Club News Blog


This is your page to add your sailing stories, especially those whilst sailing with the RBYC .

It is always best to type directly into the new blog post area rather than cut and paste from MS Word.  Please add a small 200 x 200 pixel image in the top left hand corner of your blog post.  The font is Verdana and size 10 / 12 as too many of us need reading glasses! If you get stuck, email the Webmaster and they will do it for you - if you ask nicely and promise them a beer :-)

  • Do you like forms and checklists????

    09 Sep 2013 22:53 | Anonymous member
    Here is a handy link to PBO contributor Sticky Stapletons forms and checklist for skippering.

    Some very handy checklists for safety briefs, passage planning, tides, flags even Astro navigation if anyone can remember how to do it....

    Link to PBO article

    Could be a handy compliment to our own RBYC checklists for those taking part in JMC!!!!

    Sailing - Skipper / Crew Info for your trip

  • Javelin does Fastnet 2013

    21 Aug 2013 20:54 | Anonymous
    Please see my blog for the report on Javelin's adventure doing Fastnet last week.


    Thanks to all the club members who supported & tracked us.

    Pauline

  • John Mountain Cup: This years Skippers are......

    31 Jul 2013 22:23 | Anonymous member
    Planning is very much underway for this years John Mountain Cup.

    One of the first job is to choose the trainee skippers who have demonstrated the skills to skipper the boats.  Each skipper will be under the watchful eye of an adjudicator, one of our club skippers who can help out and ensure everyone stays safe.

    This year the skippers competing for the coveted skippers shield are: Peter Bromwich, Denis McFaul, Trevor Bateman and Roddy McColl. Good Luck to them all.

  • Fastnet - Are We Ready?

    30 Jul 2013 14:14 | Anonymous
    To read the latest installment on Javelin's preparation for this years Fastnet race (starts 11th August), please go to www.pesailing.com.

    Pauline

  • Fastnet – Cowes to Dinard / St Malo (in theory)! Written by Pauline Errey

    25 Jul 2013 16:46 | Deleted user

    None of that going on here! We were back to a crew of 6 for this race.  Tanya had returned but hubby was unable to come due to work  (what’s that!) & was replaced by Spongebob Square Pants (aka Jim). 

    Due to the fabulous weather we are currently having, there was absolutely no way we were going to get from Cowes to St Malo in this life time.  A huge high pressure system had parked its derrière over the UK with no intention of moving. What wind there was, was steadily moving south – unfortunately faster than the intrepid Javelin could carry us.

    We had a gentle drift down wind against the tide at the start, while waiting for the sea breeze to kick in, which it duly did, giving us a cracking sail out of the Needles. Then, at St Alban’s Head, the sea breeze turned off & the wind had gone on its travels to France without us.  A night on anchor, followed by a brief sail Saturday morning when the tide turned, before we conceded defeat & retired from the race (along with most of the fleet in our class).   A pleasant motor back to the Solent with the afternoon spent practising the spinnaker.  Then an earlier finish than planned & I got to spend some time at home with my hubby (for the first time in AGES!!!).

    But there is now :-)

    But there is now :-)

    Put the Kettle On.

    With the forecast of little wind, we needed to top up on fuel to ensure we could get back to land if we ended up drifting aimlessly mid channel.  So we slipped our moorings at Shamrock & went aallll the way to the fuel pontoon on the river Itchen.  Clearly after such a strenuous sail, a cuppa tea was required to revive the crew.   Well we did have to wait for the fuel guy to come down & open up his wee hut.

    Now it’s Getting Tight to Qualify….

    We signed up to do 5 of the Fastnet qualifying races, which would give us significantly more than the required 300 miles.  It also gave us a buffer eg should we lose one of the races eg due to an incident or the weather.  Unfortunately we have lost 2 & both of them were the higher mileage races – the Myth of Malham where we had to retire due to the head vs spinnaker pole incident & now this latest race to St Malo due to lack of wind.

    th-435

    The good news is we have one race left in 2 weeks time that will give us the required mileage.  The bad news is that all the weather pundits are saying that this ‘good’ weather is going to hold for the next couple of weeks.  I don’t mean to be a spoil sport but I have to inform you that I am doing my wind dance on a daily basis now – with renewed vim & vigour.  So word to the wise – don’t plan any elaborate outdoor events that require good weather for 27th / 28th August – coz it’s going to be a little bit windy.

    What No Pit Boss??

    To everyone’s relief , Tanya, our pit boss, returned for this race & within no time at all had licked John & I back into shape as her pit crew.  Then the bombshell – unfortunately she was having to pull out from the rest of the campaign & would not be doing the last qualifying or the Fastnet race with us.  This is a HUGE loss to us.

    Moi? Pit Boss?? Really???

    Moi? Pit Boss?? Really???

    But it got worse.  I’m the new pit ‘boss’ – OMG!  Hence the intensive spinnaker training  Saturday afternoon.  Not always pretty but with the superb training from Tanya – hopefully any major embarrassments can be avoided.  Forward :  In, Back : Out  (I think).

    What About the Toasties?

    In addition to being the pit boss, Tanya also victualled the boat.  As you will have read in previous blogs her toasties are legendary & the highlight of our race weekends.  So I know we have a toasted sandwich maker somewhere in the loft – the question is where on earth it is?

    It's here somewhere - I think

    It’s here somewhere – I think

    He’s Not Really Going to do That is He?

    During our gentle drift down the western Solent, we found ourselves in the middle of the pack (a first for us!).  Alex, our First Mate, kindly pointed out to one boat that they were trailing a line (her killer instinct having temporarily gone AWOL!!!).  In return, the rather cultured gentleman generously shared his local sailing knowledge about where to get the best wind (yep – we were moving that slowly you could have an in-depth conversation with the boats next to you).  How nice.  Well not really, as the wombat, who was the windward boat (we were both on port tack) declared he was going to gybe, which would have had him turn into  us.

    Hey! Who you calling a wombat?

    Hey! Who you calling a wombat?

    A brief & rather terse exchange followed that demonstrated a clear difference of opinion about the racing rules.  So what did he do?  Gybed right on top of us – forcing us to gybe to avoid a collision & causing us all sorts of grief as we weren’t ready.  At this point the FM killer instinct returned with a vengeance & from within the spinnaker (she does seem to spend a lot of time wrapped up in that sail)  could be herds shouting ‘Protest!!!  That is a despicable display of poor seaman ship’.  I think most of the Solent heard how she felt.  Unfortunately, in order to submit a protest we had to get to St Malo.  So while our red protest flag got its first outing, the wombat got off!

    How Much Anchor Chain Do We Have?

    Of course, you never run out of wind somewhere convenient.  We were off St Alban’s Head – in the overfalls, when the aimless drifting started.  After flopping about for a while the decision to anchor was made.  Now in theory, if you have all chain anchor cable, you should put down 4X the amount of chain as the depth of water that you are in.

    I can reach the bottom - just!

    I can reach the bottom – just!

    We’d come to a stop in 30m of water.  Now we definitely had more than 30m of chain but nowhere near the recommended 120m.  Fortunately the sea was very calm & as I’ve mentioned in passing once or twice already, there was naff all wind.  So parking up in the overfalls was feasible. Comfortable?  Well a bit rolly.  Did the anchor hold?  Sort of – we didn’t go too far.

    Yankee Signal Flag - Am dragging anchor

    Yankee Signal Flag – Am dragging anchor

    As each of us took it in turns to do the anchor watch, we were entertained by watching one of our fellow competitors who didn’t have a long enough anchor cable, slowly drift backwards – his track illuminated by his pretty green starboard nav light.

    The Portland Coastguard Sweepstake.

    I love the coastguard.  They are fantastic in helping out in a crisis, have the patience of saints in dealing with some of the calls they get & clearly have nothing better to do on a gorgeous summer’s weekend than manage the huge number of boats that retired from the race.  Race rules require retiring boats to contact the RORC boat on Channel 72 (only really feasible near the start & finish of the race) & if unable to raise RORC, to call the Coastguard.

    So early Friday evening the calls started to go into Portland Coastguard.   Soon, when boats hailed them on Channel 16, they were asked ‘If it is routine traffic or if you are retiring from the race, to go to channel 73.’  Obviously being innately curious (ie nosey) we’d switch to 73 to hear what was going on.  As the evening wore on & more boats retired, the Coastguards, started to get a bit chattier.  On hearing the later boats declare they’re intentions were to go into Weymouth, the Coastguard wished them a great evening partying with the other race boats that were already in.

    Hmmm! I reckon .....

    Hmmm! I reckon …..

    Night fell & all went quiet on the radio (apart from Lancelot towing in another race boat with engine problems – very gallant).  So picture the scene.  Early morning, the tide turns.  Anchors are raised as the optimistic souls who didn’t go into Weymouth, endeavour to find wind.  Optimum conditions for a sweepstake me thinks!  Who’s going to retire first?  What time will the last boat retire?  As most of the boats have AIS on them, the Coastguard could track the lack of progress being made.  Now clearly they are waaay too professional to run a sweepstake but it must have been soooo tempting.

    Food Update

    While the Toasties are by far the favourite food on-board Javelin, the spicy min-beef pasties come a close second.  Last race I missed having one as the pack was inhaled by 3 of the crew in the blink of an eye (well actually in the time it took me to make them all a cuppa tea).  This race, 2 packets were on-board & I got to try one – at 5am Saturday morning as we drifted off anchor.  I can see why they were popular but, although they are mini – you get to enjoy them repeatedly for quite a while afterwards.

    To ensure a balanced diet, there are also yoghurts available.  This time some funky corner ones – with strawberry goop or chocolate balls.  The strawberry ones were much preferred after the skipper was heard to say ‘My balls don’t taste of anything’ – way more information than the rest of us needed thank you.

    th-443

    Deck Shoe Update

    My funky new deck shoes – ROCK!!!  They don’t go with anything but what the heck.  They are bright & cheerful – just like me.  Happy days.

    Hard to lose track of me in these!

    Hard to lose track of me in these!

    About these ads .

  • The art of motivation - our third fastnet qualifier - written by Pauline Errey

    01 Jul 2013 18:27 | Anonymous
    As our Fastnet campaign continues, this weekend saw Javelin & her crew schlep out to Dieppe & back. This race provided some useful learning & insights into crew motivation.

    So how can you tell what the motivation levels are on the boat? Here are some of the signals:

    So focused on racing & winning that they forget to wash for 3 days.
    Bounce out of their bunk with a ready smile when roused once again from their sleep when they are off watch.

    Understand the need to keep their energy levels high so they are coiled, primed & ready to spring into action when required. One top nutritional source was mini chilli beef pasties (apparently they taste scrummy – so scummy that 3 crew ate all of them before the Skipper & I could even get a look in!) However, the gold standard was the pre-made toasted cheese & ham sandwiches, rewarmed in the oven on Saturday & also eaten cold from the fridge on Sunday. Nothing tastes better, particularly when sitting in fog early Sunday morning just off the end of the Traffic Separation Zone, dodging big ships.
    Will stop at nothing to raise morale - from flashing their boxers at the helm when they went off for a fag, to offering to rummage & retrieve my half a chunky Kit Kat I’d saved for later & now couldn’t access as it was buried under my life jacket, oilies etc. As for some of the other suggestions on how to pass the time as we were wallowing mid channel – my lips are sealed. What happens on the boat, stays on the boat.
    How to Motivate Racing Teams

    1. Have a Racing Groupie.

    In our case this is Kate (the RBYC Commodore) on her yacht Purple Mist. Friday night, just after we’d crossed the start line, Kate’s dulcet tones could be heard ringing out across the water as she motored towards us, waving to wish us luck.

    Kate – likes to be in the midst of the action
    It was very much appreciated – almost as much as the confusion she then created amongst our competitors as she ploughed her way across the start line (I’m joking – she missed most of them!).

    2. Drink Copious Cups of Tea

    It is highly recommended that once you have crossed the start line you put the kettle on. Do not be distracted by the fact that all the other boats are putting their spinnakers up. Keeping the crew hydrated is far more important. You will then be able to sit comfortably, drinking your cuppa & watch all the other boats broach & rip their spinnakers.

    3. Have a Pit Boss – in the Pit

    Unfortunately Tanya, our pit boss, was sick & not able to do the race this weekend. This left Peter, the poor Skipper, watching in angst at the helm while his two spinnaker cockpit novices valiantly endeavoured to work out guys from sheets (both red!!) using novel & highly unprofessional aide memoirs eg ‘pull the guys’ which are the thicker of the two red lines became the ‘pull the fat bloke’. This did cause low levels of immature teenage like sniggering from one of the cockpit team each time she got to say it – sorry!

    Sooo funny ….
    Alex, our First Mate & Bow Boss, did try to take on Tanya’s role & direct activities from the bow. It was quite hard to hear her though, particularly when she was all wrapped up in the spinnaker – oops let go of the wrong line again.

    4. Have Team Racing Gear

    After our first Fastnet feeder race we decided to get team jackets. This week we got to try them on for size. They look really smart – although the men’s seem to have a unique design feature & give all our guys moobs. Maybe I should wear a man’s top ….

    How NOT to Motivate Racing Teams

    1. The Course

    Picture the scene. 1900 start at Cowes. Head off out to the forts past Portsmouth (arrived there at 2030), out to Owers past Selsey Bill then turn BACK AROUND, beat upwind & against a springish tide & go all the way back to Nab tower BEFORE you start heading off across the channel. EIGHT hours after having left Cowes we were finally back at Nab Tower. I can officially declare that that is one of the few times I have been right royally grumpy while on a boat. All that work to go absolutely nowhere.


    Then if that wasn’t bad enough, we got halfway across the channel & ran out of wind. Javelin is a heavy boat that goes on strike when there is less than 10 knots of wind. So after having spent most to of the night slogging our way back to Nab Tower we then flopped & wallowed, drifting with the tide in the channel. Seeing our boat speed record 0.0 kn – was the low point of our race. I know that there was (probably) a very good reason for the course being designed the way it was – but that doesn’t mean I have to like it & I didn’t.

    2. The Committee Boat Calling it a Day

    After wallowing for hours the wind did finally pick up & we got going again. As we neared the French coast, we started to hear Ocean 1 (the Race Committee boat) talking to the boats as they were finishing. Spirits revived we sailed on with new vigour. Then, over the airwaves, Ocean 1 declared they were leaving their station ie they’d had enough, their moules & frites were on order & they couldn’t wait around any longer for the dawdlers. To be fair, the first boats had finished 5 1/2 hours before we did but we were by no means the last!

    See you later alligator!
    Seriously though guys. Could you not leave your boat on station & a light on below then take your radio with you to the restaurant & pretend when we hail you that you are still there waiting to receive us & recognise the sterling efforts we’ve made to get there – eventually???

    3. Boats Returning Before you’ve Arrived

    As if that wasn’t bad enough, we also had the indignity of seeing boats heading back across the Channel having finished the race & turning back for home. Polite request – please choose a different route home so you don’t have to sail past us.

    Thoroughbreds power through water
    At least AIS doesn’t let them programme in a ring tone – otherwise we would have been hearing Queen ‘We are the Champions’ blaring out at us as they passed. In return from us they’d have heard – ‘Highway to Hell!’

    We on the other hand – time for another cuppa
    4. Checking the RORC Website

    Monday morning I woke up & checked to see where we had come in our class. While my expectations were not high, I was somewhat surprised to see that apparently we had ‘not yet finished’. Was I dreaming & I wasn’t actually at home in my lovely comfy bed but still wallowing in the channel 3 days after having set off from Cowes. No – fortunately a few hours later the results were updated. 18th in our class.

    5. Disrupted Sleep

    Sleep is as essential as ensuring everyone is fed & watered throughout the race. Clearly we have these latter two nailed. We are not so good though on managing sleep. As we were only 5 crew, our watch system was modified, (in theory) to 4 hours on & 3 hours off with one off watch being only 2 hours long. However, we discovered that it was really helpful to:

    Rouse people from their bunks regularly when they were off watch. For maximum effect, don’t do this too soon after they’ve gone to their bunk, or they’ll get up quickly, be focused on the task & get back into their bunk ASAP. Much better to wait until about half way through their time off watch. Then they’ll be fast asleep, take a while to get up on deck & fumble their way through whatever it was you wanted doing, by which time there’s no point in them going back into their bunk so they suggest the next person goes off early instead – sweet!

    Wodda ya want & why?
    Don’t remind people that their smart phones are just that & will auto correct to French time once you hit French waters. As a result they’ll turn up an hour early & be roped into putting the kettle on, by which time they are wide awake & there’s no point in them going back to bed so the next person might as well go off early – result!
    Create a peaceful environment. This is best achieved by leaving metal coat hangers in the cabin lockers that rattle incessantly every time the boat goes over a wave. Once you notice that they’ve managed to track down this source of irritation & sort them out, test your gas alarm. Turn on the gas (for another cup of tea obviously) & if you discover that this trips the gas alarm, take the time to investigate it properly & see if you can fix it. After all safety first, sleep second.
    So 246 miles later we managed to complete the course & get back safely. Fog, encountered just as we were got to the outskirts of the TSS, made for an interesting trip on the way back. This provided us with a chance to have a chat to our fellow competitors on One Life (HSY) & a man with a gorgeous midnight DJ voice on Hooooot Stuuuufff, who were in the pea soup with us. Also got to hear the conversations with some of the big boats making some distinct but slightly random turns (towards us!)

    Next St Malo – in two weeks time. Yippee!!

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  • Island Air Blog – 8th-14th June 2013

    01 Jul 2013 15:46 | Deleted user
    We arrive at Largs Saturday in baking sunlight – most un-Scottish weather! After a foreshortened 3-hour handover from boat owner Dave (aka Heath Robinson) we set off for Port Bannatine to eat on the boat, followed by drinks in the Russian Bar, and a team building nightcap back on Island Air.

    Sunday – a great sail to Portavadie via. E and W Kyle. Light airs so only 3-4 kts in our 20-tonne vessel; it was very peaceful so Peter got his tackle out ..... without success so a good job we were dining ashore.

    Monday saw the wind pick up to 20kt, and the old girl responded with 8-9 kts – a great sail. After lunch anchored in Lock Gair, the crew got the dinghy out and negotiated purchase of a frozen birthday cake ashore form the local hotel to mark Dave Laws’ birthday. On a peaceful mooring buoy at Otter Ferry, where we ate in a good restaurant and made the presentation to Dave (with kind permission from the Commodore)!

    Finally we donned the oilies on Tuesday, a wet day so we didn’t wear them on the flight for nothing. The day was cut short and we went to Tarbert where the many leaks in the boat were revealed. Now we know why there are so many bowls on Island Air...

    Wednesday and to Lamlash Harbour in more delightful weather. 10-15kt flukey winds made for plenty of sail twitching. Peter got his fishing rod out again and after a mere 1.5 hours, was rewarded with a nice mackerel (which we duly dispatched into pate for our starter). All boats went ashore at low water for drinks in Lamlash, on the return a senior skipper gave us a useful demonstration of underwater bowline removal – such sang froid....!

    After a radio “skippers meet” it was agreed that the strong 40kt gusts consistently forecast for Fri afternoon could not be ignored (depite the mostly inaccurate forecasts for the rest of the week). Therefore plans to anchor in Loch Riddon were switched to the Rothesay marina. Finally found the right setting for the sails in 15-20kt winds to get up to 7.5 kt. With a little help from the Thruster, our skipper did a perfect berthing, but unfortunately the promised video was not taken so you will have to take my word for it! The Space Station served as party boat and a great craic was had by all with a 3 a.m. finish.

    A late start was made on Friday for the final short return to Largs with a few sore heads amongst the crew. This may explain the 3 pirouettes en route! With banshee-like winds building up, we were glad to have tied up early. Scotland gave of her best with the scenery, winds and relative lack of rain and plentiful wildlife: birds, porpoises and an inquisitive seal. The overall verdict of the crew was - a great weeks’ sailing!

    Howard Royds

  • Myth of malham - our second Fastnet feeder. By Pauline Errey

    28 May 2013 20:30 | Anonymous
    Sometimes, despite all the preparation, plans can change – suddenly & dramatically.

    With the second glorious Bank Holiday weekend of the month (what is with the UK weather – it always rains on a Bank Holiday?), Javelin & her merry crew met up on Friday night. The race was from Cowes, out through the Needles, across to Eddystone Lighthouse & back.

    Eddystone Lighthouse – apparently
    For some of us on-board this was our second attempt to actually get to Eddystone as we had been thwarted by unnecessary weather when 30 miles off from it last time – so near & yet so far!

    However, throughout the weekend our plans changed:

    1. There was an attempt to oust me as navigator by a smart phone app!!

    OK – so my nav plans are done the old-fashioned way using charts & paper and don’t have any fancy pants graphics features.


    Satisfaction guaranteed
    That said, they don’t need to be charged up to work & more importantly they don’t plan a route that has you going inside Portland Bill & across land at Weymouth. Minor point.

    2. Be careful what you wish for.

    On passing Yarmouth, 2 of the crew were heard to say ‘wouldn’t it be nice to be sitting in Yarmouth on the boat in the sunshine with a glass of wine, watching the world go by……’ This was at a time when we were cracking along, close-ish into the island side to catch the favourable tide & far enough out to get some good wind in our sails. The spinnaker was up, Foggy Bottom (what we affectionately call the boat that won our class race to Le Havre earlier in the month) was still in sight. All was good until….

    3. Sconce on the bonce.

    A serious case of deja-vu. Past Sconce, coming up to Hurst, a series of minor errors & a gust of wind resulted in a spinnaker pole vs head altercation. It happened in a heart beat & watching from the cockpit, my heart did miss a beat as my poor hubby was the one having the altercation. Having taken a serious whallop onto the top of his head, he got back to the cockpit where he was then hustled down below & subjected to my first aid administrations – pooooor thing, just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse!

    AGAIN!!!
    Now those of you who have been following my blog for a while, may well remember me having to patch my hubby’s head up near Sconce late last year, when he head butted the hatch coming up the companionway steps.

    While the bleeding was stemmed quite quickly, the concern was the force of the impact & the potential for internal damage. So, the battery of questions began. Impressively, he did remember the date of my birthday – no excuses now honey . However, the decision was made to retire from the race & go into Yarmouth to get him checked out. The thought of getting half way across Lyme Bay & his condition deteriorating was too much of a risk. A huge thanks goes out to everyone on the boat for their support & understanding. We were all well up for the race so to pull out, while the right decision, wasn’t easy.

    So while we tootled off in a taxi to St Mary’s Hospital (thanks to Tanya for organising), the rest of the crew got to sit in the sunshine, drinking wine watching the world go by. Thankfully hubby was given the all clear. I was very relieved when he woke up the following morning & told me ‘I’m still here’. Not quite sure what I would have done if he’d said he wasn’t!

    Hubby’s OK – YIPPEE!!
    4. Not all first aid kits come in green bags.

    It’s amazing how pre-conditioned you can be. I could not see the first aid kit for looking – when it was right in-front of me. I was completely zoned in on looking for a green first aid kit – when ours was BLUE.

    Cat or sofa??
    Slightly worrying – a definite case of ‘boy looking’ (the condition that happens up & down the country where men can’t find their shirts, glasses etc even when told by their better halves exactly where they are).

    5. All this adrenalin makes you mighty hungry.

    Given we were punching a spring tide to get down to the start line, we had had our pre-race bacon butty at silly-o-clock. With all the drama & excitement of the spinnaker pole incident followed by a trip to A&E, we were starving by the time we got back to the boat.

    Soooo hungry…..
    Boy oh boy how good was lunch of pre-made cheese & ham toasted sardines, reheated in the oven – AMAZING!! Now I understand how John was able to eat so many of them on the last race once he’d got over his sea sickness.

    So our weekend ended up being somewhat different from planned. We had a leisurely afternoon in the marina & a great meal at the Blue Crab http://www.thebluecrab.co.uk/contact.html. I highly recommend the fish pie. Sunday saw us moored up on a buoy outside Yarmouth having an intensive session on the spinnaker pole – to remove any demons that might have been lurking from the previous day. Then a brilliant sail back & a bonus day at home on Monday enjoying the great weather. So I still haven’t got to Eddystone – maybe it’s a case of 3rd time lucky?

  • Weymouth - Our first RBYC Trip

    09 May 2013 18:22 | Deleted user

    Having had a day sail taster, I and my daughter Bethany (14) decided to complete our comp crew course towards the end of last year. 

    One of our instructors was Pauline Errey, who told us about the RBYC. Even though we live only a few miles from the Jack O'Newbury, we didn't know about the RBYC. Having signed up as probationary members, we registered for the Weymouth trip.

    As our first trip with the club, we weren't sure of what to expect or the normal customs and procedures. However, meeting Neil and the rest of the crew beforehand answered all our questions. We couldn't wait to get started …

    Thursday

    We had a good run down to Hamble, arriving at 1730. We found Neil and "Rude Knot 2", a Bavaria 38. All handover had been done; just a leaky kettle to sort out - essential equipment - and we were off. Neil pinned up the watch list - "Fish Watch", Neil, Richard and Bethany, and "Chips Watch", Rob, Clare and me. Rob announced that he was "IC Chips Watch" and that Clare was thus "2IC Chips Watch". We had a short motor sail over to Yarmouth with Clare doing sterling work down below, creating an excellent supper of pasta with Bolognese sauce, salad and garlic bread, despite there being only just enough room in the pan. By the time we tied up in Yarmouth we were all well fed and the dishes were done. Some members of the crew went off for a nightcap, but for me & Beth the sleeping bags called.

    Friday

    An early 5am start! But the sight of the sun rising over a dead calm, empty Solent more than made up for it. Clare "2IC Chips Watch" decided to follow Neil's watch system (at least that's how she explained her lie in!) but everyone else was up on deck to watch the sun rise.

    Down to the Fairway buoy under motor, then up with the sails and a great sail down to Worbarrow Bay. We stopped to investigate a "Marie Celeste" on the way - a yacht with no visible crew on deck, not under motor and with sails flapping - being blown backwards onto a lee shore. They responded to a radio call with a rather begrudging thank you, and informed us that they were in a race. Rather strange way to race - drifting backwards - but we left them to their own devices. We pressed on to Lulworth Cover where we anchored with Quintessa and Loxley B, Purple Mist having nosed in and deciding not to stop. Still quite early, so bacon rolls all round for a mid-morning treat.

    Repast over, up with the sails and anchor and, more or less, a single tack all the way to Weymouth. We found Purple Mist and Quintessa already there, so rafted alongside.

    Time for an ice-cream!

    Loxley B arrived some time later, the crew opting for an extended siesta in Lulworth Cove.

    Later, everyone met up at "The Stable", a pizza, pie and cider bar above the Harbormaster's office. 25 for dinner! Clare was considering the "The Bridport Blaster", a fiery chili laden beast, but after taking advice from the staff, opted for the selection of five ciders instead (oh, and a pizza!). Rob, having no fear or perhaps acting in ignorance, went for the Blaster, only managing half of it before reaching simmering point. There followed much swapping of pizzas and tasting of ciders. Steve on Loxley B reportedly finished a whole Blaster, but regretted it the following day!

    Saturday

    Next day and the forecast was for force 5 - 7 SW. A much more leisurely start. Loxley B was first away, hotly pursued by the Habourmaster in a RIB. Steve was adamant that he just forgot to give back the "No Mooring" sign hanging from the port side, but we're convinced he wanted a souvenir.

    We slipped at midday and, despite a minor panic when the whole raft started to drift away from the pontoon, got away without incident. A quick look around the Olympic sailing area then off in the direction of Swanage with just 3/4 of the jib still giving a speed of around 8 - 9 knots.

    The big swell was a bit much for Beth, who went below to lie down and close her eyes. Many thanks to Clare and Neil for keeping an eye on her. I also was feeling somewhat green until the second Stugeron kicked in, but remained on deck (don't think I could have gone below!). Winds were constantly in the high 20's and we saw 33 knots at one point!

    We were overtaken by both Purple Mist and Quintessa so, when we rounded Old Harry rocks and ventured into Studland Bay, found both already anchored. Rob "Mechanic" Hammond's diagnosis skills were in demand as Kate's windlass failed to work and, later, when Loxley B arrived, they could not get their engine started but managed to skilfully anchor under sail.

    Time for some soup to warm up - too early for dinner yet. After a thorough but vain search for a tin opener it looked like Beth would not be able to have some of her favourite tomato soup. But then Clare kindly pointed out to me that the tins had ring pulls. Doh! Saved the day again Clare!

    Later, Rob prepared an excellent chili con carne with salad and garlic bread. Thanks Rob. Apple pie for pud, then a chance to relax and take in this wonderfully peaceful setting. The winds abated and we had a very quiet night at anchor.

    A plan was hatched to host a pre-dinner Pimms party on the boat the following day, and Clare was appointed "IC Pimms Party". Her first action was to appoint Rob "2IC Pimms Party" with special responsibility for mint chopping!

    Sunday

    Spot of breakfast, then off to Poole harbour under motor. Richard helming, dodging the chain link ferry, traffic and buoys all the way up to the Town Quay, then Clare taking us all the way back out again. Then off on a course towards Christchurch Bay.

    We had plenty of time, so an ideal opportunity to practice MOB under sail, says Neil. No objections from the crew so our "man" (the usual fender and bucket) was thrown over the side to cries of "man overboard". Clare crash tacked the boat at brought it to a stop hove-to. Our "man" drifted past frustratingly just out of reach. Never mind, wear round, go past on a reach then tack back up. While doing this we lost sight of the "man", the white fender lost amongst the many white crests. Despite tracking back and forth several times we didn't spot our "man", so if you find a fender and bucket on your travels it might be ours! A salutary reminder of how easy it is to lose sight of someone in the water.

    On to Lymington via the North Channel without further incident, mooring at 1600. Clare "IC Pimms Party", Rob "2IC Pimms Party" and newly appointed Neil "3IC Pimms Party" swung into action, with the rest of the crew chopping, slicing and sticking cheese cubes and onions onto cocktail sticks 70's style for all they were worth. At the designated 1730 crews from the other boats started to arrive, some bearing gifts. Kate had caught a mackerel on the way to Lymington and had turned it into mackerel pate on crispbread topped with olives - very skilful! The Pimms (Clare's secret recipe) flowed, the nibbles were consumed and everyone seemed to be enjoying our impromptu reception. Even Bethany had a Pimms, her first and, I suspect, not her last - Clare, what have you done!

    At 1900 all the crews congregated again for a walk to the Fisherman’s Rest pub and dinner. Neil’s navigational skills failed him on the way back to the marina afterwards, sending us down the wrong road! Perhaps he needs a chart and lateral buoys to find his way? Or maybe he didn’t allow for alcoholic leeway?

    Monday

    A low mist delayed departure, so time to swab the decks, clean below and fill the water tanks. We slipped at 1100, shortly after Purple Mist.

    We headed over to Newtown Creek, the mist bank still clearly visible towards the Needles. We tried the sails but there wasn’t really enough wind to make sensible headway against the outgoing 2kn tide. So we motored into and out of Newtown Creek (Bethany at the helm - well done!). Then back to the Hamble with the flotilla of other bank holiday sailors. A short wait for the diesel, but soon topped up and back on our berth.

    Bethany and I both thoroughly enjoyed our first trip with the RBYC. Hopefully there will be more to come. Many thanks to Neil for patiently explaining everything to us and giving us the opportunity to practice helming, navigation, etc.. Thanks also to Rob (mate and "2IC Pimms Party") for all the experience and tips passed on over the weekend. To Clare for doing an excellent job as "IC Pimms Party" and keeping us all organised with food and drink (still amazed at how you can prepare a lunch with the boat rocking and rolling!). And thanks also to Richard for being a good crew mate.

    Doug Hughes

  • The Cervantes Trophy Race – 1st Fastnet Feeder Race for the RBYC crew

    08 May 2013 09:27 | Anonymous

    This weekend saw Javelin (Sweden 39) & her merry crew do their first ever qualifying race for Fastnet 2013.  On-board there is Pete the Skipper & boat owner, Alex an experienced Fastnet campaigner as First Mate, Tanya who’s also done Fastnet before & surprised herself by deciding to do it again and John, Mike & I – who are new to Fastnet.

    We all belong to the same sailing club – the Royal County of Berkshire Yacht Club & have sailed with each other before on various trips – but never as one crew all together.

    While other boats may have set themselves the goal of winning, our priority is to challenge ourselves & enjoy doing so.  We’ve signed up to do most of the feeder races so that we can get comfortable in our roles & working together as a team.

    So how was our first race – The Cervantes Trophy Race from Cowes to Le Havre (100 miles)?  Well we didn’t come last (23rd out of 29 in our class) but I’m not sure ‘enjoy‘ is the word that would spring to the lips of everyone on board.  To be quite honest the race over was a bit of a slog  & the word that may more readily come to mind for me was ‘confused’:

    1.  Confused Sea

    Oh boy was it – we had hour upon hour of that lovely lumpy corkscrew motion on the way out (in stark contrast to the flat sea on the way back).  One of our crew quickly fell victim to it & spent the rest of the crossing murmuring sweet nothings into a bucket down below.

    Why????

    Why????

    A second managed to resist the urge initially but was eventually seasick for the first time ever.  They wouldn’t recommend it apparently!  We were able to track their progress by watching how they responded to the offer of a cheese & ham toasted sandwich (pre-made by Tanya & then just heating up on-board).  At the first attempt, they were able to open the tin foil but took one look & passed it back down below.

    Suddenly peckish

    Suddenly peckish

    However, a couple of hours later, they were heard enquiring if there were any left & then proceeded to eat 2 back to back without even heating them up.

    2.  Confused Plotting

    My job was navigator.  A course to steer was developed & off we went.  All was looking good – the helm was happy & off I went to my bunk.  Coming back on watch later in the night I had a slight coronary when I saw that the position plot for the previous hour had us way off to the East of our intended track – like WAAYY off.  Not a great start as navigator.

    I can see clearly now ...

    I can see clearly now …

    However, panic over when it came to light that there had been an error in plotting as someone couldn’t find their glasses when they went to do the log.

    3.  Confused Chart Table

    One the way out, the chart table was a source of all evil.  It managed to eat whatever you put on it or in it so it was impossible to ever find anything again – the aforementioned glasses being a case in point.

    Cookies? I also eat charts, glasses, almanacs

    Cookies? I also eat charts, glasses, almanacs

    So upon arrival in Le Havre war was declared & order brought to the offending item.  How long it lasts – we’ll have to see!

    4.  Confused Time Zone

    We were using a watch system of 3 hours on & 3 hours off with 3 people on at anytime, rotating who was on watch each hour.   The system worked well but did have some interesting effects on the crew:

    • People quickly end up on different meal times depending on what watch they’ve done.  Those who were on the 0400 – 0700 watch had had breakfast so weren’t keen when offered breakfast again at 0900 (when we woke them up due to fog).  Similarly, evidence was found in the cockpit of the mini beef pasties that had been inhaled during the previous watch 0100 – 0400!
    • You can completely miss meals.  We got into Le Havre at midnight, went to bed & got up mid morning with the intention of having fresh croissants.  However, by the time we’d actually got off the boat & showered it was midday & time for lunch.  As a result our celebratory  beer  became breakfast.

    th-384

    • Check what time zone your phone is on when using it as your alarm clock.  I bounced out of bed at 0045, got kitted out & appeared ready to relieve my husband (from his watch – keep it clean) only to find my phone was on French time vs the boat that was on British time.  I quickly became fluent in French before turning tail & getting back into my bunk .
    Wakey Wakey - not!!

    Wakey Wakey – not!!

    • So why didn’t I just start watch an hour earlier as I was up & let my hubby get an extra hours kip?  I did offer but as anyone knows the 0100 – 0400 watch is the coldest, so he insisted I went back to my bed – my hero.

    5.  Confused Weather

    What a contrast a day makes.  While the sea had been up & we had a lot more wind than was forecast on the way out, our return trip overnight Sunday was in calm conditions & very little wind.  This gave us a chance to use up some of the fuel on-board & to review how our first race had gone.  One important thing that had come to our attention was the need for some cool shoreside gear – we’d gone for a base layer that while practical simply wasn’t cool enough.

    OOh you look very smart

    Ooh you look very smart

    Fortunately a friend popped by wearing exactly what we wanted – thanks Jamie.  Tanya tracked down the item & negotiations on which colour have now begun.

    6.  Confusing Sounds.

    So we arrived back at the Isle of Wight, relaxed & content with our first feeder race to be faced with FOG & a real pea souper at that.

    I can hear something out there....

    I can hear something out there….

    Fortunately we had Tanya on-board who has the hearing abilities of a bat & was able to hear the pathetic squeak of a yacht fog horn 2 secs before it loomed out of the fog at us & avoiding action was taken.  One top tip on fog horns.  We were using ours & if we heard another horn we would sound ours again.  To note, some of the buoys in the Solent sound horns & while I’m sure they are happy to be tooted at, it can be a slight waste of your fog horn aerosol can.

    So one down.  A great trip overall & one of great contrasts.  Not least at the start when all the other boats stayed on the island side & I took us off to Gillkicker (well the tides were better there……)

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