The intense heatwave and strong easterly breeze gave almost perfect conditions for exciting racing and the Marbleheads provided a fantastic spectacle in front of the LSC clubhouse. 13 races were sailed in A rigs initially, but required C rigs after the first two races.

The wind was variable in both strength and direction which made it very difficult to set the course, but after several changes a short course was established by RO Roger Stollery with windward mark, spreader and a leeward gate and a short starting line. This was no problem as the 12 boat entry soon became 8 on the water and then technical difficulties with the strong gusts and waves forced boats to retire from the event. This left just 5 boats racing. A big problem on the course was weed blown to the lowered end of the lake where we were racing and annoyingly upset everyone and their results.

ARO Martin Crysell started the first race, which was won by Nigel Barrow sailing an F6 design, followed by Peter Stollery with his UP and Rob Vice sailing a GRUNGE. Race 2 was won by Peter from Nigel and Rob third and appeared to set the pattern for the event. However Oliver, who had struggled in A rig changed down to C rig and sailing his grandad’s UP was much more comfortable and won Race 3 with GAMES’ leader Phil Holliday second and Nigel third. Peter won the next with Nigel and Chris Watkins sailing a Brad Gibson INDIE design third.

Races 5 and 6 belonged to Rob Vice with Nigel second and Oliver third. Rob was sailing with a conventional C rig and was the first boat with that rig to win a race and set up an interesting battle with Peter sailing with a swing rig, which gained a bit more speed by being able to tack downwind. Both were going flat out under pressure downwind with rudders showing in the gusts and having great fun and a close finish in Race 7, which Peter won.

Ever consistent Nigel won Race 8 from Rob with Oliver third. Race 9 was another tight race with the Peter winning from Rob with Oliver third, who went on to win Race 10 with his dad Peter, second and Rob third. Race 11 finishing order was Peter, Rob and Nigel, who went on to win Race 12 from Peter and Rob. After fixing a really difficult technical problem Oliver went on to win the last race under great pressure to win that final race.

At the prize giving Roger and in particularly Martin were thanked for running another superb GAMES event. Whilst the course was OK for the small entry, but bigger events need at least a longer start line for an E/W breeze and one has been identified at the northern end of the control area.

Results:

1st Peter Stollery, GaLRS, UP   20 points

2nd Nigel Barrow, Datchet, F6   26

3rd Rob Vice, GaLRS, GRUNGE     27

4th Oliver Stollery, GaLRS, UP  37

5th Chris Watkins, Royal Temple YC, INDIE 46

6th Phil Holliday, Datchet, F6  88

7th Jim La Roche, Datchet, F6   95

8th Hugh McAdoo, Datchet, F6    106

DF95 Series results please click here

DF95 Series results please click here

It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday and it’s the first time that I had been at the Club on a Sunday. I was surprised how few LSC members were taking advantage of this lovely weather, as only 3 dinghies were sailing as well as 2 disabled boats and related powerboat assistance. I was very grateful for assistance from Rob E in one of the power boats for rescuing my Marblehead which had lost radio control as a result of a dodgy on off switch.

Guildford and Littleton Radio Sailing organised this annual Marblehead Open event, which was publicised in LSC Scene earlier.

The racing was a fantastic spectacle with the boats screaming downwind in the gusts with loads of spray, broaching and sometimes rudders showing.

The mark roundings are always exciting and on the beat the skill of those who could tack on the shifts and make a good rounding of the windward mark showed up clearly.

The 16 reaching starts were exciting, but it was easy to be too early and there were several general recalls and often with boats over the line OCS.

We used two of the dinghy circular orange buoys as turning marks which worked well with the scale of the tall rigs of the Marblehead standing up well above the mark. It is always difficult to judge whether you are past the mark or not, but the tall rigs throw a shadow of the rig on the buoy when you are past it, making the judgement easier.

In the control area in front of the clubhouse there are lots of strange things to see and questions to ask. What are those funny rigs with the jibs set on an extension to the main boom? How does that work? Don’t be afraid to ask as model sailors are always very helpful and can explain things like the setting of the sails, which in principle is no different to setting the sails on your DF95.

Finally don’t be afraid to ask to have a go at sailing a Marblehead as with the DF95 they give a great deal of pleasure, excitement and fun!

Roger Stollery, 1 June 2026

Full details please click here