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Sharing your capsize photos - part 5

by Francis, Jenkins, Stockton, Willars & Henshall 6 May 2020 10:18 PDT
A wild weekend for the Ospreys in Poole © Mike Millard

Episode five of our capsize celebration begins with Kevin Francis giving us the story behind the amusing photo above.

I have cribbed this from the 2012 classes pages of Yachts & Yachting as I remember this event as our first in the Osprey class - very memorable.

The photo is of 1290 'Swiftwun' helmed by Martin Cooney and crewed by Peter Frith. The event was at Poole YC in 2012 and was a very windy affair, Martin and Peter had just rounded the windward mark and were bearing off onto a reach when a squall came through and resulted in a sudden change in the centre of effort... mainly that of Peter disappearing over the bow.

Peter is made of stern stuff, and the team recovered to win the event.

Alan Jenkins took the next photo, which not only includes a well-timed shot of the helmsman clinging on, but the wonderful juxtaposition of a passer-by totally oblivious to the drama.

Taken on the marine lake at West Kirby, the photo shows Dr Rupert, who had moved from Larks to a Solo as his crew/wife was having a baby.

I think he should have timed the birth better!

Next up is one of those 'game over' photos which doesn't always include a capsize, from David Stockton. You may need to look closely...

I've never had a Go Pro in the boat before or since, but here is Paul Birbeck and I at Wimbleball training the boom a little too much.

Nicola Willars recalls buying a Scorpion in 2015 and going out on a windy day - this is what happened.

Why was the spinnaker was flying so well even when the boat was on its side? A good crew always has their eye on the curl!

David Henshall, a dinghy historian who often contributes to this website, has a large library of photos. This shot is more modern than his usual black & white vintage pictures, but has a great caption which we liked.

"Who left a mooring buoy there?"

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