Climate Change
Almost a record last week with three days of sailing in really quite decent conditions! Whilst the Monday was not brilliant, the climate gremlins must have been concentrating on ruining the Bank Holiday weekend weather somewhere else this year.
Sail Training
A decent crowd of trainees made a colourful spectacle in the bay last Saturday with racing start practice and then a succession of seven mini races to get them used to boat handling, racing procedures and tactics.
All these novices sailed smoothly out of the harbour and back in again at the end of the session, which sounds pretty necessary and straightforward until you actually try it!
There are often some very unexpected wind eddies around the harbour mouth and often a serious lack of wind within the shelter of the walls, which can make it quite difficult to keep moving in the right direction, especially with swirls and eddies from the tide.
Like most things, it all looks very easy when performed by experts - so full marks to the trainees. The real measure of sail training success is that they all come back with smiles on their faces and this was universally the case last week, so well done instructors as well!
Club Racing
Nick Berridge, ably assisted by Wendy Bower, ran two efficient races last Saturday with 11 boats, including three novice crews, again in very reasonable sailing conditions.
This turned out to be quite a family event with various relations sailing together or competing against each other in various boats.
Tonia and Julia Griffiths manned (or should it be womanned) the Graduate, Mark and Debbie Tissiman crewed the Fireball, David Jones and Lewis Evans (grandfather and grandson) crewed the Enterprise, while Sarah and Megan Borman, James and Richard Dwyer competed against each other in parent-child duels.
In the first race, Peter Bower's Phantom together with the Tissiman Fireball were caught by a gust and suffered somewhat untimely capsizes right on the starting signal, but recovered well to finish first and second at the end of two laps. Paul Johnson was third in his Solo with The Girls On Top coming fourth in the Graduate.
The same course was maintained for the second race when the results were reshuffled: 1. Peter Bower; 2. Paul Johnson; 3. Tonia and Julia; 4. Mark and Debbie.
Fun Racing
An open Event (no club points) was held on the Bank Holiday Monday with six entries racing in fresh force four conditions.
Malcolm Williams undertook race officer duties from the vantage point of the Dory with the help of Harry Hinksman.
Family Hinksman was indeed well represented with both Steve and Ben participating in the racing in Toppers.
After two laps around the Monkstone, Pendine, Harbour marks, Peter Bower's supercharged Phantom squeezed first position despite getting completely stalled in irons at the windward mark on the second lap. Paul Johnson made second place followed by Keith Jones.
The Toppers did well to stay upright in the refreshing conditions and everyone returned to shore well invigorated after a good afternoon's sailing. Thanks to Martin Andrews and Graham Wellman for providing safety cover.
CYRCS
The Club Youth Racing CircuitS comes to Saundersfoot tomorrow (Saturday, 10 am) being the first of a series of seven meetings to challenge the best under 18-year-old sailors in West Wales to get in some useful practice and race against wider opposition than they would meet within their own individual clubs.
It is hoped that our own juniors will provide some good competition for the visitors. There will be five races, with a break for lunch in the clubhouse in the middle. Weather willing, this will provide some good viewing and no doubt supportive parents will get as intensely excited as usual giving on-shore entertainment as well!
Coppet Week
Offers of help for this major event (Sunday to Friday, May 24-29) are still welcome. If you could lend a hand sometime during that period, please contact Tina on 812383 or Graham on 07890 987825.
Bermudan Triangle!
Can you spot the small triangle of clubhouse that has evaded the decorators' brushes? If so, you know what to do - Graham will happily provide the brushes and paint!
Club Opening
The club's bar is open every Friday night from 7 pm and every Sunday lunchtime from noon and good value food continues to be on offer from Graham's kitchen.
Nautical Nips
Last week's poser fortuitously turned out to be very relevant to The Fireball and Phantom who both suffered a capsize just at the start of last week's club race.
Both of these would have been delighted to have seen a triangular red and white striped flag being raised with two hoots.
Such a signal is for a postponement of the race and may be used right up until the last seconds before the final starting signal.
If this is necessary for some temporary problem, the race starting sequence will be started again shortly.
If the delay is longer term, the postponement flag will be flown over other flags giving more information.
One hour delay is a white triangular flag with red circle, two hour delay is a blue triangular flag with white circle, an indefinite delay is a white flag with blue K shaped end, or if sailors are required to go ashore, a half white-half red flag will be flown below the postponement flag.
It is salutary to reflect that before the advent of radios and telephones, all naval signals around a fleet had to be by flags, guns or other visual signals. More on this next week.
Skipper's Mate