Vane 36R Topham Cup 2024 at Fleetwood Model Yacht Club
by Tony Wilson 25 Mar 19:19 AEDT
16 March 2024
Blue Bullet - Vane 36R Topham Cup at Fleetwood © Ton Wilson
With a crosswind of about 10MPH, we had six skippers for the first Vane boat event of the year, the small 36ers. Olly had joined us for the day, to see what all the excitement was about, but for some not quite as straightforward as one would believe. Olly is a Master of other RC classes and even big man sailing boats, so should be fine.
Saturday Peter Whiteside had given Olly a brief introductory day with a prepared second boat, although the wind was more favourable and straight down the lake... Easy enough?
Cards all made out early Sunday morning and it was 2 points out and 3 for the return. Vane gear seemed to be fixed for most, with the sails let out for a broad reach down and a tighter reach back up as the wind was swirling around the clubhouse and filtered in from somewhere over the road.
Derek was soon enough setting the standard and hardly dropping a point, although also made a brief visit now and then like the rest, to the forbidden roadside bank of still waters.Once, if trapped along this wall, you struggled as usual to get away and occasionally came back fully across to the opposite side, with swirls from everywhere.
Peter Guest commented that it was a bit of a dark art, this Vane sailing, but Olly thought it was more of a lottery. Well it was today, although the skilled seasoned skippers had the extra edge and know how.
By heat 3 and running a little late, the odd spot of rain was felt. Derek "I'm not sailing if I get wet" agreed with the rest of us to carry on without a dinner break just in case it developed into a good drenching.
Without any re-sails we managed to stay dry. All of us had a good day without any breakages and remained on the big rig before the wind started to get up.
Peter Guest seemed to have a slightly smaller sail throughout, but not disadvantaged in any way and somehow once tracked nicely along that no wind bank back to the top.
Wizzy and Peter W. had a good day, equalling points and the odd pirouette, while Tony didn't fare too well, although being the only one to have sailed direct along the centre line of the lake for the day, although not good if he peaks too soon.
Olly enjoyed something of a different style of sailing a yacht, without a tiller or radio in his hand and enjoyed the challenge even in those difficult conditions. We hope to see more of him with his big stick for the other classes of Vane carrying boats in the very near future.
Results:
1 Derek Priestly, 21 points
2= Peter Whiteside, 15 points
2= Keith Wiseman, 15 points
3 Peter Guest, 10 points
4 Olly Murray, 9 points
5 Tony Wilson, 5 points