Brightlingsea One Design

The BOD’s dominance of the Thursday night series continues with Mark White’s White Spirit, crewed by Dick Stephens and Mark Wilby, claiming victory in the fourth race in the series.  Second place went to Alan Hick’s Storm Petrel with Craig and Jayne Bond crewing and fourth place overall and third BOD when to Fiona Brown, Sally Hare and Georgina White sailing Grethe.  Mike Hempstead was also out in Gelasma with Ann and Ed Howson and rounded out the BOD fleet in fourth place.

As the crews arrived in the boat park a big squall was blowing through and the boats initially delayed launching for a few minutes while Race Officer Barry Newman evaluated the situation.  Fortunately the forecast was for the wind to drop through the evening and in a short while the squall had gone through and the decision was made to sail.  Although the wind never came up as strongly again and indeed went very light at times, it was none the less a tricky evening’s sailing as various storm cells and lines of rain rolled around the Thames Estuary making for extremely variable and shifty conditions.

Off the line White Spirit got the best start with Storm Petrel right next to her.  As the gun went a second sound signal indicated a boat was OCS and since they were leading boat by a few feet White Spirit turned back to recross.  What they hadn’t at that point realised was that Gelasma had had some issues and was not on the line at all, but half way down the creek and sailing back towards the start so was the boat the RC were identifying as OCS.  White Spirit executed a smart return and restart but it put them back into the second row with Grethe who had been late to launch as was making a last minute dash to the line a few seconds late.

Unsurprisingly Storm Petrel was first to Gate with White Spirit and Grethe trading tacks behind as Gelasma made her way back to the line to start.  The first leg was a mainly starboard tack beat out to Hills and with the ebb tide just starting to run there was a noticeable chop in the main channel.  Theoretically sticking in the main channel with strongest tide should have paid, but with the breeze now well down it was hard going working through the chop and White Spirit made the smart move of going further over to the Mersea shore before flopping over for the long tack out.  They might not have had as much tidal advantage but they certainly had less chop and it was to prove a major benefit as they stormed past first Grethe and then Storm Petrel.

As White Spirit and Storm Petrel fought it out for supremacy Grethe initially managed to hang onto their coat tails, but a fumbled rounding on the gybe at Big Buoy (Fi dropped the tiller and only missed hitting the buoy thanks to the quick thinking of her crew!) allowed the other two boats to race away and from that point forward they were on their own with Grethe never able to make up the lost ground.

As the final gun approached White Spirit and Storm Petrel were just rounding Hills on the second lap with a comfortable margin on the rest of the fleet, but Grethe was battling it out with various other boats for the overall placings.  Fortunately conditions were absolutely perfect for the BOD and Grethe managed to grind in a couple of boats just before the final gun to take fourth overall and third BOD.  After their late start Gelasma was never able to catch up with the main BOD group, but they had a wonderful sail and managed to finish in front of a number of the fleet.

One of the most wonderful things about the Thursday night series is sailing into the dusk on the Colne River which is home to some of the most stunning sunsets on the planet.  Even on a squally evening they can be spectacular as you can see from Sally Hare’s fantastic photo above.  Thanks also go to Sally for this lovely pic of young Georgina White celebrating Grethe’s third place in the BODs with a small glass of lemonade (nod nod wink wink)!

With a second place to add to a pair of firsts and a third, Storm Petrel currently has a nice overall lead in the Thursday night series.  White Spirit is second BOD with Grethe third.

Conditions could not have been more perfect for the opening race of the BOD season.  Eight teams came to the line in glorious warm sunshine and a great, if slightly puffy, sea breeze.

As the boats came under starters orders off Bateman’s Tower is was clear it was going to be a closely fought race.  Off the line Storm Petrel, helmed by Alan Hicks with Jayne and Craig Bond crewing, just lead Egret, helmed by Danny Fox with Tim Hearn and Bob Hedger crewing) with White Spirit (Mark White, Dick Stephens and Georgian White) and Bidi (Colin Willett, Ray Newman and James Willett) in close contentions quickly breaking off into a leading group as they set off on the mainly port tack beat to Beach.  Meanwhile Jumbo II (Tom Sergeant and Tracy Tierney), Gelasma (Mike and Ann and Ed Howson), Blue Peter (Judith and Adrian Gibbons and Tom Quilligan) and Grethe (Celia Charlton, Fiona Brown and David Charlton) were forming a second battle group just astern of the leading bunch.

As they came past the entrance to Brightlingsea Creek Egret got ahead of Storm Petrel in what was to be the first move in a spectacular dog fight between the two boats.  White Spirit and Bidi hung in there but could not quite match the pace of the leading pair not matter how hard they tried.

Coming into the line Storm Petrel and Egret were still separated by just a matter of inches with Storm Petrel claiming victory by just 3 seconds.  White Spirit crossed the line in third with Bidi fourth.

For Celia Charlton at the helm of Grethe this was not only her first time helming a BOD, but also her first race on the helm for almost 30 years.  Although cautious at the start, Celia quickly settled in on the first beat and by staying right of the main fleet and taking a nice big lift she was able to sail around Jumbo II, Gelasma and Blue Peter to round in fifth place.  There were quite a few firsts happening in Grethe as Fiona was crewing her own boat as middle man for the first time and Dave, who has previously helmed Grethe a couple of times, found himself in the very unfamiliar territory of point man.  Despite her crew’s occasional mark rounding fumbles Celia sailed a great race to finish in fifth and she certainly gave Colin and the Bidi team something to worry about at times.  Dave and Celia have been lent Blue Peter for Pyefleet Week so we can expect good things from them.

Still a little cautious after their swimming exploits last season, Tom and Tracy elected not to hoist the spinnaker on Jumbo II but none the less managed to stay in contention with the rest of the fleet.  On the line Blue Peter was sixth, Gelasma seventh and Jumbo II eighth.

We were also thrilled to see Richard White and Mary White out in the start area sailing C26 Krystina.  Richard tells us they hope to be out racing for Pyefleet Week and some of the other major events this season.

Big thanks must go to Nick Readings and Marilyn Hempstead for their sterling work as Race Officers!

Next up on the BOD Programme is Cormorant Cup 1 next Sunday 25 May with a 14.10 start from the BSC line, and as always we can expect a good showing from the BODs on Thursday night too.

Photos courtesy of Marilyn Hempstead.

FULL RESULTS

The third Thursday night pursuit race saw the BOD fleet triumphing again in a light and tricky low water race.  This week the race committee had wisely decided to start the fleet from the line but then set them a course out in the main river so that they did not have to fight their way up and down the creek to the turning mark.

The fleet got underway in glorious sunshine and a slowly dying easterly of around 8 knots and the boats had to feel their way out of the creek with one hand on their centreboard lines as dead low water springs approached.  Alan Hicks in C54 Storm Petrel led of the line with Phil Rust in C16 Dulcet and David Charlton in C51 Grethe almost neck and neck right on his transom.  Just behind them were John Payne, making his first appearance in his newly acquired C11 Grayling which is looking lovely in her new white and turquoise paint job, and John Saker helming C18 Gelasma with Mike Hempstead.

Alan had eked out a small lead by Creekmouth but they were still closely bunched as they headed out to sea.  By the end of the first lap Alan had gained a nice lead over the rest of the fleet who were still battling it out for positions.  With the wind dropping and the ebb tide starting to built, plus the need to watch out for the depth and fend off boats from other classes it was challenging sailing and the entire fleet enjoyed a great race.

As they approached the finish time the sun set in a spectacular display of red and orange which made it even harder for the crews to concentrate on their sailing and not be distracted by the incredible beauty of our beloved Colne Estuary.

In the closing stages of the race Alan had extended his lead impressively and he won both the BOD fleet and the race overall in spectacular style – his second victory of the series which puts him in the overall lead too.  Behind him Phil was second BOD, closely followed by Dave, John P and John S.

As always the race committee did an excellent job and their decision to set a special course and keep the fleet out of the creek at low water was inspired.  Huge thanks to Race Office Barry Newman and his team for their terrific work.

And finally thanks to Laura Whitfield for this lovely photo gallery taken from the rescue boat.

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We are delighted to announce that thanks to the kind generosity of Nick Readings a brand new 8,000 gallon per hour salvage pump has been purchased for use by the BOD fleet in the event of a capsize.  As we all know, although its rare for the BODs to capsize it does happen from time to time and when it does the worst part is the time and effort it takes to bail out the boats with buckets and hand pumps.  On a recent trip to the USA Nick picked up this fantastic new battery operated salvage pump and it will be kept ready for use by the safety boats in the event that one of us goes in for the early bath.  Huge thanks to Nick for sourcing and purchasing this pump for the fleet.

Woohoo!  The start of the formal BOD racing season is finally here this weekend with the Eric Dent Cup, which gets underway from the CYC line at 14.30 on Sunday 18 May.  High tide is at 15.34 and the forecast promises warm sunshine and light to moderate south easterlies so conditions will be near to perfect!

If anyone needs crew or any other help or support to get themselves to the start line let Fi (07711 718470 or fiona.brown@fionabrown.com) know and she will do her best to assist as we want to see as many boats on the line as possible for this first race.

See you all out there!

Please note that the planned BSC/CYC Team Racing event scheduled for 31 May has been postponed and will be rescheduled for later in the year.  At the time this event was scheduled the full programme for Brightlingsea Town Regatta, which is taking place that weekend, was not available, however, its now clear that the Team Racing would be a direct clash with the regatta activities and so it makes sense to replay so that the BODs can enjoy both events.

The Brightlingsea Town Regatta will feature two races for the BODs.  On Saturday 31st May the BODs are invited to join the Three Creeks Crawl, an all in handicap race racing around marks in Ray Creek (behind Second Beach), Flag Creek and St Osyth Creek.  This is a perfect shop window for the class as there will be lots of people around the harbour and waterfront for the regatta activities so we hope to see as many BODs on the water as possible.  The start is scheduled for 14.30 from the BSC line (more details available from BSC). On Sunday the Hickley Tiller will start from the CYC line at 14.30 and again we look forward to a great turnout.

Further information about new dates for the BSC/CYC Team Racing will be published as soon as available.

Click here for a copy of the update programme.

A few months ago outgoing BODOA Chairman Adrian Gibbons received an unusual request from a lady in Paris.  She contacted him to say that she was looking for an unusual 90th birthday present for her father who loves classic boats and would it be possible to arrange for him to sail in a BOD.

Naturally Adrian said he would be delighted to set something up and so on 2nd May Adrian and BODOA Treasurer Dick Stephens found themselves sailing White Spirit with 90 year old Michael Connella in a day which proved to be a delight for all concerned.

Michael had been in the Navy during the war and then farmed in the UK.  He eventually sold the farm and retrained as a maths teacher, ending up as the headmaster of one of the junior schools in Colchester.  He kept Adrian and Dick entertained with stories and proved to be a very efficient helmsman as they enjoyed a couple of hours sailing around the Colne and Brightlingsea and Pyefleet Creeks.

At one point Adrian, who has injured his knee and was a bit restricted in his movements around the boat, joked with Michael that he was as stiff in his joints as Michael at the age of 90.  Michael politely explained to Adrian that he is normally as fit as a fiddle and very flexible, but had spent the previous day digging his potatoes which was the only reason he was a bit achey!  Needless to say Adrian felt somewhat sheepish and has vowed to up his fitness programme!

The trio topped off their day with a lovely lunch back at the Colne Yacht Club and a great time was had by all.  The following day Michael’s daughter Lise made contact again to thank Adrian and Dick for organising the sail and to tell them that her father had had a marvellous time.

Happy 90th Birthday Michael from all the BOD Fleet – we hope to see you out in one of the boats again soon.

Our thanks to CYC Commodore Graham Chasney for the lovely photos.

Last night’s BOD dinner, hosted by Brightlingsea Sailing Club, was declared a resounding success by all in attendance.  The turnout was superb with 71 guests present for an evening which opened with drinks at 7pm, accompanied by Jonathan and Cheryl’s delightful string duet, included a wonderful three course meal cooked by Tanya Bines, a rousing and highly entertaining after dinner speech by Class Chairman Bob Richardson, a slide show of some of the best BOD photography of the last few years (thanks to Tim Bees, Jo Hearn, Mike Rees and Alex Button for their amazing images) and concluded with a lot of vitally important BOD talk late into the night.

In his speech Bob paid tribute to Robbie Stone’s amazing design, to the friendly and inclusive nature of the class, which had warmly welcomed he and his crew and offered them endless help and advice, and to all the many volunteers who give up their time to run and promote the class.  In particular he highlighted the tireless work done by Malcolm Goodwin in bringing the class back from the brink of extinction a decade ago to the point where 20 boats were on the water for the 2013 President’s Race and we have a very real hope of 25 boats racing in the 2014 President’s Race.  He also thanked Alan Hicks and his team for the superb job they had done of organising the dinner.

Alan Hicks’ Storm Petrel was the only BOD to brave the very strong conditions prevailing on the second of the Thursday night series.  With a brisk force five gusting six from the north east and a course containing at least four big gybes the scene was set for plenty of drama, and drama was what they got.

The first gybe should have come at Stone where they were rounding to head down to Point Clear.  With the tide ebbing ever stronger Alan and his crew of Craig and Jayne Bond made the brave call to avoid gybing and instead run by the lee. Despite a few hairy moments they got away with it.

The second gybe was around Inner Fishery to head back to No 13.  This one went fairly well (or as well as any gybe goes in circa 25 knots).

Next up was a gybe rounding Mersea Wreck onto starboard to head to Gate.  It was a lovely rounding and the spinnaker hoist was textbook.  What followed wasn’t!  In trying to gybe before reaching Gate Storm Petrel headed wide of Creekmouth and then performed a gybe which could be described a lacking a certain control, resulted in a near miss capsize and left the boat heading on the wrong side of Creekmouth, thus needing to go by the lee again, this time with the spinnaker whirling around in the wind above their heads.

Amazingly they got to Creekmouth and rounded with the kite still filling in the air off the side of the boat as Alan repeatedly yelled “Control the guy, control the guy!” to Craig who had chosen to wear his high collar coat and wrap it firmly round his ears so he could hear nothing at all. Jayne was doing a passable imitation of a language translator as she attempted to relay messages between the agitated Alan and the blissfully unaware Craig.  After sailing Alan (with his tongue firmly in his cheek) explained “At this point, expert seamanship saved the day and from then on a more cautious Storm Petrel completed the race.”  That caution was well placed and they went on to finish in third place overall.

We are trying to locate the Double Diamond Cup which is presented to the winner of the Rowhedge Regatta upriver race.  We understand that it is missing and has not been presented for a couple of years so please would everyone who thinks they might have won Rowhedge Regatta at some point in the last decade be kind enough to have a look in their trophy cabinet, mantlepiece, downstairs loo or where ever you keep your trophies and see if you can spot it.  We understand it is a stainless steel cup shaped trophy.  Anyone with info on its whereabouts should email Fi on fiona.brown@fionabrown.com .  Many thanks.