Brightlingsea One Design

Here are the latest images from Simon Hipkin’s build shed where C55 is rapidly coming together.  As you can see from the images taken at the end of last week, the deck is on, the joinery work is complete and the varnish is on.  This week Simon has been painting the decks and he is now starting to install all the fittings.  We can’t wait to see the competed boat!

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Following full discussions with racing competitors and race organisers, it has been agreed that the CYC start time will be amended from 14.30 to 13.45.  This will apply for all CYC afternoon races for the 2014 season.

This change will be evaluated and reviewed at the 2014 AGM for the 2015 season.

Please note that the Racing Programme has been updated to reflect the new start times.

What a great day was had by all on Saturday for Rowhedge Regatta.  With ten BODs coming to the Bateman’s start line it was to be a brilliant day’s racing with lots of place changing in the tricky light conditions at the top of the river where the mud, and peoples’ inability to avoid it, also played a role in the final finishing orders.

With races both up to Rowhedge and back downriver there were two chances for everyone to shine.  The Upriver start off Batemans’ Tower caused a little confusion as the Smacks were finishing during the BOD starting sequence which meant the sound signals were a bit tricky to interpret, but despite this the fleet was soon underway on a course which took them out to number 13, back around Mersea Wreck and then up to Rowhedge.  Sadly the sun was hiding but the early morning drizzle had abated and conditions were improving with a light northerly breeze to keep the boats moving nicely.

Chris Rust, helming Dulcet in father Phil’s absence, got off to a flying start and led the fleet from the off with Danny Fox in Egret and Alan Hicks in Storm Petrel in hot pursuit.  Tom Sargent was also having a fabulous day in Jumbo Too and initially Bob Richardson and his team in Panic were looking hot to trot too.  Although Tom was able to hold his ground all the way to Rowhedge things didn’t go quite as well for Bob and you can read in his hilarious account of the day by clicking here.

Whilst the leaders enjoyed sailing in relatively clear air the rest of the pack fought it out for the minor positions.  Fi Brown and the Grethe girls had been late arriving on the line and trailed the pack initially on the way down to No 13.  They had made up ground by Mersea Wreck and then got lucky in the upriver section, sailing around several grounded boats (clearly growing up in Rowhedge has its advantages when it comes to local knowledge). Mike Hempstead in Gelasma is another man who knows the river like the back of his hand and used that knowledge to full advantage on the final approaches.

Both Chris Matthews in Endeavour and Mark White in White Spirit found themselves struggling and much further back in the pack than usual.  The fickle airs and mudbanks through Alresford, Wivenhoe and into Rowhedge took their toll on both boats.

On the line Chris Rust claimed victory from Danny Fox with Alan Hicks third, Tom Sargent fourth and Mike Hempstead fifth.

After a run ashore to enjoy the delights of Rowhedge and the Albion Pub it was all aboard again for the Downriver Race for the new Ian Brown Trophy, Presented by the family of Ian Brown who owned the boatyard in Rowhedge and was an enthusiastic supporter of Rowhedge Regatta as well as a BOD sailor as a young man.

The downriver start produced some of the most exciting close quarters boat handling the BOD fleet has seen in years.  Tom had wisely decided to sail home and avoid the melee (although he insists that he was actually the winner as he was “only just over” at the start and did not get recalled!).  That left nine boats trying to fit into a river barely wide enough for six.  Remarkable everyone managed to avoid contact and as the gun went the fleet shot off on the ebb with spinnakers flying in spectacular style.

Once again the vagaries of the wind and vast expanses of mud caught plenty of people unawares during the initial stages of the race, but by the time they were through Alresford and on the final reach home it was champagne sailing all the way as the sun finally came out to welcome the fleet back to Brightlingsea where Marilyn Hempstead was kindly waiting at Bateman’s to record the finish.

Danny Fox and the Egret boys got the upper hand this time and will be the first boat to have their name engraved on the new trophy, Mike Hemstead and Gelasma once again took full advantage of their local knowledge to finish second with Chris Mattews in Endeavour third, Mark White and White Spirit fourth and Mike, Trevor and Jim in Ruff fifth.

Alan, Nicky and Jane in Storm Petrel were not so lucky on the downriver race and following a close encounter with the flats in Rowhedge and hitting the bank they trailed the fleet home just behind Chris in Dulcet, but ahead of poor Bob and his team in Panic who were having another nightmare race (see his separate report for the entertaining story of their return race and approach to the mooring).

Overall a great time was had by all and we’d like to thank the Rowhedge Regatta organisers for once again inviting the BODs to be part of this very special day.  We’d also like to say a big thank you to all the rescue boat teams that accompanied us up river and helped some of us get off the mud and moored up on arrival, and a great big thank you to Marilyn Hempstead for rushing back to Bateman’s to finish us and for the photos that accompany this report.

As a final little aside we should also say huge congratulations to Dan and Laura Willett who got married in Wivenhoe on Saturday and whose celebration bell peel rang out just as the BOD fleet was sailing through.  It was wonderful for the BODs to know we were there as they celebrated their union and we wish them all the very best for their future together.

Rowhedge Regatta confirm that they will have more photos for us shortly so check back again for those soon.

Overall Results Upriver Race

1.  C16 Dulcet – Chris Rust
2. C8 Egret – Danny Fox
3. C54 Storm Petrel – Alan Hicks
4. C6 Jumbo Too – Tom Sargent
5. C18 Gelasma – Mike Hempstead
6. C51 Grethe – Fiona Brown
7. C27 Endeavour – Chris Matthews
8. C53 White Spirit – Mark White
9. C20 Ruff – Mike Rees/Trevor Stone/Jim Bray
10. C29 Panic – Bob Richardson

Overall Results Downriver Race

1. C8 Egret – Danny Fox
2. C18 Gelasma – Mike Hempstead
3. C27 Endeavour – Chris Matthews
4. C53 White Spirit – Mark White
5. C20 Ruff – Mike Rees/Trevor Stone/Jim Bray
6. C51 Grethe – Fiona Brown
7. C16 Dulcet – Chris Rust
8. C54 Storm Petrel – Alan Hicks
9. C29 Panic – Bob Richardson
DNC – C6 Jumbo Too – Tom Sargent

Penned by Bob Richardson on Saturday evening after Rowhedge Regatta – enjoy!

I do not wish to pre empt Roy Hodgson’s post match interview tonight but I feel it would be safe for me to say that I am a little disappointed with today’s result, but we can take away many positives….. and possibly a few other cliches. Let me talk you through it.

Callum and I arrived early in the morning to mend the plate cable system, tighten the running back stays and affix the cleats for both the main and jib halyards. The rain was falling softly and it felt like I would rather be at home watching the All Blacks v England, however we got the tasks completed just as Ros (crew member 3) arrived on the pontoon with Trevor and Jim.

A few minutes later we were hoisting sails and made a perfect departure from the mooring heading towards Bateman’s. We used this time to discuss procedures and agreed that Callum on jib should cross first on tacks to get the jib set, followed by Ros on runners. Perfect, a team equalling more than the sum of the individual parts.

There was some confusion at the start line with finishing smacks getting hoots during our starting sequence of 10 and 5 mins before the gun, however we got a reasonable start and were soon on a reach with spinnaker billowing, out to No 13. The fleet split, we followed the Mersea shore out and although we had taken the middle ground found ourseleves to have done rather well, rounding No 13 in about 5th with a number of boats behind us including Ruff, Gelasma, Jumbo Too and Grethe. We were delighted. Tom on Jumbo Too got to windward of us and pulled away, however we were pulling away from the fleet and held our place as we headed towards Mersea wreck.

The position was maintained until we entered the reaches going towards Wivenhoe where the wind was flukey and the fleet closed up. We were still in 5th and with decent binoculars you could see Ruff in the distance somewheer near Brightlingsea. We were congratulating ourselves on our efforts when we appeared to be being caught.

Disaster….we were on the mud in light winds. After some vain attempts to back the jib we jybed off and watched Grethe and Endeavour sail past. Our jousting with Jumbo Too for 4th was over but we felt we could perhaps catch those that had just passed.

We made inroads and attempted to go to winward of Endeavour to make an audacious pass and regain 5th with only some 200 m to go. Disaster again. We were on the mud. Having extracated ourselves from this most unfotunate predicament we could not fail to notice off our bow the the hitherto distant Ruff was sailing past. We could see how sorry they were to do so. We were now last!!!!!!

We gathered ourselves and thought, all is not lost as, although we will get some merciless ribbing during the lunchtime beer at the Albion there is a second race and retribution will follow. Nobody can be as unlucky twice in one day.

Or can they!!

Well prepared and after 10 mins of short tacks upstream we headed for the melee that was the start outside the Albion. We were off, just a couple of boat lengths behind the front runners. Through Wivenhoe the flukey wind again caused problems but we survived with fast boats behind us and some yards from Ruff which we believed we could catch. All seemed in control.

Out of Wivenhoe and a long reach with spinnaker to follow. We would surely catch our nearest rivals.

The spinnaker would not hoist properly. For some reason which I cannot fanthom it had swapped places with the kicker during lunch and was entangled. This was sorted by Callum, but in the meantime we lost a bit of ground. I aimed to leave a green channel buoy to starboard which I did. I did not intend to wrap the mainsheet around it. I thought we were about to capsize, however having halted our progress the buoy decided to lean over and release us. The notion of catching the boats in front was becoming remote, however on a positive note there were still two fast boats behind us.

We persevered. The boat felt strangely out of control in spite of the moderate winds. A little too late we realised that the miscreant spinnaker was indeed doing its worst and was flying far too high. It caused a huge broach. Water poured in over the leeward side. It was a situation when women scream and strong men faint. Callum nipped over the windward side as if on a Laser. I managed to release the main and amazingly we came upright. We then struggled to reaquaint Callum with the inside of the boat. Whilst we were dropping the spinnaker and bailing out the fast boats behind us breezed past.

Last again!!!

Nothing more could go wrong…….or could it.

As we arrived at the mooring we were on a reach, but against the tide which would surely slow us down. We discussed our plan of how we would creep up to our buoy and drop the sails. At the last minute the wind seemed to increase and veer causing our plans to fail, thus we accelerated at a rate of knots towards the cowering buoy. Callum grabbed it and we spun round, narrowly missing the very smart yacht on the next trot. Unfortunately we did not miss the (well protected thank goodness) launch next to us.

Mike yelled “get your rudder up”. I had been pulling the rather stubborn centre plate up but quickly pulled up the rudder to securely jam it behind the rudder of the launch. I had to lie down on the afterdeck to use my feet to extracate ourselves. I know it seems impossible but we could not be pushed apart. This was because our now loose reefing line (Callum had managed to drop the mainasail) was caught round the tiller of the launch.

Eventually Callum or Ros released us. I don’t really know who did it because I was now in self-denial and could not hear myself think due to the hoots of laughter coming from Ruff.

On a positive note the Sun eventually came out and Thursday will be better… It couldn’t be any worse.

Bob

It’s all go in the restoration shed in Wivenhoe right now with Rob Maloney hard at work on some refit work on C75 The Mike for Phil Holding and Mark Wilby and Malcolm putting in over 1000 hours restoring C4 Cormorant.

Malcolm confirms that he is on track for an official re-launching ceremony for Cormorant on Saturday 19 July at 18.00 at BSC and the entire fleet is invited to join him for the celebrations so put the date in your diary.

The Mike will also be back on the water shortly and we look forward to welcoming her back to the fleet.

Check out the photos of the two boats below:

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The new Pyefleet Week website is now live and includes all the information you will need to plan your regatta including an Online Entry Form.

Its going to be a fantastic week’s racing with at least 22 BODs already confirming their entries.  To help the organisers plan ahead please would you be kind enough to go to the website and complete your Online Entry asap.  You will not need to pay the entry fee until final registration on Saturday 9 August at the BSC Race Office and if you don’t yet know full details of your crew these can also be added later, but please complete the main parts of the form and submit them to the BSC.

If anyone needs any help in planning their attendance at Pyefleet Week please don’t hesitate to contact David Charlton, BSC Vice Commodore Sailing on E-mail vcsailing@sailbrightlingsea.com or Tel +44 (0)7710 046 865.

Sunday 8 June saw 6 BODs come to the line in glorious warm sunshine and a lovely sea breeze for the start of the CYC’s Andy Silk Salver.  It was nip and tuck from the first gun with the boats starting on the Mersea side of the Bateman’s line and heading out to sea on a beat that took them past the sunbathers on Mersea Stone and gave the spectators on Splash Point plenty to watch too.

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In the final approach to the line C54 Storm Petrel, being helmed this week by usual middleman Craig Bond, standing in for Alan Hicks who had a back problem so couldn’t race, with Jayne Bond and Nicky Henderson crewing, and C27 Endeavour, helmed by Chris Matthews with Nicky’s partner Murray and her son Thomas crewing, got so caught up in the fun family rivalry that they both accidentally shut themselves out at the committee boat end and had to turn and make a second approach.  Although Storm Petrel found themselves on the tail of the pack, their positions as most windward boat turned out to be an advantage and within a few tacks they were right back in the fray.

Off the line C53 White Spirit, sailing two up with Mark White on the helm and Dick Stephens crewing, made a stunning start and led the fleet away in impressive style.  Close tacking down the Mersea shore gave everyone’s boat handling a good work out and the fleet was still closely packed as they made their way out to sea.

John Payne sailing his boat C11 Grayling with Lucy Hayden and Paddy Carr had been finding their feet on their first few sails but this weekend the team was on great form and got a fantastic start just to weather of White Spirit, before going on to show some impressive speed at times.

Phil Rust was back in C16 Dulcet with Mike Hare and Paul Mines and also made the front row of the start before going on to sail a very consistent race.  They are not yet showing the blistering pace they had last season but its early days and I am sure we will see them back in their usual form very soon.

Despite their problems at the start Storm Petrel took full advantage of being furthest right and showed impressive upwind boat speed and tactical smarts so were soon locked in a duel with White Spirit.  Whilst Storm Petrel had the advantage upwind, White Spirit, sailing one man down, were lighter and faster downwind and the two boats were vying for the lead right around the course.

Endeavour was also up in the chocolates for most of the race until they went for the wrong mark due to a course card mix up and ended up sailing to Stone and putting in much greater distance than the other boats, loosing out big time in the process.

Out for their first sail of the season were BDAOA Chairman Bob Richardson aboard C29 Panic with Alistair Burt crewing.  They had only just launched the boat and were also missing a course card, plus they spent a bit of time aground and had a main halyard clutch failure so had more then a bit to contend with.  But the boat looks wonderful and its clear that once they find their feet again they will be well back in the fray.

As the boats came to the line Storm Petrel snatched victory from White Spirit by just 17 seconds with Dulcet third and Grayling fourth.

Full Results

1.  c54 Storm Petrel – Craig Bond
2. C53 White Spirit – Mark White
3. C16 Dulcet – Phil Rust
4. C11 Grayling – John Payne
5. C27 Endeavour – Chris Matthews
6. C29 Panic – Bob Richardson

Sunday’s racing revealed that a number of people (including our race officers) were using old editions of the BOD CYC Course Card.  There are two BOD specific course cards – a buff coloured card for the BSC run races and a blue card for the CYC run races.  To check you have the most up to date versions please look on the side that has the list of the courses and at the bottom right corner you should see MG 5/13 (both cards were last updated by Malcolm Goodwin in May 2013).  If your card has anything else on it you need to obtain an updated copy.

You can download the course cards from the Course Cards page on the website and print and laminate them yourselves, or alternatively obtain a ready laminated copy of the cards from Fi Brown (tell 07711 718470 to arrange to collect).

We’re an interesting bunch in the BOD fleet and its always fun to find out what members of the fleet get up to when they aren’t out racing their BODs.  Last week Anne Howson, who crews for Mike Hempstead, undertook a very special task during the regatta weekend.  Anne is actually the Revd Anne Howson, Chaplain to the Cinque Port Liberty, and in this role she found herself in charge of the blessing element of the  Blessing & Reclaiming of the Waters ceremony.

The ceremony dates back more than 650 years and originated to settle a dispute with Colchester over the boundaries of fishing rights on the river – a matter of vital commercial importance to the fishermen of the day.  The modern version is rather  more symbolic, but was none the less a spectacular sight as the assembled dignitaries made their way onto the water aboard the Brightlingsea smack fleet and completed the ceremony in front of the assembled regatta crowds.