Maylandsea Bay Open Frostbite 'melancholy mindset'

Bright blue skies and a light breeze from the west set the scene for races 2 and 3. The drive to the river Blackwater with trees coated in frost and bright sunlight strobing across the roads to the fields glistening in their winter décor, and sadly a greater number of road kill than we had seen a long while, made for a melancholy mindset not akin to taking on the cut and thrust of the days sail boat racing.
The fleet was still down in numbers with some notable competitors missing but more boats preparing than the previous week.
Geoffrey Walkley was this week’s head of race box and the course was quickly posted but the support boat crews appeared to be delayed in the galley. With the river not being frozen over the warning flag was hoisted to time and the fleet removed the finger and made a hasty launch.
Jacko and Lorna came off the start line like a squeezed carrot rounding the first mark well clear ahead and was not to be seen again, followed by Dean and Jono ‘Hornet’ and Malcolm and Phil ‘Laser 4000’.

The race took place in Mayland bay and the top of Lawling creek with the legs being not too long; tough work for the mostly unfit well seasoned sailors such as Jacko and Philip, who now found himself at the front end of a skiff type asymmetric sailboat with wings. Philip who is the most seen Mayland sailor having the highest number of turn outs in 2009, is a credit to the fleet and not shy to take it on and was still smiling having taken a clear lead in the “Splat the Duck competition” with two capsizes in the different boat adding bonus points for the two rolling ducklings before getting back in control of the 4000, plus owning up to it being an error on his behalf.

Jenny Ball ‘Laser Radial’ is putting together good race moves staying out of the tide and rounding the race marks in a smooth well handled fashion, finishing with a 4th and a 5th to be 3rd overall.                                                                                  Peter Playle ‘Laser’ appeared pretty cool, sailing well (we think he is missing Martin Tarling, fellow Laser sailor) and had it not been for a touch of over excitement and the missing out of the penultimate mark 2, which was noted by the race box and quickly followed by the return too and the rounding of, had a good day out in the sun finishing with two 3rd to be 2nd over all.

Dean and Jono built up the tempo in the second start of the day leaving the fleet for dead and leading out to Jetty race mark battling with the Merlin and the 4000. Sadly losing out on the tight three sailed reach to mark 4 off of the north side saltings to finish with two 2nds but having missed day 1 is carrying a DNS.

Jacko and Lorna are showing a little bit of form, with Lorna showing not a lot of face, but a lot of teeth and with the race box commenting, “your first spinnaker leg was as bad as you are likely to see” there must be room for improvement. And with 4 race wins and 8 races to come, ‘the fat lady has not entered the stage’

Thanks to Alan Johnson for sending in the photos

Next race day Feb. 14th at 11:05 races 5 and 6

More info at http://www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/

Results 

Overall

Alan Jackson and Lorna Laval     Merlin             3 Points

Peter Playle                                 Laser              8 Points

Jenny Ball                                    Laser Radial   11 Points

Dave Russell and Gary Jackson   Lark               15 Points

Maylandsea Bay: call that Frostbite

With the sun rising out of Canvey Island and setting in Thurrock it was the best of days with bright blue skies and a building westerly breeze. The wadding birds had at last freed themselves from the ice-topped saltings and were once more flickering in the sky in huge numbers.

The fleet was much reduced, may be attending burst pipes or worse, but the hardcore management team appeared on an upper and it was Billy, The Galley’s birthday, 18 a number long forgotten by the management team but recognized as a Lotto number.

The Race Box this week was in the good hands of Paul Wilkinson. A mid distance course was posted and the fleet took to the water. With space to spare it might well be that the adrenalin was not pumping with the fleet making a casual, almost an “after you” type affair.

Well that was all but Kevin and Philip ‘Fireball’ who appeared to have lost the plot, drifting up to the line with an abstract approach not often seen on the Mayland start line. It was not to be Kevin and Philips day, for later following two crash jibes, a wobble and a broach struggling to round the Jetty mark, the pairing were the first to enter the Splat the Duck competition, and gain a place in this series.

Jenny Ball, ‘Laser radial’, had a good day winning the start and ripping up the first beat to mark one and leaving Peter, ‘Laser’, for dead. Jenny lost out a tad to Peter on the reaching legs but stayed in touch to finish 3rd ahead on corrected time by 6 seconds and in the 2nd race 4th with an error free race to be 3rd overall.

Peter Playle, ‘Laser’, stretched some muscle, sailed a flat boat and enjoyed the days racing having seen off Martin Tarling, ‘Laser’, by two minutes in the previous race (Today Martin was taking a lay day) but Peter always a good competitor made light work of the 14 to 18 knots and showed no sign of resentment at not leading the Splat the Duck competition, finishing with a 4th and a 2nd to be 2nd overall.

Is the Jacko jam pot dripping? “Maybe” and what of the head cam bit? Is Lorna going to tolerate seeing if Jacko is turned on? How long does it take to kill battery life in subzero conditions? A request to ware the head cam hat back to front so footage of the trailing Fireball fleet could be seen quickly fell apart as it would need to be (sideways on to get the footage but then the chin strap would need to be held in the wearers mouth and as Jacko rarely keeps his trap shut it can be, and anyway footage of the lovely Lorna would be more fun than the align trailing Fireball fleet.

And what of the race; well it was not a bad Merlin day and Lorna was gagging for it. The kite work was spot on, all but when Jacko forgot to pull the guy string, dropping it under the bow. The race was full on and with L’s encouragement Jacko was seen to sit out and look nearly fit. The pairing finished with two bullets to be first overall

Thanks to Jacko for the head cam shots

Next race day Jan. 31st at 11:30 races 3 and 4

More info at http://www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/

Overall    results
1st Alan Jackson and Lorna Laval Merlin 2 Points

2nd Peter Playle Laser 6 Points

3rd Jenny Ball Laser Radial 7 Points

4th Kevin Whittle and Philip Spillane Fireball 8 Points

(above Jacko's Island, Maylandsea Creek)

------------ Notice of series from MBSC ------------

Ice coated puddles, frozen flags and the Blackwater Icicle

With ice coated puddles and the flags frozen to the flagpoles the Mayland fleet gathered to contest the Blackwater Icicle trophy.

A third of the fleet were visitors from near and not so near and added a healthy upturn the spicy mix of who’s who in the line up of line honours.
It was to be a day of tremble and shiver as the light northerly breeze started to fail with Bill Wright heading the Race Box team, which had now taken to the water in the committee boat for a start in the middle of Maylandsea Bay.

By the time the start flag fell the light breezes had headed to the East with the fleet tending to be line shy, notably the Fireball class all but Maria and Nigel, rafting up to join in later.

The short-ish leg to the first rounding mark, laid on the outer curve of the deeper water at the top of the bay, presented a gain and loss decision of more pressure against less tide which split the fleet with half taking to the south side while the rest headed to the north. The north side won with Dave and Celia Charlton rounding first closely follow by Andy Mclver sailing a Blaze and Andy and Derek sailing a Merlin. The fleet rounded mark 4 and headed out up Lawling creek against the incoming tide and a failing wind and another twitchy choice to tack back to the south side or continue on up to Mundon spit on the north side.

Wind now had all but died with the tide holding the fleet almost to a standstill; Neil Fulcher, ‘Phantom’ smacking his lips, was the first to put in an early port tack and nearly did not interfere with Piers and Peter’s ‘Merlin’ right of way boat which sadly seemed to end the race for the two competitors who of had a real chance of taking the trophy. Dave and Celia sailed part way before also taking the south bank and had broken well clear of the fleet to be joined by Jacko and Lorna, ‘Merlin’ having hung on for a little longer. A short battle followed in which Dave went farming and sounded a little miffed and Jacko’s head went into the bottom of his boat as the wind slowly backed to the north east ending Jacko’s bid for the lead. The fireball fleet having stuck to the north side, took advantage of the new N.E. breeze and made good time as they crossed past Mundon spit to Steeple race mark but with the fleet having stood still on the tide and the elapsed time running the real race was back in the mid fleet, some 7 minutes behind. The fleet rounded Mundon race mark and with 6 knots up the chuff and with the tide it was a drag race to the finish line.

Mick Wright ‘Laser’ beavered away holding line in the light airs against the tide to finish 3rd

Dave and Celia having made a good start, and seeing off the Fireballs, being lead boat and taking line honours to finish 2nd.
Tim Riley sailing a Solo making a good start and picking the side to be at the right time, holding concentration in the doldrums, sailed an error free race sorting some pretty accomplished sailors to take the bullet and the Blackwater Icicle Trophy away from the Blackwater River, and very deservedly so.

Notables: Peter Playle finished 8th beat Martin Tarling by 8 places. Maylandsea Bay S.C. had the biggest club entry. The Merlin class was the 3rd biggest class in the fleet. No competitors took part in the Splat the Duck Title. Maria Richards with Nigel Sheppard won the Fireball race in fine style showing worthy boat cool. Nine sailing clubs and eleven classes took part.

Next Race Day is the start of the Open Frostbite Series starting on the 17th Jan. at 12:00 with 2 races
More info at http://www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/
Thanks  to Alan Johnson for sending the photos
Results

Overall
1st Tim Riley Solo
2nd Dave and Celia Charlton Merlin Rocket
3rd Mick Wright Laser
4th Alan Jackson and Lorna Laval Merlin Rocket
5th Andy Mclver Blaze
6th Neil Fulcher Phantom