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……..
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Harlow (Blackwater) Race Box Takes No Prisoners
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Stabbing cold greyness to end Mayandsea Winter sreies
The overall winners place was still up of grabs with Keith Fedi (Finn) needing two wins to take the series and Jacko and Lorna needing to control the start line and maybe keep Keith out of the number one spot. Martin and Tony (Fireball) winners of races 5 and 6 looked to be under pressure with the winds being a tad light. However, Keith Fedi, although in the dinghy park, failed to sail pulling a sick note and taking no further part, leaving Jacko and Lorna the overall winners.
As the seconds counted down to the start the breeze began to fill in; the fleet split in to the starboard tack boats, close hauled sailing parallel to the line but not able to cross the line, joyfully calling starboard on the port tack boats fetching at speed, ducking and weaving on to the line, but over all, all well behaved. As the starting flag fell it was Mick Wright sailing a Laser that won the
start with Malcolm and Tony (Fireball), Jacko and Lorna (Merlin) in close pursuit.
in the wind approaching the north saltings point heading to race mark 4. This was the end of many competitors’ hopes of discarding a previously gained poor result. The damp bitter cold ate in to the fleet and with a deathly silence saw the leading boats slip away. Nicholas (Phantom) quickly sailed past the Fireballs and Merlins to take the lead, and again appeared un-sure as to where he was sailing let out a few cries for help, but staying close to the north shore and putting in some well timed tacks pulled out a good lead not to be seen again, taking line honours and 1st place with Jacko and Lorna 2nd Laurence (Finn) 3rd; sadly two hours passed before all competitors finished which is a credit to the dogged determination and commitment that the Maylandsea fleet shows to sailboat racing.
The second race of the day was a crash and burn affair. Sailed on a fast ebbing tide in a 3-knot N. breeze. The Maylandsea race box set the short distance course with two rounds to ensure the fleet did not sample the Essex mud.
Jacko and Lorna won the start and with short down hill legs Lorna’s spinnaker work set the pace and with the Fireballs breathing down her neck it was race on. Nicholas would have won the second race, but being a tad late to start Jacko and Lorna took the bullet Nicholas in the Phantom 2nd and Martin and Tony in the Fireball 3rd.
The prize giving was a cheery event, supported with a freebee buffet and drinks at the bar for all competitors, support boat crew
and the race box team.Over all winners Jacko & Lorna
Noteables: The Splat the Duck competition, this year there where three nominations, and in reverse order.
Terri and Paul sailing a Fireball: for a miserably thought out upping of the kite on rounding race mark Jetty on to a reach, (tight reach) total wipe out following heading up too early with the crew trying to set the spinnaker.
Ron and Elizabeth sailing a Merlin: Another total wipe out, spinnaker up on a reach at speed! Ron’s comment was “I felt the plastic grip came off the tiller extension then it all went green!”
But this year’s winner, Mike and Keith sailing a Fireball a truly sad tale, as they reached the Harlow jetty Keith (crew) stepped out of the boat onto the jetty lost grip of the boat the boat sailed off and immediately capsized. With Mike now floating in the water Keith had to make the decision to stay dry or jump in to assist in the recovery. It was a freezing cold day and with a nanno second of thought Keith plunged in. A truly magnificent act of devotion.
Not forgetting the Blackwater Icicle on Dec. 28th at 11:30 MBSC will be open, galley open, No Bar, prize giving at HBSC following the race
The next club race day is the post Christmas series, starting on the 11th Jan. and running until Easter
1st Merlin Rocket Jacko and Lorna 7 points
2nd Finn Keith Fedi 10 points
3rd Fireball Malcolm and Tony 19 points
4th Laser Martin Tarling 26 points
5th Finn Laurence Maudsley 27 points
6th Laser Clive Tarling 30 points
7th GP14 Dave and Kat 34 points
1st Lady Helm14th Laser Radial Ann Dyson 69 points
Monday, December 1, 2008
Martin and Tony push up the pace in the Maylandsea Bay Winter Series
Another grey cold day with mountainous clouds over Mundon Spit awaited the fleet. The mud banks crowded with wading birds slowly bunching closer together as a five-metre tide swirled in around the empty mooring buoys. The grey damp coldness wafted across the dinghy park on a Northy 10 knots of breeze. 
The fleet was joined, for the fist time in this winter series, by Mr. Martin Scarth with Tony King in the crewing position sailing a Fireball (a very welcomed visitor from the Blackwater S.C.) As it turned out it was to be Martin and Tony’s day.
The start was a “game affair” with the fleet pushing its luck more and more through each start of the series. The game plan by some appears to be “sod going the right way on port tack to the start line, lets see who we can push on to the submerged spit mud!” As one might think the majority just wished to get on to the line with boat speed on the starting signal and get racing. It appeared to the clubhouse upper gallery (filled with the armchair champions) that there was a lack of response from the panicked port tack boats. On the approach the wicked (lets have some fun) starboard tack boats, Jacko and Keith, let (the welcomed visitor) Martin and Tony do most of the damage with his gentlemanly calls of “starboard” as all three squeezed the Lasers in to cries of (well I cannot quite recall the actual words) but the words “room” or “water” did not feature to much. They were being the cause of misery! Then tacking off on to port, Keith, suddenly had a half-hearted poke at Martin whilst being overlapped, with Dave and Kat (GP14) escaping the carnage running down Jacko, who appeared to be confused that Lorna had turned in to Roger, and in a flash of the eye all four rounded Spit mark and sped off up the windward leg.
It was noted that Jacko and Roger tried the same rotten move in the next race start but with no boat speed and consequently got spat out the back door, to much merriment of the upper gallery.
At the top of the windward leg Martin and Tony were already stamping their authority on the fleet with some very smart spinnaker work on the short tight reaching legs and Tony’s ability to understand and navigate the new Maylandsea Bay course card.
With the second start of the day being as calculated as the first and the wind rising to a tasty 14 – 16 knots the pairing were unbeatable and deservedly took the two bullets of the day.
Keith in his Finn, masterful as ever having made good starts and only whacking one race mark, thankfully not the one the race committee had just finished repainting, and rending turns sailed well, leading Jacko and Roger around most of the second race, despite Jacko’s comments about “do you ever sit out” and “do you ever move in that boat” Keith maintained a healthy smile, and as the wind built in the second race sailed faster and faster finishing with a 3rd and a 2nd.
Jacko and stand in crew Roger Mander quickly found themselves in some new and interesting sailing moves, Roger, a well accomplish fireball helm, worked the front end well but did not quite have the awesome authority (rule of terror) that Lorna appears to control Jacko with. The boat was awfully quiet, and Jacko appeared relaxed, also finishing with a 2nd and a 3rd
Another welcome returnee was Mick Wright sailing a Laser. Mick’s laser skills gave him a comfortable lead on the next Laser sailor, Martin who again had a comfortable lead on Clive. Mick finished with a 4th and a 5th.
So once again we find the winter series going to a cliffhanger finish with one point being the margin with all to sail for. Jacko and Lorna have it all to lose with Keith having it all to gain. The question being, will the wind still be in the north? Will the start get any more treacherous? Will the club upper gallery stop laughing? Has Ron won the splat the duck competition? All will be revealed.
1st Merlin Rocket Jacko and Lorna 6 points
2nd Finn Keith Fedi 7 points
3rd Fireball Malcolm and Tony 16 points
4th Laser Martin Tarling 20 points
5th Laser Clive Tarling 24 points
6th GP14 Dave and Kat 35 points
Monday, November 17, 2008
Testy Day at the Maylandsea Winter series:
Low grey wet cloudy conditions blotted out the skyline to Mundon spit. The wading birds seemed to be stuck in the wet gooey mud. A light breeze from the North chilled out any idea of it being a fun sailing day.
However, on entering the clubhouse the sounds of laughter rattled around the early takers of coffee and bacon rolls. It appears that the sailing committee had posted the Mk2 edition of the winter course card. It was noted that a notice was posted later in the day, which read.
(The sailing committee would like to thank all the helpful competitors for their advice and keenness in pointing out the errors in the Mk2 course card and all the items raised have been noted and will be resolved for races 5 and 6) well we can but hope!
By the time the fleet had assembled on the start line the rain had stopped and the wind had set in 12 knots N. to N.E. on a rapid incoming tide. The start was again fiercely contested with the Lasers, Finn, Fireballs and Merlins pushing hard to the submerged spit end of the line. David Islin, sailing a Fireball, won both the morning and afternoon starts with a daring and surgical type manoeuvring in a quickly tightening gaggle of assorted boats, popping out bang on the starting signal leaving the following fleet to exchange verbal requests of “room” and “why me God”. The coming together of lips and ideas on the sailing rules was done in the best of sailing tradition with no humour, but with fun in mind and being just out for reach of most. The fleet quickly spread out on the wind ward leg to the top of the bay with Keith in the Finn rounding Mark 4 first. However, Keith took off on a sight seeing tour giving hope to Jacko and Lorna that the race could be won. David having won the start sadly hung onto the south side one tack too many and lost out in a big way.
Nick Radley (Phantom) recovering from a doggy start got hold of the lead when passing Jacko with awesome two sail reaching boat speed, only later to round Lawling in the wrong direction. Sadly this lead to a throwing of the toys out of the pram and a retirement. Nick, restored the brain cells for the second race, but as it happens a joining up with other boats on Spit mark, rendered turns following the race start, but he regained composure to finish 3rd in the race.
Malcolm and Tony, Fireball, having survived the horror that there were 23 marks, shortened to 17 marks to be rounded and that Dave, fellow Fireballerr, blistered the starts, and being surrounded by Finns and Phantoms made the best move he could and maintained his 3rd place overall.
The Laser race is on! With Clive again very much in the front line at the start, and Martin having to work with what’s left. But Martin ever the fighter and knowing the line “it’s never over till it’s over” beavered away removing Clive’s leading Laser crown.
Keith, Jacko and Lorna ended up with a 1st and 2nd each with Jacko’s win in the second race being some what luck, finishing in a dying wind with the tide gaining pace. Not entirely fair for the slower boats.
As it turned out it was a testy days sailing, in a variable shifty wind with a brisk tide on a course of short legs and not much room for error.
Notables: The diving duck competition has opened with Ron and Elizabeth (Merlin) setting a well rehearsed and practised standard
Ron and Elizabeth also finished 4th in the second race.
Tony King and Louise have re-launched Merlin 3230, sadly the bungs were missing.
Thanks to Peter Freshwater for the photos
Next race day is on the 30th Nov. at 11:50
Overall results
1st Merlin Rocket Jacko and Lorna 4 points
2nd Finn Keith Fedi 5 points
3rd Fireball Malcolm and Tony 12 points
4th Finn Laurence Maudsley 15 points
5th Laser Martin Tarling 15 points
6th Laser Clive Tarling 17 points
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Maylandsea Bay Open Winter Series & ‘Karma’
Races one and two got under way under the most evil looking skies that the Maylanders had seen for some time and over the summer period following a hearty layer of snow at Easter they have not been spoilt for wicked skies, high winds or no wind at all, dissolving any real feeling of club summer racing.
21 boats from 4 different clubs came to the start line with a very keen start being made by Malcolm and Tony (Fireball) Laurence (Finn) and Jacko and Lorna (Merlin Rocket) The wind 0.2 to 1 knot from the North-to-North East on a soft incoming tide put the fleet in touch with its innermost ‘Karma’ with the helm’s Yins and Yangs stretched to the point of sense of humour failure. But I am pleased to report that the rules of sailing and fair play stood up well (no waves! no Phantoms) especially for Jim and he, being a gent, thinks Rock and Roll is strictly for dancing.
Malcolm and Tony sailed a brilliant windward leg out through the Bay showing excellent boat speed and concentration beating the odds loaded against the high wetted area that the Fireball supports. The windward rounding of Lawling point was against the tide in a miserable half a knot of breeze and ended their hopes of making any real time against the Finns, finishing 4th.
Jacko and Lorna could not make the necessary time required to take out the Finn either, but sailing a careful race, not including farming or shifting weed with the foils, took line honours to finish 2nd.
Laurence sailed well, sailing a good opening leg and rounding Lawling point well and hanging on to the lead boats on the down hill legs, won the first race and beating fellow club Finn sailor Keith Fedi, who it must be said was sleeping at the start of the race but pulled back to finish 3rd.
Race 2 started with a little less tide and a little more wind. The start was banked to rights by the new slimmed down Clive Tarling sailing a Laser. It was good to see Clive rounding the Spit Mark in the inside position and looking cool and in control with the Merlins and fireballs overlapped to the outside. As the fleet passed the north salting point Lorna poured out some verbal encouragement to Jacko as the rudder came adrift from the transom whilst tacking. This was a little test set by Jacko to see if Lorna could move with out knowing why! As it turned out she could, but she can use an assortment of words (all judgemental) on Jacko’s ability to surprise, without warning or reason! A crew’s skills and tolerance to ‘up the pace’ and improvise is needed to secure boat trim without the loss of speed through the water. A tip: some time as a helm it is better to listen with your mouth tightly shut, rather than make un-thought through excuses on boat management.
Luckily all competing boats make some errors, the boat making lest errors can some times be lucky, Jacko and Lorna put the marbles back on the tray and sailed smoothly to finish 1st.
Keith making a good start and sailing well narrowly lost the race to finish 2nd.
Malcolm and Tony again betting the odds in a Fireball on a light airs day put some spinnaker work in and made up good time down wind to finish 3rd.
Clive having won the start sailed well to finish 4th and is leading the Laser fleet.
Next race day 16/11/08 at 12:20 it is not too late to qualify in this series with six races to come.
Overall results
1st Merlin Rocket Jacko and Lorna 3 points
2nd Finn Keith Fedi 5 points
3rd Fireball Malcolm and Tony 7 points
4th GP14 Dave and Kate 10 points
5th Laser Clive Tarling 11 points
Global Warming: It a funny old world
The very day that Charlie Hadfield departed planet earth, no doubt blazing a roster tail of sailing joy into the sea of stars, but sadly a bloke that will leave a un-fillable space in the lives of many, was the day that George William Davison arrived in the arms of Mr floppy toppy. For floppy this was a life moving moment, and for Laura, an Essex top totty Merlin crew, an end to sleeping and handbag shopping. For George, who is already a better sailor (and has a Merlin on order) than filth the dog and floppy himself, he is a treasured person and brings joy to all he smiles on.
But enough of all this what of the sailing ‘the reader’ may ask. The summer months have been disappointing in every way. Difficulties in getting results or reports or getting to the opens and being able to get on the water has knocked the edge off sailing. I do hope to put what is available in to words shortly.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Salcombe - High Winds - Pass the Sugar
Picture: The Salcombe SpoonSadly all things come to change and people come and people go, and this is life as we know it. But one thing is for sure the Merlin fleet gets as much enjoyment out of the week as ever we did, and the people before us and I hate the idea of the line “back in the good old days” means that things were better! (But they were!) well to me they were better than now!
The memories that stand out:
The reciting of the Merlins are coming: at the end of the weeks racing a very gentle man would address the gathered fleet and recite a short poem from the towns folk written as they busily prepared for the on coming Merlin week, in the quietly spoken words “the Merlins are coming, the Merlins coming” (I cannot remember any more words) but it pressed the buttons. We also were severely reprimanded for being in a flight that had been recalled (it was not well thought of, we were bad boys and girls!)
Top fifteen and the spoon: the picture is of a Salcombe Spoon, the top fifteen boats where duly awarded prizes of which the Salcombe spoon was one. It was a small silver looking engraved spoon with the crest of Salcombe on the handle.
The one-minute rule: it was explained to me that to be ON the line was to be OVER the line within the one minute rule, no messing, no nearly on it, and no argument, you just did not do it (even in fog) and it should be said that not many boats fell fowl of the one minute rule (except Tony Johnson).
The course card: it was a sad day when the course card was discarded. A letter was shown on the watchtower with an arrow pointing to Blackstone or Crossways and off we went. Simple faultless, well thought out, the Yalton, Saltstone, Gerston, was always the buis.
The dredging of Batson creek: was the one thing that brought the biggest change. Before the dredging the fleet would arrive to meet a flooding tide around 11:00 on the Saturday morning, to give time for latecomers to get to Millbeach; the tide would be on springs. This also gave the racing an edge for you could hear the tide passing Crossways and to get it wrong rounding Crossways was certain death; as was going around Snape point with the back eddy into the bag.
It prompted the town side flyer. A down the drain rounding of Blackstone and rather than trying to pass 20 boats off of Millbeach, a crossing to the town side, cutting the corner at Crossways against the tide was always a brilliant move with a great buzz as terror hit the front-runners, but if you were down the pan there was nought to lose!
Edgar Cove: was a huge loss. It used to be a boat building shed that filled the site that is now twee little townie homes at the head of Island Street, which also was full of working boat workshops. Just the smells and sounds was a joy to pass and it was all real. The transition from a working boat shed to townie housing was tragic with one of the owners losing his life.
Knuckle bashing boats: part of the Edgar Cove’s legacy was a fleet of splendid timber, clinker built Stuart Turner driven launches. The sort of thing that you left an extra bit of time for changing the spark plug. They were varnished mahogany with blue tie up cuddies at the back of the fore deck. They made that brill brup, brup sound and smelt of petrol and Roger Ecob took the skin off of his knuckles every year whilst trying to restart the blessed thing. The building frames for the tenders stood in the gloom of the shed surrounded by wood shavings. But alas all gone.
Bass on the wall: racing for pints with Tony Johnson was a must. At the time you could drink pints sitting on the wall opposite the Queen Victoria. The Bass was kept behind the bar in barrels and was lethal. Barrel, glass, Johnson and Tony was instructed to “Tony Hold the baby” and Tony would, and more sailors nearly passed by! But just had to stop for pints the group got bigger and the rounds got larger in the sun on the street until Tony had to stop holding the baby, and Mrs Johnson instructed us all that it was time to go.
Scrumpy and camp cricket: a lot of the fleet at that time were Alston Farm campers. This was when camping was done by campers. There were no inflatable anything’s! the Alston Farm camp site was so full of sailors that you needed to arrive Friday night and have a reserved place in the relevant clan. The Bala campies were full on and really well sorted with a dozen tents or more, and the Grafham camp also well supported to name but a few. It was the way of things that following the Bass on the wall it was Scrumpy time bought in gallon bottles, and as the food was being sorted it was camp cricket (hit a tent or a car and you were out) was performed. They were the best of times.
The Shipwrights: in later years the camping stopped, drinking outside was disallowed and pints were taken in the Shipwrights. Again at the time a splendid pub run by Colin and his good lady; a fine lady that put up with the ordering of chips, then chips with add ons much better than Colin. The lifeboat crew used to drink there and again it was real. The pile of wet sailing bags would pile up in the corner and the sun would disappear from the sky then we would order food. We watched the sailors go down the hill, and then watched them return.
We waved at the aeroplane pilots from Bonadventure Close, and legged it up Coronary Hill for some years.We had splendid afternoons with Mike Preston and Liz with the specially made hampers in the brup boat watching the racing. I see from the back of the photo that it was 1987 that we won the last Salcombe race (Jacko jam again) in a boat called Who’s A Pretty Boy, and now at the age of 48 and having missed three years I can still feel the thrill as the closing seconds pass to the start time of 10:30. Is it over? Is it hell?
