After a night of heavy rain the race team were lucky when arriving at Abbey Meads Lake that it was blue sky and sunshine. However, the wind did not arrive as the forecast 8 to 10 mph, although it was in a southerly direction giving a long beat and run course along the western control area. It was light and patchy and very frustrating at times. As well as the long course for the 12 Marbleheads, a shorter course was set for the 3 BOTTLE boats. 8 races were sailed with the BOTTLE boats setting off at 30 seconds before the Marbleheads, with the intention that they should finish together, which did happen as shown in the photograph with Steve Hill’s green sailed 72 out in front of Colin Goodman’s Marblehead 61 as they approached the finishing line.

The racing started in very little wind with Peter Stollery sailing his UPFRONT winning Race 1, whilst at the back of the fleet 8 year old Oliver Stollery, racing a Marblehead for the first time was delighted that his 20 year old ROAR EDGE was able to overtake 5 boats on the run down to the gate and finish in that position. Peter also took Race 2, but then let John Shorrock’s QUARK streak away into a big lead in Race 3 and was never challenged, although Trevor Binks sailing his PRIME NUMBER closed the gap towards the end of the race.

After a particularly quiet period, Martin Crysell called a stop for lunch, which included mulled wine, hot sausage rolls and mince pies provided by the club in the gazebo.

After lunch there was a little bit more wind, more from the south-east, which required a change of course to suit. After 3 podium finishes in the morning, Colin Goodman sailing a GRUNGE won Race 4 and was 2nd in Race 5 to Trevor. Then it was the turn of John again to take Race 6, before letting Phil Holliday racing his NIOUTRAM sail away into a big lead in Race 7. In the final Race 8 Colin came to the front again, with Trevor 2nd and Peter 3rd.

In the BOTTLE boat event the results were dominated by Steve Hill, as he counted 5 firsts in the 6 races sailed, being only beaten by 6-year-old Nathan Stollery in Race 3.

As is traditional at Guildford’s Christmas event there is no entry fee except a wrapped present and so at the prize giving everyone went away with something special and unknown, as well as the winners collecting their trophies. As well as the MONKEY and the BOTTLE trophies presented to Colin and Steve, the Midgley Memorial Mug was presented to Roger Stollery as the winner of the 8 event GAMES series.

Marblehead results:

1st Colin Goodman Chelmsford GRUNGE – 11 and winner of the BRASS MONKEY

2nd Trevor Binks Eastbourne PRIME NUMBER – 19

3rd Peter Stollery Guildford UP – 21

4th Roger Stollery Guildford UP – 21 and winner of the MIDGLEY MEMORIAL MUG for the GAMES series

5th John Shorrock Datchet QUARK – 23

6th Phil Holliday Datchet NIOUTRAM – 27

7th Nick Royse Frensham Pond CRAZY TUBE FREE – 34

8th Alan Viney Guildford PRIME NUMBER – 38

9th Les Thorn Hawley Lake PARADOX – 41

10th Oliver Stollery Guildford ROAR EDGE – 49

11th Peter Dunne Woking STARKERS – 51

12th Martin Crysell Guildford PRIME NUMBER – 63

BOTTLE boat results:

1st Steve Hill Frensham Pond – 4 and winner of the BRASS MONKEY BOTTLE

2nd Keith Parrott Frensham – 8

3rd Nathan Stollery Guildford – 9

The 7 of us were delighted to arrive in the dry, having driven through heavy rain to get to Abbey Meads. However before we could even think about racing there were a few obstacles in the way.

Firstly, the inner gate padlock proved very difficult to unlock and needed WD-40 to ease the circular hasp. Secondly, we couldn’t get into our metal ‘clubhouse’ because some potential thief had bent the locking bar and we could not get our padlock off.

Fortunately John Townsend lives close by and went home to get a large hammer, a scaffold pole battering ram and a long metal bar. With these we managed to bend back the bar and release our padlock. Thirdly, the tide has come up and we needed to raise the outer end of the launching platform on the southern bank. Conceived as a dry method of getting the supports down to the ground using a pulley system, this didn’t work out and it was wetter than being in the boat to do this.

Whilst we were waiting for John, Mark’s new UPROAR GBR 5165 fitted out this week by Roger was launched. Mark was delighted, not just being presented with a new Marblehead, but also because it performed well, with a 2nd in its 2nd race. Mark’s comment after 5 races was “I have forgotten how good this is” and will be back for more club racing in 2019! His friend Peter Miles also enjoyed himself sailing Roger’s UP for some of the time.

Mark Mortimore first launch of new UPROAR Marblehead

Martin set a short windward leeward course from the south-west corner, which avoided the visible calm area and this made for some close racing in the basically light and very variable wind conditions. This favoured Roger’s UP, but also allowed Martin’s PRIME NUMBER and John’s ROK to get a couple of wins, with Alan, also with his PRIME NUMBER won Race 9. The racing was a lot of fun with a great deal of banter on the control area, particularly when John won Race 10 and was so shocked by having to record the scores that his boat ran into the reeds and had to be rescued. We stopped after 12 races soon after 2 PM as we were feeling the cold, but then had to face another obstacle when packing up, because we could not get the padlock back on the clubhouse door. After several goes at bashing and bending, Alan struck the vital blows and allowed us to lock up.

Alan’s spreadsheet with the results is attached along with photo of Mark launching his SISTER SLEDGE, and the Hydonia trophy which interestingly was given for racing 10 raters and was sailed during wartime in 1940. It was then not sailed for until 1950.’

GMYC Hydonia Trophy

2018-11-25 Hydonia Trophy Results

A sunny but cold day with brisk easterly wind greeted 10 competitors from 5 clubs for the penultimate GAMES event. This was an A rig wind, which increased to B rig for some boats later in the event.

The 3 Rivers race team set a good long course parallel to the bank with 2 laps of a windward leeward course with a separator forming a triangle on the first lap.

Colin Goodman, who has been house renovating rather than sailing his GRUNGE this year, showed that his great sailing skills have not been lost and he won the first 2 races. Roger Stollery sailing his UP won the next which interrupted Colin’s run of wins, as he went on to win the next 5 races on the trot!

Newcomer to Marblehead racing, John Howell sailing a VICKERS V1, won Race 9, only to let Colin  win again in Race 10. John Shorrock sailing a QUARK was by now becoming  tired and despondent about his poor showing in the morning, but cheered up when he won Race 11 and went on to win Race 13! His wins were only interrupted by Roger, who won Races 12 and the last Race 14.

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The breeze was far from steady with a very calm area created by the trees near the windward mark, where an element of luck was needed to get round with any sort of speed on. There were some very short strong gusts, which whilst allowing these  fantastic oats to plane very impressively off wind,  also led to boats going out of control by broaching. Phil Holliday, sailing his NIOUTRAM was unlucky in one vicious gust in Race 4 to break his mast at deck level. Sailing with his B rig, was  then not so much of a disadvantage, as it suited the increasing wind strength.

The 3 Rivers race team showed their usual efficiency in running this GAMES event and were thanked by the prizewinners.

In addition, the club are generating both new ideas and building new Marbleheads themselves. Max Lembke had an interesting variation of an offset pivot swing rig on his own design hull, which was very simple and applied to the A rig sail proportions. Peter Popham was sailing one of the 3 UPROAR designs built by club members using Roger’s moulds, which with the copious instructions are available for DIY enthusiasts to borrow.

It is not just making new boats, but their existing Marblehead fleet is being upgraded, with John Male’s new sails making a big difference to the performance of his 18 year old  STARKERS.

Results:

1st Colin Goodman Chelmsford GRUNGE 16 points

2nd Roger Stollery Guildford UP 31

3rd John Howell Watermead VICKERS V1 42

4th John Shorrock Datchet QUARK 53

5th Phil Holliday Datchet NIOUTRAM 53

6th John Male 3 Rivers STARKERS 54

7th Dick Grainge 3 Rivers STARKERS 65

8th Trevor Innes 3 Rivers STARKERS 87

9th Max Lembke 3 Rivers MAXLEM 89

10th Peter Popham 3 Rivers UPROAR 115