Harlow (Blackwater) Race Box Takes No Prisoners

A Norwegian high-pressure system put an Easterly wind across the River Blackwater estuary that could only be said to be truly wicked! With grey skies and nowhere to hide the 14-18 knots was equal to being hit with a lorry load of leftover frozen Christmas Turkeys.
This years Blackwater Icicle Race was hosted by Harlow (Blackwater) S.C. The HBSC race box with no compassion at all set a course that half the fleet could not complete and who went home for an early shower. The word on the block is that there were 30 boats plus on the start line (however all boats not finishing have been excluded from the results at the time of writing this report, so who can say.) Boats came to the start line from the two clubs in Maylandsea Bay. Unfortunately a lack of communication from the HBSC race box lead to a third of the fleet launching from the Maylandsea slipway in time for the 11:30 advertised start time only to be met with a postponement signal, leaving them to suffer the gusty conditions out in the bay with no shelter in a sub-zero wind-chill factor. It appeared at the time that the HBSC support boats and fleet were not ready and then fannied about on the jetty for an age. It must be said that it is the support of the visiting competitors that make winter events such as this viable.

The start was keenly contested against the incoming tide and with the fleet being made up from 49ers to Laser Radials the start was a do or die affair. Boat handling saw Martin and Tony ‘Fireball’ passing Lawling point in first place. By the time the front runners got to Mayland creek the faster boats had recovered from some doggy starts and it was race on. The first windward leg took the fleet to Steeple race mark and a tight two sail reach to the Doctor Nav. mark off of Osea Island. By this time the first casualties were in the drink, Mark Batt and Barrie with a boat full of water and too many boat handling problems to shake a stick at ending in a DNF. Also sad to see the 49er with a broken spar, DNF and Ann Dyson, Laser Radial, having suffered capsizes before the start rounded Steeple to retire. Following a dead run to race mark Coopers the fleet took on a 3 km windward leg to Stansgate race mark, again against the tide. Martin and Tony almost looked vulnerable as they passed Mundon Spit but sailing an excellent course picking up the shifts and pushing on left the fleet to sort out second place.
Neal Fulcher ‘Phantom’ having cruised down the start line was not to be denied a good start and having given Steeple a gentle rubbing on rounding, well noted by Lorna in the closely pursuing Merlin, who’s cheerful chatter encouraged Neal’s most gentlemanly reply of “Merry Christmas,” worked above his PY and against the odds in the conditions, with a minimum of pumping and brilliant boat handling finished 5th on the water and 2nd overall.
Jacko and Lorna ‘Merlin’ having started well sailed like a pair of old fairies struggled to keep the boat up right and on the pace and seen to be sailing by the lea on more than one occasion but still looking to be in the race, scraped in 11 seconds adrift to finish 3rd.
Lewis Woodland and Jon Bailey ‘Hornet’ from Maldon Y.C. sailed a good race, error free and with good boat handling but just lacking the boat speed to knobble the Merlin, finishing 4th
Notables: only 16 hardy sailors and teams finished this race and in 16th place was Marco Wallace sailing a Laser Radial. This was no mean feat of sailing, with an elapsed time of 92 minutes plus, and 2 and 3 km’s of windward work against the tide with a PY 1101, received no mention at the prize giving.
Malcolm and Tony ‘Fireball’ and the highest placed Harlow boat sadly spent time in the briny but recovered well to finish 7th.
Brian Sargeant 1st Laser and finishing 10th hotly pursued by Mick Wright (there is always a Laser race) and the Lasers were the biggest class in the race.
And last but not least Martin Scarth and Tony King, Blackwater S.C. sailing a Fireball, worthy winners (sadly did not receive the Icicle Trophy on account that it was not available!) Martin is a sailboat racer warrior of the first order and we look forward to him defending the title in 2009.
Thanks must go to the support boat crews and the ladies in the galley (particularly Bill Wright) who stood in at the last moment
The Photos: thanks to Philip Spillane (with the frozen finger)
Full results to follow

The next race day at Maylandsea is at M.B.S.C. on the 11th Jan. a 10:40 start, and they we be looking forward to seeing the old and new hardy sailors alike. The club race policy is to take great care of the winter fleet and make sure that the maximum amount of enjoyment is rewarded to all competing boats! (But no shenanigans for Bill is out of the galley and in to the race box!) Be there or be lonely. Now read on: and on the sixth day of Chrimbo we found a brilliant bottle of red in the box from (drinksoffrance.co.uk) and the race day appeared so much better……..