Sailing on the River Medway

Report from Rachel Sheridan

31st March 2023

The sailing season at Wilsonian SC started on 19 February 2023 for 5 weeks with the Warm Up Race Series 2023, for those hardy sailors wanting to begin their early season racing after the break for winter and I am reminded of the poem by John Masefield, to quote ‘I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky’.

Overall there were 11 boats entered for the series including 3 x 2000 with some sailors sailing braving it for just the one race! A lapping course was set just off the club which was ideal, however on some weeks, the weather was not so ideal with very strong winds and gusts coming through. A big thank you to all volunteers in the galley, race box and safety boats and elsewhere who made the racing possible. Many congratulations to Ian Foxwell (Blaze 817) with a clean sweep of 6 wins, as overall winner of the Warm Up Series.

I was delighted when Zoe kindly invited me to crew her 2000 as my return to sailing after breaking my leg last summer; we both agreed that we would only sail the morning race on Sunday 5th March 2023 and try not to be too competitive. The sun was shining, the wind was perfect so it was looking like champagne sailing conditions. The race was great fun, we managed to fly the spinnaker and the race was an ideal length at just a few seconds over 35 minutes and one lap completed for us before the Race Officer sounded the horn as we crossed the finish line. What I should mention is the time spent in the changing rooms trying to get into and then out of my drysuit, which was almost 3 times the length of the race, followed by a slight panic as the ladies changing room door got jammed and we had to be rescued.

Very windy weather conditions on Sunday 12th March so opted for a walk around Shorne Country Park with plan to race the next week on Sunday 19th March 2023 for the last race in the Warm Up Series, once again just the morning race, sailing near the top of the incoming tide as the wind was predicted to drop off in the afternoon plus the tide would have turned. Despite a pre-race capsize practice by Nik and Anna (2000 2305), everyone got off to a good race start with Brian (Blaze 614) commenting that every time he wanted to tack he was in a pincer move with those 2000’s. Obviously this was also the start of the motorboat season as we were dodging several flotillas from Chatham Marina as we rounded the course.

Another great sailing series at Wilsonian SC and looking forward to 2023 season.

Warm Up Series Week Three

20th March 2020

Following abandonment of the final two races on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, the previous results were re-scored to include one discard. This had no effect on the finishing positions, however, and Nick Lett was a worthy winner having won all sailed races.

The first series race of 2020

8th March 2020

Day One and the first two races of the Warm-Up Series dawned with a blustery F.4 south-westerly, but also mild temperatures and for the most part sunshine.

Race 1 saw good starts from both Ian Foxwell in his new RS300 and Stuart Bailey in his RS100 with new 7.4 m mini-sail, while other competitors were still in the process of launching (despite a postponed start!). This didn't stop Nick Lett storm through in his Blaze to take the win, his experience in the MPS last year making the Blaze a relative doddle (even if that's not how he felt about it at the time!). Ian, on a steep learning curve in the 300, and Stuart suffering from a course with little opportunity to use his kite in the gusty conditions ended up second and third.

Several competitors were again late for the start in the afternoon race, when the wind was a little up on the morning. As a sporting gesture, both of the leading boats, Nick and Stuart, capsized, allowing late-starters Ian F. and Bobby Deards to close the gap. As black clouds approached in line with a forecast squall, however, Ian decided to retire and the race officer brought the race to a somewhat premature conclusion a lap later, the idea being to get people ashore before hell broke loose. In the event, the weather saw that it had done enough and promptly moderated the wind, postponing the squall for another day!

The series runs for just three Sundays this year, but with four races to go and only the best four to count, there's still all to play for.

19th March 2020

Sunday 24th March 2013

What looked last week to be a thrilling finale, was effectively decided by the weather. At 0 degrees C, with a Met Office calculated /"feels like/" temperature of -7, and gusty winds around the 4-6 level, series leaders Chris and Ian decided to stay ashore, leaving Mike Gower the need only to score a 2nd place in either of the final two (short) races, which were run back-to-back.

An early dip and long recovery with frozen extremities was enough to send Mr Gower searching for the showers, however, leaving series organiser John Hewat in the 2k, crewed this week by Jo Wicken, to battle it out with father and daughter Smith in their 800, 'just for fun'. All credit to the racers, as frankly the heater in the race box was having a tough time, despite the warming presence of a number of guests exercising the 'better part of valour'. Even more credit to Martin Vinton and Elliot Eyre in the RIB; in fact Martin deserves a special mention for manning the RIB for most of the series, and for consistently exceeding the RO's wishes by planting the marks in precisely the right place.

All of which left Chirs and Ian as series winners in the Alto, with Mike a close second.

Next week sees the start of the season proper. Surely by then the weather will have flipped back to the seasonal norm. Surely?

Sunday 17th March 2013

Absentees, returnees and new arrivals produced a different starter-field for today's races. The wind, while variable, closely reflected the forecast F3, but the rain eased earlier than expected so that by the time the competitors left the club they were bathed in subshine. Sentiments in the Race Box changed acordingly from /"don't fancy that/" to /"quite looking forward to the season now/".

Notable absentee was the series leaders' Alto, but challenger Mike Gower sportingly sacrificed 1st place in the second race to ensure that all remained to be played for in the final two races next week. At least that is how the result was explained to the reporter.

Sunday 10th March 2013

This week's races were run back to back in order to take advantage of an 11:38 high water. Placing a club buoy in Hoo Bay meant a useful length of beat into the NE wind before a reaching leg back to the club which was more kite-able some laps than others, and thus a good test of the competitors.

Mike Gower ensured that his return did not go unnoticed with two wins, while Chris and Ian in the Alto were left wondering why they couldn't have found the few seconds required to make the wins their own. Jo and Lesley in their Alto found themselves occasionally wanting in the crew-weight department, but even more so in the warmth department, and so elected to head for the showers after the first race.

Sunday 3rd March 2013

Today the weather turned a corner, and after a shaky start rewarded us with sunshine and winds up to low planing strength.

Competitors turned out in greater numbers accordingly, and there were plenty of smiles by the end of the day's sailing (actually just after14:00 following a quick lunchtime turn-around!).

Chris and Ian have taken a solid lead, but are by no means invulnerable, as today's results show.

Sunday 25th February 2013

The Warm-Up Series started this week in what would have been near-ideal conditions had the competitors ticked the 'Warm Sailing' option on their membership renewal forms.

The forecast overly-strong winds failed to materialise, leaving just enough to provide planing on the reaches without ever being over-powering. After the morning race one entrant gave up on account of the cold, however, and the other sportingly agreed not to race in the afternoon although /"it was not cold at all/" (so maybe they had ticked the option).

Next week will be much warmer (last week was much warmer, for goodness sake!), so that your agenda for the weekend is now clear: Dinghy Show on the Saturday, racing in the Warm-Up Series on Sunday. Please all sail: Mr Gower has intimated that he can only sail the last six races, so please pile up results before then to stop him winning again/as usual - the loss of Race 2 has already started to tip the scales back in his favour!

19th March 2020

Despite an unpromising forecast, competitors had a perfectly sailable day, with occasional trapezing for the final races of the Warm-Up Series, at least until the last lap or so. Plus it was warm and sunny, so there was a large turnout!

The wind shifts were huge, so that on two consecutive laps boats could be sailing in the same direction but on different tacks, which made the mark-laying work of Martin Vinton in Kittiwake particularly trying.

Mike Gower once again came out on top of the series - a just reward for the effort of organising the series for the third year running, and more directly for some consistently quick sailing. Second-placed John Hewat has agreed to do the honours next year; thanks to him in anticipation.

19th March 2020

There were pleasant conditions for week 3 of the Warm-Up Series, with a Force 3, occasional bright spells and more than adequate temperatures.

The course included a true beat and some testing, close kite legs, the latter helping to explain some surprising results. Plentiful photos have been sent out to competitors showing their moments of triumph and defeat.

Discards starting to come into effect now; all to play for next/the last week.

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Report from Rachel Sheridan

Warm Up Series Week Three

The first series race of 2020