Utter choas

[muckypup]

Saturday afternoon the weather was beautiful - Sunny, calm and peaceful... unlike the Crouch - I have never seen so many boats all seemingly going in random directions in my life. It was a complete nightmare getting through down to the sea. We took it slow and made it through without annoying anyone I think.

At one point the only way to make it through was to match the speed of some ickle sailing boats and slot in with them as if I was in the race and then slot out when it was safe on the other side.

While we were slowly trickling through the traffic, I did see 2 large flybridge cruisers plough through all the small boats at what looked like about 25knts - I don't think they even slowed down.

We made it down to the sea sand and anchored up over the cocklebeds - or tried to but the bottom was so soft the anchor did nothing but drag so we gave up and went back up the river about a mile and anchored on more firm ground.

There were very few boats when we got back - probably all in the clubs talking about the days tactics /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Steve

 

[moondancer]

Forumites doing well so far. Bernie winning class 6 today, moondancer leading class 6 overall, vreny winning class 5 today.

Bit windy today.

 

[Sixpence]

Good to hear it too, at least someone's having good luck

 

[CliveG]

What is FullCircle doing?
No finishes yet?
Jim, maybe you need to shout louder /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Results

 

[muckypup]

Re: Utter choas (now with piccies)

A few piccies my passenger took en-route.

Steve

 

[moondancer]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Well the east coast forum has come up trumps:

1st over the bank holiday weekend for east coast bernie
2nd for moondancer!!

 

[CliveG]

Re: forum domination!!!!

and a class 5 overall win for Vreny /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Well done to you all.

Clive

 

[Koeketiene]

Re: forum domination!!!!

What happened to Full Circle /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Jim still recovering from Ramsgate Week?

A forum 1-2-3 would have been impressive.

 

[Artemis_C2121]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Crewed for jim Sat had a bit of a muddle up on the nav and missed a mark do retired.

Sunday doing when the the Traveller car exploded so retired

Today raced on Artemis as a replacement finished near the bottom after gear trouble with the head sail furling good fun weekend great to see everyone.

Crewing with Bernie tomorrow looking forward to it

 

[FullCircle]

Re: forum domination!!!!

An altogether poor performance from us.
DNF
DNF
DNS.

Poo.

Well done to Bernie, Vreny and Brian though.

 

[muckypup]

Re: forum domination!!!!

DNF? DNS?

 

[Athene V30]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Did not finish / start

Well done Bernie & Crew - what were all those posts about saying she was nervous etc - just trying to mislead the opposition. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Did Not Finish

Did Not Start

erm....

Not the best set of results..... suspect the skipper was dreaming of his forthcoming trip to Greece...... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MoodySabre]

Re: forum domination!!!!

The curse of Artemis should fix it for Bernie tomorrow and then she's got me on Wednesday and Thursday. Very little wind - I won't even serve as windward ballast /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Sixpence]

Re: forum domination!!!!

[ QUOTE ]
and then she's got me on Wednesday and Thursday

[/ QUOTE ]

And I'm sure she'll enjoy having you too /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Well done everyone, wish we could have been there but good to hear so many got on so well

 

[flipper]

Re: forum domination!!!!

What a cracking weekend!

Bernie also got the gong for best newcomer.

We thought we'd gone down the tubes yesterday as we blew the jib out on the beat back up the river and had to make a 'racing sail change' with the spare one. We were glad to have hank on sails for once.

Patrick /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[DRANNIE]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Well not a great weekend in terms of results but a good weekend in terms of sailing for Grayling. I think our performance has been limited by size, a completely knackered main and short lift keel. (skipper and crew were of course faultless /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

Saturday we made a poor headsail choice as it was blustery on the start and in fact our No1 would have been a better choice than the 3 we started with. By the time we got to the bottom mark (having changed sails) it was clear we would not complete the course by 17:00 and retired and motorsailed back up.
Sunday was fairly windy and despite a poor start we made up a lot of ground in the down wind leg. We couldn't point very high and struggled up wind but had a good sail and finished although 20 mins behind the back of the field. Hey we finished!
Monday we saw gusts 25knots in the estuary and after staying in touch with the back of the field in the down wind leg, we passed the end race markers 4 or 5 times trying to tack back up the crouch. We decided that even if we waited it out for the tide to turn another 40 minutes we would be so far behind the rest of the field it wouldn't be worth it. Wind over tide it was pretty choppy motoring back up. My only moan about the whole experience is some of the slightly wonky handicapping which had my 20 year old 22ft e-boat given a lower handicap than the very slippy malbec 24. (I was seriously impressed by how quick it was).
Had a great sail back to bradwell on tuesday.
Hi to Bernie who I met at Corinthians, hope you continue your winning streak. Waved at full circle but didn't get to meet up.

Next year, a new main and an outhaul that outhauls!

 

[D3B]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Drannie

I went past you Tuesday morning just off BYH (in my mobo) on my way back to Ipswich.
Didnt realise it was you otherwise would have waved

another time also.

Doug

 

[DRANNIE]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Hi,

The graphics on the boat are... distinctive.

I'll wave at anybody who waves in my direction. I hope we weren't careering around getting the main up?

I am always vaguely envious of the mobos when I have a passage of 6 hours by small boat which would take 20 minutes in the car. I suspect you were near Clacton before I made it out to the spillway!

Maybe I'll catch you at another eastcoast meet up sometime.

 

[moondancer]

Re: forum domination!!!!

Hi Drannie,

Glad to hear that you had a good sail back to Bradwell. I didn't know it was you when you stopped and chatted at the marina yesterday.

I know what you are saying but I think that the handicap committee have a hard job, particularly in class 6. They start with the portsmouth yardstick for known boats and estimate from dimensions for unknown boats.

This though doesn't take account of sails, how much is stowed onboard, local knowledge etc etc. Weather conditions change things as well. We go very well in light winds but not so well in heavy winds. Mind you they have adjusted our handicap mid-week.

We beat Bernie in light winds but she whups our butt in heavy winds. We, like you, found the windy day very hard work.


Overall we have had a great time. It beats working and everyone on the water is friendly and the racing is close and exciting. You tend to get drawn into your own mini little battles.

I think this year the organisation has been very good, results have been on time and the course much more sympathetic for class 6. Even some of the 'professionals' are dipping their toes into class 6.

The magic of Burnham Week seems to be coming back.

Bit worried about an MG25 called Salto (isn't Salto a forumite??) It looked like it had been T-boned in a whopper of a collision. When I sailed past it's mooring there was gaffer tape covering a hole completely up her side.