A warm and mainly sunny day for the final outing of the Spring series. The wind forecast was not promising suggesting a variable F2 from somewhere North-ish.

Eleven crews made ready for what was going to be a challenging first race. The race team set a windward leeward course with the light wind mainly from the NNW. However, just before the start the wind started to shift, sometimes North, sometimes NNE and occasionally back to NNW.

Getting ready to race

The first beat proved to be a game of snakes and ladders with several areas of little to no wind. Dave & John rolled a double six and led around the windward mark closely followed by Richard & Nathan, aka Team Custard. This was to be the start of a race long tussle with Dave & John finishing two seconds ahead. Simon & Bruce, aka Team Beckett (RS400) and D-One Nick followed just behind engaged in their own battle with Team Beckett just finishing in front. Behind them a four way battle between  D-One Adrian, Europe Steve and the Vareos of Keith and Richard with Keith first to cross the line just ahead of the rest.

Guess the wind direction !

Race two and thankfully the wind had by now just about settled from the NNE. The tide had changed and now ebbing and the race team had reset the course.  Two 400‘s led at the windward mark but very closely following by Europe Steve and Vareo Richard. Abbi, sailing the 700 took the lead on the downwind leg opening up a good gap by the finish.

Start time

Saving the best till last, the wind remaining relatively steady (in comparison to previous conditions) and a F2-3. Dave & John opened up a good lead by the finish over two minutes ahead of the next boat. Team Custard and Team Beckett were neck and neck on the final downwind led with the latter crossing the line first.

Team Beckett lead on the downwind leg

On corrected time, race one podium places were filled with asymmetrics with Dave & John first, Richard & Nathan second and D-One Nick third. Europe Steve and Vareo Richard were rewarded for their near perfect first beat in race two claiming first and second with Dave & John third. It was a RS400 1,2,3 in the final race with Dave & John first, Simon and Bruce second and Richard & Nathan third.

So Top Guns for the day were Dave & John with two race wins.  

Congratulations to Team Custard, Richard, Rosie and Nathan, overall Spring series winners. Runners up were with Steve & Izzy in the National 12.

Thanks to the race team for what turned out to be a challenging day for them……and those sailing!

Full results http://www.gygsc.org.uk/Results/2026/2026Spring.htm

More pictures on the club Flickr site – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gygsc/albums/with/72177720333188767

Todays ‘Top guns’ Dave & John.

After a few days of baking hot weather it was a little chilly at Gorleston despite the wind coming from the south.

There was a short chop on the water making for a challenging sail for those who ventured out.

The race team managed to fit in three races before the light began to fade and were tested on every start with the flood tide pushing boats towards, and sometimes over the line!

With the tide assisting the upwind leg, the beats were quite short. The longer off wind legs proved tricky in the short chop, reducing wave riding opportunities.

Judging the start with the tide doing its best to push you over

Race one, Laser Harry nailed the first lap leading Abbi by a second. On lap two, Abbi edged in front opening up a lead of nearly a minute at the line with Harry well ahead of Steve & Izzy in the N12.

Team Ed, in the 400 led after the first lap in race two with Abbi  a few seconds behind. A little way back the rest of the fleet all rounding the leeward gate within a few seconds of each other. On the final lap Harry sneaked in front of the 400 and almost caught Abbi in the 700.

Abbi led  the final race after the first lap but managed to get caught in irons when rounding the windward mark allowing Steve & Izzy to take the lead which they held to the line.

Lovely sunset to end the evenings sailing

A busy evening, three races, all three lappers with Harry winning the Top Gun award for the evening with two race wins.  Steve & Izzy winning the final race, clearly preferring the light winds.

Thanks to Richard and Michael for tonight’s racing and Chef Brown for supper.

Full results on the club site

http://www.gygsc.org.uk/Results/2026/2026Thursday.htm

More pictures on the club Flickr site – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gygsc/albums/with/72177720333188767

Tonight’s ‘Top Gun’ Harry, with two race wins.

Summer arrived at Costa del Gorleston. It was already warm when people arrived at the club and it got warmer as the day progressed, reaching mid twenties after midday. This also attracted many visitors to the beach but with LW at 09.38 there was plenty of room along the shoreline for the boats.  

Although conditions looked nice, the wind was absent. The race team sensibly postponed for 30 minutes by which time a warm F1-2 had set in from the SE and it was all systems go.

Systems go!

 There was just a hint of flood tide at the start of race one. The fleet were split going up the beat. Dave & John  (RS400) stayed inshore hooking onto a good lift going out to the windward mark rounding just ahead of Richard & Rosie, aka Team Custard. The rest of the fleet were closely packed as they rounded. Downwind Dave & John opted to go inshore whereas Team Custard remained offshore arriving at the leeward gate with a 20 second lead. Steve, sailing solo in his National 12 led the chasing pack, four seconds ahead of Solution Paul followed by Abby, in the 700 and the two Phantoms of Nick and Phil rounding two seconds apart.

Start time

Positions remained virtually unchanged for the next two laps, the two 400’s opened up a large lead earning themselves a fourth lap, with Team Custard taking line honours ahead of Dave & John with Steve managing to hold off the rest of the fleet crossing the line third which. After py adjustment the race order was the same as the finishing order.  

Windward mark action

Race two, a more steady F2 and a bit more tide. After lap one, Team Custard led Dave & John and Abby by six seconds. Phantom Nick led the rest of the pack with the National 12 hot on his heels.

Lap two saw the two 400’s round the leeward gate together with the 700 four seconds behind. Team Custard opting for the pin end and Dave & John the Committee boat end. The National 12 had managed to pass Phantom Nick with Zenith Phil and the Solutions of Paul and Ian just behind.

Leeward gate action

Team Custard opened up a one minute lead on the next lap which they held to the line and taking another race win on corrected time with Dave & John second. N12 Steve held on to his position across the cross to come third.

Race three, similar wind but a little more tide. The 400’s led at the windward mark with the N12 again performing strongly holding third, just ahead of the 700. The 400’s split downwind, Dave & John opting to gybe immediately to go inshore whilst Team Custard and the 700 stayed offshore which proved to be the faster route.  After lap one Phantom Nick headed the closely pack of singlehanders,  rounding the leeward gate one second ahead of the Solutions of Paul and Ian, with Vareo Keith a further three seconds behind.

More windward mark action

After lap two the RS’s had opened up a short lead, again being rewarded with another lap. Team Custard again taking line honours ahead of Dave & John and Abby.  N12 Steve sailed a faultless race finishing a minute ahead of the next boat and staying close enough to the leading boats to take the race win on corrected time with Team Custard second.

More leeward gate action

Unusually, no singlehander boats in any of the podium places, although Steve was sailing the N12 solo. so that may count as a singlehander.  Well done to Team Custard, Richard & Rosie with a 1,1,2  race score and todays Top Gun’s.

Many thanks to the race team of Tom, Adrian and Michael for an excellent course, an enjoyable days sailing and arranging glorious weather.  Also a shout out to Lorna for preparing the hot dogs for lunch which were well received by all.

Full results http://www.gygsc.org.uk/Results/2026/2026Spring.htm

More pictures on the club Flickr site – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gygsc/albums/with/72177720333188767

Todays ‘Top guns’ Richard & Rosie.

It was still chilly enough to dissuade most of the general public from venturing to the beach on Sunday, so we enjoyed another empty beach. The offshore wind was variable in both strength and direction providing challenging conditions for the 10 boats who ventured out

Racing starts

 Race One saw Vareo Keith master the shifts well rounding the windward mark close behind the faster boats. With the wind varying between F1-3 keeping in pressure was the order of the day, although not always easily done. Keith managed to stay in touch with the leading pack to the finish earning a race win with Solution Ian second.

Snakes and ladders up the beat

In race two the three fastest boats opened up a good lead on the fleet with Team Ed in the Spitfire leading across the line with David & John (400) and Abby (700) just behind. On corrected tie Dave & John was first with Steve & Izzy in the National 12 staying close enough to come second.

Battle of the Vareo’s

The wind continued to misbehave for the third race, eventually fading to almost nothing. To the relief of everyone the OOD shortened the race. On corrected time there was just a few seconds between the top three boats, Ian managing the lighter conditions better than most earning him the race win with Vareo Richard second, two seconds ahead of Phil, who had swapped his Contender for his Zenith.

Thanks to the race team for moving the windward mark in order to maintain a decent beat in the shifty conditions. Todays ‘Top gun’ award goes to Ian for a consistent days racing with a 1,2,3 score line.

Full results http://www.gygsc.org.uk/Results/2026/2026Spring.htm

More pictures on the club Flickr site – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gygsc/albums/with/72177720333188767

Todays ‘Top gun’ Ian.

Conditions were looking promising for a good evenings sailing, a good breeze, flat sea and the dark grey clouds had now passed so the sun was making an appearance.

However, there was an unusual challenge to those who wished to sail in the form of a ruddy great crane blocking the road between the Pier Hotel and the Ocean Rooms. We had been advised it should be gone by six, but the emergency stairs being fitted were proving more time consuming to install than expected!

Undeterred, the RIB and dinghies were duly hauled round the other side of the ocean rooms onto the prom. This at least warmed everyone up.

Despite the challenge the race team got racing off almost on time. HW was supposedly around 20.00 but the flood tide was present all evening. The Northerly F2-3 was patchy and shifty and chilly.

By limiting races to two laps the race team were able to squeeze in a third race. Whilst the sun was by now quite low, the fact that we could still see the crane tower up we were hoping that delaying return to shore may see the crane gone by our return.

The delaying tactic played off as on our return to shore the crane was no longer there.

Dave, sailing a club Laser had a good evening posting three bullets, with Steve & Izzy in the National 12 second in each and Vareo Richard third.

Many thanks to the race team for a good evenings sailing and braving the cold at the end of the evening as the sun set.

Full results on the club site

http://www.gygsc.org.uk/Results/2026/2026Thursday.htm

More pictures on the club Flickr site – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gygsc/albums/with/72177720333188767