Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

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Race Report

Wetsuit Outlet Pico Series

Summer Races1&2

Once again, huge thanks to Peter Thompson for his sponsorship of yet another Pico Series. Peter’s enthusiasm for increasing Cadet and Family membership at TBYC and getting as many people as possible on the water, enjoying sailing, is legendary. The sight on the water at the start of the first race of the Summer Series proved excellent vindication of all his generosity and dedication to the club as 26 Picos and 49 Cadets and adult family members vied for the best position from which to attack the first beat.

The spirit of this series was evident from the crowd that gathered at the top of the slip for the pre-race briefing; experience ranging from National Champions and sailors with 20+ years of competitive sailing behind them (sailing with less experienced sailors to encourage and coach them), to complete novices to racing, some with only a couple of hours in a boat! Particular thanks to Chris Clarke (ex club Sailing Secretary), whom I caught walking through the dinghy park before racing, on his way home having decided not to sail that day. It took hardly any persuading on my part for him to drive home, get his sailing gear and offer to take one of our newest members, Jourdan Swindon, out on the water to coach him through his first experience of sailing at TBYC. The smile on Jourdan’s face at the end of each race was exactly what the club is surely all about and payment indeed for Chris’s generosity (particularly as he had to endure being lapped by Alex Farrall, who often sails with Chris as his crew on the RS200!!).

The first race got off to a clean start with some of the regular leaders finding the sheer numbers on the line a little difficult to cope with and by the first mark, several were still buried in the pack with a lot to do. Laura and Adele did magnificently in their first ever race and despite early setbacks and a couple of swims, persevered (in a tide that turned over an hour before high tide!) to sail unaided back to the slip between races with grins still in place and the desire to get back out and do it again! Well done girls, keep it up and with that attitude, you will soon be sailing up the fleet!

I was delighted that no-one was disqualified for missing the gate on the upwind leg, everyone having taken heed of my briefing where I mentioned the rule on several occasions (so a huge ‘sorry’ to Peter, my helm, who had to shout at me to remind me of my own briefing!). There was a treat in store for our valiant race officers as the final beat played out like an Americas Cup match-race, between Vicky and Tina Little and Thomas and Tracy Metcalf, with helms covering every tack and jostling for line-honours, which were eventually snatched by the Metcalf’s in a nail-biting finish.

The start of the second race was like watching an open meeting (less infringements and no-one OCS, or over the line, though). It was one of the best starts in a Pico Series (or club race) I have ever seen and even Wes, on the rescue boat, was impressed and he knows a thing or two about one-design starts, being a regular contender at Laser open meetings…

Anyway Peter found himself (and his apparently heavy crew) closing on the front-runners and at one point in second place, with the wind becoming more fickle, there were huge gains (and losses) to be made in a race where the tide played a significant role!

The amount of learning that goes on in these conditions is phenomenal and when surrounded by so many other identical boats, good decisions and bad, are shown up immediately as are techniques and concentration! A win for Alex Farrell and Max Duce was thoroughly deserved after they calmly survived a nervy 5 minutes at the windward mark with the rest of the fleet closing on them as they did pirouettes in their own vacuum! Having let us get within touching distance, they re-connected the di-lithium crystal and promptly disappeared over the horizon!

Thanks to Shaun Christian for lending us his family’s Pico. We had ‘bagged’ a club Pico, but when a new member arrived to sail, I knew they should take precedence, so without Shaun’s generosity and trust, we wouldn’t have got on the water. Remember folks…the Club Pico’s are designed for Sail Training and encouraging new members, (who may have ordered a boat, but not yet have it in the dinghy park). As such, please do get down early and ‘bagsy’ a club Pico if you want to use one, but remember that you may be asked to share it with a new member if deemed appropriate by one of the Cadet Team.

Finally, thanks to the Race Officers; Linda, Lisa, Debbie and Jane (and Bev, who had offered her services before the race). Without these volunteers none of us could race so if you are not involved in racing yourself and fancy helping out (it is a great way to watch the racing and learn about how racing actually works), let one of them know on a Thursday night and they will be happy to get you involved – it really isn’t rocket science!!

See you all at the top of the slip on Saturday…

Rupert Snow

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