Thrills and spills end the Maylandsea Bay Winter Series

As luck would have it a window of calm passed over Maylandsea Bay giving the fleet chance to sail out races 7 and 8 of the winter series. By the time the 13 competing boats had rounded race marks 0, 1, and Spit the wind, SW at 18 knots puffing 24 knots, was sorting the partygoers from the dedicated yachters. The race box with a wish to please the gathered club elder’s set a mean short distance course around race marks in sight of the club veranda (a totally inappropriate action rendering the club elders rocking with laughter as they consumed coffees and then beers).
The broad reach to the jibe at race mark 3 gave the fleet a chance to demonstrate just how good they were and with the water being pleasantly flat, for wind over tide, and the cubic whammies roaring through the ‘ease and foot’ mode of sailing tested all. Also the jibe thwackingly good boom verses crew movement, with no chance of the kite collapsing without error, was a site to behold.
The rounding at the bottom of race mark 4 and feeling the full on force of the wind, the spray biting into your woolly hat and the sudden realisation that it was not that far too the top, did have a happy bunny feel to it. The windward leg itself was also a test with sudden backing shifts as the squalls whipped through.
With darkening skies and the wind building, race 8 was too be the race to win to win the series as Keith having scored a 2nd in race 7 was now a point down on Jacko and Lorna. It was at this point that Martin Tarling woke up, wining the start and building a good lead. Keith followed on around marks 0, 1, Spit, 3 and 4 and onto the up hill leg. Martin, hugging the saltings out of the tide on the north side, was overtaken as Keith gritted his teeth, sat out hard and belted through the outward going tide.
Keith toughed it out to win the race and the series for the second year and only had the smallest of moans about having to use his better sail!


For Jacko and Lorna sailing around in a mist off bubbly and party hats, that was not what put them 7 seconds short on elapsed time to win but a poor start and the tactical decision to sail out the tide with more tacks on the north side, as opposed to backing the corners with less tacks. But Jacko still claming to be an athlete, was also seen to be looking deeply into the eyes of Lorna and asking just how many bottles had been drunk.

Roger Smith in a Solo put a brilliant series together to finish 3rd overall showing that a man in his prime does not come in young trousers but does stay upright as others lie with the fishes. A truly well sorted performance sailed in the toughest of conditions
Martin in his laser had his moments, stayed the distance and was not fazed by Paul Weeden’s one-smarty-pants outing winning race 6, finished every race, always in the top 6 boats, may feel a tad robbed by the tie breaking rule, finished 4th overall
Notables: The Splat the Duck competition has never been so well competed for with dozens of nominations. In 3rd place Kevin and Nick sailing a Fireball had one too many dippings to keep on smiling/competing and pulled out of swimming/sailing altogether. Ron and Laura put in a serious bid with the flip-flop multi capsizes on more than one occasion and landings on the salting, plus gulping mouthfuls of salt water to finish 2nd. But much to their dismay a late all encompassing challenge on the last race day blew them all way. Peter Playle in a Laser with 7 varied and truly wish I was not here “why me God” splattering, plus rounding a mark not in the course and the thwacking of a support boat with an immediate capsize trying to escape verbal, won the prize out right

This has been an outstanding winter series and a credit to all that have sailed in her and on behalf of the competitors I would like to thank M.B.S.C. and the support boat crews for time spent in the wet, cold and windy conditions looking out for those needing their help; the Ladies that ran the galley for their warm words of support given, plus the tea and coffee, bacon and sausage rolls. The Race Box men for giving outstanding entertainment to the club member audience.
The next club race is the Blackwater Icicle on the 6th of Jan. Start at 10:00 all welcome
The next club series is to start on the 10th Feb. some 9 weeks away. This saddens me greatly as to be in the company of sailors who are happy to turn upside down in the water and jump into the saltings, plus the armchair champions telling of races won and lost, the sounds of the wading birds and the sight of the incoming tide as the days get longer is why I belong to a sailing club on one of the most rewarding rivers in the UK. The reader will need to watch the space as a new plot is formed to expand sailing pleasure and delay the house decorating yet farther. I have no doubt that Mr Wigg and I will be heading to Hythe Key for lunch or Heybridge for breakfast at the first opportunity.
Thanks to Richard and Nick for time spent sending the pictures
here are the Results Now read on dit dit dit