Hot Racing at 3 Rivers!

Never has a winter Marblehead interclub event at the Bury Lake Rickmansworth been so hot, with bright sunshine all day and in the morning at least enough wind to give a beat and run course to make the racing hot too.

11 skippers from 3 different clubs enjoyed 8 races in the light and fluky, basically easterly wind conditions. There were 5 different winners and every Datchet team member won a race. Austin Guerrier sailing a QUARK won the first and it looked as if Phil Holliday sailing a GRUNGE was going to take the 2^nd, but was overtaken on the last run by Guildford’s Roger Stollery sailing his UP. He repeated this on the next 2 races, before Phil finally hit the front in Race 5.

After a very pleasant lunch in the sunshine, Roger won again, but in the following race it was John Shorrock sailing a QUARK with a new and very smart Graham Bantock fin who took line honours in Race 7.   By this time the wind had more or less died and veered to the south-east blowing from behind the competitors leaving the whole course in a total mirror condition. However this did not deter MYA Chairman Terry Rensch sailing Phil Holliday’s NIOUTRAM, from picking up all the right gusts, staying on the rhumb line and just pipping Roger to the finishing line in the final Race 8. After this race and with only half an hour to run before the deadline, all skippers agreed not to race again as the conditions were so poor.

All in all, despite the frustratingly light wind everyone enjoyed the day, the pleasant sunshine and the great company. At the prize giving Roger thanked the five-man 3 Rivers race team, Tom Rodger, John Rance, John Keyworth, Oliver Bangham and as always John Male scoring, for putting on another great GAMES event under very difficult circumstances.  

The next big Marblehead GAMES event is on 24th March, when Guildford Model Yacht Club will be running a special celebratory 40th MERMAID Trophy at Abbey Meads Lake, Chertsey. 

Go to Gallery for photos of the event

Results:

1st Roger Stollery Guildford UP 8

2nd Phil Holliday Datchet GRUNGE 13

3rd Austin Guerrier Datchet QUARK 18

4th John Shorrock Datchet QUARK 23

5th Martin Crysell Guildford PRIME NUMBER 25

6th Terry Rensch Datchet NIOUTRAM 27

7th John Male 3 Rivers STARKERS 37

8th Dick Grainge 3 Rivers STARKERS 37

9th Peter Popham 3 Rivers UPROAR 43

10th John Carter 3 Rivers STARKERS 44

11th Trevor Innes 3 Rivers STARKERS 58 

A good session at Abbey Meads today, with plenty of planing off wind despite the variable strength and direction of the wind. Today there were some really vicious black west south-west gusts in between rather variable wind speed and direction. The good thing was that we did not have to change the southern landing stage. Peter reset the buoys to give us a windward leeward course. The forecast was 20 to 40 mph and whilst we probably didn’t get that level of wind, it was still strong enough to get plenty of planing intermittently in the gusts on the offwind legs. I was using my new cutdown fin with the heavy lead on UP, rather than the light lead is used last week at the ranking even. It was not up to it and there was just too much wobble on many occasions of the wind for this to be an acceptable fin. This was very disappointing, however the  seaworthiness of the UP design in these demanding offwind conditions was tested and they handled really well even with the foredeck under. Initially we used C Rigs, but then used 2nd suit C2 rigs as these are so rarely used. Peter had altered the sail plan twice, but never had the chance to test either of the changes. He was pleased at last it could be tested and came out well.

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Fred’s Big Toephy Notice of Race

Guildford Model Yacht Clubextends a very warm welcome to you for the first 2019 Footy open event.

Come and enjoy racing your Footy at Abbey Meads Lake, Chertsey and help us to create some fun in a friendly, but competitive atmosphere.

The GMYC race team will be John Townsend and Peter Dunne. Racing will be conducted using RRS 2017-2020 modified by the 2017 MYA Standard Sailing Instructions. The current 2009 Footy Class Rules will apply. We would ask you to limit the size of your biggest rigs to comply with the ‘Experimental Footy rig Template‘. The relevant notices are as follows:

REGISTRATION and measurement check 08.40 to 09.30 hours.

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 15.30 hours will be abandoned.

Freds Big Toephy

Please make sure that your correct sail numbers are clearly displayed on your mainsails: just the last two digits of your boat’s registration number or your personal number. When you bring your boat for registration, please make sure that it will fit in the ‘Footy measurement box’, as required by class rules.

As well as Fred’ Big Toephy and prizes for the winners and junior winners, there will be the first of the ‘novICE’ trophies for novice competitors that have not finished in the top 3 in the Footy open events in the last 2 years.

The entry fee is £5.00 to be paid on the day. Entries should preferably be on the online form, which links to this NoR before midnight on Thursday 31st January 2019.  Any queries should go to Roger Stollery preferably by phone on 01483 421 801 or e-mailed to stollery17@sky.com. The information required is your name, MYA number, club, sail number, emergency contact telephone number & radio frequencies if not 2.4ghz.Please pass this notice onto those you know who might like to participate. If you have no Footy, we have some that may be borrowed; please ring Roger ASAP to avoid disappointment.

Please be aware that if we need to sail in northerly/southerly winds from the west bankwe can at the moment no longer get our cars along this track and so it will be necessary to park off the road near the entrance to the track and walk your gear along.

ABBEY MEADS LAKE is easy to find, so long as you follow these instructions and not any others. Follow the local brown signs to THORPE PARK and go to the roundabout at their entrance. From here travel south on the A320 towards Chertsey and Abbey Meads Lakeis behind the hedge on your left. After a few hundred yards turn left off the road when you see a sign, RADIO SAILING, together with signs to the 3 Valleys Water’s Chertsey Treatment Works.If the gate is locked, unlock the black number padlock with 1617 and press the button at the bottom or ring the mobile number on the ‘GMYC welcome notice’ on the gate if you need assistance, but please be patient as Roger may be out on the water. Please replace the padlock as you found it.

We look forward to seeing you !

GMYC were racing on a Saturday for the first time and this was both strange and exciting. Strange because it seemed to come too close to the end of the week. 

Exciting because there were unknowns like the traffic before 9 o’clock, which thankfully was similar to normal Sunday’s traffic. Exciting because Peter Dunne had made a trolley for the dinghy and when I arrived trolley and boat were already in place on the south bank. Exciting because we had a ‘new’ gazebo to test in gusty top end of rig A or B winds, which was fine so long as it was tied down to the rails on my Focus! Exciting because of the windy forecast 12 to 30 mph in which we didn’t race last year. Exciting because Mark Mortimore had joined our small band of enthusiasts to sail his new UPROAR, SISTER SLEDGE.

This increased the entry to 6, which could have been 7, if Alan hadn’t been struggling with a cold. Peter was disappointed that his rudder servo failed, but stayed on to score the first few races. Mark was absolutely delighted by his new boat’s performance and won Race 3 and counted podium places except for the first and last race! 

On the basis of the forecast strong wind, Peter Stollery came down with his UPFRONT to test his B rig and was delighted that it handled OK after problems with a bigger main to jib proportion used previously. His winning of 3 of the first 4 races was very impressive against the other A rigged boats that were chasing him hard.

8 races were sailed before lunch, at which point Peter had to go home and Mark put his boat away, didn’t do any more racing and took down the scores for the next 3 races, which are now attached.

This was a handicap event and it was quite clear at the lake that Mark’s performance was way above his 25% handicap and so he was presented with the COBWEB trophy as the winner, which was confirmed by the attached results, which Alan has worked out.

Martin Crysell presenting Mark Mortimore with the 2019 Cobweb Trophy.

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