Merlin Magic Essex

Race team Brightlingsea took on the travelling Merlin top cookies as the Sliver Tiller fleet put in at the home of one of the most keen and talented Eastern Merlin fleets of this decade.
For the first time in years it was not blowing old boots and to the delight of all the sun shone and the tide came in and went out.
22 boats hit the start line in a most gentlemanly way with an assortment of first beat strategy being assigned. Boat handling seemed to play a big part in the out come of this 5 race series and it was noted just how nippy the fleet was at executing the 360o turns following the thwacking of the windward turning mark all in close company.
Race team Brightlingsea this year has been joined by Andy Bines and Derick Gentry, with the paring putting some impressive results together in the BSC club spring series. But when push came to shove it was Dave and Celia that set the pace for the home team with all results in the top ten, finishing 7th overall.
For Dave and Derick it was a baptism of fire and an eye opener as to why a Merlin Rocket is so much better than a Fireball! The paring faired well and finished 9th overall.
As we know life at the back of the fleet puts one in touch with your inner self, with physical and emotional tests. For Craig and Jayne the word testing has a new and deep meaningful, if not emotional meaning. All beneficial and life enhancing, but for an overall result 17th just a tad disappointing.
Ozzie and Melissa had a total catch of two dabs, a smaller sea bass and something that looked like an old wellygogg inner sole. But for pure enjoyment and endurance and an ever-lasting smile Ozzie and Mel are out standing winners.
For the rest of Essex mainly Charles and Elaine, Jacko and Lorna! The words of “get your discard over quick” and “one more lap and we would have got ya” all seamed much better having had a beer.

All in all it was a successful weekend with the race management doing an out sanding job turning the races around neatly with the windward mark in the middle, splendidly set reaches all done in shifty wind conditions with half the industrial shipping serving a new wind farm being build at Gunfleet.

There is nothing left this year in the Merlin Magic Essex series! But there has been a request to run the Two Islands Race at the top of the River Blackwater in 2010. This could be arranged if enough support comes forward.

Thanks to Chris Jordan for the time spent sending the photos

Full results ?
Alternative report
Overall
1st Chris Lewns Tom Pygall 6 Points
2nd Glen Truswell Olly Turner 7 points
3rd Alex Jackson Ben Hollis 11 points

1st Brightlingsea Boat Dave and Celia Carlton
If there had been a team prize it would have been
Whitstable YC 20 points
Brightlingsea SC 33 points

The "Rum Tub & Bung" race

With the tide being out this weekend Stone S.C. are resurrecting one for the oldest and well-loved races on the river Blackwater.
This year with a planned course starting on the club start line at 11:00am to the Bench Head and back.16 miles approx.
For the old salts that keep the sailing club bars afloat around the Blackwater this is a challenging race with many tales being told of great races in days of old. For the younger crash and burn, three hop in and out racing of today, a first leg to a rounding mark you cannot see may well be a real treat.
With high-pressure building and an unknown fleet arriving this has the makings of a ‘race on’ event.Report to follow

Easter at Maylandsea Bay - River Blackwater

The MBSC Easter Regatta brought a wonderful variety of sailing talent arrived at the club slipway to take part in the Maylandsea Easter regatta.
This year the regatta had a mix of a 6 race series, Friday to Sunday, with Sunday’s 2 races counting for the Easter Cup and Monday being a pursuit race for the Easter egg, which hopefully catered for all sailors, some of whom only wished to sail on one or two days of the four-day event.
A total of 24 club boats came to the start line. To take part in handicapped racing is not that easy

with assorted boats and a huge difference in sailing skills, but as it turns out with 6 races sailed there were 6 different race winners. This was no mean feat; each race having an element of unbelievable errors being made by most of the competing boats. This is the way of sailboat racing and it is never over till it’s over. The mix of the older, wiser sailor against the new, not to sure sailors and sailing in the light fluky breezes was a joy to see.
It is still a wonder to see a sailboat racer turning up late with only half his kit, then starting late, sailing the wrong course, and hitting the race marks, smiling, enjoying himself and being late for the next race showing such endurability.
I have the utmost respect for the senior sailor, in days past he sailed in plimsolls and shorts, woolly gloves topped with marigolds, if a tad chilly, and a so'wester hat if it were to be damping. The boats were made of wood, nailed together, bronze fittings, timber masted, cotton sails, and weighed a ton. It was when men were men. Only two races - “you were lucky” but they have survived sailboat development and modern clothing and the odd new body part but they still can’t resist having a go at bashing their brains out with a flyaway spinnaker pole, presenting themselves to the support boat as a survivor of the chain saw massacre.
The race box with an understanding of the heart ache caused by such trauma maintained a soft degree of race control (as it ran out the back door) and pursued a policy of “Fun Sailing for all” in an all in one fleet format.
Ann Dyson ‘Laser Radial’ took the Easter Bunny’s Ears award for 1st overall; this was no mean feat with a score line 2,4,1,2,3,2, and showed consistency and little error in race tactics. The physical effort put in and boat handling was unmatched by the rest of the fleet.
Philip and Geoffrey ‘Sandhopper’ 2nd overall scoring (dnf), 3,3,1, (dnf), 3, put together some cool moves in difficult conditions. Recovering well from a tiny little error in the first race, but the boat handling and teamwork came together at all the crucial moments putting boat lengths between them and the following Sandhoppers.
Andrew Trembath and assorted crews as a “newbie” to sailboat racing, and having spent time in the winter sailing series, put up a splendid performance. Having been encouraged by race team Mayland and supported by the ‘Trembath Youth Team’ has started his moves on the MBSC trophy cupboard, scoring 5, (dnf), 5,3, (dnf) 1, to be 3rd overall. The 1st, being in the Monday pursuit race having a nail biting end of race happening (as it should be in a pursuit race), as the two leading boats failed to round race mark 4 to starboard (a race box error thanks to AJ) and sailed to the next mark Jetty. Andrew and Grace now faced with the question of “who got this right” and “what are we to do?” encouraged by Miss Grace, who with confidence kept a cool head and sailing directly towards race mark 4 won the race before they reached race mark 4.

It must be said that the racing rules are there to protect the competitor and the race committee/officer from errors in sailing and race management. We must try to have knowledge of the rules and to try and stick with the rules. Apart from the race committee having a nervous break down in the race box, they avoided being pelted with cream Easter eggs, competitors behaved exceptionally well, and fair play surfaced.
Andrew and Grace’s win is a joy to MBSC and should encourage the newbie sailors who are building up the Maylandsea fleet.
Notables: John Giles on his first outing this year sailed a good race to win the Sunday Cup. For the first time this year the combined crew age dropped below a hundred years.

The next big race is the Challenge Cup 9th May. It is an open race, details will be out soon and on the 10th it is the club open day with the Mayland Pico Flower race that takes place in front of the club house more details to follow

Full results and more info at www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/
Thanks to Teresa Giles for time sending in the photos

Easter Regatta overall
Easter series
1st Ann Dyson Laser Radial 5 points
2nd Philip Spillane Geoffrey Walkley Sandhopper 7 points
3rd Andrew Trembath Grace Trembath Xenon 13 points
4th Fenny Cook Laser 16 points

Sunday Easter Cup
1st John Giles Finn
2nd Rob Gray Laser
3rd Ann Dyson Laser Radial
4th Sarah Giles Laser Radial

Easter Pursuit Egg Race
1st Andrew Trembath, Grace Trembath Xenon
2nd Ann Dyson Laser Radial
3rd Philip Spillane, Geoffrey Walkley Sandhopper
4th Richard Lytheer, Mike Hopper Sandhopper

Best-improved sailors
Alex Anning, James Trembath Topaz

Splat The Duck competitionCharlotte Wright, Grace Trembath

Snakes and Ladders on Maylandsea Bay

A fearsome battle concluded the 2009 frostbite series. The gods of wind set up a horrendous selection of holes and shifts spilling out across Maylandsea Bay.
As the starting flag fell the wind was already looking fitful, with large glassy flat patches spread out. The fleet entered a sailing snakes and ladders game of horror, the sun shone brightly down and the smell of anti fowling wafted out from the Mayland marina; it was race on with Keith needing two wins to win the series.
Jacko, this week teamed up with Alan Wigg, the pairing having not sailed outside the Dog and Duck inner bar for some considerable time but benefiting from years of hangover sailing rumour, as they faced the laser fleet that appeared to fancy their chances being in a pack and looking for team race tactics, taking on all comers on the start line.
It was Jacko and Al who won the start rounding mark 1 first closely followed by Keith sailing the Finn. The race immediately took on a grimly tense tone on this, the shortest leg on the race map. With the two boats going head to head, a shared knowledge of the sailing rules being quoted and the opportunity to receive a penalty, made it more like the night of the long knives and in a moment of excitement it was Clive ‘Laser’ accepted the only turns asked for. Keith had gained the lead with Jacko and Al struggling to find more speed; the Laser fleet were new showing more teeth than you would see in a crocodiles playpen, snapping at Jacko’s transom.
Keith has a keen ambition to take line honours and the two competitors swapped lead boat and number of times as the wind died then filled in from wrong side of whoever had the lead at the time and as Jacko and Al were being attacked from both sides the spinnaker had been swept back over the jib on a 90 degree wind shift, Jacko looked like he knew that this was not to be his race.
Keith took the bullet followed by Clive beating brother Martin with Rorie and Charlotte in fourth place.
So the series came to the wire with Keith having won the last three races, needing just one more win. The start of the last race saw Keith come out the start with top boat speed leaving Jacko and Al for dead but again on rounding race mark 1 and onto the shortest leg to race mark 0 saw Wiggy’s spinnaker work pulling out the winning moves with the pairing rounding ahead executing a smart spinnaker jibe in the lightest of breezes. There followed a little gain and loss on the windward legs but it was the dead run against the tide and a long starboard windward tack to the west on rounding race 2 making enough time to win the race and the series.
Notable: Rorie and Charlotte pulled off the move dreams are made of and put 4 points between the old guard Dave and Gary to snatch the prize for lead Lark, a brilliant move and well deserved.
It should be said that handicap sailboat racing is not real racing and the only hope a competing boat has is that over a number of race days in a series the conditions will have some degree of not favouring one particular class of boat. But we look at racing one race at a time and it is always someone’s favoured course or wind direction and strength. It’s tough to look at a one-man one sailboat sailing away from you when you are putting the teamwork and three sails up to max boat speed and think of the words “fair sailing”.
The Maylandsea club put out a freebee buffet and presented beer and chocolates to the winners. Thanks where given to support boat crews and the race box management. And on behalf of the competitors we would like to thank Doreen Levy for preparing and laying out the food provided.


Next open race is the Challenge cup Saturday May 9th at 11:45
Full results and more info at www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/
Thanks to Teresa Giles for sending the photos
Overall:
1st Merlin Rocket Alan Jackson & Lorna Laval 7 points
2nd Finn Keith Fedi 8 points
3rd Laser Martin Tarling 12 points
4th Laser Clive Tarling 17 points5th Laser Peter Playle 20 points

Another grey day on Maylandsea Bay

Another grey day greeted the fleet and for the first time this year it was not at the crack of dawn. A light breeze setting from the west wafted through the assembled competitors with Keith Fedi ‘Finn’ complaining that there was not a windward leg to be sailed and that it was to be spinnakered in every direction and all was lost! All a bit of a ruse on account that at 4 to 6 knots he was likely to be lead boat.

At the start Keith was seen to be digging a hole in the submerged mud that was once the spit at the north outward end of the starting line, with a look of horror in his eye and thrashing the tiller about to free himself. The small but keen fleet headed up the short windward leg to race mark 1.
It was Peter Playle ‘Laser’ who won the start and rounded the first mark first with Martin and Clive, also Lasers, in close contention. The fleet rounded the next mark and on a dead run to spit
was quickly joined by Keith and a short conversation on the merits of rocking to the pleasure of all.
It was to be Keith’s day who with great determination and weathering attacks from the Jacko ‘Merlin’ and the holes and fairies shifts in the wind sailed to take the two bullets of the day by a goodly margin.

Jacko teamed up with Alex Longshank a top notch Pico sailor and although Alex had not crewed a Merlin before put some very neat moves together and handled the spinnaker and Jacko with confidence, sitting out the wind ward legs well and flying the kite at every opportunity. However they could not make up sufficient time and with a couple of errors and a doggy second start finished with two 2nd.

Martin Tarling ‘Laser’, swapping places with fellow Laser sailor put on an impressive display of racing skills using a “get out of jail card” just at the right time to defeat Peter and Clive to finish with two 3rd.
The battle for lead Lark continued with Rorie and Charlotte again winning and narrowing the deficit to two points.
This bring us to the last race day, with three boats in the hunt with two races to come. Jacko ‘Merlin’ and Martin ‘Fireball’ only need to win one of the two races to stop Keith’s challenge to take the series, with Keith needing the two bullets to win on count back.






Next Race Day March the 15th starting at 13:25
Full results www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/
Thanks to Philip Spillane for sending the photos
Overall:
1st Merlin Rocket Alan Jackson & Lorna Laval 8 points
2nd Laser Martin Tarling 12 points
3rd Laser Peter Playle 20 points
4th Fireball Martin Scarth & Tony King 21 points
5th Laser Clive Tarling 21 points

No Oscars to be had in Maylandsea Bay

Grey skies still hung over Maylandsea as the fleet gathered to contest races 5 and 6. The tide was rushing in and the wind setting from the North West at 8 to 12 knots putting all competitors in with a chance of a good result. Keith Fedi, Finn sailor making his first appearance in the series (and a welcome sight) is never out of the race and Martin Scarth and Tony King, returning having missed a race day, worked at building up the pre-launch tempo. In the club house the armchair champs were putting an edge on the preceding as the new chef de-lovely was encouraging the assembled to get stuck in to eating more breakfast.
The race box for the first time this year was Bill-less and the fleet, with no expense spared, was reacquainted with the set course card. For the spinnaker boat crew, who had fallen under the delights of ‘grape juice’ or even sadder, Lager a relaxing day was not to be. For the single-handed sailors the sight of short legs and many jibes evens the odds of a good result.
As the starting flag fell the fleet was split port and starboard and some joyful calls were heard ending in cries of fear as the port tackers shook under the starboard boats rounding race mark 1. Turns followed and peace returned only to find Martin and Tony turning their spinnaker into what you might think was a macramé Chrimbo party hat resulting in the pairing travelling to the wrong mark, all in front of the club gallery who were surprisingly polite. Jacko and Lorna Merlin, now lead boat, put together an impressive collection of sailboat team work (and sailing the right course), the spinnaker retaining good pressure through the reach-to-reach jibes and Lorna’s lips hardly moving.

The fleet sailed down to Mundon spit and across to Steeple creek to start the zigzag course up wind with more reaches thrown in for added pleasure for the Lasers. It was noted that Jacko’s wind ward speed was well under the required Merlin pace and allowed Martin to overhaul and make up enough time to win the race by 30 seconds and deservedly so, as Tony’s spinnaker handling gave them an edge on the average Fireball sailor on what was not a boner Fireball day.
For race two the wind backed and the course was set to the West but the wind became unsteadier and good race skills were needed. Again Jacko and Lorna lost the lead to Martin and Tony having made a good start, with good boat handling skills and Lorna’s spinnaker work setting the pace only to lose out on the windward legs has put a big question mark on Jacko’s eligibility as a suitable helm for such a talented crew. Jacko’s comment was “it’s never over till it’s over” and with four races to come he may be right!

There has been some tough racing between the Lark sailors and again it’s not over yet with just three points being the difference and the error factor being critical.
Keith had a tough day loosing the main sheet and taking to the water, but ever the battler sorted and recovered to finish the day with a 6th and a 3rd.
With four races to go the questions are. Can Jacko find more windward boat speed? Will the winds be kind to the Fireball fleet? Will race mark 6 stay afloat long enough to be rounded again? Will Batty ever fly his spinnaker? Can Peter ‘Laser’ close down Martin’s 6 point lead? Will Dave and Gary’s nerve hold good or will Rorie and Charlotte hit the go faster button to take the leading Lark Prize? Is winter frost over? With the next race being a 13:30 start will the softies come out to sail?

All will be revealed on the next race day March 1st 13:30 start with Billy in the race box
Full results and more info at www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/
Thanks to Nigel Whiting and Peter Freshwater for sending the photos
Overall:

1st Fireball Martin Scarth & Tony King 4 points
2nd Merlin Rocket Alan Jackson & Lorna Laval 6 points
3rd Laser Martin Tarling 9 points
4th Laser Peter Playle 15 points
5th Laser Clive Tarling 18 points

Maylandsea Frostbite: races 3 & 4

With a light grey sky, high clouds and the sun looking to break through, the Maylandsea fleet gathered at the club slipway. With races 3 & 4 postponed on Feb. 8th due to torrents of horizontal freezing rain, the feel of a soft, cold breeze from the WSW was encouraging
The fleet appeared amazingly cheerful and revved up with no fear of being frozen to death and as the long legged Lorna wafted through the fleet returning from a girly night out! Jacko appeared unusually respectful, as Lorna is a fearsome crew when liquored up
The bacon butties and coffee were consumed, the course was set, and as the starting flag fell the breeze had built to 8 knots and the tide was setting on to the line with good pace. The fleet favoured the centre of the line and a good start was made all.
It must be said that it was a good Merlin day and with no way that Martin the leading Lasers could make time down the long run against the flow of tide, the outcome being Jacko and Lorna taking the two bullets and Martin two seconds.
Clive, ‘Laser’ failed to make his recently found starting form and falling into the second Laser position, finishing with a 5th and a 3rd.
It was good to see Ron and Paul, ‘Merlin’ making a good start and hanging on to the back of the 505 to finish 3rd. Sadly Ron’s toe strap failed depositing Ron in the drink, the pairing failed to start in race 4.
Dave Russell and Gary Jackson sailing a Lark, sailed a good race and with places changing and the wind being a little shifty always looked to be in the right part of the course.
Race team Trembath sailing a Topaz are upping their pace and are now to be seen flying a spinnaker and putting the moves together, looked confident on the windward legs.
All in all this was a good day to be out sailing on Maylandsea Bay. (No frost, no ice) The seals gathered off Lawling point (5 off) and the splendid sight of the hundreds of wading birds taking flight from the submerging mud and salting is a stunning sight; the sun breaking through the cloud and warming the spirits, the dense cold wind all made this a treat to be there.
Thanks for their help must go to the support crews and the race team at M.B.S.C.

With March 15th being added to the series there are three race days to come with two races per day and 5 races to count. The series is still open.
Next race day Feb. 22nd at 9:30 start
Full results and more info at www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk/
Thanks to Philip Spillane for sending the photos
Overall:
1st Merlin Rocket Alan Jackson & Lorna Laval 4 points
2nd Laser Martin Tarling 6 points
3rd Fireball Martin Scarth & Tony King 13 points
4th Laser Clive Tarling 13 points