Brightlingsea One Design

Check out this first photo of C4 Cormorant in all her refitted glory (thanks to Geoff Gritton for the pic)! Malcolm Goodwin has spent well over 1000 hours refitting her and she is looking amazing. Her official launch party (in association with the launch of James Anderson’s C55) will take place at Brightlingsea Sailing Club at 18.30 on Saturday evening and all BOD sailors, friends and family are welcome.

Mike Hempstead reports from the BSC Summer Points racing on Sunday 13 July.  

The result on the water was a strange and for most a sad outcome for the BOD fleet in the difficult, no wind and strong ebb tide conditions,  All the fleet except Rough being over the line and only Gelasma going back to restart, being so far over.   At the time, in Gelasma, I was pretty fed up, however..things did improve….

In Gelasma we started the race almost 3 minutes behind the fleet, who were by then at the gate. However by not following the pack we sailed around the worst of the tide upwind and overtook Rough, Jumbo and Panic during the first lap.  We appeared to have good downwind speed and as the wind died under a huge black cloud, we closed up on the rest of the fleet in the creek and finished after one round in pouring rain with no wind at all.

For some reason the rest of the fleet rounded the turning mark and tried to do a second lap. All except White Spirit, who came over and suggested we might have actually won… so we quickly packed up the boat and went to the club where the OOD confirmed that we had won and Rough was second as the rest of the fleet were over the line. Wow!

Enjoying the moment on the beach at the club with my wonderful crew Anne and Eddie Howson we toasted the rest of the very wet fleet as they paraded back up the creek, being towed in by the RIB.   Funny sort of day….

Mike  BOD C18 Gelasma
looking forward to Pyefleet Week

FULL RESULTS

Volunteer Needed – Barry Newman could really use an assistant in the Committee Boat (Dug) for the BOD Mini Series this Sunday 20 July.  Anyone who can help hold up the flags, write down the finish orders and put the buoys in and out of the water would be great.  The first start is at 14.00 so you would need to meet Barry at around 13.00 (probably at the Colne YC but Barry will confirm directly).  Any Volunteers???  Contact Fi on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com.  Thanks

Don’t forget that we have a special BOD Mini Series event this Sunday 20 July.  First start time is 14.00 and racing will be run from a committee boat using windward leeward courses.

The plan is to run three relatively short, fast and furious races.  Barry Newman will be your Race Officer using his white launch Dug as your committee boat and he will be listening on Channel M2 if you want to contact him to find out where he is located.  Nick Readings has kindly offered to come out an act as support with his RIB.

It looks like we will have a really good turnout this weekend so we’ll see you all out there.

Don’t forget that we have a fantastic double launching celebration this Saturday evening, 19 July, when Malcolm Goodwin will launch the newly restored C4 Cormorant and James Anderson will launch the brand new C55.  Please be at the club for 18.30 – all BOD sailors and friends are welcome.

Huge thanks to Mark and Marianne White for hosting last night’s It’ll Be All White On The Night BOD Party.  Some 60 BOD sailors and friends enjoyed a fabulous evening (and for some a fabulous early morning!) in Mark and Marianne’s wonderful garden with a great time being had by all as you can see from our photos below.

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At this rate we might have to get the harbour authorities to dredge the start area to make sure we have enough room to fit the fleet on the Committee Boat line! 😉 Unbelievably we are now up to 24 boats for Pyefleet Week as Dave Draper has just confirmed that he will be racing in C40 March Hare, which will be on loan from Nick Readings (one again huge thanks to BOD Fleet Fairy Godfather Nick for being so generous in lending his boats out to keen teams).

Dave confirms he plans to put March Hare together over the next few days and will then be out for some warm up racing.  He will be sailing with Andy Chase, who used to own and race Squibs from Burnham, and they are currently looking for a good third crew so if anyone wants to volunteer just give Fi a shout on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com and she will put you in touch.

Now we just need one more to make it 25 for the entire week!  Come on someone… get that boat out of the shed and come and play in the most exciting fleet in Pyefleet Week bar none!

Click here for the current Provisional Pyefleet Week entry list

Click here for the official Pyefleet Week website.

As you already know, we have an incredible 23 boats confirmed as racing for the whole of Pyefleet Week which is fantastic.  However, on the opening day, Sunday 10 August, we have the special President’s Cup race which is a one off race in which we aim to get as many boats on the water as we possibly can (it does also count towards the week’s points).

With 23 boats already confirmed as racing Pyefleet Week our aim this year is to have 25 boats out for the President’s Race – which will be a BOD World Record!

So even if you can’t do the whole of Pyefleet Week do please come and join us for this very special race.  The start will be just after 14.30 (currently programmed for 14.36 but subject to confirmation once the classes are confirmed by the BSC – please check the Pyefleet Week official notice board on the day).

If you need any help to get your boat out and ready for the race just give Fi a shout on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com or 07711 718470 and she will do what she can to find you helpers or crew.

It is incredibly exciting to see our wonderful class so active and vibrant.  There’s a great mix of camaraderie and competition, the boats look absolutely stunning and we’re bucking the trend of falling class numbers.  So come on down and be part of the fun!

And don’t forget you can enter The President’s Race (or the whole of Pyefleet Week) online at www.pyefleetweek.com

The Pyefleet Week programme has been confirmed and the BODs will be sailing as follows:

Friday 8 August – BOD Pyefleet Week Welcome Drinks – 19.30 at Fi’s Flat (13 The Colne, Waterside Marina)

Saturday 9 August – Carole Cruickshank Trophy (Warm up pursuit race) – 14.00

Sunday 10 August – The President’s Cup (calling all BODs to take part) – Afternoon

Monday 11 August – Morning (The BOD German Night Party is on Monday evening)

Tuesday 12 August – Afternoon

Wednesday 13 August – Big Wednesday (not part of the points series) – 14.30

Thursday 14 August – Morning

Friday 15 August – Afternoon

Saturday 16 August – Morning

Currently the programme shows that we will be the third class to start after the Cat Handicap and the Fireballs and that we will be followed by the Slow Handicap and Mirrors, however, class changes can be made right up until the end of registration on Saturday 9 August so please check with the notice board to confirm the final timings prior to sailing.  Assuming we are the third class to go we will starting at 10.36 in the mornings and 14.36 in the afternoons.

For more information and to make your entry in advance (no need to pay but you can get the paperwork done online to save time) please visit the Pyefleet Week website.

Don’t forget that the only place to be from 7pm this Saturday night will be Mark and Marianne White’s garden for the It’ll Be All White On The Night BOD Party!  And on Sunday we have racing from the BSC line starting from 14.00.  With so many boats now launching and preparing for Pyefleet Week we’re expecting a good turnout.

On the subject of good turnouts, with so many boats now needing to launch from Park and Ride each race its important that we get our act together and try to be ready to leave promptly to avoid last minute rushes with the tractors.  Please would everyone do their best to get there a little bit earlier and go afloat as soon as you are ready to help ease congestion for the next few weeks.  Thanks!