Happy New Year everyone! The weather outside might be frightful, but our thoughts are turning to BOD sailing in 2024 and Jeremy has put together this year’s programme which is below. He’s tried to ensure that those of you who sail other boats too can do as much sailing in the BOD as possible without conflicts, and he’s kept the programme compact to encourage maximum participation.
Last year showed that the competition in the fleet is really outstanding at the moment, and we have some exciting new owners and sailors participating, so we encourage everyone to get their boats out and get involved. And to remind everyone just how exciting BOD racing can be, above is a little bit of footage from day 3 of Pyefleet Week 2023
What a wonderful evening we had celebrating the launching of C23 Shadow, which has been beautifully restored by owner Pete Kyne and his friends and family with special support from Malcolm Goodwin. Check out our video in which Pete makes a beautiful heartfelt speech, Team Manager Jenny Goodwin splashes the fizz and the boat hits the water.
After the launching Pete and his team raced in the Thursday night series where they put in a very impressive performance leading the BODs home. Look out Pyefleet Week BOD Fleet – here come Team Shadow!
Pete Kyne invites all BOD sailors, friends and family to join his to celebrate the relaunching of his beautifully restored C23 Black Shadow at Brightlingsea Sailing Club from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday 27 July.
With support from Malcolm Goodwin, Pete has been restoring Black Shadow over the past two years and will be racing her in Pyefleet Week 2023. Do join him to celebrate her re-launch and to admire his handy work.
The tide gods have not been kind this year, but as a result the weekend of 22 and 23 July is a bumper Regatta Weekend for the BOD fleet
On Saturday 22 July we have the ever popular Wivenhoe Regatta. The BOD race for the Margaret Abrahams Trophy will start off Batemans Tower at 12.45 and you can expect the usual wonderful hospitality from the Wivenhoe team when you get there. All the information you need to participate can be found here.
When you get back from Wivenhoe you will arrive in time to enjoy the always amazing Brightlingsea Regatta Fireworks which will be visible from the Prom and harbourside and will start as soon as its dark enough (circa 21.30)
And on Sunday 23 July we’ve got the Brightlingsea Regatta Race for the BOD Hickley Tiller, starting at 14.00 from the BSC line. Please note there is a new Sailing Club course card which can be picked up from the BSC Start Hut.
The BOD 95th anniversary race will start at 11.00 on Sunday 2 July from the CYC Batemans Tower line using the 2016 CYC BOD course card which can be downloaded here.
The plans for the BOD 95th Anniversary Celebrations have been updated and will now feature a special Pimms Party hosted by Adrian Gibbons at the Colne Yacht Club on Saturday 24th June 2023 from 19.00 to 20.00.
For those who would like to stay on there is a club supper available. Jacqui will be offering Homemade Fish Pie or Spanakopita with sweet corn sauce and fresh seasonal veg, followed by Chocolate Fudge Sundae for £17/ head.
Dear BOD Sailors (young, sprightly, ancient mariners, skippers, crew, family and friends dating back over the last 95 years)
Please join us on Saturday 24th June at the CYC for an evening to remember the past and promote the future of the BOD Fleet and those who have sailed in it.
Please let me know if you have memorabilia, films, photos that could be shown/ displayed on the evening or even if there was a turn you did in the past on BOD Night in Pyefleet Week, that you would like to recreate!
Please put the date in the diary.
Menu currently being worked on. Details to follow.
Please send to the wider BOD Family and friends who might like to join us.
The 2023 BOD Racing Programme is now available to view and download here. With thanks to all who took the time to join us for our informal discussions late last year, sailing programme coordinator Jeremy Newman has created a programme aimed at a slightly reduced programme that focuses more on a set of key events that will lead us up to Pyefleet Week and then to the Final Fling at the start of October.
We will also have a special social event to celebrate the BOD’s 95th Anniversary which is being organised by Oonie at CYC on the evening of Saturday 22 June at CYC. Click here for more info.
With spring now on the horizon and the BOD’s 95th Anniversary to celebrate its great to hear that so many boats are talking about racing this season and we’re looking forward to Pete Kyne joining the fleet with Black Shadow. So get these dates in your diaries and get started on preparing your boats for a lovely season of BOD racing.
Pyefleet Week 2022 is fast approaching and with just two more official BOD events to go before the big week, now is the time to get your boats afloat and get in a bit of practice.
This coming weekend we have the Brightlingsea Regatta Race for both the Jodi Jug and the Hickley Tiller and conditions look perfect for a potential BOD victory. The start is at 2pm on Sunday from the BSC line (don’t forget to sign on at the hut and to pick up a current BSC course card from the bar if you haven’t already got one). Shoreside there will be loads going on all weekend and the famous fireworks are back on Saturday night too.
The second opportunity to train is the Carstairs Cup and Commodore’s Cup race from the CYC line on Sunday 31 July starting at 2.30pm. You can download the CYC course card (2016 edition is still valid) at here.
There’s no Thursday Night race this week due to the very low tide, but after that Thursday Nights continue through until the week before Pyefleet Week.
And Pyefleet Week itself runs from 14 to 19 August with registration and the Carole Cruickshank Pursuit Race warm up on Saturday 13 August. Full information including advance online entry can be found at www.pyefleetweek.com. We’ve already had confirmation from the following of their intention to race Pyefleet Week, please let Fi know on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com if you also plan to be out.
Jean – Ben Clegg, Ed & Sam Gibbons Jumbo Too – Tom Sargeant & Iain Werngren Aina – Stephen Heppell Bidi – Rupert White, Mary Henderson & Richard Herbert Dulcet – Phil Rust, Piers Lambert and Mike Rust Gelasma – Mike Hare & Adrian Gibbons Rebel – David & Sarah Conlon Sarah Louis – David & Celia Charlton Grethe – Nicky Henderson and the girls White Spirit – Mark White Wind Sprite – Tom Ballantine Never Say Never – The Walton Boys Greyling – John Payne, Michael Conlon and Josh Hunt And we very much hope that Storm Petrel will be out too
Brightlingsea One Design 
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