Stone weekend 2007

Stone S.C. Essex Dinghy Championship 2007
This article is from the Slow Flight within this Open meeting and Sundays results are part of the Blackwater Traveller Trophy Series 2007

Hurray the sun came out! And it turned out to be a full-on 5 race series sailed in 2 to 16 knots W. to S.E. in the sun, “summer had returned” The Saturday race, an all in handicap 2-4 knots on an ebbing tide called for great patience and the art of missing the fine threads of weed floating just below the surface. The windward legs against the tide, the runs and reaches with tide sorted the shaker makers out from the following fleet. The race winner was a nice bloke and lady in an ISO.
Jacko and Lorna Legs, now sailing the newish ship and totally dazzled by the shiny gel coat in the brilliant sunshine, read the line transits as back to front! And started their own race, leading start to finish and was duly awarded the ‘Two Boat Lengths Trophy’
Sundays race 2 saw a good breeze and a committee boat start in the middle of St Lawrence’s bay. The sun shone and the race turned in to a nightmare with the wind oscillating around shifts that made front end girls number calling sound like a bingo game. Neil Fultcher, sailing a Phantom, wining the start and at time a huge lead only to be wound in and under great pressure to rock the boat “I have to pump to control the rocking” but not being fit enough to do both at the same time, was hovered up by Andi Riley sailing a Laser.
Jacko and Lorna, again failing to start well, and not really showing any great skill to windward hung in to put more edge on the finishing to steal the race. Lorna, not to be out performed on the beach by Big Phil, stepped out of the boat in to 1.8 metres of water and kept her nail polish dry.
Sundays race 2 started after a long 3-course meal including cheese and biscuits, a starting and an abandoning and more delays while the sea breeze took over from the S.E.
Finally sorted itself in to a pucker race, 12-16 knots wind over tide, short legs, punchy sailing. However the start line ended up not too good with the fleet charging down the line on starboard unable to cross it but fritting the life out of the boats wishing to get stuck to the race on port. Once more Neil won the start and was well ahead at the windward mark followed by Andi with Jacko and Lorna looking for another recovery. The race was much enhanced by the catamarans flying through the fleet in every direction, good to see them at such close quarters. Once more Lorna put some good down hill moves together (even when Jacko put an added part triangle in to the sausage) to put the race in the bag for the 2nd win. Neil 2nd Andi 3rd
Monday was a gay day, more sunshine, more wind and a good course had been set starting off the club line; wind over tide N.W.10-14 knots. It must be said that Jacko now with 1 OCS and 2 bad starts was receiving ear ache from the front-end girl. A request to keep close to the race box down tide on the race course side of the line but never the less well out the way of any one wishing to race, for the purpose of (Jacko to see what the transits actually looked like and a goodly squint at the flag order) was prudent!
As it turns out Andi (Laser) now with a 2,2,3, score line and in 2nd place overall decides to open the proceedings with an attempt to block Jacko’s path back to the pre start side of the line. Carried out with some artistic body language and well-articulated bunny pie! Now unbeknown to Andi, Jacko has spent time competing against the likes off Al Warren, Jim Park, and Biddle/Little, of which Biddle/Little mastered the art of close cover tacking on the slip whilst rigging! Prerace/pre launch. Nor the fact that a newbe Merlin hotshot attempted the strangulation of Jacko via spinnaker sheets attached to the spinnaker and boat, rapped around Jacko’s neck/head on a to die for blisteringly close three sailed reaching leg at Pyefleet week. Jacko having lived in a house with two teenaged children was not fazed by either, or any such events. Inquiring of Andi if he was aware of the Hunting rule? And was smartly informed that there was no proper course! And so took part in this alternative option to getting the best start poss. on the grounds that it took the pressure off him as far as the front-end girl was concerned. (Not sure on the rights and wrongs at the time of writing)
And what of the race? Well it turns out that Jacko made a fairly good start (for once) and rounded the windward mark 1st followed by Neil and Mike Stone (Phantom). There was much bunny pie on the merits of Neil’s sailing technique down the runs and the fact that following the passing of a large motor cruiser putting up two 60cm bow waves that Neil sadly missed them! Quote Neil “I was too busy sinking” best placed reply of the weekend. The fleet spread out a bit on the shifty beats and the added pleasure of the Thames Barges and classic yachts sailing majestically up the river on the top of the tide keeps you plugged in. Jacko took the bullet, Neil 2nd Mike 3rd
Last race saw Neil lead from start to finish in 6-10 knots with a long windward leg up to Northy Island against the tide in the afternoon sun. The water was flat and streaming weed. Mike sailed a good race finishing 2nd and Jacko and Lorna having encountered another attack of Andy’s rendering of pre start Americas Cup (I’d rather sail out the back door than race) clawed back to 3rd to take the series.This was a brilliant weekends sailing in St Laurence’s Bay hosted by a club that eats and sails to the full, it was well run and well supported. The water is unique to that part of the river Blackwater and has much to offer. Sundays result goes to the Blackwater Travellers Trophy a reworking of an old series hoping to build contact between sailboat racers on the River Backwater.