In preparation for the Worlds later this year, the GP sailors in the club were seen taking to the water on Saturday 29^th of March. The reason for this early start to the season? – Richard Estaugh visited the club to share with us some of his tuning tips and race tactics.

Richard picked a boat at random and proceeded to tell us all how to rig it properly. He told us about tensions and distances and angles and twists. We looked at the boat from the port side, the starboard side, the stern and the bow.

Unfortunately he then told us the fifteen things which the crew must do when rounding the windward mark. Half the audience sighed with the resignation that no matter what they do when they round the mark, it will never be right.

Then, with Richard’s help, we all rigged our own boats to perfection. Can’t blame the boat any more!

In the afternoon we took to the water for a number of one lap ‘sausage’ courses. Each race had a ‘3, 2, 1, go’ countdown after which Richard followed in the rescue boat shouting tips to us. ‘Too much kicker,’ (crew’s fault), ‘jib in a bit more,’ (crew’s fault) or my particular favourite ‘play the main a bit more!’ At last! It’s official! It’s not always the crew’s fault! Richard said so.

The general recall came when the wind lifted by about 20 degrees seven seconds before the start. Yes folks, you are sailing on Bass. Five boats full of enthusiastic sailors all headed for the best start they could only to discover it was the worst!

To round off the day, Richard gave some tips on gate starts. The general consensus was get two thirds of the way down what you think the line will be but no doubt the line will be different because the wind will change.

For those who did not make it, the main themes were: pay attention to detail – it’s that last half inch that makes all the difference; keep your head up when you go round a mark – don’t just follow everyone else; and remember helms, play that main up the windward leg! Everyone had a great time, learnt a lot and look out Abersoch – here comes the Bass squad!

Rhonwen Bryce

Glorious weather continued for an excellent start to the season’s racing. The first race was impacted by a typical wind shift between setting the course and the starting sequence, but Commodore Jose was in a ‘let the buggers go mode’. This resulted in Phil Smith and Toggle Cowan desperately trying to avoid colliding with the committee boat in their newly launched boat. Neil and Judith Currie ended up doing a 720 as a result and then claiming the first racing capsize of the season! (Not the sort of claim to fame that he enjoys)

and that diary.. Sunday 29th March What a way to spend Mother’s day – no lie in ‘cos the clocks have just changed and that meant an hour’s less sleep, down to the club to be OD. Had to try and remember all those sailing terms, beat, capsize, gybing, spinnaker legs – pity I didn’t always relate the words to their true meaning (well it is only the first day of the season!). Anything that could go wrong seemed to – no beat for the first race, no recall flag either (well it would have been a perfect start a second earlier!), managed to loose one of the halyards up the mast, almost got one flag stuck up the mast, third time lucky when it came to lassooing Mark A; having started the first race half an hour late, tried to make up time by starting the 2nd race at 2pm (half an hour too early) but Phil wasn’t going to let me get away with that. Anyway, next week I’ll be out there with them – hopefully it’ll be just as sunny and I won’t get my gnatsy gants wet!

Final results

STARTERS PRIZE

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2 Pts
 1   13791  P SMITH       GP           2   1   3
 2   13326  R DAWSON      GP           1   2   3
 3    3473  M MOORE       FF           3   3   6
 4  167828  I MACPHERSON  LAS          4   4   8
 5   13161  S SPENCE      GP           6   7  13
 6    2324  TBA           LARK         8   6  14
 7     172  J HALLIDAY    SPORT 16     7   8  15
 8   69960  M CHAPPEL     MS         DNS   5  17
 9    1049  S HUNT        RS400        5 RTD  17
10     103  A NICHOLSON   VARIO      RTD RTD  23
10     501  N CURRIE      RS400      RTD RTD  23

                     Points for RTD = 11  12
                     Points for DSQ = 11  12
                     Points for DNS = 12

 2 races to count