Thanks to Tim Bees BSC for the original photo

Lucky escape from Eurostar entrapment

Bright blue skies WNW at 9 knot on an easy tide, all lovely jubbly and with every thing lightly covered in snow it was winter sailing at it’s best, well maybe a 7 degree wind chill factor put an nip in your tail and colour in your cheeks and there was no talk of global warming.
Jacko who had narrowly missed Eurostar entrapment sported an odd looking hairy hat and looked comfortable and was heard uttering the line of “call this cold! You should try Franch”
The fleet well wrapped took to the water and approached the start line at the goodly pace hitting it spot on. The sprint to the first rounding mark saw the Merlin and Hornet pass the Lasers of Peter and Martin, it was now race on for Martin carrying 10 points and needing to finish in front of Dean and Rob sailing the Hornet to be 2nd overall.
This series has been by and large a well-sorted affair with a course card in place and some back-to-back racing required to take into account the short daylight hours. But as it turned out the Lasers were dealt a harsh decision by the race box to abandon the course card for a made up course that had a mile long run against the incoming tide giving the spinnaker boats an early Chrimbo bonus.
Martin having won the start sailed on and on down Lawling creek passing Lawling spit and rounding the Lawling race mark and back to wind ward in to Maylandsea Bay. It came to pass that he lost second place by three seconds on corrected time to finish 4th overall and clearly robbed.
Dean and Rob had a wicked look about them and took up the lead following the rounding for the first windward mark and the upping of spinnakers. Working with the dense cold breeze along the long down hill leg all eyes were on how time could be pulled out on Martin in the Laser. The wind ward leg on the tide was well sailed and no time lost ending in 2nd place and 2nd overall with Malcolm and Tony ‘Fireball’ opting to spend time at the Dog and Duck to finish 3rd overall.
Jacko and Lorna having made a good start and rounding the first mark in first place had a bit of a wobbly with the spinnaker and appeared a little captured by the moment with a horrendous jibe and dropping the kite to some rumblings in the front end. Jacko and Lorna took up lead boat out at Lawling Spit and took line honours to finish 1st and 1st overall.

The prize giving followed the racing with Commodore Philip Spillane handing over the prizes and the support boat drivers and crews were thanked for a splendid job recovering the wet and splattered fleet over the eight races. It would appear that the Maylandsea Bay members enjoy the winter sailing spectacle as much as the sailors, and are looking forward to the next event, the Blackwater Icicle on the 3rd Jan. at 12:30.


Next race day Blackwater Icicle 3rd January at 12:30 followed by the prize giving
Full results

Overall:
1st Alan Jackson and Lorna Laval       Merlin 5 points
2nd Dean Saxton and Rob Smith        Hornet 11 points
3rd Malcolm Cross and Tony Everitt  Fireball 12 points
4th Martin Tarling                           Laser    13 points

1st in fleet Malcolm and Tony Fireballs
1st Lady helm Jenny Ball Laser Radial
1st Cadet crewing Alex Longshank Lark
The Splat the Duck Title Peter Playle Laser

Testy day, gusting cubic whammies in Maylandsea Bay

A testy day was to be had by the gathering fleet, with bright blue skies and a westerly wind hacking down Lawling Creek producing the close standing wave that was to surrender the fleet to white knuckle sailing and a tightening of the bike clips.
It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going and for Jacko and Lorna going was gone before the first mark rounding with the pulling of a ‘sick note’.
The first start was a stunning affair with Andrew and James’ Xenon’s first outing in the series clearly over the line and Dean and Rob, Hornet without a moments hesitation returning to restart. Malcolm and Tony with excellent boat handling won the start and rounding the first two marks outside the clubhouse sped across the bay and out into the thrills and spills of Lawling Creek. The deep running legs down to mark 6 could only be said to contain all that you would need for extreme sailing with the wind now gusting cubic whammies of 20 to 25 knots over the incoming tide.

By the time what was left of the fleet returned to the bay to round mark 3 there were only three boats left racing and it is testament to the courage and un-shifting determination of Anne Dyson sailing a Pico that put her in 3rd place and a splendid show of sailing skills.
For Dean and Rob having joined in following the start it was down to business. Sailing through the upturned boats with wide eye sailors hanging on to centre boards and masts looking at Oz, it was game on. They slowly wound in the time on the fireball, but time run out as the boats appeared tied together for some time as they approached the finish line, only to finish 22 seconds adrift on corrected time and in 2nd place.
Malcolm and Tony put down a master class of heavy weather sailboat racing and never looked edgy or not in control and took the bullet in a very worthy way.
By the time race two was under way the wind had eased down and the sun was low in the sky. The fleet had been reduced to single figures but there was a grim look for determination on the faces as the fleet hit the start line.

Malcolm and Tony making a good start worked hard in the dying breeze, but could not hang on to the Hornet’s transom and although the down hill bucket and chuck it spinnaker work was fast it was not enough. Malcolm and Tony finished in 3rd place.

Dean and Rob put on a good show with a better than norm start and getting the edge on the Fireball seemed well sorted, but alas could only finish 2nd

Martin Tarling ‘Laser’ and submarine driver having also made an entry in to the Splat the Duck completion and removing all evidence (mud) from his sail and mast, put together an error free race starting well and rounding all the marks in a well mannered way to take his first bullet of the series.
For the fist time in many years, first place overall is not going down to the last windward leg of the last race. It is known that the Maylandsea race box is sending in the results weekly to the RYA PYS Internet link. But details of the advisory PY’s have not been disclosed and the Merlin sailors have not been whingeing on about the Phantoms telephone number, which is used as a PY. or which class is used as the scratch class. But it may well be the fore coming Christmas post series is sailed on adjusted PY numbers.

The battle for second place overall is full on with only one point in it between Malcolm and Tony, Dean and Rob and Martin. We look forward to the next race day and wish them good sailing conditions.

The Battle For the Splat The Duck Trophy is also I feel stitched up, with Peter Playle counting 8 ducks. This again is no mean deal for Peter can still walk and smile at the horrendous misfortune that put him on the wrong side of wind backing and wave hopping. However great attempts are being made to catch up but sadly the boat roll with no one in it only counts as one capsize. The appeal lodged by a nameless Fireball sailor that he has dug a submarine fall out shelter off of Mundon spit also was lobbed as no real proof and a straight mast was offered as proof. Hopefully all entries have been made.

Thanks to Philip Spillane and Peter Freshwater for the splendid photographs.
And a special thanks to the support boat members
Next Race 20th December at 13:00 followed by the prize giving
Full results
Overall after race 7
1st    Alan Jackson and Lorna Laval         Merlin    4 points
2nd   Malcolm Cross and Tony Everitt     Fireball    9 points
3rd   Dean Saxton and Rob Smith            Hornet     9 points
4th   Martin Tarling                                  Laser       10 points