Sailing Club News – Thursday 10-Sep-20
The first weekend of our Phase 3 Return to Sailing seemed to go very well indeed.
Day 1 of the powerboat training was apparently successful with the ‘pupils’ experimenting wearing a perspex visor when sharing a RIB.
Sunday had the largest booked numbers of any day so far, but the Club swallowed them all up without it appearing crowded or unsafe. More details of the trophy races sailed that day appear further down.
Whilst we are aware of the new government rules which appeared yesterday, and like so many we will be trying to understand how it may impact on what we are doing, this weekend we are hoping to trial allowing a very limited number to eat food in the main club room.
The General Committee have agreed to extend the period of not charging for use of the Club boats. However, they do ask that those who are willing to pay for using them please contact Rosie Bowers – membership@chewvalleysailing.org.uk
Rosie can painlessly remove the proffered fee – the expense of maintaining and renewing the boats has not gone away!
AGM – Wednesday 14-Oct-20
Plans are already well in hand for our AGM next month.
This will be organised using a Zoom platform we think, so make a date in your diaries and wait for further details. Whatever you do, do not miss out on the fun.
Mercury Macklin Age Trophies and Melvin & Watts Trophies
Last Sunday was challenging for everyone involved. There was a prestigious fishing competition going on with fishing boats effectively covering the middle of the lake – they talk about cars as prizes! There appeared to be nowhere on the lake a boat could sail without infringing the 25m rule from fishing boats. Undeterred, Race Officers – the entire Cooke family! – set forth on the committee boat and prayed to the wind Gods for a steady breeze. Julian, you have to pray much harder! The wind varied from mild hike, to nothing, to mild hike, to nothing and then I’ll come from a different direction! It was not an easy day but Julian (and team) got in two races – amazing! Perhaps the most interesting thing was the age demographic in entries. The numbers increased in proportion to the ages which I fear is true at all sailing clubs. Anna Mason was the only one in the 18-34 years category. Anna – don’t ever get any older!
The rather flukey conditions produced a predictable Solo fleet benefit… I would have been praising that ‘young thruster’ Chris Goldhawk for winning both races until I saw the age category he reckoned he was! Edit change to ‘that wily old veteran’, Chris Goldhawk….!
The prizes will be awarded after the Anniversary Pursuit Race on Sunday so if your name appears….
Watts Trophy (under 17 sailing double hander)
No entries
Melvin Trophy ( under 17 sailing a single hander)
1st Ed Baker – Laser Radial (10th o/all)
2nd Ollie Wilcox – Laser radial (28th o/all)
<18 – 34 years (1 competitor)
1st Anna Mason – Laser radial (32nd o/all)
35 – 44 years ( 6 competitors)
1st Steve Penfold – Solo (2nd o/all)
2nd Paul & Peter Smalley – Mirror (6th o/all)
3rd Charles Clapham – RS Aero 7 (8th o/all)
45 – 54 years ( 9 competitors)
1st Damian Gardner – Solo (9th o/all)
2nd Chris Sandison & Rosie – RS 200 (16th o/all)
3rd Tim Johnson – Devoti D1 (18th o/all)
55 – 64 years (12 competitors)
1st Chris Goldhawk – Solo (1st o/all)
2nd Chris Meredith – Solo (3rd o/all)
3rd Gary Molton – Solo (11th o/all)
4th John Ellis – Solo (13th o/all)
65 +years (10 competitors)
1st Dave Oakey – Solo (4th o/all)
2nd John & Harry Smalley – Mirror (5th o/all)
3rd Nigel carson – Laser (7th o/all)
4th Dave Bennett & Lisa Clements – Scorpion (15th o/all)
Anniversary Trophy – Sunday 13-Sep-20
This Sunday we are planning to race for the Anniversary Trophy.
Race Officers, Mark and Helen Dinwoodie will run a Pursuit Race using 70% Chew PY numbers. There will be a briefing around 10.30 with a plan to start at 11.00.
Hopefully we will have a socially distanced prizegiving when the fun ends covering this race and last week’s Age Trophies.
A good breeze may see a reversal of fortunes and different classes at the top end….
If the above has inspired you to consider a light wind handicap bandit boat, we have the answer –
Solo Fleet Demo Boat
If coronavirus has got you thinking about your sailing options, you may be interested to know that the Solo class demo boat will be spending a few weeks at Chew from the middle of October.
The Solo is an extremely popular singlehanded dinghy with great racing both at Chew and on the class circuit. It is ideally suited to sailing at Chew offering close tactical racing, good light wind performance and a comfy sitting position! There are over 20 Solos at the club with a strong turnout every weekend, an annual open meeting and class training freely available. The club racing goes from strength to strength, demonstrated by Chew boats dominating the Western Area series last year and having the top female competitor at the Nationals for the last two years.
If you would like to try out this super little boat and see for yourself what the appeal is then please get in touch with class captain Toby Peacock (toby.peacock@icloud.com) to book a go in the demo boat.
Solos offer a freedom of choice over the builder and sailmaker, allowing for a degree of customisation. The demo boat is a Winder hull with Superspars rig and Hyde sail, a very fast combination that will allow you to compete right at the front of the fleet.
Adult RYA Training – Level 3(Better Sailing) Course
Cathy Bartram and Dave Orme have asked me to publicise their proposed Level 3 RYA Dinghy Course.
We can work within the current RYA guidelines and the club’s return to sailing arrangements to offer an RYA Level 3(Better Sailing) course to members aged 17+ over the weekends 10/11-Oct-20 and 17/18-Oct-20. In ideal conditions the course can be completed in 2 days so we may not need the 4 scheduled – we are just allowing flex for weather.
The course is for sailors whose sailing skills are at the standard of RYA Level 2(Basic Skills). The aim of the course is to provide further coaching to consolidate Level 1 and 2 skills and provide taster sessions from the advanced modules. At the end of the course sailors will be more confident in sailing skills and techniques, and ready to progress onto the advanced modules. More details can be found here:
We are limiting the course to a maximum of 6 students. We can accept bookings from single-handed sailors or helms and crews of double-handed dinghies who are either from the same household or are happy to crew a dinghy together – unlike on our usual beginners’ courses, we will not be allocating helms/crews to dinghies. Students can either sail their own boats or, having secured a place, book the use of a club dinghy through the club’s current arrangements for weekend sailing sessions.
Places on the course can be booked through Webcollect after 01-Sep-20. The cost of the course is £100.
Radio Sailing
This seems to have boiled down to a match race series between John Shimell and I over the last two weeks. Our regular attenders are due back now the holiday season is over.
We are hoping that the numbers increase as the sailing weather cools! A Dragonflite 95 with radio kit costs approx. £340. The fun is endless – what can be better than beating John Shimell in a ‘fair’ race! I can wholeheartedly recommend it!!
So good to see Chew Crew back in action
Chew Crew again
It must be autumn – students!
The Solo Association demo boat
John Spellman’s DF95
The Green Bins
Please OODs, if you want to avoid a visit from the anonymous ‘Bin Man’, empty the Bins! Now I understand you may be attracted by his svelte figure, but I can assure you he is in the 55-64 age category….!
Road Trailers
This will be the final nag for this news. Please, if you have to leave a trailer of combi base at the Club, can it be kept under your dinghy, preferably with a hitch lock of some sort? The pictures show two ‘tidy’ trailers and the result of leaving them lying around.
We hope to see you making the most of the nice autumn sailing days. Keep watching for the sailing booking emails!
John Smalley – vice-commodore@chewvalleysailing.co.uk
Now who is hiding in the green bin….?
Not what is wanted!
Tidy Trailers!