News from Maylandsea Bay

The Woolly Hat 2008. HBSC has decided to let the Wool Hat 2008 series stay in the bottom draw due to the club holding work parties on the club jetty this winter.
MBSC are talking on restarting the Frostbite series starting in February 2008. More info to follow.

The 2008 Blackwater Icicle hosted at MBSC is looking on an upper, with a number of leading Sandhopper Helms nominating other Sandhopper Helms to represent the Sandhopper fleet in this classic winter race. And I believe that Bill Wright is keen to get out of his fireside chair and show Jacko a thing or two about sailboat racing. A hard hitting come and get me poster is at the printers. More info to follow.

Alan Jackson has landed the job of Dinghy Captain at MBSC. If the club doors had not been locked during the club AGM the job may well have not been filled at all.
Alan Jackson wishes it to be known that he expects the reader to support a drive to double the club sailing turnout in 2008 and he has no intention of doing house decorating, gardening or car maintenance and has no intention of increasing his family. So that just leaves sailing and waiting for the tide (needless to say there is a plan in the making)

I am also sad to reveal that the National Merlin Rocket committee have withdrawn the Silver Tiller status from the open meeting at HBSC for 2008. It beggars belief that this has happened as the reader will know the two islands race is well thought of by the Rocket men who have taken part in it for the last three years. The good news is that the Merlin fleet will be at Brightlingsea for a two-day meeting.

The Blackwater Travellers Trophy series will again be stepping out in 2008 and it would be nice to think that the newcomers bottleage will be competed for and won before Lorna L and Jacko get their laughing gear into play. The Marconi SC has already made contact with dates for 2008 and is hoped that the friendship and pleasure can reach out to all the muddy creeks around the river.

For those who find it just too boring to sail around the race cans I can reveal that the 2008 Adnams ice-cream tour dates have much to offer and Mr Wigg and AJ having polish Zelda’s bottom and filled the keel fixings holes will be at most of the watering hole surrounding the river. It is suggested that any persons thinking of following should raise suitable funds as the all day breakfast/boozing and tea/cakes is extensive. One should also check boat rigging and foils as the tide waits for no one (nor does Jacko and Al)

And lastly, the mud banks, so deeply scored and damaged this summer by thoughtless persons un-named will be relieved that no long term damage appears to have been done and the seals, bird life and crabs have returned; picture below.

No Prisoners taken, Siberian swordsman rides again

A mean wind rattled the standing rigging as it whistled through the gathered fleet on the Maylandsea shore.
14 boats facing in every direction within the starting area looked a tad bemused as the race box flags where hosted but the flagstaff being down wind, the flags perfectly horizontal, where hidden behind the attached halyards. The race horn was also lost in the wind. The race box light signalling (a mystery to all visitors) indicated that someone was in and in a flash of brilliance Ron and Laura crashed the start line at the right moment to win the start and hiking hard through a horrendous squall, and with gritted teeth hit the port tack lay line at the first mark with Mark and Barry (505) a boat length behind.
As Ron bore off the calling for the spinnaker was clearly heard and a distinctive sound of clucking chickens travelled before them. However travelling to the Spit mark at a goodly speed and turning to look at a knee crunching windward leg against the fast flooding tide with 30 knot with whammies Ron was seen to put one butt cheek over the gunwale. Sadly, as is the way of dinghy racing, Ron and Lorna slowly slipped into the middle order following a splat the duck at the Stripy turning mark.
Batty and Barry played it safe and finished lead boat and 3rd on corrected time.
Chris Roberts sailing a Phantom, made his entrance to the series and a most welcome return it was, making an equally poor start as every one else sailed a blisteringly fast race, only hitting one race mark and executing some of the most speedy wareings about ever seen, showed good boat handling skills to finish 2nd and first to get his boat cover on.
(Boring I know) but Jacko and Lorna facing the wrong way at the start and joined in after with Jacko firmly tucked in behind Lorna’s well filled bodysuit “how much clothing can you get in a dry suit?” plodded away at another recovery. Crews that have sailed with Jacko will reveal that if at any time ‘enough is enough’ the word scotch is said by one or the other crew, the boat will return to the club bar immediately and scotch will be consumed with no questions asked. As it turns out the story Lorna tells is that she was screaming “Jack Daniels” over and over, (wrong word it appears! The word is scotch!) The tying of a rolling hitch around the tiller with the main sheet following a speedy jibe at mark 3, was a test to see if L had found her sense of humour (no, she had not) It may be that L’s uncanny use of the spinnaker whist reciting the Lord Prayer and sitting on Jacko’s lap on the aft buoyancy bags was the winning move. We know it was not Jacko’s boat handling. Most lightly just Jacko’s Jam but the duo scored their first 1st of the series.
The fleet decided one race was good and absconded to the bar
Notables Roger and Edward in a Fireball sporting a sawn of mainsail with 2 more notches in the diving duck completion. Now leaders. The RS 600 sailor who rigged his boat. Jacko’s attempts the fix the results. Simon and Pies have not been seen in the club bar. The Sandhopper fleet all in formation laughter. Keith Fedi has gone missing. And can Malcolm (Fireball) sail a course without adding or leaving a race mark out?
Next race day 25th at 10:30. Results

News from Maylandsea Bay S. C.

A most serious meeting of the head honchos took place at the sailing club in which a most excellent and detailed report of membership and finance was presented to the gathered membership. picture Maylandsea with water Having listened to the reports, all the proposals and planed events I feel optimistic that the fat lady has not put her jewellery on yet, never mind entered the stage. Mr Wigg and myself had the plan to sit firmly on the hands and say nothing. But some how I am now dinghy captain and Wiggy is gagging to do something.
It would be most improper to divulge details but the clubs facilities are as good as you will see any where on the east coast with the club sitting on top of the bay overlooking the saltings and Lawling creek. It may be the trump card held by the club is its ability to run sailing through the winter season as it does not ice over and is sheltered from rough water with Mundon spit being to the north. The sailing water itself has all the fetches a racing dinghy team could ask for with the opportunity to chance clear wind out in the tide or lighter fluky airs closer to the headlands. Races can be won and lost in a moment with the knowledge that it will not be the same on the next rounding.
The Maylandsea Bay Winter series has already started but there is still time to race in 6 races with 1 discard, 5 to count. It is an all in handicap affair; one start, one course with tea/bacon sandwiches and a splat the duck competition (at the moment being lead by Kevin Whittle under a Fireball) with prizes for overall and best in fleet being more than three off. All are most welcome especially those wishing to sail in the back of the fleet where it is as hard to be last as it is to be first.
Racing will take place on the 11th at 11:00, 25th at 10:30 and the 9th at 10:00.
The Blackwater Icicle is to be sailed on the 6th Jan. at 10:00.
If I can be of any assistance at the club please do not hesitate to make contact (I am the tall blond one with lots of hair, in pink)Results to date

Thrills and spills on Maylandsea Bay

Fifteen boats hit the start line on a day that saw waves and cubic whammies sorting the men from the men.
The start was won by Mickey Wright sailing a Laser. This was a short hop to the Spit nav can, a jibe and a long down hill run out to Mundon spit which was a joy to see as many of the fleet had not seen a squall or had a knee tremble for weeks.
A measure of care was required as the fleet speed outwards, passed Lawling point and into the full thwack of the incoming tide. As the leg, somewhat sailed by the lee to this point eventually led to jibe on. Roger and Edward, in a Fireball, opened up the entries to the Splat The Duck completion (and a very worthy, well executed Splat it was).
. . . . . . picture right: Kevin "I capsized to get out of the rain"

The fleet now turning Mundon mark and into the wind was well spread out and despite the horizontal wind driven rain sorted a well bang on the nose beat to Lawling mark. Jacko and Lorna lost ground to Kevin and? (Fireball) and Keith Fedi, sailing a Finn, as the fleet took on the shifty squalls and rare to see, the Maylandsea wave. (Jacko was seen to be waving at Roger, who was still with the fishes, but Rogers joyful response cannot be divulged). Race ended Jacko and Lorna, Kevin and? With Keith 3rd. Tea and sausages were consumed, mud removed and the full fleet took off down the slip like nobody knew it was windy. Jacko and Lorna won the start, hung to the marina side and popped in an elegant jibe, followed by upping the kite and were not seen again. Roger and Edward, much encouraged with being less wet, took up the challenge. Sadly being slatted on the nasty headers bounding out of the marina pontoons at the end of the first lap. Ron and Laura having put a good solid performance together in race one went for the “wish I don’t wish” could have been! Wet mascara “is that a fish you’re holding” splat jibe. But recovered better than Jacko would have, stayed the course and finished 4th.
Keith (who it must be said was not having the best of days) got a good start, travelled the down hill well and made a good gain on Jacko on rounding Mundon Spit catching a good lift, lost the race by the narrowest of margins to be second. picture left: Keith loving his return to Maylandsea Bay Unfortunately the rumour has it that a slight wrong order of mark rounding has ended a tough day at the office. It is my view that we need finishers, all the marks were rounded and no short measure was gained. Kevin in the Fireball (who had been hiding away in the Sandhopper fleet) made light of the first race and handed out loads of stick to Lorna’s plea for “just one lap please” spent time with the fishes, along with a number of welcome returning visitors. Of which I would like to thank, on behalf of MBSC, for their support in filling the water and adding joy to the occasion only out done by the laughter from the Sandhopper gentry as they summed up the sailing capabilities of the club dinghy fleet. I would add, “you have seen nothing yet, chaps” now read on dit dit dit

picture below: Peter reefed, and staying in the boat

Next race 11/11/07 at 11:00 Full results to follow

Lets go sailing (its the winter series at MBSC)

This weekend sees the sailing move to the Maylandsea Bay start line for the start of the Winter Series. The Sandhopper fleet, now tucked up neatly behind the club bar and with the water furniture tonnage being humped out of the river having been swinging about on their mooring all summer, things are looking up and the best time to be out sailing has arrived.
It is unclear just who the runners and riders will be and if the MBSC race box is to split the fleet. We do know that the Ballers are in the most part out on a sicky with wonky knees, etc. But there is a rumour that Keith Fedi will be returning to defend the Trophy in his Finn. Keith, a race winner, is sadly missed having left the MBSC at the start of the year.
Martin Tarlin, Laser, also a race winner will be a welcome sight on the line although we believe he’s been hard pushed by Martin Cockersole, Laser. However Paul Weedon (a real hard nut Laser sailor) and always on the pace and never out the race is the Laser to watch.
The Merlin fleet is in a state of chaos. Malcolm Cross swapped his Merlin for a leaky Enter box! Laurence threatened to sell (but wisely, at a price no one would pay) and now has it parked safely under going cosmetic restoration. Simon and Pies, who it must be said have shown good boat speed at times, but are a tad hampered with Simon wishing to helm and crew at the same time (even we hear moving the crews cleats to aft of the thwart) is moving up the pecking order. Chris and Paul H! sadly have not been seen for a long time (far too long) having fallen victim to Batty’s alterative version of the racing rules (well as seen in the Telly Tubbies) and has punished himself by removing the deck varnish and storing the boat away. This is bad news for the Merlin fleet as Chris has much to offer in sailing skills and dynamic humour. The Ronet’s! Well… and well. Laura crew (and Matron) has her work cut out. Much work had been carried out on the boat in the spring but has not convinced Ron that sitting out equals boat speed and Ron with the new version of shorter toe straps can keep entirely dry in all but the heaviest of seas, and with the threat of spending more time on restringing the rig and Simon and Pies looking more speedy, the error factor is on the up. Jacko and Lorna at long last appear a tad more settled in the new ship and having spent time with the fishes and pondering how to set a sail the right way up, some times look like they could do something useful. However Jacko’s desire to film racing with a head cam is not going down well with Lorna who will not smile facing Jacko and makes noises that have to be edited out not leaving much to view. Jacko as hear to say “I take sailboat racing very seriously”, but looking at the teams’ starts there is room for improvement.
Racing starts on 28th at 11:30 and I wish all well

Blackwater Travellers Trophy 2007

Blackwater Travellers Trophy 2007 summed up.

The Dyer Cup, sailed from the Blackwater S. C. got a pass on account of 0-1.2 knots on a very still autumn day. This was a dull end to the re launch of the Blackwater Travellers Trophy 2007. The dates taken from the ten clubs surrounding the rivers Blackwater/Colne published programs had the good fortune not to have any clashes of dates. Each club has its own unique piece of sailing water, club characters and ambience, which brims over making sailing so special on the east coast.
The idea of a travellers’ series around the Blackwater has been given much encouragement and support from club members and club sailing secretaries.
It has not been possible to complete the full calendar or make good contact with all the clubs or the required persons, and the weather conditions on some dates simply blue the events out of the water (there is still much more to be achieved).
It is hoped that newcomers to sailing will find the thought of travelling to near by clubs to experience new soundings/courses and sailing against new sailors as a way to improve sailing skills, for we know that we learn so much more at an open meeting than sailing in the same pecking order at the home club.
The 2007 series winner regrettably turns out to be no less than Jacko and Laura (Merlin) MBSC with the runners up being Ron and Lorna (Merlin) H(B)SC and I personally feel that a much better challenge should be sought for the 2008 series.
I would like to thank all the competitors and club officials for their help in supplying the info and results that has made this small, but encouraging start, to an enjoyable sailing experience.
Info on 2008 series calendar and will be posted as soon as possible.
2007 results to follow