Bembridge Sailing Club Early May Bank Holiday Keelboat Racing
by Mike Samuelson 2 May 2023 20:16 AEST
29 April - 1 May 2023
Traditionally the early May Bank Holiday heralds the start of the Redwing season and provides a long weekend of racing for the One-Designs who began there summer season at Easter. This year was no different.
Although with two long weekends back to back and early tides, there were only six Redwings wetting their keels for the first time, it was good to see eight One-Designs venturing out of the harbour early on Saturday morning.
A start line was laid just south of the fort with JJ as a windward mark and Nainby as a leeward mark. The Redwings made an excellent start, with Mike Toogood in Tara inches from the line, but it was Colin Samuelson in Toucan who led away from the favoured committee boat end. Colin was never headed over the two rounds and was followed home by Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet, Mike Toogood, Crispin Kenyon in Blue Jay, Robin Ebsworth in Quintessence and Bella Janson in Gannet.
As forecast, the wind veered during race one, so race two's course was from an adjusted start line to Fitz, then back to Footprint, followed by a beat to the finish at Under Tyne. Most boats headed inshore on port tack, but Richard Jessel (now helming Blue Jay) stayed further out. This paid off to give him the lead at Fitz, but Colin was again on form and led by the end of the run. Joe's mast was raked well forward and this seemed to work to put him snapping at Colin's heels at Footprint. Colin led to the finish, followed by Joe, Richard, Mike, Robin (just half a length back) and Jim CC now helming Gannet.
The eight One Designs were set the same course as the Redwings and most stayed on starboard after their start, with D Orange in No 9 and Roy Burrows in No 2 tacking away on port. Neither side if the course held much advantage so the fleet was still closely bunched behind William Bland helming No 11 at the windward mark. The spinnakers set by D and No 1 helmed by Rob Mathieson proved a mixed blessing, with No 1 clearly having difficulties at the leeward mark! The race was shortened to one round, with William being followed by Sarah Marshall in No 7, Jos Coad in No 8, Roy Burrows in No 2, D in no 9, Susie Beart in no 5, John Suffield in No 4 and Rob in No 1.
In their second race they again followed the same course as the Redwings, in what had become a lovely sunny morning. William again led the way, as spinnaker flying remained "work in progress" on the run! Indeed No 9 retired to do a bit more work on their technique. William took the winning gun, again followed by Sarah. Next were No 8 now helmed by Helen Mathieson, John, Roy, Syd now helming No 5 and Simon Allocca helming No 1.
A steady 10kt easterly and watery sunshine greeted the six Redwings that turned out for Sunday's racing. The possibility of the misty visibility worsening dictated an inshore windward/leeward course of two rounds from a start laid near Under Tyne up to Tara, with Nainby as the leeward mark. After the hotly contested start they all headed inshore out of the tide, with Colin Samuelson in Toucan narrowly leading at the end of the beat. Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet was second round, followed by Mike Toogood in Tara, Richard Jessel in Blue Jay, Robin Ebsworth in Quintessance, and James Conybeare-Cross in Gannet. Progress was on the slow side, so the second round was reduced to Under Tyne followed by Footprint. Colin and Joe increased their lead on the others, and took first and second. In a tight battle behind Mike, who was third, Richard finished fourth, Robin fifth, and Jim sixth.
With the first race overrunning a bit, a shorter course up to Under Tyne and down to Nainby, followed by a quick UT to Footprint round was set. Once again Colin quickly found the front and could not be caught, despite Joe breaking tacks on the second beat and Colin coolly not covering. These two were first and second again, followed by Mike, Robin, Richard, and Jim.
Five One-Designs came to their start and were given the same course as the Redwings. The fleet was tightly bunched at Tara but that didn't last long, as when Mark Grz in No 9 got their spinnaker untwisted they pulled away and established a clear lead at the leeward mark over David Hague in No 5, Roy Burrows in No 2, Sarah Marshall in No 7 and Charles Evans helming No 8. The race was shortened to just one round, with Mark winning from David, Roy, and Charles. Unfortunately Sarah mis-read the course, and was behind the rest by the time she finished.
No 9 One-Design showing how to do it!
Race two over the same course as the Redwings followed much the same pattern. No 9 used their spinnaker to great effect to lead after the first run, and in fact chose not to set it on the second run; the point had rather been proved by then! Sarah was second, David third, Jos helming No8 fourth, and Roy fifth.
Monday morning saw the fifth and final race for both classes. With everyone wanting to get back into the harbour after racing before the tide made things difficult and with everyone ready to go, the Redwings started 10 minutes early. Colin Samuelson in Toucan made the best start and rounding Garland ahead of the other four Redwings looked as if it was going to be it five wins out of five.
Start of Monday's Redwing race
However, having rounded Moreton in second, Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet II stayed out (and Colin went in) and by the time they crossed half way back to Garland Joe was comfortably ahead of Toucan. Robin Ebsworth in Quintessence was initially third but dropped back on the beat in from Moreton and was overtaken by Mike Toogood in Tara. Although always in fifth, Jim Connybeare-Cross in Gannet was never too far behind.
Meanwhile nine One-Designs also had started well ahead of their programmed time. Although the majority made a good start, a couple were a bit slow to cross the line. Almost immediately the fleet split tacks.
Start of Monday's One-Design race
After a beat to Garland with the fleet split on both sides of the course, the front group were all pretty close as they rounded Garland; on the run to Fitzwilliam, D Orange in No 9 and Simon Allocca in No 1 both deployed their trial spinnakers, albeit it with mixed success. Alexander Ross in No 8 rounded Fitzwilliam just ahead of John Suffield in No 4 after an interesting call for water against D in No 9. The beat back to Garland was close for the top half of the fleet and rounding at the same time as the Redwings (and some Scows from BHYC) made for some interesting seamanship! The next loop back to Fitzwilliam and a final beat to Pepe saw a number of place changes and as the front two, No 8 and No 4 closed on the finish line, it was anybodies guess who was going to cross the line first. In the event it was Alexander in No 8 who finished a few seconds ahead of John in No 4. Susie Beart in No 5 was third. Mid fleet there was only a second separating D in No 9 and Sarah Marshall in No 7.
With four wins and a second, Toucan obviously won the Quail Trophy; and the Woodroffe Bowl was won by No 8 after Alexander's win today.
Normal racing on Saturday & Sunday next weekend, and a 'all classes' race on Monday afternoon to celebrate the Coronation.