We held off as many as we could, but the sailors at this end of the fleet arent just quick they are tactical and aggressive. we finished 7th overall - our best result yet.
Talking about great crews, check out 8yr old Ella, the lightest crew in the series, sailing with Dad Dan.We are now lying 22nd. Just inside the top third where we wanted to be. There's only 7 points between us and 19th - so a good result tomorrow might move us up the board. Here's hoping.
Now for a beer,
Catcha later,
Ben
PS. Thanks for all your comments and support - keep them coming.
A standing start - race 6/8
A Standing Start - Race 6/8
Conditions ssw light - moderate. Sunshine at last. Then Rain. Then neither.
Now we are 8 Restronguet boats in Torquay, with Guy English arriving overnight to join us.
After yesterdays racing, where the right hand side of the course was so favoured, there were a lot of boats trying to start at the commitee boat end of the line (line start). We were one of them. The first start went well but a general recall was called for a secont start with the I-Flag rule in play. Again we tried our luck at the committee boat end of the line, but we werent able to keep the boat moving in the thick of the melee, and came off the line slowly/stopped. A few tacks got us to the right and eventually out of the worst of the dirty air - which was everywhere.
in short, it was always going to be difficult to get back among the leaders, but slowly we picked off a few boats here and there to finish 25. Not a bad recovery. Phil&Jilly got away into clear air fast and wriggled their way into the leaders, finishing a fantastic 2nd. Dave&Betty sailed a similar race to us, managing to come up through the fleet after a dirty start, finishing 27th.
Sophie missing her usual form said "I seem to have prefected the art of going sideways instead of forwards. I can't wait to get back to Cornwall and get a load of practice in". RSC, it seems, is the place to be, and the envy of many of the National fleet.
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
A big falling out - The Gore - race 5/8
Conditions today:
Moderate SW with some marginal planing conditions - OUR WIND!
The big story today is for 2nd place; our local heros from RSC Peter and Dawn Langdon lead the Sir Ralph Gore Cup race for 12 of the gruelling 13 miles, before generoulsy handing it to someone who hadnt won it before, 38 years ago.
How was it for the rest of us?
The race was dominated by the conditions at the start. After two general recalls the black flag was flown and ensured a more obedient start. But the gun went as the wind begun a huge 40 degree shift to the right. The further right you were on the line, the better. We got a great start, but 3/4 down the line we were 1/4 mile behind the leaders within minutes. Of course we weren't on our own, but it was going to be a long fight back from the back of the fleet, rounding the windward mark in about 50th.
But its a long race, and we were going like a train. By the last beat, 3 hours later, we had gained about 35 places. But then disaster happened. A few hundred meters from the line Liz missed her footing on a tack and slipped overboard. Having filled up with water in the process we lost 16 places before limping over the line in 31st. Argh!
It's a blow and cost us a load of places in the series, but you cant dwell on these things. The positive is we were going really fast in the first place, and that will give us confidence going into the last 2 days.
However, that just might be a nomination for the Duckhams Award for Gross Over-achievement.
Now Neil, I have read your comments from the begining of the week and its worth saying that Liz, when she is in the boat, is the best crew anyone could hope for. Her agility on the reaches alone must have won us 20 places today. So unless you reckon you could do a better job yourself, I suggest you button it.
Catch lata, Ben
Moderate SW with some marginal planing conditions - OUR WIND!
The big story today is for 2nd place; our local heros from RSC Peter and Dawn Langdon lead the Sir Ralph Gore Cup race for 12 of the gruelling 13 miles, before generoulsy handing it to someone who hadnt won it before, 38 years ago.
How was it for the rest of us?
The race was dominated by the conditions at the start. After two general recalls the black flag was flown and ensured a more obedient start. But the gun went as the wind begun a huge 40 degree shift to the right. The further right you were on the line, the better. We got a great start, but 3/4 down the line we were 1/4 mile behind the leaders within minutes. Of course we weren't on our own, but it was going to be a long fight back from the back of the fleet, rounding the windward mark in about 50th.
But its a long race, and we were going like a train. By the last beat, 3 hours later, we had gained about 35 places. But then disaster happened. A few hundred meters from the line Liz missed her footing on a tack and slipped overboard. Having filled up with water in the process we lost 16 places before limping over the line in 31st. Argh!
It's a blow and cost us a load of places in the series, but you cant dwell on these things. The positive is we were going really fast in the first place, and that will give us confidence going into the last 2 days.
However, that just might be a nomination for the Duckhams Award for Gross Over-achievement.
Now Neil, I have read your comments from the begining of the week and its worth saying that Liz, when she is in the boat, is the best crew anyone could hope for. Her agility on the reaches alone must have won us 20 places today. So unless you reckon you could do a better job yourself, I suggest you button it.
Catch lata, Ben
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