Tag Archives: flying fifteen
Results and Personal Handicap Update….!!
Datchet Winter Warm Up – Day 1
Datchet Winter-Warm-Up Day1
What a glorious day – Force 4 gusting 5 (a welcome relief over the previous day), clear blue sky and a good sized course. Those who had survived the Midwinters were joined by a second Parkstone team – Graham and Ben Scroggie, fresh back from Hong Kong – and the Humes who chose the perfect day to unwrap their boat after Christmas. Patrick Keates was proven to be very perceptive when he ‘admired’ our JIT approach to getting on the water – the race officer started the first race before anyone had left the jetty but fortunately he was persuaded to tack another start on the end of the sequence. Earlier alarm calls for everyone next week…
Patrick’s perspicacity showed through in race 1 where he and David Culpan took line honours despite some heavy partying the night before, followed by Charles and Alan and then the Scroggies who were giving a brand new mast its first outing. The second race was tighter all round with place changing between the two Parkstone boats in 1st/ 2nd and between Apthorp and Wright in 3rd/ 4th. It was all fairly close with some helpful rules revision at the windward mark on a couple occasions until Graham and Charles pulled away in their respective duels in the last reach
Chat in the bar this weekend was about how useful the Winter-Warm-Up is for boat speed tuning without the distractions if wave and harbour. We’re expecting Simon Kneller Dave Lucas and Richard Lovering/ Matt Alvarado to join in shortly to take advantage and all others are welcome to cons and tune up before the Mercedes Open on 8th/ 9th March
Don’t forget the alarm call next Sunday!
2013 Roll of Honour….!!
Image
Club Championship – FFers beaten only on Countback….!!
Fabulous day at Datchet today – 30-31 degrees, bright blue sky and enough breeze for fun!!
FFers, John Hanson and Helen Seldon put in a tremendous performance to tie at 3 points with Andrew Wilson, (another FF owner but sailing his RS today). Sadly for John and Helen, Andrew was awarded the day on count back!!
2013 Spring Series – Congratulations to Richard & Howard, Emma & Russ and Trevor & Mike…!!
Roger has continued his excellent scorekeeping and here, hot off the press, are the results from the Spring Series:
- Richard Jones/Howard Shawyer – Palmer Trophy and Club trophy
- Mervyn Wright/Sophie Singleton – Club trophy
- Mark Firth/Toby Sparkes – Club Trophy
Best Silver: Trevor Sparrow/Mike Clapp – Keene Cup
Best Performance Improvement Rating: Emma Bunting/Russell Griffiths – Ridgeway Consulting Trophy
I’ll let you know when the trophies will be awarded after I have found out when the stars are next around
Also attached is an update to the ‘FF Roll of Honour’ – click here
All the best
Mervyn
Race Report – Sunday 26th May….
With four Datchet boats competing at the Hayling Bulwark, our numbers were down today – four teams on the slip….. in bright sunshine and a force 3 – lovely !!!
There was a bit of a pin end bias on the line, and Howard/Richard popped out of the line of the gun down there. No matter though – the beats were so shifty that Mark and Toby made the top mark first, followed closely by Howard/Richard, then Matt and Andrew. It was all pretty close, with Matt/Andrew closing in on the other two all the time.
Matt and Andrew tended to favour the left side of the beats, and Mark/Toby the right. Come the final beat, Howard/Richard went up the middle and nabbed the top mark first. The top reach was pretty tight for spinnakering – 4011 made it a two sail reach for the most of it and pulled away slightly from the other two. At the gun, it was pretty close but Howard/Richard got it from Mark/Toby then Matt and Andrew.
Race two saw a bit more breeze and Matt/Andrew did a pin end flyer and just crossed ahead of Howard/Richard and Mark/Toby. However, by the pin it was Howard/Richard out front by quite a handsome margin and were never really challenged. On the final leg, Mark/Toby fell into the doldrums and finished a full two minutes behind Howard and Richard.
It was ALL in the beats!!
National Rankings….!!
Sunday Racing, 12th May…
Numbers were depleted due to the Inlands – two teams there, minimum. The weather at Datchet though was sparkling!! Champagne sailing!!!
We had five boats on the slip including Hugh McNulty sailing in the Loan Boat… Race one got away smartly… Mark and Toby just shot away and were never seen again!! First by miles!! Second Howard and Richard, third Dom and David. Gaps all big, but nice sailing anyway !!
The breeze started to build for race two – and that was a sparkler!! We had long fizzing planing reaches in this race – totally super, it was. The fleet was much closer together this time – Howard and Richard leading out of the gate at the pin….Splitting tacks up the first beat, Dominic and David led the way at the top mark, followed by Howard and Richard , Trevor and Mike in third. This race managed to get pretty close on a number of occasions. On the final beat Howard and Richard nipped past Dominic and David – and then started a great spinnaker chase in some pretty interesting gusts. At the line though, Howard and Richard took it by around 20 seconds, Dominic and David second, Trevor and Mike third.
Sunday 5th May – Match Racing at Datchet… !!!
Match racing at Datchet
Bank holiday and light airs brought the smallest possible turnout for a race, with the big news being the arrival of a new face Hugo MacNulty and 2 long lost friends – Andrew Fairley and Andrew Lawson. Roger rigged his boat as well (for the first time this year). Mervyn and Hugo benefitted from going out early to practice because everybody else was put off by the dropping wind and only the Andrews launched (after the first race had started) resulting in a straightforward 1-2. The second race was far more fun with 2 boats starting at the same time! The wind bend up near the wall was instrumental in allowing Mervyn and Hugo to build a bit of a lead at the first mark but the Andrews clawed most of this back on the second beat and the boats were close for the rest of the race with Mervyn and Hugo just getting the gun.
It’s great to know that there will be 3 additional boats starting at Datchet over the next few months (with Hugo planning to take up one of the loan boats) and Roger’s return (well almost) to the water.
I’m off to Chew next week but hope to see you the week after
Mervyn
Welcome to The Datchet Flying Fifteens 