Club History
SUMMER
2004
Dear Member
Can I start by giving a welcome to all those new members who have joined us this year. It's great to see the club growing and new members are vital to our future health.
Such a lot seems to have happened since the start of the season in March. I will try and touch upon the highlights and bring you up to speed with future events.
Easter
Saw a great turn out and some reasonable weather. On Good Friday we organised a cycle trip down the Madog Estuary to Barmouth. About twenty or so members and children enjoyed 16 miles of easy cycling and a quick drink at the George. The sailing was good and I seem to remember winning an Easter Egg.
May Bank Holiday
Saw our first major event of the year, our Open Meeting.
With 27 boats entered and winds in the F2/3 range we managed to sail on all three days getting 7 races completed. Jonathan Worthington won the event on an F18. Jonathan is one of the first junior sailors to emerge from the RYA Junior Cat Squad. Judging by the lead he enjoyed in most races it seems to have done him no harm at all.
Peter Findlay and Dave Watkins came second (saving the clubs honour).
An army of club members prepared a BBQ for over 80 people and I would like to thank these people in addition to the Safety Boat Crews who gave up their weekend to help out.
Abersoch
was the next stop on the Club Calendar. As always the week was well supported and blessed with some rather nice weather. Once again the dolphins were out in force and Linda and I were treated to a display lasting ten minutes by a pod of dolphins numbering 8 or 9, fantastic.
Commiseration’s go to Dave Park who modified his Hobie Fox mast on a mooring chain. Score Mast 0 Chain 1. Fortunately he managed to get it replaced at great cost and inconvenience, just in time for Chris Cooke to jump through the sail!! Maybe July will be a kinder month.
On June the 12th Linda and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with our friends at Bala. We issued an open invitation to all members to join us and were "Knocked out" when 52 people took up the offer. Our mini marquee could not quite cope but thanks to a beautiful summers evening all went well. Once again a big thank you to all those who helped out.
Kids
like them or hate them, we were all kids at one time (some still are). So it was my pleasure to set up a kid's weekend on June 19th and 20th.
With support from Rhos y Gwaliau out door centre, who loaned us a fleet of Toppers, we had about 14 children out on the water over the weekend.
My favourite memory is the "Topper Football" where a large marker buoy is used as a football and England played France (all over again).
It was great to see the improvement in standards from last year. With luck some will go on to crew and helm Cats in the future (many already have)
During the weekend we ran the "Junior Cup". Run over three races, including a long-distance course this was won by Johnnie Cotgreave & Steph Pearson. Tom Green and Nick Boardman were second and Kate Green and Josh were third.
We hope to develop junior sailing at the club and if anyone can offer help we would be grateful.
June 26th
Saw our Strong Wind Policy brought into play for the first time in living memory. After a lively race 1 where gusts in excess of force six were recorded. Twenty sailors stood at the point all dressed up with nowhere to go. Clearly the wind was increasing not decreasing and no matter how you held the wind speed indicator the wrong numbers were coming out of it. As a club we have a safety policy, which prevents us sailing in winds considered dangerous to the majority of sailors. While this may disappoint a few it saves a lot of damage and injury to the majority.
Not to be side lined, Ian Kirk managed to find a way onto the water, when a Nacra 6 driven by some people who are not members managed to capsize in some style leaving the helm injured. Taking the helm onto our Safety boat one could almost see the relieved looks on the faces of the remaining crew as Ian stepped aboard to take charge. Had they been members and known Ian they might not have been so happy. Single trapezing, main between his teeth, has always been a trademark of Ian's. Never happier, than "in the teeth of a gale" he proceeded to show them just how hard a Nacra 6 can be sailed! By the time they reached shore they were debating the difference between rescue and victim!
Just a quick mention to Ron Bentham and Karen and Pete Harrison and Mark Lawrence, who took part in the recent "Round the Isle of Wight Race". For those who follow the reports, you may have heard about this adventure. By all accounts this 100-mile race went off with a big bang this year. Over half the fleet were flattened by big wind and waves off the Needles. We understand Ron & Karen in particular suffered damage and quite a fright, bet Bala seems more appealing now!
Blow Up's
Our Catapult friends are joining us on the weekend of July 10th and 11th. This also coincides with our "Murder Mystery Night" Now in it's second year and brought back by popular demand. If you did not get down to see last year's performance then you must make a date this year. Based on a 60's theme, dig out those old cloths.
Commodore
Light
Winds Are Pants …… And I can Prove It!
When sat on the Point, listening to the wind howling through the rigging, do you feel the need for speed or the need for the toilet?
If the former is the only thing that will take you into the drudgery of next Monday’s meeting, then scientifically speaking, you are a hopeless drug addict and psychologically divergent from the mainstream. However, don’t worry because you are in good company. You share similar physical and mental characteristics with people such as motor sport racers, fighter pilots and gamblers – in fact anyone who self inflicts high risk, high stress situations upon themselves. This drug I mentioned is not Special Brew, but one far more addictive and thankfully naturally occurring in abundance. It is Adrenalin: the powerful ‘fight or flight’ chemical that is pumped through the body in times of high stress.
Before I wander too far from the point, let me explain what happens to your body when you next line up for a ‘Port Hand Flier’ and realise that you are alone in this method of starting.
Released from the Adrenal Gland on top of your kidneys, and once metabolised, Adrenalin will rapidly have an awesome effect on your body and unbeknown to you, prepares your systems for the blind Starboard Tacker and curiously enough, the means to get out of the way in time.
Your mental awareness is now increasing along with your metabolic rate, heart beat, blood pressure and breathing. The spleen produces more red blood cells to carry extra oxygen to the muscles and the body discharges a supply of natural pain killers called endorphins to cope with any impending injuries. Another chemical (who’s name escapes me) is released to aid blood clotting. In addition, your airways expand to allow a greater supply of oxygen and all non essential body functions such as hair growth and the production of mucus are put on hold. This would explain Mike’s condition and the compulsion for a fag and some beer when it is all over.
All of the above pushes us into a state of hyper-reality, where time appears to slow down as we react faster to cope with the extra-ordinary situation or ‘The Rush’ as it is sometimes called.
So why doesn’t everybody seek this Adrenalin hit? My only thoughts are that extreme risk takers believe in their abilities and are confident enough in their skills and ability to manage the risk involved. Some people may just not like it.
Sailing can be a dangerous sport and the consequences of getting it wrong are serious. We are all different and it is important to know the limits of your own ability. Most important of all is not to succumb to pier pressure, no one will think any less of you if you bottle it. *
So next time the Lord sees fit to ‘turn on the fans’, spare a thought for what is happening inside of you and remember……………… ‘ Last one back’s a Ho-mo!!’
* I Will
Cheers Dave
Sailing Secretary
Open
Championship. 1st/2nd/3rd May 2004.
May Day dawned as all days at Lake Bala should, bright, warm and sunny. Twenty seven catamarans started the first race in perfect conditions with a Force 2/3 blowing down from Bala town. The fleet was a mixed catamaran group, with one Olympic Tornado crewed by the very talented Chris and Mark Field from Whitstable YC; Hurricanes both standard and with the new SX rig, with travelers all the way from Minnis Bay in Kent; the home waters fleet of Inter 20’s; F 18’s; Dart 18’s; Dart 16’s; Nacra 6.0’s, with support from a single Spitfire, Shadow, Stealth and Dart 15. (Dart 16’s and Dart 15 being sailed by sailors hardly in their teens! (The Club giving very strong support to young catamaran sailors)
Race 1 was inevitably led by Chris and Mark Field, but with the local
Inter 20’s of Peter Findlay/Dave Watkins and Club Commodore Dave Walker/Mike
Pearson close on their transoms with the Nacra F18’s of Jonathan
Worthington/Tom Quayle and Robert Levy/Peter Stokes(Carsington S.C.) stalking
them, waiting for a mistake. As this regatta was run on Texel Handicap numbers
it gave much better chances to the deep dagger board boats, Inter 20’s and
F18’s, enabling their higher pointing to pay off and gain the handicap
results, with Worthington, Findlay, Walker and Levy gaining the first four
places.
Race 2 on Saturday was also sailed in similar conditions and as the all
got away first time, Findlay on Inter 20 seemed to “pop out” of the pack at
the first mark and gain and unassailable lead, both over the water and on
handicap. Certainly the Inter 20’s were quick in light to moderate breezes on
this lake where pointing ability is paramount. The Field Bros certainly cut into
the lead but it didn’t prove enough on handicap and Findlay/Watkins brought
home the Inter 20, the reliable pairing of Worthington/Quayle clinched the
second spot, Field Bros (Tornado Sport) third and the consistent Levy/Stokes
fourth again.
Sunday dawned similar to Saturday and Race 2 got underway on time at
11.00am. Results after nearly two hours of sailing were similar, except that
Findlay lost his crew on a gybe in breezy conditions, had to get spinnaker down
and then go and collect him from the water. Although this was done at quick
pace, enough time had elapsed to make them realize that this was this was their
first discard. Worthington/Quayle; Field Bros; Walker/Pearson had all done
enough. Long Distance travellers from Minnis Bay, Kevin Skinner and Mandy Cox
started their good run with a fourth placing.
Wit the wind increasing Race 4 was marred by the breakage of the bolt
holding the mast spanner on the Tornado Sport causing a retirement and keeping
them out of Race 5 which spoiled their chances for the weekend. Also as ten
leaders were going downwind on starboard with spinnakers flying at high speed, a
loan wind surfer, on port tack, decided to cut across the close packed
catamarans resulting in a capsize for Ron Bentham’s Inter 20 as he generously
decided to “bail out” rather than take the errant windsurfer with him. No
damage was done to either party. (or
boat!!) Without the Tornado Sport, the results were similar with
Worthington/Quayle really demonstrating sailing skills on their first visit to
Bala. Findlay/Watkins bounced back
with a second, proving their have boat speed when the crew stays aboard!! Two
Hurricane SX’s of Kevin and Lloyd Turner and Skinner/Cox came in third and
fourth. Race 5 was almost a repeat, but with Ollie Harris’s Shadow tying to a
second on corrected time in third place with Findlay/Watkins, Skinner/Cox second
place. By this time, the Nacra F18 of Worthington/Quayle had won the regatta
with a score of four firsts and a second to count, but were determined to enjoy
their sailing and sail in the last two races on Monday, an attitude appreciated
by all sailors!!
Race 6 on Monday morning presented race management with all sorts of
problems, the wind was swinging massively and it was difficult from a transit
line start to even decide which way to send them. Also the wind was the typical
Bala, when it blows across the lake, with huge gusts, vast holes and a nightmare
for sailors with catamarans breaking away by hundreds of yards only to be caught
as they sat in the next hole!! Also it was time to try and reduce the spinnaker
advantage and give real chances to the non-spinnaker craft. The course set did
just this and the Dart 18’s of Nathan Poulton/Sam Read (Dovestone SC) and Bala
veterans Les and Mavis Williams coming home first and second.
The final Race 7, still in very difficult winds saw Ollie Harris gain
his first place on the Shadow, needless to say Worthington/Quayle second with
local members Harrison/Jenkins bringing their Nacra Inter 18 to third for their
first podium placing.
The event was also the first Travellers Trophy event for the F18’s for
2004. Leaving Worthington/Quayle comfortable winners.
The sailors experienced Bala at its best for five races and at its most
difficult for two, but a true test of catamaran racing.
The Results:
1st Jonathan Worthington/Tom Quayle Gorleston SC Nacra
F18
6 points
2nd Peter Findlay/Dave Watkins. Bala CC.
Nacra Inter 20
15 points
3rd Kevin Skinner/Mandy Cox Minnis Bay SC Hurricane SX
18 points
4th Ollie Harris Stokes Bay
Shadow
25 points.
5th Rob Levy/Peter Stokes. Carsington Nacra F18
27 points
6th Dave Walker/Mike Pearson Bala CC Nacra Inter 20
29 points