Open Day

A huge thank you to the all the members that helped out on Saturday at the Open Day!

It was a great success and could not have been done without your assistance, form cutting the grass through to car parking and no-stop sailing.  I also want to thank our newer members for getting involved and being ambassadors for our club.

All the feedback I heard was really positive and it just goes to show what great venue we have and what wonderful club we are.

Sailing Update

Wednesday sailing saw 18 boats on the water for the evening race. It is wonderful to see so many boats out regularly which goes to show the strength that our club enjoys.

Taking advantage of the southerly breeze a number of long beats were set to challenge the fleet, this helped the faster boats make a break, but the long downwind legs allowed the fleet to close up once again.

Matt F in his K1 did manage to break away and raced for the line, but Matt S was never far behind and despite being pipped over the line by Chris & Stella managed to get take second on Portsmouth Yardstick, but a well-deserved first place on Personal Handicap.

On Sunday there weather could not have been any more different from Saturday’s open day. A strong and gusty southerly breeze, with occasional showers, greeted the sailors.

Despite the conditions 12 boats took part in the Triangle race, many of whom ended up going for a swim on their way round.  Having battled his way to the front of the fleet, an unfortunate capsize on the final leg of the course saw Dan loosing 4 places as he righted his boat. Freddie, showing his experience for such conditions, raced his small Terra side by side with the big boats and easily took the win on handicap, forcing Stella into second.

Huge thanks must go to Safety – Andrew, and ODs Ed and Tim, for managing the race safely and encouraging the guys around the course.

The wind remained strong as the main fleet racing got underway on Sunday afternoon. 19 boats took on the challenge – but not all of them survived! At the start on the Pursuit race Nigel had the lake to himself, unfortunately he decided to sail a different course to the rest of the fleet and upon realising headed for shore.

George, normally a force to be reckoned with in these conditions, took a swim on a downwind leg and got his mast stuck in the mud losing him valuable time as he tried to right his boat. Steve & Jackie risked the spinnaker, but following a gusty gybe ended up capsizing and giving Dan & me the chance to get past.

As the clocked ticked down Tom was in the lead, but had only just managed to sneak past Abi who held the rest of the fleet, with more experienced sailors, behind her to claim an exceptional second place in such conditions.

The second race got underway in similar conditions. The occasional capsize separated out the fleet and soon Tom and George, determined to make up for his earlier swim, were battling for position on the water.

This race saw Rob capsize quite spectacularly while trying a gutsy manoeuvre on Matt, only to end up swimming and allowing the fleet to sail past.

Tom and George raced to the finish, with Matt chasing from behind. Tom took line honours, but George took the win, and even more impressive took the win on Personal Handicap by over 4 minutes. The youth of our club are going to be a force in the future.

FINAL CALL FOR EARLY BIRD PRICING

Get your money behind the bar for the Regatta Supper otherwise you’ll miss the Early Bird Pricing.

Sails to bikes

Andrew and Phil are giving up the dinghy for a few weeks and taking up the saddle. They will be cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats as a personal challenge and a way to spend the summer off the water.

No doubt you’ll be able to follow them on Facebook and I will keep you updated when I can.

Good luck and keep safe. 

What’s happening…

The club relies on volunteers to give up their personal time and help the success of the club. Whilst we as members need to ensure we contribute, we must always respect those officers who do run our races and keep us safe each week. 

Week Beginning 3/6/19

5/6/19

7.15pm Wednesday Racing – T10

• T Butler (OD)
• C Russell (AOD)
• A Dixey (S)

8.00pm Wednesday Evening Bar

8/6/19

4.30pm Saturday Afternoon Bar

9/6/19

12.00pm Sunday Training Junior & Improvers

Sunday Racing – SPT14/C14/A14

• R Clarke (OD)
• L Murphy (AOD)
• I Hancock (S)

Week Beginning 10/6/19

12/6/19

7.15pm Wednesday Racing – T11

• V Dixey (OD)
• C Burns (AOD)
• A Ewing (S)

8.00pm Wednesday Evening Bar

15/6/19

11.00am Regatta Day 1

7.30pm Regatta Party & Pig Roast

16/6/19

11.00am Regatta Day 2

Dutyman

All Duties are published online, and are also available in the clubhouse.  

Olton Mere has invested in a system called ‘Dutyman’ which is an online tool for managing sailing duties. From here you’ll be able to request a duty swap or volunteer for a duty. Individual log in details are being sent out. 

If you have not received your details, or want to find out more, please speak with one of the sailing committee.