August Short Series 28-30 August

 Phew, the mystery of the disappearing race results has been solved; and it wasn't down to geoff's love of technology....so here goes this week's installment.

The bank Holiday weekend saw 4 races completed in the August bank Holiday short series.  With some crews discombobulated by the large crowds watching them from the De la Warr Pavilion others reveled in the challenging conditions.

Saturday saw a gusty south-westerly breeze cause a flurry of capsizes and a demand on stamina in the back to back races.  In the cat fleet Steve Cole and Richard Tyrie had an impressive win ahead of Nick Stephenson while Jon and Clare Day had gear trouble as well as a swim in the first race but normal service was resumed thereafter as they took the series win ahead of Cole and Tyrie.  Team Hosie secured 3^rd place ahead of Stephenson and K Edwards.

Richard Eagleton had a clean sweep of victories in the slow fleet to win the series with Nicola and Kevin Palmer (RS Feva) combining to push hard for 2^nd place.  Their handling of the spinnaker in the Monday races in a very shifty and gusty northerly breeze was particularly good.  They were followed home by 5 Comets; with Keith Done taking the honours ahead of Barry O’Herlihy, Neil Smith, Carol Peddlesden and Ken Wyatt.

 The Lasers were also out in force and with 2 wins on Saturday Gordon Trimmer sewed up the series ahead of Geoff Slater who took the weekend’s prize for the quickest change into a wetsuit and launch seen at the club for some years.  Chris Beadle consolidated on his consistent season with 3^rd place ahead of Colin Coard, Keith Walter, Duncan Feathers and Bob Keech.

 Racing in the fast fleet was very close with some impressive displays throughout the fleet.  Mike Chapman and Tobin Dennis (RS200) battled with Mike Adams and David Stedman (RS400) swapping 1^st and 2^nd places and won on countback with a win in the last race.  Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie led home the next 3 RS400s with Kevin Watts and Bob Palmer close behind.   Colin Coard crewed by Barbara Palmer in the Tasar was fifth overall and the only sailor to claim place sin 2 fleets.  Jim Ingram steered his Hornet to 6^th ahead of Chris and Ed Thompson (Vago).  Alan and Rosie Turner (RS200) failed to find their usual form but but edged out Paul Suggitt and Nick Mather for the wooden spoon. 

 Crews packed away under the gaze of a very busy seafront as the summer series fade away to be replaced by the first autumn series next weekend.  

 22 August Regatta

 Apologies for some lack of detail but I think there may have been a problem publishing the results so I have had to use the time sheets for this week's report.

The capricious weather gave the experienced race team a headache at Bexhill Sailing Club this weekend faced with the dilemma of having to cancel Saturday’s racing and needing to complete 3 races for the Club Regatta.

 In a burst of innovation Commodore Geoff Furlong posted 3 back to back races on Sunday morning which proved an excellent test of both the sailors’ stamina and concentration.

 Twenty six crews took to the water to join the challenge.  The early rain and light winds made the first race a bit pedestrian but the wind filled in from the south west and conditions improved slightly.

 Richard Eagleton (Europe) dominated the slow fleet with the Europes of Tobin Dennis and Sarah Pullen mounting a good challenge.    The Comet contingent were well represented with Neil Smith, Barry O’Herlihy and Carol Peddlesten enjoying close racing with the Miracle of Bea Tramaseur and Peter Goodman the only 2 handed slow boat also in contention.

A large cat fleet saw some close racing with Jon and Clare Day coming under pressure from Malcolm Brookes and Barry Wells.  There were also strong showings from Neil Hosie, Tony Lane, Nick Redman, Steve Cole, Geoff Padgham and K Edwards.

The fast fleet saw the RS400s out in force with some very close racing.  Jim Ingram and Joe Turner showed some early flashes of brilliance but were unable to sustain these through all the races as they were reined in by Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen.   Paul Suggitt and Nick Mather had a close competition with Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie  while the Nicky Stevens and Roy had one too many capsizes for comfort. Sail Training Principal Gordon Trimmer was effortlessly consistent in all 3 races in the Laser with Jim Copeman and Simon Hookie putting in consistent lap times in the Albacore.  Mike Chapman with Wendy Morton (RS200) also showed his usual poise over the 3 races.

 All agreed the race team had made a good call despite the challenge of 3 back to back races to ensure the regatta was completed.  The only disappointment was the computer being as fickle as the wind in producing the overall results which still need to be finalized.  Full details can be found on the club website.

Sea Week and 14 August

 A flurry of activity on the beach marked the end of a very successful Sea Week at Bexhill Sailing Club.  A squall of almost tropical proportions saw the various large family groups and their associated gazebos and other encampments rapidly disassembled as the sailors disappeared from view in the torrential rain.  Commodore Geoff Furlong had no hesitation in doing the seamanlike thing and abandoning the race to the frustration of at least one crew who thought they were winning as the others headed back to shore.

 This marked the culmination of a good week’s sailing with good breezes, large fleets, great social events and the hosting the Sussex Police Sailing Federation regatta for good measure.  It was particularly good to see so many of this years and last year’s sailing school graduates on the water enjoying use of the club boats and having fun.  The usual mixture of swapping boats and sailing with different crews saw the results much more mixed than usual and for most secondary to just enjoying themselves.

 Saturday saw everyone back with their race faces on for the Saturday series.  One of the longest tides of the year coupled with a dropping wind meant conditions were particularly challenging.    The large fast fleet split early with some heading inshore out of the tide with others going further out in search of breeze.  The inshore route paid dividends with Tony Witham and Mandy Neale (RS200) using all their experience to stay ahead of Clare and Jon Day (Albacore).  The RS400 fleet saw Paul Suggitt and Nick Mather just edge out Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie despite Bill’s attempt at streamlining by taping up his boots.  Phil Coekin (RS200) had a good result staying ahead of Bea Frost and Peter Goodman (Albacore).  Nicky Stevens and Roy (RS400) continued to edge up the learning curve with their boat while Alan Osman did well to get the heavier Laser 2000 around the course.

 In the slow fleet Sarah Pullen showed all her guile to dominate the fleet in her Europe leaving the Comets of Neil Smith and Barry O’Herlihy in her wake and even Bob and Nicola Palmer were unable to chase her down in the Miracle.  Wendy Morton (Comet) was the only other boat to complete 2 laps with Sue Batten (Topaz) and Jeremy Bear (Comet) completing the finishers.

 The strong and gusty northerly winds on Sunday meant the sailing school regatta had to be postponed to the disappointment of many but it couldn’t detract from a great week’s sailing.  Full details of all events can be found on the club website.

21- 25 July

 With the brisk westerly winds continuing to blow sailors at Bexhill Sailing Club are revelling in the conditions.

 Wednesday night saw a small but keen turnout that had a fair share of adventures and 5 boats not making it the finish.

 In the slow fleet Tobin Dennis regained early season form to beat rival Sarah Pullen in the other Europe while in the fast fleet Mike Adams had to make mid race running repairs in best Blue Peter style with an old drinks bottle to fix a broken tiller extension to see him and crew Jim Ingram first home.  Colin Coard (Laser) pushed hard in 2^nd place ahead of Alan and Rosie Turner (RS200) and Duncan Feathers (Laser).

 In the cat fleet Danny Hosie made the mistake of listening to insistent crew Nick Newell that it was a triangular course and led almost everyone the wrong way; the exception being Jon and Clare Day who don’t like triangular courses anyway and went the right way around the P shaped course.  The excuse from the rest of the fleet that the windward bouy was difficult to see in the choppy conditions did little to hide vary shades of embarrassment. Tony Lane and Trevor Davis corrected themselves quickest to take 2^nd from Hosie and Newell, Keith Walter and Geoff Padgham and Mark Cowling and Tim Murray who selflessly admitted their mistake and were docked a lap.

 Sunday dawned still and looking like a gentle sail for all concerned.  The Witham Race Team set an excellent course and 25 boats took to the water.  The wind then continued to fill to a solid force 4 seeing a few retreat to shore early.   In the slow fleet Roadway in the Topper showed youthful enthusiasm coupled with talent is a potent mixture taking the win ahead of  Barry O’Herlihey, Keith Done and Jeremy Bear all in Comets.

 Four Lasers had a close tussle with Duncan Feathers just seeing off Alastair Thomson and Rob Harrison with less than 30 seconds between Bexhill’s equivalent of the 3 Musketeers.  M Early completed the fleet in 4^th.

 The start line for the fast fleet resembled a destruction derby as Turners tipped in right on the line and bunching at the pin end of the line saw several port and starboard incidents with Trevor Harris (Phantom) taking a swim as the L2000 with Alan Baldwin , Sue Batten and Lucinda weaved amongst the debris.  As the wind continued to build and a short step chop built up it was a wet and exciting ride around the course.  Adams and Ingram lapped everyone but Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie (RS400) to win with the Turners recovering for 2^nd place.  Bea Frost and Peter Goodman led home the Albacores in 3^rd place with Geoff Furlong and Clare Lambert 6^th.  For the second week running Jim Copeman and Simon Hookie (Albacore) had a great sail but disappeared in mysterious circumstances from the published results.  Even Colin Coard and Lesley Elliot (Tasar) capsized at the gybe mark.

 Malcolm Brookes and Barry Wells led the cat fleet home despite landing on top of  the gybe mark at one point; apparently to slow themselves down but others remained unconvinced.  They were followed by Flo Wright, Tony Lane and Lynn Jarvis and Steve Cole.  Another good weeks sailing; for full details see the club website.

18 July

 The high wind specialists were out in force at the weekend at Bexhill Sailing Club.  A race team of unusual wisdom and experience cast aside their disappointment at not getting on the water by providing a very popular triangular course over which most crews revelled in the fast reaches and difficult upwind beat.

 With Saturday’s racing called off crews were eager to hit the water.  Gordon Trimmer and Andrew Thompson did sail on Saturday and even managed to get the RS200 airbourne off one wave.  In the slow fleet Bob Palmer and Wendy Morton led the way from Sarah Pullen’s Europe and Neil Smith’s Comet.  Alan Baldwin and Sue Batten (Miracle) took another step along the learning curve with a good finish.

 The cat fleet suffered what looked like collective nervousness at the start when they all hung back and crossed the starting line in a close bunch but 30 seconds after the starting flag was hoisted.  They settled into some fast and furious racing with some spectacular hull flying and a big capsize from Flo Wright.   Malcolm Brookes and Barry Wells (Dart18) lead home by over 5 minutes on the water as they hit all the right angles and were at full speed for the whole race.  Jon and Clare Day took 2^nd place leading the Dart 16s and 16Xs home.  Neil Hosie and Nick Newell edged out Ben Watts by just 7 seconds as a combination of experience and bulk saw them exploit the gusts better than the single-handed Watts.  Jeremy Maynard and Nick Redman sailed around the floundering Wright for 5^th place while Angus Radford and Sue Howell hung on, literally, to take 7^th.

 In the fast fleet Dan Hollands just returned from the B14 European Championships teamed up with Andrew Thompson in the V3000 and dominated the race lapping everyone but Lucy Walters and Jim Ingram in the Hornet and finishing over 12 minutes ahead of  Colin Coard (Laser Radial).  The other Laser Radials of Duncan Feathers and Chris Beadle had a great race with Chris and Ed Thompson (Laser Vago) 3^rd and Walters and Ingram 4^th on handicap.         

 Tired but exhilarated crews put their boats away with fresh memories of a great days racing and hoping Sea Week in August brings more of the same.  Full details can be found on the club website.

7-11 July

 An action packed week at Bexhill sailing club kicked off with the less reserved crews whooping and hollering with delight as they flew downwind in near perfect conditions for the Wednesday evening series.

 Despite a wayward cat running interference on the start line the fast fleet got away for close racing with Alan and Rosie Turner (RS200) seeing off a determined Geoff Furlong and Jim Ingram (Hornet).  Chris Beadle (Laser ) took 3^rd  with Mike Adams giving emergency crew Aidan Harvey sewing lessons after they sailed over their kite.  Harvey celebrated his new skills with a backflip on dry land while trying to refit his mast.  Becky and Pippa Barrie kept ahead of the other RS200 of team Robinson who managed a good save at the gybe mark when a capsize looked inevitable.

 In the slows Richard Eagleton (Europe) saw off the challenge from Neil Smith (Comet) and Anne Marie Mears and Keith Done’s Toppers.  Tobin Dennis had an unusual mid week dip in form in his Europe.

 Jeremy Maynard and Nick Redman showed steely determination to hold onto the Days in the cat fleet but couldn’t sustain the pace for the whole race as Neil and Danny Hosie closed in on them as well.  In the newcomers fleet Pope and Clift secured a good win.

 Saturday saw the club embark on a cruise to Pevensey Bay despite some patchy fog and the long beat upwind was rewarded with a drink and a fast ride back downwind for the Saturday night social.

 Sunday saw more fantastic conditions in glorious sunshine and a force3 westerly breeze as visitors from across the south east joined the clubs Lasers and Comets for an open meeting.  Four perfectly run races saw the club sailors just beaten by the visitors with Ben Slater the top Bexhill Laser ahead of dad Geoff.  Colin Coard was behind them with Duncan Feathers, Chris Beadle, Ian Sprigings and Geoff Padgham all enjoying the extra competition.

 In the Comets Neil Smith was the best placed home boat ahead of Brian O’Herlihy and Keith Done.  All agreed it was a great if tiring days sailing.

 The Cadets also did the club proud again this week with 7 boats competing in the Youth Federation Event at Newhaven.  Full details can be found on the club website.

3 July

With Sunday’s forecast looking very windy 35 five boats were tempted onto the water at Bexhill Sailing Club on Saturday as the pull of sunshine and a good sea breeze looked irresistible.   Experienced race officer Gordon Trimmer set an ‘old school’ P shaped course in an effort to make the most of the conditions.

The slow handicap fleet put on an impressive display with Richard Eagleton (Europe) stamping his authority on the fleet taking line and race honours from Bob and Nicola Palmer (Miracle) and the Europe of Tobin Dennis.  Stephanie Spriggings  (Byte C2) completed the group finishing 4 laps in under an hour.  Behind them the Comets of Carol Peddlesden and Ken Wyatt enjoyed close racing with Keith Done and Kevin Palmer in the Toppers while the steadily increasing breeze saw early finishes for Caroline Maynard and the other Comets of Jeremy Bear and Pippa Cole.

Six cats enjoyed the breeze with Malcolm Brookes taking line honours with Flo Wright just edging out the 16X of Neil Hosie.  Tony Lane was close behind with Lesley Corke in 6^th.  Jon and Clare Day took the win overall with another measured sail.

A good Laser fleet was dominated by Chris Beadle who opened up a lap advantage over his nearest rivals in a display of hitherto unseen seamanship.  The remaining boats could only watch in awe as they raced amongst themselves with Angus Radford taking 2^nd from Phil Mears 3^rd followed by Geoff Padgham and Steve North.   Chris Thompson and Richard Tyrie decided on cakes and tea.

In the fast fleet the tight reaches of the P course enabled the Albacores of Bea Frost and Peter Goodman and Jim Copeman and Simon Hookie to take 1^st and 3^rd spots as the asymmetrics couldn’t take full advantage of their gennikers.  Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen led home the RS400s with Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner delighted to finish 5^th two places ahead of arch rivals Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie whose unseemly close encounter with a bouy saw them lose ground.  Dan Hollands and Andy Thompson (B14) took line honours but slipped to 4^th on handicap and enjoyed their post race blast to St Leonards as the wind filled in.

23-27 June

Wall to wall sunshine, if a fitful breeze, helped sailors at Bexhill Sailing Club through the trials and tribulations of a difficult sporting week.

Wednesday evening saw a good fleet of 18 boats on the water and while the cat fleet followed a familiar pattern with Jon and Clare Day leading the way there was a good mix behind them.  Jeremy and Danny Maynard were only seconds behind while Steve Cole and Tony Lane completed the fleet.  Nick Stevens and R Tanner enjoyed a good sail in the novice fleet while in the slows Carol Peddlesden steered her Comet home in 1^st place ahead of the Europe of Tobin Dennis and Comet of Caroline Maynard with a very rare dead heat for 2^nd place.  A trio of Comets were behind them with Pippa Cole, Ken Wyatt and Keith Done at the controls.

In the fast fleet Nick Mather and Paul Suggitt showed increasing comfort with the RS400 to win from Colin Coard and Betty Crosse (Tasar) with Nick Maynard 3^rd to complete an impressive family evening.  Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie kept their RS400 ahead of Aidan Harvey with Keith Walter not getting the Laser Radial going at full speed.

Sunday saw 2 races squeezed in. In the light morning breeze experience was the key in judging the flooding tide.  Sarah Pullen was impressive in the Europe leading home the Comets of Cole, Wendy Morton and Jeremy Bear.  Pullen repeated the result in the 2^nd race for the Mayoress’s Pennant ahead of Morton while Caroline Maynard and Jim Brookes joined the fray for 3^rd and 5^th places.    The Laser fleet saw Walters take a good win ahead of Earl and in the cats the Days lead home a Brookes family outing and Lesley Corke.

In the fasts Mike Adams and David Stedman (RS400) won both races.  In the first race Eele and Hosie stayed focused as Joe Turner jumped ship to crew for Paul Suggitt to see if what goes on in his RS400 is repeated in other boats and was rewarded with a 3^rd place ahead of Harvey.  Jim Copeman and Simon Hookie took the Albacore into 5^th place with Alan Baldwin (Supernova) in 6^th.

Geoff Furlong and Clare Lambert made a welcome reappearance in the Albacore for the Mayoress’s Pennant and showed a quick return to form with a 2^nd place ahead of Alan and Rosie Turner (RS200).  Mark Scheldt also had a good race in the cats taking 2^nd place ahead of Nick Redman, Tony Lane and Trevor Davis.  As it turned out they may have preferred to stay on the water longer.

19-20 June

The solstice weekend saw tricky northerly winds put crews through their paces at Bexhill Sailing Club this weekend for the Saturday evening and Sunday morning early worm races.

Saturday saw Sarah Pullen (Europe) lead home the slow handicap fleet from Bob and Nicola Palmer in the Miracle while Keith Done (Topper) and Carol Peddlesden (Comet) head back early to the club house.

Tony Lane had a great win in the cat fleet ahead of Jon and Clare Day while Malcolm Brookes looked out of sorts in 3^rd.  In the fast fleet Dan Hollands had an impressive win following on from competing in the L3000 national championships seeing off Gordon Trimmer (Laser).  Alan and Rosie Turner (RS200) did enough to just see off Colin Coard (Tasar) while Chris Beadle Laser) and Alan Baldwin (Supernova) opted for smaller rigs to help them handle the conditions but lost some speed as a consequence.

Sunday morning saw a small but eager band take to the water as the wind picked up throught eh course of the race.   The Days regained their position at the head of the fleet with Flo Wright a few seconds behind and the Dart 18 of Steve North and Keith Edwards taking the 3^rd slot.

Pullen completed a brace of wins for the weekend in the slow fleet while Chris Thompson (Laser) dominated the fast fleet with Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner (RS400) keen to beat the breakfast queue and heading in early.

More information and full details can be found on the club website.

RS200 SEAS Bexhill-on-Sea  13 June

Beautiful sunshine and a building south-westerly breeze saw 17 boats take to the water at Bexhill Sailing Club for a full series of 4 races in the latest round of the RS200 SEAS.

An impressive series of results including two 1sts saw Hamish Calder and Severina Rees-Jones for the Royal Highland YC claim the winner’s trophy ahead of Andrew and Jeraldine Peters from Queen Mary although they will retain their overall series lead.  Christian Humphrey and Noelle Vidal from Burghfield had a good win in the 2^nd race to take 3^rd place overall.

David and Emma Derby, Bough Beech, had a good win after lunch as the wind steadied and filled. The 4 local boats were led home by Mike Chapman and Alex Porter.  The full results can be found at http://www.bexhillsc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=110

Thanks to the Bexhill race team who ran a very smooth event with great hospitality in the Club House and on the beach

9 -13 June

Another full week of sailing at Bexhill Sailing Club with the first Wednesday evening race of the season followed by a very full weekend when the Club hosted the RS200 fleet Southern Area series.

Unusually for a Wednseday evening the breeze stayed up and crews enjoyed the excellent conditions, none more so than Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen (RS400) who took off like scalded cats and led everyone else home by some margin.  They were followed home by the Lasers of Duncan Feathers and Bob Keech while Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie (RS400) kept their concentration to stay ahead of Aidan Harvey (RS400) and Nick Maynard (Laser).

A classic duel in the slow fleet saw Tobin Dennis less than a minute ahead of Sarah Pullen in the Europes with Ken Wyatt not far behind.  Six cats hit the water with team Hosie giving Jon and Clare Day a run for their money with Mark Scheldt deciding the water was now warm enough to tempt him out. Nick Stevens and R Tanner had a good win in the novice fleet.

Large fleets on Saturday also saw some break through results with Chris Beadle (Laser) winning in the fasts with Harvey and Joe Turner 3^rd behind Eele and Hosie.  There was a good tussle right through the fleet with Phil and Tom Coekin (RS200) just getting the better of Sue batten and Ben Smith (L2000).

A trio of Comets mixed it with Bob and Nicola Palmer (Miracle) in the slow fleet with Carol Peddlesden victorious.  Anne_Marie Mears (Topper) also had a good race ahead of Caroline Maynard in the RS Feva.  In the cats Malcolm Brookes won by 10 seconds from the Days with Flo Wright only another 2 seconds behind in a nail biting finish.  Good to to see Trevor and Terri Davis back on the water and back near the pace.

Sunday saw the RS200 visitors turn on a show while the asymmetric fleet were also put through their paces.  Miller and Bullen were untouchable winning 3 of the 4 races while Eele and Hosie were 2^nd overall after winning the first race.  Both crews were helped by some of the home boats sailing the wrong course proving that older and wiser heads aren’t always that clear first thing on a Sunday morning.  Tony Lane was introduced to the delights of the B14 but found the spinnaker bag took some getting to grips with.

A good weeks racing in great conditions and very well organised by the race teams.  More details can be found on the club website

5-6 June  Club Cup

Another busy weekend for sailors at Bexhill Sailing Club with a good turnout both for the free sailing on Friday night and the club races on Saturday.

Saturday saw two races with the Club Cup and Saturday evening race.  A huge fleet of 46 boats took to the water for the club cup in glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze.  Race Officer Geoff Longmire had his work cut out with the large fleets and there was an excellent turn out of cadets after their week’s sailing and last year’s sailing school students.  Several crews had their first outings of the year as flaming June tempted them on to the water for what they hope will be a good summer.

Those with the energy left then competed in the evening race.  The slows saw the Miracle of E Terry lead home the Fevas of Jonathan Corke and Beth Harris and J Tirie.  Neil Hosie won the depleted cat race finding himself the only entrant.

In the fasts Mike Chapman (RS200) took 1^st ahead of Tony Witham and Mandy Neal (RS200) while Nick Mather and Paul Suggit showed increasing mastery of the RS400 to stay a few yards ahead of Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie (RS400).  Phil Coekin put his RS200 through its paces for 5^th place ahead of Lucy Harrison and Keith Harrison both in Laser Radials and Sue Batten in the Laser 2000.

Sunday saw crews departing for Pevensey Sailing Club to compete against other local clubs; with an early sea fret giving way to increasing breeze during the day and more challenging conditions which saw numerous capsizes.  Andy Thompson and Lucy Walters had a great win in the medium handicap fleet with Mike Chapman 3^rd while Jon and Clare Day won the cat fleet.  Bexhill finshed 3^rd overall with a good all-round performance and are looking forward to hosting next years event.

Next week sees Bexhill hosting an open meeting for RS boats and asymmetrics, full details can be found on the club website.

Whit Sun Short Series

The Whitsun Short series lived up its name at Bexhill Sailing Club over the Bank Holiday weekend as only 2 of the scheduled 5 races could be completed.

Sunday saw only a few hardy crews taking to the water with a big swell running and gusty conditions.  Only 3 boats managed to stay the course with Chris and Ed Thompson (Vago) claming the win in the fast fleet and Rob Harrison getting the better of Jim Ingram in the Lasers.  None of the catamaran fleet completed the course with Tony Lane and Trevor Davies managing to turn turtle while Neil Hosie and Nick Newell had a spectacular pitch pole capsize which saw them in need of a flying permit.

Monday was less windy although the wind was shifting dramatically from the north.  Tobin Dennis (Europe) showed he had lost none of his natural talent despite not being on the water for some time to win the series ahead a Wendy Morton (Comet).  Bea Frost and Peter Goodman (Miracle) took line honours but only had the one race to count for the overall score and held 3^rd place.  There were also good showings from Ken Wyatt (Comet), Keith Done in the Topper and Sue Batten in the Topaz.

In the cat fleet Flo Wright took line honours but Neil Hosie had regrouped and with the added agility provided by son Danny took the series win.  Newell thought better of repeating his flying doctor exploits and steered himself to 3^rd place overall.

The Lasers put on a good display with Harrison untouchable with another 1^st place and the series win ahead of Duncan Feathers and Geoff Slater.  Bob Keech and Angus Radford enjoyed a good sail finishing 5^th and 6^th respectively.

In the fast fleet Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie (RS400) put the disappointment of having victory snatched from their grasp last week to win the series ahead of Mike Chapman and Tom Coekin (RS200).  Despite finding an elusive streak of form Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen (RS400) were just pipped for 3^rd place and followed home closely by Jim Copeman and Simon Hookie  who were very satisfied with their performance in the Albacore.  Jim Ingram and Aidan Harvey (RS400) found the shifting winds moving quicker than their normally nimble feet would allow as an involuntary tack caught them out and they finished 6^th.  There were other good performances in the conditions from Alan Baldwin in the Supernova, M Stevens in the Laser 2000 and Phil Coekin coming to grips with the RS200.

Next week sees Cadet Fun Week with sailing and events every day while the weekend sees all the local clubs competing against each other at Pevensey Sailing Club.  Full details can be found on the Club website.

21-22 May Saturday Evening and Early Worm

Sailors made the most of the fantastic weekend weather at Bexhill Sailing Club although a bit more wind might have come in handy on Sunday.

A big turnout on Saturday evening saw close racing.  In the slow fleet Bea Frost and Peter Goodman led home the other Miracle of Bob and Nicola Palmer by just over 1 minute while Neil Smith had an excellent 3^rd place in the Comet.  Kevin Palmer kept Danny Maynard at bay in the Toppers while Beth Harris and J Tiry kept the other Feva of P and O Coekin behind them.

In the fast handicap RS400 fleet a rare capsize by Mike Adams and Dave Steadman allowed Bill Eele and  Daphne Hosie to take the lead ahead of Kevin Watts sailing with Paul Suggitt.  Positions changed constantly throughout the race and by the last mark Eele led Watts ahead of a chasing Adams, in the last 50 metres the positions changed to see the experience of Adams take the finish ahead of Watts and finally Eele with just 8 seconds separating the three. Despite this closest of finishes on the water it did not prevent the RS200 of Tony Witham and Mandy Neal taking 1^st place on handicap.  Aiden Harvey and Joe Turner (RS400) claimed 6^th place in their own inimitable style.  In the cats the trio of boats were well spread out with Jon and Clare Day ahead of Neil Hosie with Geoff Padgham and Sue Howell languishing at the rear.

Sunday saw the sleep deprived back on the water for the Early Worm race although the fleets were smaller, perhaps due to the attraction of the Lions Triathlon. The catamarans made the biggest show. John & Clare Day (Dart 16 Genniker) took advantage of the favourable conditions to sail across to Pevensey Bay for next weekend’s multihull open meeting having notched up another win at Bexhill for good measure but they were pushed hard by both R Stuart (Dart 18) and Steve Cole(Dart 16).

Other sailors combined forces to ensure competitive racing despite the low turnout. Chris Beadle abandoned ship from his Laser to crew the much large RS400 of Aiden Harvey who battled it out with Keith Walters Laser.

The Bank Holiday weekend sees a full programme of races.

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15-16 May

Small fleets and a heavy rate of attrition at Bexhill Sailing Club this weekend as strong winds and tides made conditions very challenging.  The weekend started with all the club boats out on the water on Friday night as the club put on a taster sail which was enjoyed by everyone in very gentle conditions.

Enthusiasm was high on Saturday as 25 crews signed on to race but only 10 made it all the way to the finish.  With the wind against tide, steep short waves built up and made for exciting if eventful racing with most boats capsizing at least once and some several more times than that.  In the cat fleet Jon and Clare Day’s experience saw them claim another first ahead of Malcolm Brookes and Flo Wright while Team Nick, Redman and Newell, took the unusual course of sailing up the wrong beach when their genniker jammed at the leeward mark.  Ian Duncan and Paul Mathews showed good speed but ended up joining Ben Watts in the did not finish, DNF, team.

Six of the slow fleet were rigged and ready to go but only Bob and Nicola Palmer (Miracle) and Sarah Pullen (Europe) got on the water.  In the fast fleet Colin Coard and Chris Beadle opted for the smaller Laser Radial sails to good effect claiming 1^st and 2^nd places with Chris and Ed Thompson (Vago) looking very comfortable in the conditions in 3^rd.  Mike Chapman and S Griffiths (RS200) sailing together for the first time took 4^th ahead of a determined if slightly battered Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie (RS400).  These 5 left a trail of dejected RS400s and Lasers to limp ashore early to the relief of the safety boat crews.

Sunday saw crews rigging eagerly in what looked perfect conditions but as boats were taken to the water’s edge the wind picked up considerably and after the experiences the day before all but the most determined decided discretion was the better option and retired to the balcony to offer helpful advice to those afloat.  The Laser fleet saw Rob Harrison back to winning ways ahead of Duncan Feathers and Jim Ingram.  The cats were best suited to the conditions and Flo Wright looked relaxed as he took pole position ahead of Neil Hosie and Geoff Padgham.  In the fast fleet Alan and Rosie Turner even had time after winning to put on a display of downwind expertise in front of the club house as they took the win ahead of the other RS200 of Chapman and Harris, the only other finisher.

Next weekend sees Saturday evening and Early Worm races as a fitting backdrop for the Bexhill Triathlon.  The Club will also be offering taster sails on Sunday morning, so if you fancy going afloat call into the Club House with some spare clothes you don’t mind getting wet.

8-9 May

A series of firsts this weekend at Bexhill Sailing Club; the first Saturday evening and Sunday early worm races and the first race of the summer series although you would never have known it from the woolly hats and dry suits on display.

Despite the chill north-easterly breeze there were good turn outs for all races with some close racing.  Saturday saw 20 boats on the water.  In the slow fleet Richard Eagleton (Europe) led home in impressive style from Bob and Nicola Palmer (Miracle) and Kevin Palmer (Topper).  Danny Maynard (Topper) chased Neil Smith (Comet) hard but couldn’t get close enough on handicap.

In the cat fleet Jon and Clare Day stamped their authority on the fleet leading home Jeremy Maynard and Nick Newell who kept a few seconds ahead of Neil Hosie and Nick Redman with Mark Cowling and Lesley Corke securing 4^th place.  In the fast fleet Mike Chapman (RS200) edged ahead of Mike Adams and David Stedman (RS400) while the other RS200 v RS400 battle saw Tony Witham and Mandy Neal ahead of Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie.

The insomniacs in the club gathered early on Sunday morning in bracing conditions only to be berated by race officer Robin Harris who was keen to get things underway on time which saw a few hurried launches as the start sequence ticked down firmly to schedule.  Butch Roberts and Tim Murray (L4000) took line honours in the fast fleet by over 6 minutes with some impressive downwind speed but the Lasers of Colin Coard and Mike Adams beat them on handicap despite a rare capsize from Adams.  Kevin Watts and Bob Palmer and Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner had an epic tussle around the course in the RS400s until a lapse in concentration saw Harvey overstand the last tack for the finish line to let Watts and Palmer through by just 10 seconds.  J Tomlin (Laser) completed the fleet and enjoyed a couple of refreshing swims along the way.

The 4 cats saw the Days take another win ahead of Malcolm Brookes and Flo Wright with Simon North challenging in 4^th place.

After a well earned breakfast the summer series got underway with 23 boats on the water.  Eagleton took another victory in the slow fleet but was pushed by the Comets of Neil Smith and Barry O’Herlihy with Smith coming out in front.  Danny Maynard showed impressive early season form for 4^th place while Alan Baldwin and Sue Batten (Miracle) were unsettled by some of the windshifts.

Seven cats took to the water with some reshuffling of the pack behind the Days.  Flo Wright saw off Steve Cole this week as he kept the mast above the boat following last weeks excitement while the trapezoid course didn’t suit Malcolm Brookes and Barry Wells.  Colin Coard led home the laser fleet ahead of Jim Ingram and Bob Keech.

The fast fleet saw close racing with Nick Mather and Paul Suggitt making an impressive debut in the RS400 to finish 4^th just behind the RS200s of Witham and Neal and Alan and Rosie Turner.  Adams took 1^st place with the benefit of some energetic crewing from Andy Bullen.  Eele and Hosie kept ahead of Watts and Palmer in the other RS400s despite a late swim with Jim Copeman and Simon Hookey bringing the Albacore home in 7^th place.

May Short Series

The sailing at Bexhill Sailing Club was as variable as the weather over the bank holiday weekend with over 20 boats taking part in the 5 race short series.   Crews reflected on Monday afternoon on an eventful series with some wounds to lick, boats to fix but close and exciting racing with new teams challenging the old order.

Saturday saw the best racing of the weekend in a brisk southwesterly breeze and sunshine.  Lucy Walters and Andy Thompson (V3000) won the series despite an inauspicious start when Lucy was left on the beach and Thompson demonstrated great boat handling skills to sail back single-handed and collect her.   They were followed home by Colin Coard (Laser) who reveled in the conditions to pin Mike Adams and David Stedman (RS400) in an unaccustomed 3^rd place.   Kevin Watts and Bob Palmer took 4^th place overall and were one of the few crews to complete all 5 races, no mean achievement as they managed to split their spinnaker in two on Monday in the very challenging conditions which saw gusts up to force 6 and big windshifts in the tricky northerly as it blew down Sea Road.   Alan Baldwin (Supernova) had a stunning series finishing 5^th and putting into practice the skills he learnt on the Start Racing Course.  Paul Suggett (RS200) and Nick Mather were unable to capitalize on winning the Asymmetric Series while Jim Copeman and Simon Hookey (Albacore) enjoyed conditions despite breaking a rudder to take 7^th place.  Sunday’s racing in the pouring rain and light wind put many people off but Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner (RS400) enjoyed a good 4^th place as the weather proved a contrast to their sunny disposition.  Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen (RS400) couldn’t find their normal level of form over the weekend and struggled in 12^th place behind Bill Eele and Trevor Harris (RS400).  Chris Beadle (Laser) was another to suffer gear failure with a broken mast as most of the fleet capsized at least once on Monday.

In the slow fleet Stephanie Sprigings (Byte) and Barry O’Herlihy (Comet) swapped 1^st and 2^nd place with Sprigings winning on countback.  The cat fleet saw a great series win for Tony Lane and Trevor Davis with their two wins getting the better of Ian Sprigings and Nick Redman despite have a spectacular pitch pole capsize on Monday.  The svelte looking Dart 15 of K Edwards held off Neil Hosie and Nick Newell while Geoff Padgham took Laser sailor Angus Radford for an exciting ride to take 6^th place.   Steve Cole and Dan Holland had an eventful race as they saw the mast fold in two during a big gust.

Next weekend sees the first Saturday evening and Early Worm races of the year.  Full details on the club website at http://www.bexhillsc.co.uk/

Spring Trial Series 25 April

There was a veritable potpourri of sailing activity at Bexhill Sailing Club last weekend with all tastes catered for both on and off the water.

Friday evening saw the first of this seasons free sailing sessions designed to take advantage of the high tide and give everyone the chance to hone their skills or just enjoy mucking around in boats without the complications of racing.  Saturday saw the start of training for those wanting to refresh or improve on existing skills which they took into racing on Sunday.

Sunday saw 30 boats taking to the water as the sun came through and the wind filled in perfectly from the west to a good force 3.  The slow handicap fleet were first away with Bea Frost and Peter Goodman (Miracle) making a good starboard tack start inshore to lead 5 Comets from start to finish.  Ken Wyatt showed complete mastery of his craft to lead the Comets ahead of Keith Done, Jeremy Bear and Wendy Morton while Pippa Cole and Sarah Pullen (Europe) came ashore early.

The 6 catamarans enjoyed close racing over 7 laps with Jon and Clare Day (Dart 16X) regaining their imperious form despite some close quarter encounters to win ahead of Tony Lane and Lyn Jarvis. Meanwhile Malcolm Brookes decided he wanted company this week and took experienced crew Barry Wells for a spin on the Dart 18 for 3^rd place.  They were followed home by Neil Hosie and Steve Cole.

The fast fleet was dominated by a rejuvenated looking Trevor Harris in the Phantom who saw off the challenges from Geoff Slater and Chris Beadle in the Lasers and Alan Baldwin (Supernova) who won the prize for the best launch of the day.

The asymmetric fleet was buzzing with anticipation before the start as the first trial windward leeward series was coming to a conclusion and rivalry was intense in an understated sort of way.  Four RS400s finished in close formation with Bill Eele and Daphne Hosie displaying awesome tactical wizardry to spot the favoured left side of the course to lead home Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen who slipped past Kevin Watts much to crew Tina’s incredulity when he failed to cover them on the last lap. Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner had a stunning sail as concentration took over from chatting to see them only 30 seconds behind. In the excitement however the RS200s of Alan and Rosie Turner and Paul Suggitt and Nick Mather finished 1^st and 2^nd on handicap.  Suggitt and Mather also executing one of the quickest capsize recoveries seen for some time as the wind increased.  In a close struggle for line honours Lucy Walters and Andy Thompson (B14) just piped Butch Roberts and Tim Murray (L4000) by 8 seconds as the whole fleet finished within a few minutes of each other and voted the trial series a great success.  Full details of this week’s social events and sailing can be found on the web site at http://www.bexhillsc.co.uk/

17-18 April

The beautiful spring weather saw over 20 boats on the water on both Saturday and Sunday at Bexhill Sailing Club last weekend.  With the volcanic dust removed from the boat covers the slow, fast, catamaran and asymmetric fleets enjoyed a perfect combination of sun and wind on Saturday.  Rob Shoesmith (Laser) built on last week’s performance to win in the fasts ahead of Colin Coard and Betty Crosse (Tasar) with J Radway a good 3^rd in the Laser 2000.

In the slow fleet Wendy Morton squeezed the very best from her boat to see off the challenge from the other Comet of Neil Smith with Richard Hall close behind in the Miracle. The strong cat fleet set an emerging pattern for the weekend where rig settings and fine adjustments played a major role.  Malcolm Brookes (Dart 18) had a mighty tussle with Team Nick, (Redman and Newell, Dart 16), to pip them by 2 seconds with Flo Wright (Dart 16)  only another 20 seconds behind.  Tony Lane and Lynn Jarvis had a great race to stay ahead of Jon and Clare Day who didn’t manage to get in the groove while Steve Cole and Trevor Davis took the remaining places.

In the asymmetric fleet fast and fun was in order with Mike Chapman giving cadet Tom Coekin (RS200) an 8 lap introduction to the fleet and winning ways ahead of an impressive Chris and Ed Thompson (Vago).  They were followed by the trio of RS400s with Bill Eele leading home this week ahead of Kevin and Tina Watts and Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner who looked like they were making a breakthrough to the next level of boat handling.  Jeremy Maynard and Sally Clarke (RS200) managed the most launches and recoveries of the weekend as various rigging problems saw them in and out of the beach 6 times.

Sunday’s sunshine tempted out another large fleet but the wind didn’t play ball and the strong tide saw many crews failing to finish in the first Charity race of the season; this one for Sailability.   In the cat fleet the Days had regained mastery of their boat and dominated the opposition, Flo Wright, who got the wrong side of the tide.  Lane and Davis were unable to finish.  In the slows Smith had a good win ahead of Sarah Pullen (Europe) and Morton while the Comets of Keith Done and Jeremy Bear joined the Miracle of Bea Frost and Topper of Lesley Corke in deciding tea and scones were the better option to drifting.

Chapman again took the honours in the fasts this time piloting cadet Danny Maynard to victory despite a determined but unsuccessful challenge from Gordon Trimmer (Laser). Lucie Barrie (RS200) showed good early season pace to stay ahead of the other RS200 of Alan and Rosie Turner and Duncan Feathers (Laser).  An unprecedented 5 boats gave up the unequal struggle in the fasts as the fleet resembled parked planes on the runway.

With the windward leeward trial series for the asymmetric fleet reaching a conclusion next week  and the forecast of some breeze great things are anticipated next weekend.  Full details can be found on the club website.

 

13-14 March Ice Bucket and Spring Series

Eager crews assembled on the beach at Bexhill Sailing Club for the start of the new sailing season.  With wetsuits a little tighter and hair a bit greyer a wily group of experienced old salts took to the water on Saturday for the aptly named Ice Bucket.

In testing light wind conditions experience and patience were needed in equal measure.  In the fast fleet normal service was quickly re-established with Mike Adams and David Stedman  (RS400) taking the win ahead of Gordon Trimmer (Laser).  Dusty Miller and Andy Bullen  had a close tussle with the other RS400 of Kevin Watts and Bob Palmer with Colin Coard (Laser) struggling to regain last season’s form.  Lucy Walters and Andy Thompson (V3000) couldn’t find enough wind to be competitive with Pete Wilby (Vortex) deciding an early warm shower was the better option.

In the slow fleet Richard Eagleton (Europe) was untouchable and had an impressive win over Neil Smith (Comet) and Keith Done (Topper).  The cat fleet looks set for a great season with some boat changes and some secret winter training.  Jon and Clare Day (Dart16X) looked very much at home ahead of Steve and Pippa Cole (Dart 16 Genniker) and Lesley Corke and Mike Cowling (Dart 16).

Sunday dawned much brighter and with a good west to north westerly breeze.   14 boats were tempted out while others tinkered on the beach or indulged in balcony sailing. On the water the Days once again dominated the cat fleet ahead of Trevor Davis, team Cole and Corke and Cowling.  In the fasts 3 RS400s made an impressive sight with Adams and Stedman enjoying the fresh breeze to see off a good challenge from Watts and Palmer while an animated Aidan Harvey and Joe Turner could be heard discussing the finer points of boat handling.  Walters and Thompson showed good speed but were unable to get ahead of Coard on handicap.  Tony Cannon showed he has lost none of his relaxed style in the Supernova to beat Wilby and Chris and Ed Thompson (Vago).

Eagleton had another good win in the slow fleet ahead of determined Smith in the Comet.

A great opening to the season with some new race formats and timings to look forward to as well as warmer weather.  Next week sees 2 races and the fitting out supper.  See the club website for more details. http://www.bexhillsc.co.uk/