Brightlingsea One Design

Rowhedge Regatta is just around the corner on Saturday 20th June and as always the BODs will be well represented at this very special local event.

The organisers have kindly taken on board our comments about the need for improved mooring and this year you will be able to tie up alongside the key (make sure you bring good fenders).

The upriver start will be from Batemans at 13.15 and the downriver race will start from the Rowhedge line at 15.35.

I am also delighted to let you know that Dan King has very kindly agreed to accompany the fleet in his RIB and be unofficial BOD safety boat for the day.

With more boats arriving on the moorings and into Park and Ride each week the season is really getting underway and we look forward to a great turnout for Rowhedge this year so get organised and don’t miss out on the fun.

Click here for the full Rowhedge regatta sailing instructions

Please note that there is an error in the BOD Programme for this Sunday 14 June.  The BOD programme indicates that the Cormorant Cup 2 race will start from the BSC line at 14.00.  In fact the start will be at 11.00 as per the BSC programme.  Please kindly spread the word to all BOD sailors to ensure they are aware of the change.

We’ll have a full report and photos for you shortly but here are just a few snaps of the brand new and very beautiful C50 Eider being launched today.

Hard as it might be to believe today, the forecast for Wivenhoe Regatta on Saturday is looking fantastic with warm sunshine and a perfect southwesterly breeze of around 10 to 15 knots forecast.

The start is at 12.30 at Batemans and you can enter using the entry form or in person at the committee boat Viking on the day.  Cost is just £5 for which you get beer and BBQ vouchers and any profits go to local charities.

Click here for the sailing instructions and entry form.

C75 The Mike, owned by Mark Wilby and Phil Holding, has spent the last two years undergoing a major refit, and this weekend saw her finally hit the water for her first sail.  Jeremy Newman took Avocet out to keep them company and the boat (and the boys) looked fantastic setting off for their first mini adventure.

Mark and Phil have put in literally hundreds of hours to bring the boat back to life, but they also paid tribute to Malcolm Goodwin, Rob Maloney and Craig Bond for all the help and support they had given along the way. It’s been a labour of love but the boat is looking stunning so it was most definitely worth it.

Welcome back to the fleet guys and we hope to see you on the start line for Wivenhoe Regatta next weekend!

Wivenhoe Regatta is just around the corner on Saturday 6 June and as usual we hope to see a really good turnout from the BOD fleet.  The Wivenhoe organisers are all set to welcome us, and in addition to the traditional upriver race, this year we will definitely have a downriver race for the new Bill Ellis Trophy (photo to follow shortly).  The downriver race will start at 16.15 (just after high water) from either the WSC Old Hut line (same as upriver finish) or the new WSC Clubhouse line (just below the barrier).  Which line is to be used will be announced on the day according to wind strength and direction.

Click here to find the Sailing Instructions and Entry Form, which also include details of where to moor, etc.  Please do make your entry either in advance using the tear off strip on the form or in person at the committee boat Viking on the day.  The entry fee is only £5 and all profits go to local charities, plus in return for entering you get vouchers for your crew to claim free beer and BBQ which are well worth the five pounds alone!

The first leg of the two race Cormorant Cup series took place on Sunday 24 May and saw seven BODs come to the start line in a light west north westerly with occasional rain showers.  The start proved to be a somewhat confused affair as the fleet struggled to get to grips with the new BSC lights/numbers starting system (note – we have asked for clarification on this and will be posting more info shortly).

With no one really knowing when the start was it truly was the luck of the draw that saw Chris Matthews, helming Fi Brown’s Grethe, get the best start of the fleet.  Danny Fox in Egret and Malcolm Goodwin in Jean were next best placed to get over the line in reasonable order, but for Mark White in White Spirit, Alan Hicks in Storm Petrel, Mike Hempstead in Gelesma and Trevor Stone in Ruff it was a case of scrabbling to get back to the line to start once everyone realised what was happening.

It was close hauled out of the Creek hardening up into a reach and then latterly a close spinnaker reach out to Beach, but with the flood at half tide judging the best course around Point Clear was tricky.  Most of the boat’s touched at least once getting out of the Creek, but Storm Petrel hit hardest and took a couple of minutes to extricate themselves as they were so close inshore.  By this stage they were at the back of the fleet and forced to play catch up.

At the front of the pack Grethe was working hard to hold off the constant advances of both Egret and Jean.  They hung on round Hills and back to Beach but on the second beat to Hills Grethe and Jean tacked off early onto port and Egret stood on.  At Hills Egret rounded just head with Grethe second and Jean third.

Behind the leading group Gelesma was in fourth with White Spirit fifth, Storm Petrel sixth and Ruff seventh. On the first beat across to Hills, Storm Petrel had passed White Spirit, but on the run back to Beach White Spirit overtook Storm Petrel again. The second beat back to Hills saw Storm Petrel pass both White Spirit and Gelesma.

Coming up the Creek and into the turning mark Grethe had to vigorously defend her second place from the attacking Jean, giving the spectators onshore plenty to watch.  Their antics allowed Egret to extend her lead a little and she took full advantage of her clear air on the final short lap out to No 12 and back to win comfortably.

Whilst Egret might have been quite relaxed on the reach home, the same could not be said of the crews in Grethe and Jean who virtually match raced around the final lap.  Behind them Storm Petrel was gaining ground and they must have been hoping for another lap to give them extra time to catch up and perhaps even overtake.

It was not to be though and as the fleet came up the creek Grethe and Jean were nose to tail with Malcolm Goodwin using all his decades of hard earned experience to try to edge Jean past the young whippersnapper Chris Matthews in Grethe.  Malcolm did everything he possibly could and as they came to the line the boats were overlapped with Jean starting to pull forward on Grethe.  Everyone held their breaths and Grethe’s crew were hugely relieved that the line arrived just before Jean could slide past them.  Definitely the best BOD finish of the year so far.

After her disastrous start Storm Petrel had sailed incredibly well to pull up into fourth place with Gelesma fifth White Spirit sixth and Ruff seventh.

Our thanks to Ed Gibbons and his helpers in the BSC Race Box and to all the rescue boat crews for their support in providing the racing.

As those of you who tried to sail last night will be aware, BSC is experiencing some technical difficulties with the new automated start system.  It may therefore be necessary for them to go back to using the old manual/flags system for the Cormorant Cups 1 race this Sunday 24 May.  They may also need to combine all the fleets in a single start rather than giving us our own individual start (obviously Cormorant Cup results will be extracted). Please make sure you check in at the club prior to going afloat to find out if there are any changes to the sailing instructions.

The Eric Dent Cup on Sunday 17 May saw a six strong BOD fleet come to the line for what was to be an eventful race in 12-15 knots.  The wind was forecast to be westerly although at the time of the start it was more north westerly making course selection more tricky.  The race committee erred on the side of the forecast, which proved to be the right choice later in the race, but it did make for a difficult reaching start line in the blustery conditions and a fair bit of jostling for position.

Alan Hicks in Storm Petrel found himself forced out at the committee boat end and in attempting to spin round caught the buoy/committee boat on his bow, while Chris Jordan, sailing Grethe on loan from Fi Brown, decided that discretion was the better part of valour when two boats gybed onto port in front of them and the opted to circle round rather than risk driving through a rapidly closing gap.

As the fleet streamed away Storm Petrel played and Grethe played catch up on the long close reach out to Beach, while up ahead Danny Fox in Egret, Dan Willett in Bidi and David Conlon in Endeavour were leading the pack.

What should have been a beat to Cocum was actually a close fetch making place changes tricky and it was followed by a dead run back to Beach.  The next beat had a couple of big shifts allowing Grethe to get past Mark White in White Spirit and make ground on Storm Petrel.

On the long close reach in from Cocum to No 15 Grethe got past Storm Petrel and caught right up to David Conlon in Endeavour by the approach to No 15.  Unfortunately on that final approach Endeavour was on starboard and port tack Grethe failed to give way so had to do their turns.

The boats then turned seaward again, sailing through the gate and reaching out to Big Buoy followed by a good beat to Inner Fisheries, and a reach back to 15 before they made the final turn for the finish line.

Unfortunately Bidi had failed to sail through the start line at the end of the first lap and was forced to retire, leaving Egret to take first place with Endeavour second and a delighted Chris and Gill Jordan, crewed by Geoff Gritton, in Grethe third. They were followed home by Storm Petrel, White Spirit and Trevor Stone in Ruff.

Thanks as always must go to Nick and Pam Readings for manning the committee and safety boat.

Finishing Times/Places
1st Egret –  Finish Time15:41:37
2nd Endeavour – Finish Time15:42:59
3rd Grethe – Finish Time15:43:47
4th Storm Petrel – Finish Time15:45:43
5th White Spirit – Finish Time15:45:49
6th Ruff – Finish Time 15:49:14
Bidi – RTD

Please would anyone who is available come to the St John’s Road, Wivenhoe workshop of Malcolm Goodwin and Rob Maloney to help turn Janice over one final time this Saturday 16 May at 10am.

They need a dozen people to turn her safely and the job only takes about 15 minutes so its not an onerous task.  If you can help please contact Rob Maloney on email Robmaloney9@aol.com to let him know you will be there.

Thanks!