Brightlingsea One Design

Following on from last year’s very successful BOD adventure to Bosham Classic Boat Revival the BOD fleet is once again planning an awfully big adventure to Chichester Harbour in 2015.  This year’s Revival event takes place on the weekend of 5-6 September and already several BODs have confirmed their intention to take part.

Bosham is stunningly beautiful, the racing and partying are fab and its a fab opportunity to show of our beautiful BODs to a new audience. If you would like to take part now is the time to organise accommodation and start thinking about logistical plans.  If you need any help with these please don’t hesitate to contact Fi Brown on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com or 07711 718470 who has good local contacts and knowledge and will be happy to help.

We had a great turnout and lots of fun at the 2015 BOD Dinner, which this year was hosted by the Colne Yacht Club and organised by Mark Wilby.  Mark did a fantastic job of putting the event together and the evening was the perfect kick off to what promises to be another full-on season of BOD Racing.

During the pre-dinner drinks and again after dinner, local singer songwriter Adam Cowlin did a fantastic job of entertaining the guests. Kristy and her team in the galley produced a fabulous four course meal which everyone agreed was superb while Matt and the bar staff kept everyone well refreshed.

On arrival CYC Commodore Graham Chasney welcomed the fleet to the club, highlighting how proud the club is to be associated with the fleet and how much they are looking forward to being part of another great season of BOD racing, after which Graham’s wife Frances said Grace.

After dinner it was the turn of BOD Chairman Bob Richardson to speak and he paid tribute to the incredible commitment and support of Malcolm Goodwin, whose hard work laid the foundations for the revival of the BOD Class we see today.  He also thanked the volunteer committee members and all of the owners and sailors of the fleet for their dedication to making the class what it is today.

He particularly thanked Nick, Pam and Richard Readings for again volunteering to act as Race Officers for the CYC BOD racing this season and Marilyn Hempstead, who is stepping down from her role as regular race officer but who will still be supporting the race team from time to time.  Without their dedication and commitment we would not be able to enjoy such regular racing and we are hugely in their debt.

New members were welcomed to the fleet including Adrian and Sue Bouckley with the new C50 Eider, Richard Austin whose C44 Janice will soon be back afloat after full restoration, and Graham and Claire Bridle who now own C31 Blue Peter. We also look forward to the relaunching of Mark Wilby and Phil Holding’s C75 The Mike, which is already at Park and Ride and looking fabulous.

Richard concluded by reminding us all that the first official BOD race is the Deputies Cup Handicap from BSC at 14.00 on Bank Holiday Monday 4 May and that Thursday night racing starts on 7 May.

Mark Wilby rounded out the evening’s formal speeches with a quick reminder that coming up this year we have Mark & Marianne White’s annual BBQ, a Pimms Garden Party to be hosted by Alan Hicks and Fi Brown, the return of the legendary BOD German Night on the Monday of Pyefleet Week, the Final Fling lunch after the last race of the season on 11 October and finally the BOD Halloween Party at CYC on Saturday 31 October to close the season in style.

C26 Krystina is up for sale.  Refitted and epoxied but little used in recent years Krystina offers an excellent entry opportunity into the BOD fleet.  She can be inspected ashore at Stones Green (about 20 minutes from Brightlingsea on the way to Harwich).  For more information please contact Richard White on  07896 518216 or rjwhite58@outlook.com

Colin Willett’s C9 Bidi, crewed by his son James and Ray Newman, was the first BOD to hit the race course this season and did an impressive job of winning Easter Sunday’s BSC Easter Eggs Pursuit Race by a comfortable margin. In a light to moderate south westerly Bidi got off to a slightly tentative start, but soon found her rhythm, creating a very nice lead by the mid point in the race. Despite the best efforts of the faster boats to catch her up, she maintained her supremacy and at the traditional post race Easter Lunch Colin, James and Ray all received congratulatory Easter Eggs.

Easter Weekend saw two BODs being turned over as work on their restoration and preparation for the 2015 progresses at full speed. On Saturday in Wivenhoe Rob Maloney called the BOD gang together to turn Richard Austin’s C44 Janice up the right way having completed planking and epoxy work on her bottom.  With the additional help of several members of the WOD (Wivenhoe One Design) fleet Janice made an elegant revolution ready for Rob to progress to the next stage of her restoration. For a text book example of how to turn a BOD see our video below. Richard tells us that he plans to paint the boat an icy blue white with a dark blue waterline and an off white deck so she will look absolutely lovely.

On Sunday it was the turn of C31 Blue Peter, now owned by Graham, Claire, Will and Eddie Bridle.  The boat had been turned upside down at Brightlingsea Park & Ride to allow Rob Maloney to do some repairs to her leaky centreboard case.  With the work complete it was all hands on deck before the BSC Easter Lunch to right her and put her back on her launching trailer.

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Once again thanks to everyone who turned out to help with manoeuvres.

Rob Maloney has now finished working on the bottom of Janice and needs help to turn her back up the right way at the St John’s Rd, Wivenhoe workshop at 10.30am this Saturday 4 April. He has some helpers confirmed already, but we need another half dozen to make it safe to do the job. If you can come over please could you email Rob on robmaloney9@aol.com. As usual it will be fun gathering and will only take about half an hour of your morning so we hope to see plenty of you there.
Thanks

If you are looking for a fun spring adventure with your BOD why not join Mike Hempstead and Gelasma in attending the Semain du Golfe du Morbihan classic boat festival on the beautiful south coast of Brittany from 11 to 17 May.

This biennial event is quite simply one of the most spectacular and fun classic and working boat events in the world.  Based in the Golfe du Morbihan (a huge natural harbour in southern Brittany) the event is an extravaganza of stunning scenery, great sailing, fantastic food (particularly sea food), amazing wines, ciders, beers and calvados, traditional seafaring arts, crafts and entertainment and general all round fun.

And this year at least one BOD will be joining the fray for the very first time!

If you would like to find out more visit http://www.semainedugolfe.com/Home-1074-0-0-0.html and contact Mike Hempstead (also copied on this message) who can assist with logistics, etc.

The 2015 Bosham Classic Boat Revival will take place on 5 and 6 September.  Already several of the boats that attended last year, including Grethe, Storm Petrel and White Spirit, have confirmed they are going again and if anyone else would like to join in please put the date in your diary and make contact with Fi on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com, who can help with accommodation and logistics.

Those who attended in 2014 (see report here) had a fabulous time both ashore and afloat, and the event also provides an outstanding shop window for the BOD Class.  Now we have all the logistics sorted after our inaugural adventure it will be even easier to get everyone down there this year so contact Fi now if you think you might like to join in the fun.

Bookings are now being taken for the BOD Dinner 2015 which takes place on Saturday 25 April at the Colne Yacht Club.  There are a limited number of places available so please do book early to avoid disappointment.

To reserve your tickets please download and complete the BOD Dinner Order Form 15 and return it with your payment to Mark Wilby at 8 Spring Gardens, Brightlingsea.

Tickets are currently on sale to BODOA members and their guests.  Any remaining tickets will go on sale to CYC members and their guests from 4 April.  This is always a great night and Mark and Kirsty have a fantastic evening planned for us this year so please make your reservations today to be sure of securing your places.