Brass Monkey Trophy Christmas Race on Saturday 10th December 2022
We extend a very warm welcome to you to come and have some competitive fun at our Christmas Open meeting for Marbleheads and DF 95/BOTTLE boats. We hope that you will come and enjoy racing in a relaxed mode at Abbey Meads Lake, Chertsey to get you into the party mood. This is very much a fun event, with festive dress for self/boat anticipated! As usual, we will be stopping for lunch when mince pies and mulled wine will be served. We do hope that you will come and join the party.
This year the event is again the finale of the 2022 GAMES Marblehead series with the MIDGLEY MUG, Improver’s and Junior Prizes to be awarded along with the Brass Monkey itself and the trophy for the BOTTLE boat winner. There is all to sail for as the GAMES improver’s prize (best improver outside the top 10) and the MIDGLEY MUG can only be settled at this event. The latest GAMES schedule is attached.
Following GMYC tradition there will be no normal financial entry fee. Instead, please bring a wrapped present containing something that you might like to win! The racing will be organised for Marbleheads and DF 95/BOTTLE boats starting using the same countdown, but at different times. The Marbleheads will start first and the smaller boats shortly after. The latter will have a course handicap with the intention that all will finish together, but the small boats will be competing in their own event.
The racing will be conducted using the RRS 2021-2024 modified by the MYA SSIs. The relevant notices are as follows: BRIEFING – this will start at approximately 09.40 hours. RACING TIMES – the first race will start soon after the briefing at approximately 10.00 hours – no race will start after 15.00 hours and any race in progress at 15.20 hours will be abandoned. The closing date for entries for the event is midnight on Thursday 8th December 2022. Please ring Roger with your entry on 01483 421 801 or e-mail him on stollery117@gmail.com and include your MYA number if you have one. If you don’t have a Marblehead or BOTTLE boat, but would like to come for a bit of fun, please ask Roger to borrow a boat.
ABBEY MEADS Lake is easy to find. From wherever you are travelling, follow the signs to THORPE PARK and go to the roundabout at their entrance. Then travel south on the A320 towards Chertsey and you will see the lake on your left. After a few hundred yards turn left off the road after you see the Chertsey Water Board sign. The what three words location is same-fame-cabin. If you arrive late and the inner gate is locked, the number 1617 will be left showing into the circular GMYC number padlock, but if it isn’t, put this number in and slide the button at the bottom to open and just slide the horizontal bar back and replace this after entry. Please make a note of this or print this NoR and refer to it when you are at the gate. We look forward to seeing you!
GMYC DF 95 Winter Series – Event 5
Will you be coming?
The weather forecast looks really good with a strong wind from a good SSW direction and no rain.
“It is now halfway through our 8 event Wednesday Winter Series and we have enjoyed some really good racing at Abbey Meads Lake. We are very lucky not having had any weed problems and the lake is completely clear of any weed that would affect the racing. As you can see from the Series results there is all to sail for, so you, your friends & clubmates are most welcome to come and create even more fun! The invitation to the next event in a fortnight’s time on 2 November is attached, along with the current Series scores and report of event 4.”Look forward to hearing from you!Cheers, Roger
GMYC DF 95 Winter Series Report & Results from WWS – Event 4
WWS Event 4 Report
19th October 2022, report by Roger stollery
More good racing at Abbey Meads! 13 races were sailed by an entry of 9 competitors in a strong, but very variable wind particularly late in the morning when the gust strength increased to make even B rig look too large! It was the sort of wind variation which allowed you to be going in a straight line and seconds later be on the opposite tack without having touched the helm!
There was no rain, absolutely no weed and even sunshine. The only downside was coming back to the bottom of the steps as the water level was so low that this could be awkward.
Roger set 5 marks for the start line, windward mark and leeward gate for a simple windward leeward course of 2 rounds. The racing was close with some very close finishes and the honours were shared by most of the entry with all but 3 competitors winning a race. Congratulations must go to Les Thorn who won 4 of these races to win the event easily.
Initially Roger started well as his BOTTLE boat only has 2 rigs, big and small and in the big rig before the wind got up too much he won the first 3 races. Les then showed his form by winning Race 4, followed that by 3 more wins, with Barrie being the only other multiple race winner. On the wind the big variations were very frustrating, but downwind in the strongest gusts there were some very exciting performances that everyone enjoyed!
At the end there was bit of excitement in that the inflatable dinghy floated off downwind, as it wasn’t tied on but just resting on concrete at the bottom of the steps. So we used our emergency dinghy again and by doing so found a better way of storing it in the clubhouse by just resting vertically against the wall on its transom, which will make it quicker to launch in an emergency.
With half of the Winter Series completed, you can see from the Winter Series scores that there is all to sail for in the 2nd half to win that beautiful trophy and to enjoy a lot more fun!
DF95 Wednesday 19th October
A warm welcome to all DF95 sailors this Wednesday 19th October!
The Winter Series started well a month ago with 8 entries, so let’s do even better to enhance the entries and enjoy some more good racing and more fun. Encourage your friends and clubmates to come along. You know that this is a fine open water, with two control areas on different banks to allow setting of the very best courses for racing. Emphasise to your friends that access to these Control Areas allows cars to park within yards of the steps for dry-foot launching. You will always get a good welcome and our extensive expertise is offered to help you to set up your boat, giving tuition in setting your sails to the best trim and other technical advice etc.
Of the 8 events in this Winter Series, your best 4 results will count to decide the series and the prizes which will be awarded at the final event. In addition at every event planned, the leading visitor will win a ROF (Roger’s One gram Flag) which is specially designed to clip onto the backstay crane to help show wind variations. as Illustrated above. This is a really good piece of design for an essential tool for good sailing that you cannot buy from DF suppliers – you have to win it here!
We need to know that you are coming so you must contact Roger by phone (01483) 421801 or Martin on 07836 250261 the day before – i.e. Tuesday 18th October to confirm access information etc. The report & results of WWS 3 & more information about the club is available on www.guilldfordmyc.co.uk.
The next event 5 in the series is on Wednesday 2nd November
GMYC Teapot Trophy 08 October Cancelled
Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled as a result of the lack of support.
Wednesday DF95 Winter Series – Event 3
Another fabulous morning at Abbey Meads Lake! The forecast was for 24 to 30 mph from the south south-west, which is straight down the lake and gave perfect conditions for the DF 95 in B rig. The gusts probably reached this strength on occasion, but there were also lulls and holes in the wind which was incredibly variable, particularly near the windward mark. So much so that without moving your rudder you could make a perfect tack and keep going in a straight line!
The off wind legs were very exciting with great bursts of speed, spray, bows submerged, rudders in the air, broaches etc. A lot of concentration was also needed on the beat to avoid getting head to wind. This was tricky because the wind could vary 30° or more in an instant, leaving your sails shaking and no speed to get back on course. We each found a way of dealing with this and Martin fared best initially with 3 straight wins and then except for the last race every result was a podium place, as can be seen from the score sheet below.
It was good to see Simon Johnson sailing at Abbey Meads and getting a couple of 2nd places. Roger’s BOTTLE boat looked a bit scary with the cantilevered 6 mm diameter mast bending a lot and whilst this flexibility helps the windward trim by opening up slot between jib and main, the 24-year-old carbon arrow shaft mast gave up under the downwind pressure and snapped at the bottom where it comes through the deck. Roger didn’t mind rowing the rubber dinghy against the fresh breeze to rescue it, as he had of good practice going out laying and collecting the marks and on quite a few occasions rescuing several different boats that had ‘strayed’ into the bushes. One thing about today was amazing and that was there were no patches of weed, in fact no weed visible at all, except a few bits pulled up with the buoy weights. While there a couple of patches a fortnight ago the lack of weed today was remarkable and bodes well for sailing Marbleheads on Saturday, so long as we get enough entries!!
Roger is very pleased to report that David got home safely after his drive back to Herefordshire. He is a very dedicated model yachtsman & Guildford member who puts to shame those who are local who don’t support events such as this.
WWS Report – 21 September 2022
When we arrived, the lake was like a mirror reflecting the clouds and trees in the background looking absolutely beautiful. Despite the apparent lack of wind the first boat launched sailed away OK, but there were big holes where making progress required the utmost concentration and a lot of patience. Mid-morning the forecast southerly wind actually started to come in gently from the south-east and at least created a reasonable windward leeward course. All 5 competitors found the racing frustrating as there was an element of luck needed to grasp that vestige of wind, but nearly all won one of the 8 races.
David Coode, who had travelled 2 1/2 hours from Herefordshire to Abbey Meads was pleased that his patience paid off allowing him to win the event with 4 wins. He said, “I released all the tension on the forestay and allowed the sail to respond to what little wind there was”.
The lake was quite sailable apart from two clumps of weed, which required the rescue boat to retrieve the DF and like fishing, bring aboard the ‘trawl’ of all of that isolated clump.
2022 BOTTLE boat Championship at Waldringfield
This event run at Waldringfield is not a Guildford club event, but was organised and run by Guildford members. Sailing BOTTLE boats on the tidal River Deben adds a new dimension to radio sailing and provided a great spectacle directly in front of the clubhouse. This was enjoyed by many spectators and the public, as well as all the radio sailors and particularly the younger members of the fleet, aged 6 and upwards. Prior to the event there was lots of informal junior sessions, learning to sail these boats and get advice about the basic rules and this showed in the sporting way in which they behaved. Whilst these are only some of the photographs taken by professional photographer Robert Deaves all of them can be seen on Facebook, Waldringfield Sailing Club, BOTTLE boat…
2022 BOTTLE boat Championship at Waldringfield
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