Due to ever increasing commitments – and a distinct lack of spare time – I have decided to step down as Cadet Representative at the AGM in November. Would anybody interested in taking on this most worthwhile job please contact me (07790 089860). I will be happy to assist in any way I can. The Firework and Christmas Parties will both already be arranged so handover should be easy.

if you had a choice the comfort of the Clubhouse could have been favourite this past weekend.
For the travelling fleets of 29er 49er B14 & Musto Skiffs their journeys were rewarded with some excellent seat of your pants sailing and the odd swim.

We are very lucky to have the as always true professional of Alan Willis within our club who as Race Officer did an excellent job in very testing offshore windy, cold, wet conditions controlling the race course and the motley crew that assisted him including the one man comedy act of Nigel Payn on hooter, Ann Mckinlay on gossip, Alix Dell, Sally Willis and Lisa Farrell on their last and future shopping trips. How Alan survived i am not sure as there was also a lack of the traditional smoked salmon and champagne…
With 52 boats there were a fair few fallers at the gybe keeping all the guard boats very busy.
Many thanks to the club members who supported with their own ribs on this occasion and many others to give the necessary cover.

Steve Hopper
Martyn Eyre
Ollie Herve
Burrage Boys

club ribs,
team Clarke,
team Boygle,

back in the clubhouse Tony Padbury on results, in the Kitchen Jo slaved away from the early hours on breakfasts through to the evening Hog Roast and all this on her Birthday!

Club members sailing in the event put on an impressive display, in the 49ers David Hopper taking 1st with Colin and Amanda Goodman 2nd both outstanding with Colin showing why he is in my opinion the best helmsman in our club.

Dan Henderson in his Musto Skiff finished a very credible 3rd ahead of the current national champion, Dan who is still underweight against the competition in the windy stuff even overcame a bad hair day following an impressive off in front of applauding committee boat and guard boat spectators.

thanks again to all who gave up their weekends to support this event,

Peter

there will be a breakfast race with an 8 o’clock start for the hardy amongst you.

The kitchen will be open when you get back in for breakfast.

happy sailing

Any chance someone could swap guardboat duty with me for this coming sunday (26th September)? Cheers, Alan Clarke 07816 515197 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              07816 515197      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Many thanks to Howard Hawkes for abandoning his lead over the sprint fleet in order to rescue a cadet who had been whacked on the head by his boom and quite obviously could not get back on his boat this Sunday, top marks Howard.

Congratulations to Peter Thompson & Steve Hopper who for the third year in a row are the national champions.
SANDHOPPER CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010

The 2010 Sandhopper National Championships opened with an unforgiving 25 mph South Westerly but 29 boats signed the declaration sheet and battle commenced. Amongst the contestants were two new craft, “Hairloss” or Aeolus, is this a passing reference to the man at the sharp end & the innovative & controversial Tripod. Race 1 saw previous champion Chris Clarke with Dan Henderson taking the lead with current champions Sand Star & Bluejacket keeping her company, this order prevailed throughout the two rounds giving Chris & Dan a well deserved first. This race went without incident but plenty was to follow in the next. The wind increased slightly in Race 2 testing the crews and with Race Officer Geoff Appleton achieving a speedy turn-around Race 2 quickly got underway, this time Sand Star took an early lead with Martyn Eyre/Paul Spratt in Aeolus chasing her & Paul Clarke/Toby Speller in third place, yet again, with 2 lap races giving boats little time to impose themselves on the leaders, this turned out to be the finishing order. This race saw the three retirements, one of which was Phil Crawford whose spinnaker disappeared beneath the keel necessitating the cutting of his halyard & an early bath. The rigours of the economic downturn played a part in the following incident; Dave Johnson looking to fill his order book collided with April Fool, a nice touch David, passing your card to Ian Stobart as you parted company!
The third race saw the emergence of a pattern with Sand Star & the two new boats together with Bluejacket, a proven fast boat, establishing a dominating presence at the front of the fleet. Peter Thompson & Steve Hopper (159) led throughout followed by Bluejacket, Tripod & Aeolus with this being the finishing order.
Sunday brought lighter winds & some sun with the newer boats continuing to lead the fleet, which had increased to 32 Sandhoppers, the highest ever turnout for the Championships. Robin Foster-Taylor’s Tripod jumped into an enormous lead which they held to the finishing line. Chris Clarke in Sand Storm threatened to upset the dominance of the newer boats but dropped back to 4th, with Bluejacket 2nd & Sand Star 3rd. Race 5 started with one eye on the clock as the previous race had endured two general recalls & the schedule had fallen somewhat adrift. Sand Star fought back from 4th at the end of the 1st round to take the gun & the Championship, Aeolus was 2nd & Martyn Binnendijk & Gordon Sanders in Squiffy posted a 3rd their best performance & Chris Clarke another 4th.
The weekend’s sailing was thoroughly enjoyed by all contestants & further enhanced by a well attended dinner on Saturday night with Maylandsea members joining us.
1st Sand Star 159 Peter Thompson & Steve Hopper
2nd Bluejacket 154 Mark Dell & Nic Barnes
3rd Aeolus 161 Martyn Eyre & Paul Spratt
4th Tripod 162 Robin Foster-Taylor & Charles Devenport
Tony Padbury

I had forgotten about these but uploaded now and you can find them here.

Robin

We need a Race Officer for this Saturday 18th
September. Start time at 08.00

If you can do this, please leave a reply on this
site or email me [email protected]

Great event everyone!

Sam Husk took lots of pictures from the committee boat yesterday and you will find them all here. I’ve added the prizegiving pictures too.

Robin

RS400 – 1036