About an hour prior to race time the weather didn’t seem too enticing as a few regulars discussed the options from the relative comfort of the clubhouse. The general opinion was that the overcast skies, rain and blustery winds didn’t look that tempting. However, the Safety boat appeared on the prom pushed by Ed, the OOD and Phil, the club weather forecaster, which meant we would be going out.
As it turned out by the time we got the dinghies round from the dinghy park and rigged on the prom it had stopped raining, brightened up and the wind settled to a F2 from the south.
Race one saw a group of three pull ahead, Phil & Lorna (RS400), Adrian (D-One) and Dave (Laser). After lap one these three were about a minute ahead of the others who rounded the leeward gate closely bunched. At the line Dave just pipped Phil & Lorna with Adrian third. On corrected time it was a Laser 1,2 with Keith just beating Richard B (Solution) by three seconds.
Adrian leads race two
Adrian led the fleet in race two from start to finish, crossing the line a minute ahead of the next boat, Phil & Lorna. However the Lasers were never too far behind and recorded another 1,2, with Adrian holding on to third.
Phil & Lorna lead race three
Phil & Lorna took the lead in race three and extended it slightly on lap two. Behind a close three way tussle between Dave, Keith and Richard B which obviously improved their performance as it was another Laser 1, 2 with Richard third on corrected time
Time to head ashore
As we sailed ashore the sun emerged which finished of the evening nicely. Many thanks to Ed, the Race Officer for a pleasant evening sailing, which proved you should never judge conditions too early.
Time to hose the boats down
As well as running the racing Ed managed to find time to take a few photos, well not a few but 122 of them which are now on the club Flickr site.
The weather lived up to the official start of summer (Tuesday) as Costa-del-Gorleston basked in sunshine with temperatures in mid 20’s on Thursday. And with the wind a warm F2-3 from the SE, it made for a very pleasant evenings sailing.
The race team ran a short race format allowing three races to be sailed. With high water around 17.30 the first of the ebb tide was present.
Race one start
Richard F, sporting a very impressive bruise following last week’s escapades in the RS300, led the fleet in race one, extending this to nearly two minutes after the second and final lap. Dave (Laser), headed the chasing pack closely followed by Ed, who had opted to try the club Solution. Dave was next to cross the line then a close finish between the next three boats with Ed finishing one second ahead of Chris (Laser) and Darell (Contender) a few seconds later.
Lining up for R2 start
After a very efficient repositioning of the windward mark by the race team, race two got underway. The fleet split up the beat with some opting to go offshore where there appeared to be more wind. Richard F led the fleet at the windward mark, closely followed by a group of three boats, Dave, Ed and Richard B (Solution). With conditions being so nice the race team decided to give us three laps. Richard again took line honours, Dave crossed next followed by Richard B.
Richard leads to the leeward gate
The wind increased a smidgen in race three. Many boats again opted to go offshore with Richard F once again leading at the windward mark. Darell, who had elected to go inshore, picked up a good lift to the mark rounding just behind. Phil, sailing the club Phantom was going well and looking to round the mark third but, having followed advice on sailing the Phantom, had used more kicker, unfortunately on tacking had caught the boom resulting in some unplanned swimming.
Richard rounds the windward mark well ahead
After lap one Richard F had a small lead over the next three boats of Darell, Dave and Ed. On lap two Richard F elected go offshore on the beat, Dave and Ed inshore which proved to be the better route with both passing Richard F and crossing the line in that order.
Oops!
Many thanks for the race team of Richard and Ed for a good evenings sail. Compliments to chef Brown and assistant for the super Lasagne enjoyed by all after the sailing.
After a lovely week of sunshine and temperatures in the mid twenties it was all change for the weekend of the Beach Regatta, with mainly overcast skies and temperatures struggling to reach the mid teens. However, the now northerly wind played ball and provided two days of great sailing.
Getting ready to launch
The wind gradually increased throughout the day ranging from a F2 to F4, occasionally there was a bit of sunshine but that was quite limited. The ebb tide made easy work of the beats and provided long off wind legs, much to the enjoyment by the asymmetric boats.
The asymmetrics enjoying the long off wind legs
The RS400’s usually led the fleet but never quite far enough to hold their handicaps. The Phantoms were always close by with Nick Crickmore in his Vareo keeping close enough to mix it in the results. However, the day’s racing results were dominated by Richard Smith from WOBYC in his Laser Radial, who convincingly won all three races,
Richard just behind the leading boats
The closest racing of the day was between the two Phantoms of visitor Gary Fuller and Club Commodore Nick Favell, with never much of a gap between them, Gary winning in race one. In race two they approached the finish line neck and neck, with Nick just winning. As the wind increased in the final race Nick had the edge to lead over the line.
Phantom battle
Phil Alison got his Contender in gear in race two leading at the windward mark and finishing second over the water behind the RS400 of Dave & John. The increase in wind clearly more suited to both Phil and the Contender as he continued his good form in the third race.
A cheery Phil always has time for photoshoot
Once ashore Chef Brown prepared the wood fired Barbie and delivered a super meal for the many weary sailors. This was followed by a huge selection of cakes kindly prepared by several club members including the club commodore, whose Lemon Drizzle cake proved very popular. Obviously a man of hidden talents.
Sundays forecast of lighter winds wasn’t entirely accurate as it was more or less the same as Saturdays, only with the tide flooding.
Most of the fleet kept inshore on the beats. Judging when to head offshore for the windward mark proved crucial as too early involved an extra beat (or two!) into the strong flood tide.
Anna & Keith with Simon and Steve locked in a close tussle
Two more visitors joined us for the day and with Richard unable to attend, preceded to stamp their authority on the day’s racing. Sharing the top two places in races one and two, Simon Beckett, sailing a Laser Radial taking the first race with Richard Bailey & Ian Curtis, in a Wayfarer the second race.
Race two winners Richard & Ian
Richard & Angus, sailing a RS400 also joined in for the day to provide additional competition for the other RS400’s. In all three races there was little between the three leading boats with Dave & John just heading the pack.
In the final race of the day Simon and Steve, sailing his Europe were neck and neck after the first lap with Simon nudging ahead by the finishing line to take another race win with Steve second.
Race one and three winner Simon
With some only able to sail one day unsurprisingly, overall honours were to go to those who attended both days. Three different classes taking the podium places with club commodore Nick Favell (Phantom) taking top spot, one point ahead of Dave & John (RS400) with Nick Crickmore (RS Vareo) third.
Congratulations to Nick, winner of the Beach Regatta 2022
Many thanks for all who helped organise and assisted in the event, both off and on the water. Two days of splendid sailing and a cracking BBQ in the middle.
Despite the race team being kept busy as there were a few capsizes to deal with, they managed to take several photos which are on the club Flickr site.
Mother Nature provided all the right ingredients for a great evening of sailing for the fourteen boats joining in the fun. Club members were joined by three visitors from WOBYC, with all boats being single handers, with the predominant class being Lasers.
For the first two races there was a warm F3 wind from the SE however, this eased to a F2 half through the third race. With a three, short race format a good start would be key to a good finish position.
Race time
Race one – despite it being low water sometime prior to the start, there was little evidence of any flood tide. The fleet were evenly split up the beat with Club Commodore Nick Favell and visitor Gary Fuller, both sailing Phantoms leading for the entire race with Nick taking line honours. Richard Fryer, sailing his newly refurbished RS300 and now sporting a white hull, was third to cross the line ( I thought purple was suppose to be the fastest 300 colour!). Just behind were the Lasers of Dave Houghton and Simon Beckett with Simon, using a Radial rig taking the race on corrected time, Dave second and Nick third.
Race two
Race two – with the first signs of the flood tide most of the fleet ventured offshore up the beat. Four boats pulled away from the fleet with the two Phantoms just ahead of Phil Alison in his Contender and Richard (RS300). After lap one just eight seconds separated the leading four boats with Gary ahead and maintaining his lead to the line with Nick second. However, Simon wasn’t far behind claiming his second win on corrected time but Gary and Nick holding their time for second and third.
Race three
Race three – the two Phantoms once again leading the fleet for the first lap, only to be separated by the RS300 on lap two. Nick took line honours again but the Lasers of Dave and Simon were close enough behind to take first and second on corrected time, with Vareo’s third and fourth, Nick Crickmore just ahead of Richard Foster.
Time to head ashore
Back ashore it was time for a beer and pie and with the temperature still around twenty degress we dined alfresco.
Congratulations to Simon Beckett from WOBYC, who was overall winner of the evening with two firsts.
Many thanks to the race team, Adrian and Ed for probably the best racing we’ve had on a Thursday evening all year and also for acting as unofficial photographers.
Thankfully the earlier forecast for the weekends Beach Regatta has improved a lot, it might be a bit wet on Saturday but everything elso looks good.
Sunshine but with an offshore wind it was going to be a challenging day, with three races resulting in three different winners
The shifty conditions created many snakes and ladders on the course with large gains and losses made both upwind and downwind. With the wind usually shifting to the North a tad inland, the trick was to work your way to the right hand side of the course to approach the windward mark on starboard to enjoy the lift to the mark. Downwind required concentration for the asymmetrics as the wind fluctuated in both direction and strength so judging angles proved difficult.
Race one
Race 1- Dave & John (RS400) led round the windward mark followed by Anna & Keith (RS500) and Phil (RS700). Phil overtook downwind to lead after lap one. On lap two Dave & John retook the lead crossing the line just ahead of Phil with Nick (Phantom) third, just ahead of Richard & Robin (RS400). Dave& John managed to hold on to first on corrected time by just eight seconds, with Richard (Laser) second and Nick third.
Race two
Race 2 – following the lessons learnt in race one the fleet were more packed rounding the windward mark this time with Richard right up with the faster boats. The majority of the fleet completed lap one within a minute of the leading boat, the RS700, closely followed by Dave & John and Nick. Just behind Richard & Robyn (RS400) and Phil & Lorna (RS400) were fighting for position with just a few seconds between them throughout the race with the former just keeping their nose (bowsprit!) ahead. On lap two the fleet had spread out with Phil leading and increasing his lead on the final lap crossing the line nearly two minutes ahead of Dave & John and Nick. However, Richard (Laser) had kept within close range to win on corrected time, with Nick second.
Race three
Race 3 – Phil clearly had saved all his ‘ladders’ for the final race as he did a horizontal job on the fleet, crossing the line over five minutes ahead of the next boat and saving his time to take the win on corrected time. Nick led the chasing fleet after lap one although the RS400‘s of Dave & John and Richard and Robyn edged passed by the final lap. However, on corrected time Nick recorded another second place and Richard third.
Push !!
Back ashore we enjoyed the now customary pie and beer on the prom, basking in sunshine, a very pleasant end to the day. Many thanks to the race team for a challenging but enjoyable day on the water. Results are on the club site. Also, thanks to Jamie for the photos taken from his phone which are now on the club Flickr site.
Having had beautiful weather all day, sunshine, temperatures in twenties and a F3-4 from the west it was a little disappointing to see the wind drop to a F2 from the SE just prior to launching.
Ten boats launched comprising of seven different classes, all single handers bar one, a Magno sailed by newcomer Damon with Keith at the front.
Race one start
As the countdown for race one was in progress it was noticeable that the wind was dropping further, so clearly we were in for a challenging sail. Commodore Nick F, fresh back from the D-One Gold Cup in Italy, but opting to sail his Phantom this evening, successfully pulled of a port end flyer to take an early lead.
And they’re off!
With the light wind most headed inshore to avoid the ebb tide. After lap one Nick was well ahead of Dave (Laser) with Adrian (D-One) and Phil (Phantom) just behind.
At the finish Nick F had increased his lead further easily taking the race on corrected time, Dave finishing second and Nick C, sailing his Vareo, almost catching Adrian and Phil at the line, but taking third on corrected time.
Start two
For race two there were light and patchy winds around the start area with a ‘sloppy’ sea, making it difficult to get going with some a bit late over the line. For those who started on time most stayed offshore as the wind had shifted a tad plus the wind had filled allowing some lee-bowing of the tide.
Most waited until half way up the beat before heading inshore but Mark (Laser) held his nerve and stayed offshore and found a little more wind arriving at the windward mark at the same time as Nick F. Unfortunately an incident with Nick F resulted in turns for Mark which allowed Dave to slip past to follow Nick down the run with Mark rounding close behind and Nick C not far behind.
Patchy wind making progress slow at times
Nick F led over the line but finished second to Dave on corrected time with Mark just beating Nick C for third.
With the wind becoming even lighter and patchy, and a few choosing to head for shore early, the race team decided not to run a third race, much to the relieve of those still on the water.
Welcome Damon
Many thanks to the race team of Richard and Michael who sat patiently in the RIB, it least it was warm ! To past the time they did take several pictures which are now on the club Flickr site..
The Beach Regatta is the club’s main event of the year, two days of sailing with a BBQ and beach volleyball on Saturday evening.
We will be running the usual programme of 3 races on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. Races will be run back-to-back.
Courses will be Windward –Leeward, with a leeward gate acting as start and finish lines. Depending on wind direction there may be a spacer mark after the Windward mark.
There will be a single Allcomers start.
For dinghies and catamarans with PY rating up to 1410
Entry for visitors will be Day Membership, which is £5 per person per day.
Saturday
Briefing at 12.00 with the first race start not before 13.00.
BBQ will be fired up and cooking once we get off the water followed by beach volleyball.
You could also join us on Thursday 16th for the evening regatta at 18.45, then leave your boat in the dinghy park ready for the weekend (subject to berth availability)
Other open events are :- 12th June – Jubilee Regatta, 17th July – Hopton Race, and 21st August – Late Summer Regatta
Gorleston-on-Sea Fever With both thanks and apologies to John Masefield
I must go down to Gorleston again, to the lonely sea and the sky All I ask is a dinghy and a Tacktick to steer her by And a steady force four, that would surely please The big Norfolk skies and a temperature over twenty degrees.
I must go down to Gorleston again, for the call of the running tide And the rolling waves for a thrilling off wind ride The steady winds, the white clouds flying The open sea is the place to be, of that there’s no denying.
I must go down to Gorleston again, where everyday stresses are cured To the club on the ‘prom’, where a warm welcome will be assured And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-member And the enjoyable days on the water that I will long remember.
I must go down to Gorleston again, for the challenge of the sea To compete against the other sailors, it’s surely the place to be So note the date, it’s June 18th & 19th for the Beach Regatta And if you can’t wait, you could join us on the 16th, for the Thursday evening regatta!
Forestay failure, a risky port tack start but lovely weather, a very quick summary of the evenings sailing.
Time to launch
There was a good F3 from the SE on arrival at the club with the tide just about at low water. By the end of the evening the wind had settled to a F2 and the flood tide had just kicked in. Eight boats launched but just before the start of race one, onlookers initially thought Phil H was practising his 3RR bridge craft by lowering his mast, unfortunately this was not the case as the forestay on his RS700 had failed resulting in a hasty retreat to shore following a gentle push by the safety boat!
Phil & Lorna and Phil A battling for the lead
Race one – started with the last of the ebbing tide and saw a battle for the lead between two more Phil’s, with Phil A (Contender) leading Phil & Lorna (RS400) at the windward mark with a small gap to Richard B in his Solution. The two leading boats rounded the leeward gate together with the RS400 leading by just three seconds by the finish. However, the slower boats were not far behind and on corrected time Richard B took the win and Mark, sailing a club Laser recovering well after a late start second with the Contender third.
Start two
Race two – everyone bar one approached the line on starboard, unfortunately for Mark who was aiming at the pin end of the line on port, one starboard boat arrived later than expected resulting in some serious avoiding action and…….a swim. GYGSC 2 June 22 – YouTube
Phil A had a good lead on the fleet after the first lap followed by Phil & Lorna. Behind the two Richards were neck and neck with Richard B three seconds ahead of Richard F in his Vareo. On the final lap the RS400 overtook the Contender to take line honours. On corrected time the Richards took the top two podium places with Richard B first and Richard F second. It was close for third position with just eleven seconds between the next three boats with Phil A beating Adrian (Solution) by one second.
Start three
Race three – Phil & Lorna were clearly in a rush to get back to shore as they sailed away from the fleet opening up a gap of over 30 seconds on the first lap. Behind, Phil A was being closely chased by Richard B who was gunning for another race win. Behind them was another close battle between Mark, Richard F and Adrian. The RS400 took line honours but Phil A and Richard B had closed the gap a tad and Mark putting some space between him and the others. On corrected time Richard B made it three in a row, Mark second and Adrian third.
Race three – heading to the finish line
Once back ashore and the boats washed and packed it was time for Chef Browns Quiche or Pie and a drink. Results and more pictures on the links below.
Sunshine all day, temperature in the high teens and a F3 from the south, with the added bonus of a gentle flood tide, assisting the upwind legs and prolonging the enjoyment downwind. All the ingredients for a great day on the water.
Race 1 – the well balanced start line saw boats all along the line, most ventured offshore to catch the tide but the sea was noticeably rougher making for an bumpy ride to the windward mark. Dave & John (RS400) rounding the mark first closely followed by Richard & Christine (RS400) and Phil in his Contender.
Behind, Steve was just ahead of Keith, who had swapped his Laser for Steve’s ‘spare’ Europe and Richard, sailing his newly acquired RS Vareo. Dave & John held their lead until lap four when they managed to trawl their spinnaker leaving Richard & Christine to take line honours. However, on corrected time it was the single-handers who came out on top with a Europe 1, 2 and the Contender beating the RS400 by eight seconds for third.
Race 2- After lap one Dave & John held a small lead over Richard & Christine, who were just ahead of Phil. A little way back Mark & Darell (RS400) were just ahead of the remaining single-handers. Most were now opting to keep in the middle of the course upwind to avoid the choppy waters offshore. All the asymmetrics were heading inshore on the off wind leg for a smoother ride, and easier gybe ! Dave & John held on to take line honours followed by Richard & Christine. On corrected time Steve put in another good performance to take the win, with the RS400’s second and third.
Race 3 – in the final race of the day the wind eased a little. After lap one Dave & John had a one minute lead over Phil who was a minute ahead of the rest of the fleet. Keith managed to stay in close proximity to Steve on the first lap but Steve gradually pulled ahead during the last two laps. Dave & John took line honours but Steve once again put in a faultless performance and took the race by over a minute, with the RS400 second and Keith making it a Europe 1, 3.
Heading for the leeward gate
Thanks to the race team for arranging great weather, excellent start lines and a great course. The asymmetrics enjoyed plenty of exhilarating off wind legs. Some, who tested it, said the water seemed quite warm!
Inbetween attending to a few capsizes, the rescue team also took some pictures which are now on the club Flickr site
A very pleasant Thursday evening sailing which proved popular with the singlehanders with two Lasers, two Europes, a Topper and there would have been two Contenders but Phil jumped ship opting to sail the club Solution. Phil & Lorna the sole representatives from the ‘two person’ fleet in their RS400.
And we’ve off!
Race 1 started in the last of the ebbing tide with a warmish F2. Dave, swapping Laser for a Europe led round windward mark closely followed by Phil & Lorna who promptly took the lead. Just behind Keith (Laser) led the rest of the closely bunched fleet. The race team sensibly shortened the race after the first lap as the wind had shifted from E to the SE.
Lining up for start two
The forecast was spot on with the wind strength as it picked up a little for race two. Phil and Lorna led the race to the finish with the Europe’s of Steve and Dave enjoying a race long tussle heading the rest of the fleet and taking first and second place on corrected time with Keith third and new member Harry, sailing his Topper just missing the podium finishing fourth.
Racing over, time to head home
Thanks to the race team who were kept busy but still managed time to take several photographs which are now on the club Flickr site.
Compliments to Chef Brown, the Moussaka and Lasangne were a welcome après-sailing treat.
