Overy Staithe SC

Race 1, Saturday

At last. Winter is over and sailing starts again. The senior portion of the fleet were keen for action: so keen that they started their season with a general recall. The junior faction had been cavorting into the dawn at Alex Scoles' birthday party (Happy Birthday, Alex!) and were still clutching their heads under the duvet. When the fleet got away at the second attempt, Jamie Mulholland showed a clean pair of heels to the rest for a convincing win from Andy Turner and Ash Deakin. The Dunstone's Enterprise was fourth, but only by a few seconds: which was good going in a marginal planing breeze - not really Enterprise weather.

Meanwhile, some really gentlemanly performances from Chris Wathes (laser) and Adam Mills (byte), who showed their devotion to domestic harmony by letting their better halves give them a thorough trouncing! Adam actually improved his health with an early season dip, while Chris skipped over the high side onto the centerboard with the grace and agility of a (sorry, illegible words here - probably 'siamese cat' Ed)

Dave Cooper drove the rescue boat: Jerry Clark and Owen Bentley worked the flags and the hooter and thought dark thoughts about black flags!

Race 2, Sunday

The second day saw the youth contingent emerge from hibernation, blinking and yawning in the daylight, and as a result the start line behaviour was that much better, with the twenty-odd strong fleet getting away first time. Jamie Mulholland (again) Pete Turner (OK) and Alex Smith (Sharpie) slipped the fleet and so missed a 10 boat raft-up at Sluice Mud buoy. The Sharpie hauled ahead into a decent lead, but not enough to save their time: Jamie Mulholland won on handicap from Pete Turner with Andy Turner third and Ash Deakin (laser) fourth. Debs Turner was first lady. Further down the fleet, Adam Mills decided he'd got clean enough the day before, but Chris Wathes continued polishing his capsize technique.

Race 3, Monday

Easter Monday brought twice the breeze of Sunday: a third of the fleet decided they'd rather spectate than swim. Ash Deakin (laser) was first to show from a broad reaching start, and set a blazing pace down to Houseboats with Alex Scoles in a borrowed OK hard on his heels. Unfortunately Ash got into irons as he set off up the beat and the fleet piled past, Alex Scoles taking the lead and Dave Cooper (OK) leading the rest of the thundering herd as they beat through a short chop to Norton buoy, where Dave gybed and swam in rapid succession. Alex was never challenged and went on to win. Andy Turner pulled past Pete Turner (a triumph of avoirdupois over savoir faire!) so that they finished second and third. Ash Deakin led in a trio of Lasers to take 4th place from Andrew Green and Andrew Storer (who says it's too cold to sail!). Ben Johnson had exchanged his laser for the Sharpie 'Marionette' and had an exciting-looking sail with some terrific downwind planing: too fast for Alex Smith in the other Sharpie, Capella, who took a dip at buoy B on the way home, but still managed to bail the boat out and finish.

Jamie Mulholland did a great job rescuing the casualties: Jerry Clark and Owen Bentley were Race officers. Easter Eggs went to Jamie Mulholland (1st), Andy Turner (2nd) and Pete Turner (3rd). Claire Wathes took the egg for first lady, and Peter Smith received the clinker-built egg.

Anyone who wanted to admire Alex Scoles' shiny new boat had to do it on the start line, because that was the last we saw of him! Bright sunshine and a shifting, patchy northerly saw everyone else blunder into holes or find themselves marooned on the wrong side of a 20° windshift while Alex cruised off for a win 5 minutes ahead of the next boat. On the first lap Nina Plumbe and Pete and Andy Turner tussled for second, but coming into the second lap Nina ran out of luck and the Turners slipped away. Meanwhile, Debs Turner, who'd been pressing extremely, well, pressingly found herself on the port side of the beat when the wind swung hard astarboard and wound up back in a bunch with Ash Deakin, Nina and Dave Cooper. The race team shortened the second lap by excluding Norton Buoy, and during the long run back from Houseboats against the first of the ebb Jamie Mulholland, who'd spent the first lap messing about at the back, abruptly shot through the pack to finish fourth (but sixth on handicap) and actually crossed the line on the plane, which on a day which was otherwise force 1 tops was a bit surprising.

Chris Geering and Mecky Turner sounded the horn and overcame the dud stopwatch: Peter and Melba Beck were ready to tow everyone home with Maggie May.

Lasers: Report by Ashley Deakin

It was a beautiful morning on Saturday but the 9.45am start looked rather optimistic when there was no wind or water at 9am. Both duly obliged and although the race officer wasn't able to set a course out to sea we were able to get off in a Force 1 to 2 within the 'harbour'.

An aggressive start saw Barnaby Guest over the line allowing Ashley Deakin and Jamie Mulholland to compete neck and neck up the first beat. Ashley managed to tack away from Jamie into some stronger wind and this allowed him to get away and establish a nice lead which he didn't relinquish.

Race 2 saw some tight mark roundings; too tight for Ashley and Jamie who had to do turns. Lucy Deakin and Barnaby took advantage and finished with top honours.

Sunday heralded some more wind and some more competitors including Masters Jonathan Jones. JJ showed us his skills, freshly honed from the Grafham Masters event, on the triangle/sausage course which the race officer had been able to set out to sea. JJ took an early lead closely followed by Ashley and Tim Roy.

The wind built up a little more for the final race. Ashley started well down the line and was able to hit the port tack layline just ahead of JJ but was soon overtaken offwind. Jamie and Barnaby tried to challenge but some careful covering allowed Ashley to come in 2nd and take the overall position.

The weekend was a great success and special thanks must go to the race officers. It's a special location and those wanting a pleasant and different weekend away are encouraged to come along next year.

5 OKs made the trip to Overy Staithe to join 3 local boats for a weekends racing.
The racing started in light conditions, Pete Turner using his local knowledge was leading the first race, only to be overtaken by Homer Goodhead who finished first. Second Pete, third Alex Scoles.

Race two saw a different course to suit the change in tide and wind direction. Racing was close, with Pete, Homer and Alex fighting for front. Pete took a penalty which allowed Alex to take the lead and go on to win, with Homer second and Pete third.

Sunday's racing (with a few bad heads and more wind) was on the sea, not in the creek as yesterday. Race 3 started with Terry Curtis and Andy Turner heading out right into the tide, to take the lead at the windward mark, closely followed by Pete, Homer and Alex. Terry won with Andy second, Pete third.

Race four was going to be interesting, as Pete, Alex, and Homer were all in 1st on 8 points, with Terry on 10. Homer only had to come second to win! The race started with Mike Edwards first round the windward mark, closely followed by Terry and others. Terry passed Mike to take first, and first overall; Alex passed Homer to take third and thought he had second overall, but it went to Homer!

The traditionally hotly-contested Clinker Weekend kicked off with the first race on Saturday with a testing F3-4; N-NE. The first beat was a dogged fight between Mark Beck (crewed by Sue Elston) in Honey Bun (TT), Team Bethell-Jones (FF) and Simon Dawes (FF). The BJs got ahead and finished first on the water. However Mark and Sue were never far behind and finished first on handicap.

Saturday's second race was a longer testing affair with 2 laps. The Lamberts (TT) and Dawes were too keen on the start and found themselves well over the line at the start gun. This opened up the fleet up the first beat with Team Anderson (TT) and Peter Smith (TT) (crewed by Wendy) showing good technique in choppy conditions caused by the wind against tide. However, Honey Bun and the BJs got some clear wind and extended themselves from the rest of the fleet - again, Mark winning on handicap.

The lighter F2-3 winds (but still N-NE direction), brought added dimensions to the racing. In came the Hall Smiths (TT) and Julie relieved Mark of Honey Bun's helm, who then formed his own team with Lucy and Freddy in Wagtail. As usual, the start line was a cut n' thrust affair. Richard Warner (sailing solus, having the previous day been crewed by Camilla) made a flying start but was soon caught up by Wagtail and Honey Bun. In the end, Wagtail was never far from the BJs and finished second on the water but first on handicap. The fourth and last race was probably the most fiercely fought of all the races with Honey Bun, Wagtail and BJs all getting in each other's way up the first beat. This opened the way for Dawes to take a commanding lead on the first lap only for it to be swallowed up by the ensuing pack during the second lap. The misery for Team Dawes/Mulholland was compounded when being forced to re-round the Norton mark and surrendering the lead to the BJs. In the end, neither the BJs nor Dawes did enough on the water to beat Honey Bun or Wagtail on handicap.

Since the rules state that the boat (rather than the helm) enters the race, Honey Bun was the overall winner. Well done to Sue, Mark and Julie. Special mention goes to Mark who won all four races (albeit in different boats). The weather was perfect and the competitors definitely enjoyed the generous hospitality of the BJs on Saturday night and the Becks for Sunday lunch - many thanks to them. Of course, no Clinker Weekend write-up passes by without mentioning a special additional thanks to Peter and Mel for being race officers and organising a superb weekend.

James Mulholland

After an hour's wait for a breeze (any breeze!) to arrive, an 11 strong fleet got away in a north-easterly 2-3, blue sky, puffy clouds, perfect conditions it seemed for Paul Goakes in Sharpie 75, Cassiopiea. With the wind barely strong enough for lasers to plane Cassiopiea led from the start to stretch out a huge lead, with Alex Scoles (OK) about midway between the sharpie and the trailing bunch. Here there was some tussling going on as Andrew Green and Ashley Deakin (lasers) and Dave Cooper (OK) struggled for third place. On handicap, Alex won by a mile, Dave Cooper pipped Paul Goakes by the skinniest of margins for second.

Meanwhile, Ben Johnson in the other Sharpie took a while to fight his way through to the front but got far enough to beat Gemma Goakes (laser) who in turn saw off Owen Bentley. A special mention here for the Weston's Topper: it's great to see a junior helm racing - who I hope we'll see lots more: I'm sure we all welcome the new blood!

Peter Beck was OOD. The rescue boat had the morning off.

Mid fleet, Will Lock (OK) looked like he was having an enjoyable time, and beat Paul Goakes (Sharpie), who needs a bit more wind than this to get up on the plane. Jane Heath, looking as though she had as much wind as she needed to windward, saw off Peter Holt (Solo).

Meanwhile, at the back of the fleet, an epic struggle was being played out between Peter Smith (Twinkle 'Arion') and Adam Mills (byte). Adam had the edge downwind and the Twinkle did better to windward. As they came onto the final beat it looked though Adam had done to enough to lead to the finish but a pretty dynamic gust dumped him in at B mark, and by the time he was back upright and sailing the Twinkle was long gone.

Peter Beck was OOD. Dave Cooper basked in the rescue boat.

At the third attempt the NOD race got away on a tentative south-easterly. Eleven boats started and soon found themselves in decreasing visibility as they pushed into Norton Creek. Alex Scoles, who'd been blanketed by the Sharpies at the start went off on a voyage of discovery through Trowland Creek, joined by Spike Turner: a move that didn't pay! With the tide over the marsh and a few hundred yards visibility it was tough to stay in the channel and most boats took the odd trip into the long grass. The return down tide was a lot quicker, and the visibility back in Overy Creek was better, but with a strong ebb tide and the failing breeze Peter Beck moved the finish line down to buoy B. Andy Turner (OK) was harried by Jane Heath (Lightning) and Debs Turner (Europe) but stayed far enough ahead for a handicap win: Jane beat Debs by a fraction of a second on corrected time. Nina Plumbe (Laser) was fourth and Alex Smith (Sharpie) fifth.

Peter Beck was race officer and Gemma Goakes and Rob Brown crewed the rescue boat: apparently Rob handles the running aground and Gemma does the pushing off!