Brightlingsea One Design

If you have found yourself down at the boating lake at the same time as our local model boat club recently you just might have come across this little beauty!  She’s a wonderfully detailed and accurate scale model of a BOD which is sailed regularly on the boating lake by her owner.  John Bines kindly drew her to our attention and brought her to the club to allow us to grab these photos.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

With the shortest day of the year fast approaching it won’t be long before the days start getting longer and we can all begin thinking about the 2015 sailing season.  And what a season its going to be with no less than three boats already confirmed as joining/rejoining the fleet for 2015.

Sue and Adrian Bouckley’s new build C50 Eider is now safely in the shed at Simon Hipkin’s yard and Sue and Simon have been working closely together to agree all the final details for her finishing and deck layout.  They are both famed for their attention to detail and this, combined with the fantastic work already done by John Mullins, means we can look forward to a beautifully finished brand new boat joining the fleet.

Over in Wivenhoe Rob Maloney is also hard at work on the full restoration of C44 Janice for Richard Austin.  A quick peak into the shed last week revealed that the deck is going back on and it won’t be long before the paint brushes are out so she too will be ready for the start of the season.

C75 The Mike rounds out our trio of boats that will be joining the fleet next year.  Having had some work done at Rob Maloney’s she is now back in the capable hands of owners Phil Holding and Mark Wilby who are on the final stages of her refit and looking forward to getting her on the water in the spring.

Stand by for more updates on these projects after christmas!

The BOD Mexican Night at the Colne Yacht Club was undoubtedly one of the best evenings the club has seen in a long time.  Huge congratulations to Mark Wilby and his team for organising everything so perfectly and well done to the fleet for the outstanding fancy dress, salsa and disco dancing and impressive contribution to bar profits.  Best costume was definitely won by Charlie Lightly of his bottle of tequila. Best salsa dancer had to be Kate Button. Best disco dancer was Celia Charlton. And of course no BOD evening would be complete without the Chris Matthews/Mark White entertainment package!  Here are a few happy snaps courtesy of Matt Wilby:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Organiser Mark Wilby tells us that there are just a few tickets left for this coming Saturday’s BOD Mexican Night at the Colne Yacht Club.  Almost all of the 100 tickets have already been sold but there are a few left so to reserve yours please call the Colne Yacht Club on 01206 302594.  All the details are in the poster below and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in their ponchos and sombreros for that first Tequila/Corona.  Arriba!

More fantastic new boat news for the BOD Fleet! Today Sue Bouckley, her husband Adrian and daughters Hannah and Abbi Stodel became the very proud owners of Brightlingsea One Design C50 (shown being loaded to transport this morning).

This is the GRP boat that builder John Mullins was constructing for himself and is in fact the first of the GRP hulls moulded (hence sail number 50).  John also built C31 Blue Peter, now owned by Adrian and Judith Gibbons, and C51 Grethe, now owned by Fi Brown.  John’s quality of work and attention to detail is the stuff of legend, but very sadly he has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years and this has made it impossible for him to complete the boat personally.

Sue, whose maiden name is Green, hails from Brightlingsea, has a long family association with the BOD fleet and sailed in the boats herself as a cadet.  Having been a very successful dinghy sailor in her youth, including representing Great Britain in the 420 and 470 classes, Sue has done very little of her own sailing in recent years.  Instead she has been supporting elder daughter Hannah Stodel in her Paralympic sailing campaigns and building a successful training business which she runs with her husband Adrian and younger daughter Abbi.

Back in their youths Fi Brown and Sue had sailed dinghies together and when Fi purchased Grethe she got in touch with Sue to come for a sail.  One very light airs aborted race and a breezy evening cruising up and down Pyefleet with Adrian and her young nephews (the sons of her late brother Jamie Green, who was a very well known member of the BSC Laser fleet) was all it took convinced Sue that it was time to get a BOD and she began looking for the right boat.

At about the same time John Mullins was reluctantly contacting the class to say he was looking for someone to purchase and complete his boat.  The stars were clearly aligned for what has proved to be a match made in heaven, not only because it gives Sue a beautiful boat which she can have completed to her own deck specification, but because it also turns out that Sue and John have some unexpected links. When John became an apprentice shipwright his first master was a man called Harry Webb – who was Sue’s maternal grandfather – and he was at school with her mother and aunt, both of whom sailed BODs.  Although John must be terribly sad to say goodbye to C50, I am sure he must take heart in knowing that she is going to such a good home and to a family with which he has such a longstanding connection.

Sue advises us that the boat is approximate 2/3 complete and that the final work on her will be done by boatbuilder Simon Hipkin, who fits out the new glass boats.  She plans to race with her daughters Hannah and Abbi, another extremely good sailor, and will be introducing Adrian, a self confessed novice, to the joys of BOD sailing too.  She is also looking forward to more fun sailing with her nephews and other family members.

Simon will be starting work on the boat next week and she will be launched in spring 2015, after which she will be based at Park and Ride.

Sue tells us that the girls have had great fun naming her.  They were keen to keep up the informal BOD tradition of sea bird names and have chosen Eider, the duck from whose feathers Eiderdowns are made and which the RSPB informs us is the fastest sea duck in British waters.  We hope she lives up to her reputation for being both cosy and speedy.

We are all very much looking forward to welcoming Sue, Adrian, Hannah and Abbi to the class in 2015 and wish them many happy hours aboard Eider!

With Christmas just around the corner here a couple of great gift ideas for the BOD sailors in your life:

Kate Button Limited Edition BOD Print

Artist and BOD sailor Kate Button has created this wonderful BOD lino cut which can be printed in your choice of colour and with your own sail number (our example photo shows it printed in navy blue to match C51 Grethe).  Each print is individually made to order with your choice of colour and sail number.  Unframed prints cost £40 each and Kate can also arrange framing at additional cost (price depends on your choice of frame style).  Kate advises she can take just one more order for delivery in time for Christmas so to find out more please contact Kate on kate.button@btinternet.com

BOD Jackets And Polo Shirts

Burnham On Crouch based Blackjack Design now hold the artwork for the Brightlingsea One Design boat logo and can produce embroidered and printed clothing to order carrying the logo and your individual boat name and sail number.  They offer a full range of clothing at a variety of price points, including all the top sailing brands, all at excellent prices.  Order before end November to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.

Contact Suzanne on sales@blackjackdesign.com and visit www.blackjackdesign.com for more information.

BODs At Rowhedge Regatta – Prints And Cards By Paula Webb

For the new Rowhedge Regatta BOD Downriver Race Trophy well known local artist Paula Webb created a fabulous watercolour painting showing the BODs starting the race at Rowhedge.  The picture is now available as both a full size print, mounted ready to frame in a standard 30cm x 40cm frame, and as a greetings card (no message inside).  The prints cost £12.50 and the cards £1.50 and can be ordered from Paula on paulawebb103@yahoo.co.uk.  Paula also takes individual commissions so if you would like an original picture of your BOD.

Tim Bees Photographs

Tim Bees has taken some amazing BOD photos over the years.  If you would like a print of one of his stunning images please check out his Online Gallery to make your selections and contact Tim on timbees@gmail.com.  Prices vary according to the size and format of the print but are always very reasonable.  Tim is also available for individual commissions if you would like him to take photos of an individual boat (this would need to be presented in the form of a give voucher with the photography taking place during 2015).

Celia Charlton and her crew aboard C30 Sarah Louise got the BSC Winter Series off to a great start for the BOD fleet by claiming second place in a hotly contested fleet of 22 boats.  Sadly the BOD fleet was a little depleted for this opening race with several crews unable to compete, mainly due to half term family and holiday commitments for their crews.  But what we lacked in quantity we made up for in quality.  Only Pete and Tom Kyne in their Fireball were able to better Celia and she left third place Mike Bees and Martin Worth sailing a B14 and fourth placed Pier Lambert and Tim Bees in the Merlin Rocket trailing in her wake on corrected time.  Mike Hempstead was also racing in C18 Gelasma and finished in tenth place.

Weather permitting we should have several more BODs out this weekend and for the rest of the winter series.

Full Results

The joint BSC/CYC Laying Up Service was held at St James’ Church, Brightlingsea on Sunday 26 October with the BOD Fleet’s own Reverend Anne Howson leading the service.

The church had been beautifully decorated with a spinnaker suspended overhead and signal flags draped all around the church to give a wonderfully nautical feeling.  The service included various readings, poetry, hymns and prayers as well as musical contributions from The Motley Crew and St James’ Singers and the atmosphere was so convivial that almost the entire congregation stayed on after the service to enjoy a glass of wine and a good end of season chat.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend here is a transcript of Anne’s contribution to the service which not only had some lovely references to her BOD sailing, but also  sums up perfectly the joy that so many of us find in a life that involves sailing and the sea.

Laying Up Talk 2014 – The Reverend Anne Howson

This evening we are here to give thanks for the gift of life, and most particularly for the gift of the sea. Somehow the sea seems to feed both our outer and inner lives, and we have a deep connectedness to the water.

Alice [Davis – BSC Commodore] read an extract from the America’s Cup speech, when JFK declared that “we are tied to the ocean”. I did a little research, and found that his science was rather flawed. Sadly we don’t have the same percentage of salt in our blood as the sea. However, I do rather like the poetic idea, because I think it captures something of the mystery that we call the ‘pull of the sea’. I must down to the seas again.. says Masefield in his poem.

Last year at this service, I talked of the ‘sheer joy’ and tranquility that I have found sailing. This year the joy has continued, however the tranquility, now that’s another story..

As many of you know, Eddie & I crew for Mike on BOD C18, Gelasma. Apparently we’re known as The Revs! [Eddie & I – not Mike!]

2014 was my first season of racing, and back in the spring, I attended a Brightlingsea One Design dinner, and was referred to as “crew”. As I was so very new, I didn’t feel worthy of the elevated title!

However, not that many weeks later, I found myself taking part in the Wivenhoe Regatta.

In front of the huge crowd lining the quayside, the wind caught the spinnaker. At the same time coming in behind us, I heard Bob in Panic yell to his crew “get the ******spinnaker in NOW!

As we broached, I heard the crowd cheer – and there I was in the bottom of the boat on my knees, and up to my chest in water, hauling in the spinnaker for all I was worth…

Once ashore, someone asked me if I was praying whilst on my knees in the water – I think I replied that I was more intent on getting the spinnaker in! On reflection, I would imagine that somewhere in my subterranean depths, I was indeed praying!

I do enjoy the exhilaration, excitement and the unpredictability of sailing. I also love the deep peace of the water and the call of the Curlew at sunset. I feel close to God on, in, and next to the water, I feel part of the mystery that is our inter-connected life. I find rest here.

St Augustine has written many wise and beautiful things; one such quotation is this;

“Lord you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you”

When I sit on the Yacht club jetty to pray, or a bench past Batemans’ Tower, the physical surroundings help me connect to the mystery that is God. And as the Sailor’s version of the 23^rd Psalm says:

The One who is our Pilot, lights our passage across dark channels

This connectedness to unknown “mystery” that is God, can be known in a very personal way through his Son, Jesus Christ.

It is in knowing Christ, in the deep place of our being, that gives us peace and hope beyond our human understanding – or to put it another way, it is the ‘Rest’ in a restless world’ that St Augustine talks about..

This is another mystery… and the church calls it GRACE, Amazing Grace. 

Hymn: Amazing Grace

Click here to view the full Order of Service.

The Colne Yacht Club’s Laying Up Supper takes place on Saturday 1 November and tickets can be booked using this Ticket Application Form.  The cost is £25 a head to include a delicious three course meal, so come along and join in the celebrations and applaud our BOD sailors as they receive their trophies.