Photo by Oliver Bangham

A mirror calm greeted 11 competitors from five clubs for some frustrating racing when the variable light breeze eventually filled in from the south, blowing diagonally over the trees and the competitors’ left shoulders. The 3 Rivers’ extensive race team did a grand job in running 10 races around a windward leeward course.

In the very first race virtually the whole fleet were approaching the gate together and race officer, John Shepherd  mustered all the observers at the potential incident, but as Marbleheads are considered to be sailed by gentlemen, they talked to each other and there were no collisions.

David Adam, sailing a PRIME NUMBER won this race from John Carter, sailing a STARKERS and Martin Crysell also sailing a PRIME NUMBER. The lead changed several times during the race and this was to set the scene for the day’s racing with isolated puffs letting some of the backmarkers get to the front.

The next two races belonged to Roger Stollery and his new UP design followed in Races 3 & 4 by Rob Vice, sailing an UPROAR taking the top podium finish.

After lunch, new recruit to Marblehead racing, Norwegian Odd Nordanger, sailing a STARKERS won Race 6, but then let Roger and David win again in Races 7 & 8. Unlike all the other competitors, Odd travels with his boat by train from the other side of London.

Photo by Oliver Bangham

In Race 9 there was a very close finish between Roger and Alf Reynolds, who had been struggling with radio problems at the beginning of the event. He was sailing one of the earliest PARADOXs with a much modified bow and distinctive camouflage paintwork. He was absolutely delighted! It shows that designs from the early 1990s are still competitive against the very latest machines. The final race was won by Rob with Roger second and Peter Popham sailing a CREAM CRACKER in third place.

Photo by Martin Crysell

It was encouraging to see Max Lembke’s new Marblehead, which he designed and made himself from readily available carbon sheet to form a multi-chine hull. There were some teething problems which didn’t allow the MAXLEM design to show its full potential.

The prize winners thanked the 3 Rivers race team for running a good event despite the frustrating conditions. The latest GAMES results can be found on the www.guildfordmyc.co.uk website, with further information about Marblehead events on www.marbleheadsailing.wordpress.com.

Results:

1st Roger Stollery Guildford UP 14

2nd Rob Vice Guildford UPROAR 27

3rd David Adam 3 Rivers PRIME NUMBER 28

4th Martin Crysell Guildford PRIME NUMBER 33

5th John Shorrock Datchet QUARK 35.5

6th John Carter 3 Rivers STARKERS 36

7th Alf Reynolds Chelmsford PARADOX 47

8th Dick Grainge 3 Rivers STARKERS 52

9th Odd Nordanger 3 Rivers STARKERS 57.5

10th Peter Popham 3 Rivers CREAM CRACKER 58

11th Max Lembke 3 Rivers MAXLEM 74

The Marblehead radio sailing members visited Chipstead SC for the first GAMES event on the 20^th January 2018. There were twenty entries, but due to flu, sixteen came to the start line.  Marblehead skippers from ten clubs were made very welcome indeed to the first M&S interclub event of the season. Peter Crisp even greeted everyone individually as they arrived at the entrance to the car park.

Although it was a cold damp drizzly day, Chipstead Lake provided a long course with light consistent north easterly winds.   This gave some excellent conditions for racing throughout the day, with enough variation in direction to make the beats interesting.

Image by John Caruana

Race officer, Dave Allinson and his team handled the racing very well and was able to run 11 races consisting of two laps of a 150 metre windward beat course that was close to the control area along its whole length. The wide start line helped to prevent incidents and there was only one general recall.

Throughout the day the racing was very close with five different race winners, culminating in only 3 points between the first three overall and only 15 points difference covering the middle of the fleet.  A win in the first race by Roger Stollery using his new UP design was followed by wins for Peter Stollery sailing an UPROAR, Tony Edwards, Colin Goodman sailing GRUNGEs  and Hugh McAdoo sailing a PRIME NUMBER. The lunch break was welcomed, giving an opportunity to get warm and enjoy sausages, chip and beans and a hot drink, laid on especially by the Chipstead SC Radio Sailing members.

Image by John Caruana

Assistant race officer, Garven McKie, kept the racing going with back to back races.   The afternoon period produced similar results, but no one skipper managed to dominate.

Overall it was an enjoyable and good natured day’s racing for all those who attended. Special thanks were given by the prize-winners to Dave Allinson , who managed the racing well and organised a team from Chipstead SC Radio Sailing for scoring, observing, catering etc. as well as making a good photographic record of the event.

There is no doubt that this radio sailing club has fantastic facilities, very well suited to running big events with a large lake with good access on the banks and the clubhouse and excellent launching facilities right in the centre of the activity.

After the prize giving for this event, Roger Stollery presented the Midgley Mug for the overall winner of the 2017 GAMES series to Peter Stollery.

Image by John Caruana

Report by Peter Crisp

Results for the Chipstead SC Marblehead GAMES 1 Event 2018:

1st  Peter Stollery Guildford UPROAR 19,

2nd Tony Edwards Yeovil GRUNGE 21,

3rd Colin Goodman Coal House Fort GRUNGE 22,

4th Hugh MCAdoo  Datchet Water PRIME NUMBER 38,

5th Roger Stollery Guildford UP 52,

6th Martin Crysell Guildford PRIME NUMBER 58

7th Trevor Binks Eastbourne PRIME NUMBER 64

8th Phil Holliday Datchet Water NIOUTRAM 70

9th John Shorrock Datchet Water QUARK 73

10th Nick Ennion Harwich & Dovercourt QUARK 84

11th Peter Crisp Chipstead STARKERS CUBED 84

12th John Cleave Ryde SKALPEL 86

13th Alan Viney Guildford PRIME NUMBER 89

14th Peter Popham Three Rivers CREAM CRACKER 109

15th Terry Rensch Datchet Water QUARK 111

16th Alf Reynolds Chelmsford PARADOX 148

Chipstead S/C Radio Sailing invite entries to their Marblehead Open meeting and Games 1 on Saturday 20th January 2018. First Race at 10.00am. Full details in the NOR Marblehead Open – Games 1 2018.

The weather lived up to the name of the event and this Marblehead event was sailed at GMYC’s Abbey Meads Lake in atrocious freezing conditions that were not forecast.  Instead of small amounts of rain and 20 to 40 mph westerly winds there was continual rain, sleet or snow and very little wind from almost every direction.The heavy snowfall further north prevented Phil Holliday from setting out from home, but did not prevent Alf Reynolds and David Croom getting to Abbey Meads through the snow in Kent.

This did not put off the Guildford team, who erected two linked gazebos close to the edge of the southern bank to act as part of the control area for protection from the worst downpours. A ring of specially laid marks allowed windward legs to match the wind variation at some point around the course.

Rob Vice, who had upgraded his UPROAR with a new Robot keel and new bulb, set the pace to win Race 1 from Roger Stollery’s UPROAR. He won again in Race 2 from Martin Crysell sailing a PRIME NUMBER. Then it was the turn of Peter Stollery to win from Roger, who then won Race 4. After another 2 races won by Rob and Roger there was a welcome break for lunch with the hot mulled wine, sausage rolls and mince pies helping to warm the frozen fingers to thaw out.

As it began to snow harder, all agreed to do another couple of races to end the madness and thaw and dry out properly on the way home. This was a wise decision as it was becoming difficult to see the boats through the blizzard conditions in the final race.

As is traditional for this Christmas event, the prize-giving consisted of selecting by the order of finishing places, a wrapped prize, which was the entry fee. As this was the finale of the GAMES’ events it was hoped to present the Midgley Memorial Mug to the winner, but the cold and wet was not conducive to doing the necessary calculations. The top 3 are shown below.

The Marblehead events for 2018 are already on the Guildford Model Yacht Club website at www.guildfordmyc.co.uk

BRASS MONKEY Results:

1st  Rob Vice Clapham UPROAR        11

2nd Peter Stollery Guildford UPROAR 11

3rd Roger Stollery Guildford UPROAR       12

4th Martin Crysell Guildford PRIME NUMBER 19

5th Alan Viney Guildford PRIME NUMBER 27

6th Les Thorn Hawley Lake PARADOX 31

7th Alf Reynolds Chelmsford PARADOX 33

8th Keith Bullard Guildford  ABEL’S 41

9th David Croom Chelmsford STARKERS 49

GAMES results – 

1st Peter Stollery 378.9

2nd Rob Vice 348.8

3rd Roger Stollery 336.5

The furthest travelled competitor, Bill Culshaw from Shropshire, sailing a GRUNGE, won this event with seven wins from the two UPROARS that were successful last week at the Mermaid.

Three Rivers RYC’s wasted no time and gave competitors 15 races, an amazing number considering the start in no wind and very little during the day, with the constantly varying wind coming from every direction from south-west to north-east and creating a constantly course setting headache for Race Officer, Peter Popham and his team.

As well as the wind problem, the water level was low and so launching was sometimes difficult for deeper keeled Marbleheads, which grounded just out of reach of the launching area. This problem was aggravated because after every race most boats had to come ashore to check for weed, as just small strands were picked up by everyone in the majority of races.

Despite the problems everyone enjoyed the event, which started by a win for David Adam sailing a PRIME NUMBER from Rob Vice’s UPROAR. Races 2 & 3 were won by Roger Stollery sailing his UPROAR from Rob and Bill Culshaw. David came back to take Race 4 from the consistent Rob again. Bill, with some good starts found his form to win three races on the trot from Roger, Martin Crysell sailing a PRIME NUMBER and John Carter sailing a ROK.

At the brief lunch interval Bill was top of the leaderboard with 12 points followed by Roger with 17 and Rob with 18.

There was a little bit more wind after lunch, but still very variable allowing Roger to make a perfect port tack start as the wind backed during the start sequence and lead to the finish in front of Rob and Martin. Bill took Race 9 from the consistent Rob.

In Race 10 there was an amazing 90° wind shift allowed the leading boats to change tack without any change in their course and without any rudder movement!  Roger won from David and Bill. At last Rob’s consistency paid off with a win in Race 11 from Bill and Alf Reynolds sailing a 25 year old upgraded PARADOX with a fancy bow, a permanent version of his usual parcel tape construction, and the hull painted in camouflage colours.

Bill succeeded in avoiding any weed to win the next three races, maybe by following pretty well exactly the same course each time. Finally, Roger won the last Race 15 from Martin and Alf.

At the prize giving Peter Popham thanked competitors for making his job easy as there were no raised voices, no protests and the sailing was very much more gentlemanly than the IOM racing he is used to. The winner of the Stan Cleal Trophy, Bill, thanked Peter for running a good event in difficult circumstances. Runner-up Roger reinforced Bill’s thanks to the 3R team of John Male, John Rance and Tom Roger.

This event was the penultimate Marblehead GAMES event and the finale will be at Guildford Model Yacht Club for the BRASS MONKEY event on 10th December.

1st Bill Culshaw Birkenhead GRUNGE 25

2nd Roger Stollery Guildford UPROAR 40

3rd Rob Vice Clapham UPROAR 42

4th David Adam Woking PRIME NUMBER 57

5th Martin Crysell Guildford PRIME NUMBER 58

6th Alf Reynolds Chelmsford PARADOX 78

7th Terry Rensch Datchet QUARK 80

8th John Carter 3 Rivers ROK 87

9th John Shorrock Datchet QUARK 2 108

10th David Croom Chelmsford STARKERS 114

11th Max Lenbke 3 Rivers PJ2 114

This was a fantastic event. Not only did the wind blow straight down the lake for most of the three days, but the 48 boat entry, including 13 competitors from overseas, was of a very high standard. Many of the top boats and skippers from last year’s Marblehead World Championship at Lake Garda travelled to the exposed Lancashire coast to compete on probably the best lake in the world for more top-class radio racing. Racing started on Friday and allowed 18, three heat races to be sailed with two or three lap courses using the whole length of the 250 metre lake for the simple windward leeward courses.

 Friday
An 6 to 14 mph wind greeted competitors allowing B or C rigs to be used and generating some spectacular downwind speeds, which gave some competitors a problem keeping up with these speed machines. The racing was dominated by Brad Gibson, who was taking a break from his foiling Moth sailing and returning to radio race his GRUNGE design with his usual finesse. Other skippers enjoying the conditions and getting podium positions were Martin Roberts sailing his elderly, but still very quick pink STARKERS, Tony Edwards, also with a GRUNGE, Matteo Longhi from Italy sailing a NIOUTRAM and Graham Bantock sailing his QUARK design.

Saturday
Light and more variable conditions coming off the sea created a problem for Race Officer, Derek Priestley, who was forced to create a zigzag course up the 70 metre wide lake. Aided by Peter and Judith Baldwin they called for an early lunch as the wind was dying, which was a good call as after lunch the wind came straight down the middle again and gave some good light airs racing in A rig.

In the morning it was Brad Gibson who once again won every race, but in the afternoon James Edwards won Race 10 with his GRUNGE, with Frenchman Arnaud Toureau sailing a SISCO taking Race 11 and Martin Roberts winning Race 12.
After racing had finished a team race using DF one designs it was organised and was followed by a Lancashire fish and chip supper in the clubhouse, followed by a quiz and a good time was had by all.

Sunday
The RO and race team were delighted that the wind was another north-westerly straight down the lake between 8 and 10 miles an hour, giving perfect A rig conditions. Graham Bantock got his only win of the event in Race 13, but then let Brad Gibson take all the remaining races, except the penultimate Race 17, which was won by Frenchman, Gilles di Crescenzo sailing another SISCO design.

This was another amazing performance by Brad and his GRUNGE, scoring under one third of the points of second placed Martin Roberts, whose performance was also remarkable and very encouraging for club sailors, as he was racing his elderly pink STARKERS, which is still available from designer/builder Dave Creed. He was squeezed between Brad and the two GRUNGEs of Darin Ballington and Tony Edwards, who finished ahead of the Italian, Matteo Longhi.

Boats

There was a great deal of variety in the 17 designs racing, but the common factor in the light airs was the use of the swing rig, for all except four competitors. The most interesting design was ROCKET from the board of young designer/builder Mike Cooke because of its wave piercing ‘dreadnought’ bow and neutral T foil on the bottom of the rudder to keep the boat stable when pressed hard.. Whilst there was insufficient wind to demonstrate the boat’s ability Mike will be developing more designs to improve the breed. Already there is a phenomenal standard of boat and equipment and this made the racing very close indeed, wherever you were in the fleet.

Prize-giving

Brad Gibson thanked Derek and his race team for creating a great event and also Maureen Priestley whose team of friendly helpers behind the bar kept competitors fed and watered throughout the event. Competitors not sailing in the 10 racing National Championship which followed were pleased to stop racing which on this lake is quite physical, as in following your boat up and down the lake you will be walking or running at least 10 kilometres a day!

Results of the top 10

1^st Brad Gibson Birkenhead GRUNGE               17

2^nd Martin Roberts Birkenhead STARKERS         58.5

3^rd Darin Ballington Manor Park GRUNGE       81

4^th Tony Edwards Yeovil GRUNGE                  84

5^th Matteo Longhi NW Garda ITA NIOUTRAM 96

6^th  Graham Bantock Chelmsford QUARK         101

7^th Peter Stollery Guildford UPROAR               103

8^th Gilles di Crescenzo FRA SISCO           111

9^th Colin Goodman Coalhouse Fort QUARK     112

10^th James Edwards Yeovil GRUNGE                121

Roger Stollery 2017-07-14