Tollesbury - High Winds and Low Mud

Tollesbury Sailing Club has a reputation of being one of the friendliest clubs in the Southern Travellers Circuit.

Simon & I made our way there by separate routes, to be greeted by hot bacon rolls as we unpacked 13941.

The forecast had been 15knots, with gusts. Unfortunately, the changing facilities at Tollesbury were being re-done, so a quick change in the car was necessary. There were 16 GP14 taking part, so it was going to be an interesting event. I decided to stay with the P&B sails that had done sterling service during the last year.

We (literally) shook the mud off our feet and ran out over the very narrow channel which was bounded either side by very sticky mud. The tide was high, so staying in the channel was going to be a key. In high winds, we were able to test fly the kite, and after a bit of a hairy moment we dropped it professionally and decided that we might forgo the spinnaker, at least for the first part of the first race.

We had a reasonable start on the first race, which turned into a round-the-mud-flats type of procession, with two upwind legs off on different directions. We were mid-fleet at that time, and there were a couple of capsizes around us - we had clearly been right to be cautious about the kite. Just then, Edward and Szymon came screaming by with a fully powered-up spinnaker, and a boat that looked like it wanted to fly vertically - the two of them were as far back as it is physically possible in a GP14. We decided that we would let the youngsters enjoy themselves, and try to focus on our own game.

We were able to maintain place around 5th or 6th, the boat was very flat, and Simon was continually calling out tactics and other boats. Our secret weapon was a new split-sheet mainsheet that had arrived by post a few days earlier; this meant that I could haul in the main really tight in a beat, and keep the boat flat without pinching. It was tiring work, as well as continually adjusting the

Near the end of the last lap, we were being reeled in by one of the Tollesbury boats, who was chasing Ricardo who had also just overtaken us. Maybe we should have used the kite earlier? Either way, a credible 9th place.

Race 2 was a total change of course: a long reach out towards the entrance to the Tollesbury fleets and the River Blackwater. This time we did fly the kite. However, before getting there, I chose the wrong way up the beat, and was in the way of a local boat on starboard - quick corrective action, but by that time we had lost a couple of places. Nevertheless, we got the spinnaker up, and were able to gain a few places down that wonderful reach.

At the far end, we had problems dropping the kite and the genoa got tangled, so we again lost a couple of the places we had gained. On the final beat back to the finish, we had Richard Lord ahead of us, and my optimism says we were gaining. The end result was another 9th place.

The Tollesbury Race Officer was clearly determined to keep us on our toes, because the final race was another round-the-houses, with the chance for some quick reaching legs. This time we had a good start, and were among the middle of the pack most of the time.  13941 was up on the plane, even without spinnaker. She was also very responsive to the helm at that speed. It was a great sensation. With a couple of other boats struggling, we managed a 6th place - a really satisfying achievement.

The longest beat of the day up Woodrolfe creek took the boats back to the "hard" for a well earned BBQ and some excellent cakes provided by Val and Clare at the club. I gather that they are in the process of rebuilding their GP14 fleet with several new teams sailing here this season - it was great to enjoy  their company, on and off the water.

All in all, this was a great confidence boost.

There are a few more club events, then we need to get ourselves to Poole for a final sea trial before the Nationals in August. Can't wait !

Southern Championships - Some Progress

I have to be an optimist. Not the dinghy, you understand - that's a small kid's bathtub, in case anyone did not know -  but the glass-half-full type of optimist.

Why? Because, try as I might, I cannot progress beyond the back half of the fleet.

Last weekend, I had the privilege to race with Simon Carman, who has kindly agreed to crew for me at the GP14 Nationals in Looe in August.

As an optimist, I took comfort from the fact that we made 12th place out of 17 in our second race, and that the boat felt fast.  Simon's a great crew - he spots technical things that I miss, and he is happy to call tactics, which means I can focus on getting the boat moving.

But on the pessimistic side, we are in last place in most of our races, and I wish I understood why.

Maybe we don't keep the boat flat enough?

Maybe it is my irritating habit of 'pinching' into the wind when I don't have enough boat speed?

Was I using too much kicker? Or not enough? Was the boom in enough during the beats, or was I stalling the sails by pulling them in too tight?

Someone please tell me.... !!

With our experience, we should be mid-fleet by now. It's very demoralising being relegated to the back markers.

But I need to be an optimist.

Brightlingsea was a great place to sail. We had 2 races on Saturday, and then three back-to-back on the Sunday. Glorious sun, 10 knots wind, and enough swell and gusts to get us planing on the reach during the end of Sunday.  A chance to get valuable sea experience in advance of the Nationals.

WHSC was well represented - it seems that the club is really getting out-and-about these days, so it is good to have company.

Apart from the time when my watch stopped, we were able to get some good starts, and were pushing through the fleet to the first mark.

It was great to be able to fly the spinnaker through the gybes - a skill we are beginning to master. The spinnaker launches and drops worked well, although there was one occasion where we were seriously threatened by a group of Merlin Rockets who were a lap ahead, and gunning for the same leeward mark as us!

In short, I think we are beginning to work together as a team. I just don't want to let the team down. Any suggestions on how to make the boat go faster, please send answers on a postcard.

A few more sea races, and the Nationals is looming up.

P.S. Thanks to Hannah for the photo.