Classic Yacht Regatta Swanning round the Fastnet Cats are soo

Autumn 2015
Masthead
The magazine of the Royal Dart Yacht Club
Classic Yacht Regatta
Swanning round the Fastnet
Cats are soo cooool!
A TERAfic Adventure
USEFUL EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE RDYC
Commodore:
[email protected]
Racing Secretary:
[email protected]
Vice Commodore:
[email protected]
Cruising Secretary:
[email protected]
Rear Commodore, House:
[email protected]
Moorings Officer:
[email protected]
Rear Commodore, Sailing:
[email protected]
Boys in Boats section leader:
[email protected]
Hon. Secretary:
[email protected]
Ladies Afloat section leader:
[email protected]
Hon. Treasurer:
[email protected]
Junior Sailing section leader:
[email protected]
Front cover:
Tera Racing
Photo: Steve Greenwood
Contents
Boys in Boats
Photo: Provident leaving Dartmouth
Sir Martin Thomas, www.dartmouthphotographs.com
MASTHEAD
Editor: Lynne Maurer
Design: Jonathan Gale at www.epic-design.co.uk
Printing: AC Print Ltd., Paignton
Advertising Manager: Angus McNicol
Pictures: Unless otherwise specified, kindly supplied by
RDYC members. Special thanks to Mike WynnePowell, Mike Green, Mike Goodearl, Clive Bennett.
Media pack available on request from [email protected]
Please note: the views expressed in this publication are
those of the individual authors – not the RDYC.
©Royal Dart Yacht Club 2015
6
Hamilton Island Race Week
10
Swanning round the Fastnet
13
Bart’s Bash 2015
16
CRAB
18
Around the Cans
20
Who would run a Regatta?
22
Cats are soo cooool!
26
Cornish Crabber
29
Avoiding Rocks
30
Cruising
31
A TERAfic Adventure
32
Dart Sailability and Junior Sailing
33
We’re all softies now…
34
Club Profile
35
Peter Fairhurst
35
Richard Stevens
36
New Chef in the Galley - Paul Hepworth
37
Atlantic Crossings in Yacht 'Emily Morgan'
38
The Social Scene
39
If it's wintertime, it's training time
40
Preparing for winter
41
Premises Development Committee
42
150th Anniversary of the Royal Dart Yacht Club
43
Obituaries & New Members
44
General Interest Winter Lectures
46
Forces get together at RDYC
47
The magazine of the
ROYAL DART YACHT CLUB
Editor’s note...
Established 1866
ADMIRAL
His Royal Highness The Prince Philip
Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GBE
PRESIDENT
The Autumn edition of Masthead is always so full of energy , mostly, of course,
because it involves Regatta . Reading the article about masterminding the event is
exhausting in itself. There is a wonderful selection of sailing tales , battening down
Mike Moody
the hatches and enjoying the companionship and culinary skills of fellow crew
FLAG OFFICERS
Commodore: Clive Bennett
members to enjoy, as well as informative pieces such as avoiding rocks. People
Vice Commodore: Tony Swainston
Rear Commodore (Sailing) : John Ellwood
Rear Commodore (House): Chris Cooper
CLUB OFFICERS
Hon. Secretary: Eddie Tomlinson
Hon. Treasurer: Martin Poole
GENERAL COMMITTEE
Membership Secretary: Chris Ensor
Catering and Hospitality Officer: Kit Noble
SIG Co-ordinator: Jayne Rawlins
play an enormous part in the life of the Club and they share their experiences with
generosity and humour. Whether it is the Fastnet or cruising the West Country
our members have a story to tell. A good read is guaranteed .
It is good to see the impact of the younger members of the Club, too. Freddie
Gillmore's success with the Teras and Emily Hodge achieving Instructor
qualifications as well as being inspirational in her sailing with Oscar Jones is
testament to the Club's commitment to up and coming talent.
CONTACT DETAILS
Royal Dart Yacht Club, Priory Street,
Kingswear, Devon TQ6 OAB
The 150th Celebrations are emerging from planning processes and gathering
energy, too. Mike Goodearl has designed an eye-catching and attractive logo that
Email: office @ royaldart.co.uk
Website: www.royaldart.co.uk
Members-only website page:
Please note that, following the launch of the
new website, the members-only section can be
reached via the link at the bottom of each page
http://members.royaldart.co.uk This will take
you to the RDYC Groupspaces site, where you
will adorn specially produced merchandise. Well done, Mike! The Provisional
Programme is looking varied and exciting. There will be much to look forward to
and, with a new Chef on board, plenty of great tasting food. Keep an eye on the
notice board and , of course, wait for the Spring 2016 Issue. A special year and a
special issue.
will need to sign in using your email address
and Groupspaces password.
USEFUL OFFICE NUMBERS
Melinda Smallwood/
Suzanne Huddart
01803 752496
Sailing Office:
01803 752704
Bar/Restaurant:
01803 752272
Lynne Maurer
Clive Bennett
Commodore, RDYC
Commodore’s
message
With all the pressures of life today and tensions in the world it is good to realise that there are still some places where
one can just relax and enjoy the good company of friends, the laughter of children, sometimes, and some good
natured competition. And your Club has been one of the best of those places this summer.
Racing has been well-supported and, in most classes, more competitive than ever. Regatta went well with everyone
smiling even after a cancelled day and the usual batch of protests. The junior sailing programme has been a sell-out
success for competitors, organisers and spectators. Ladies Afloat have never had so many enthusiastic swimmers
and picnickers and, despite the disappointing weather, all the other water-based activities have continued to have
fun in one way or another. But one of the most gratifying sights this year has been members filling the Club on Friday
evenings.
All this culminated in Bart’s Bash which was one of the best days of the year with members from all sections of the
Club enjoying a friendly race, for a very good cause, and a great social afternoon back on the Club terrace. For me it
epitomised what the Club is all about.
Of course, all this can never happen without the help of dozens of volunteers, commitment of our tremendous staff
and all those who of you who enjoy supporting your Club. Thank you to all of you.
Now our focus is moving on towards our 150th Anniversary year, which by the time you read this, will only be a few
weeks away. There are a whole range of events being planned – something for everyone and lots for most. From a
formal Cocktail party, to which we have invited our Admiral, to a treasure hunt for the kids. And a Commodore’s Cup
to a sponsored sailing experience for less privileged youngsters. We are going to need your help and it is going to
continue to be great fun and a great way to make and meet good friends.
Finally, a special welcome to all those who have joined the Club this year. I believe that the health of the Club is
dependent on a continuous influx of new members. They replace those who sadly pass away or move elsewhere and
they bring new blood, fresh ideas and enthusiasm. It is, therefore, my intention to set a challenge to recruit 150 new
members in our 150th year. Please help with this.
Commodore Clive Bennett
Boys in Boats
West Country Cruise
Tony Swainston tells the tale of
fighting inboard and outboard waters
on their voyage down the coast
I
n previous years we had all been up at first light to sail across the
Channel. This year the cruising was intended to be less taxing and so
we planned to leave for Plymouth at 10am on Saturday 23rd May giving
the crew and skipper a bit of a lie in followed by a cooked breakfast. Alas,
it wasn’t to be due to the near drowning of the Hon Secretary in the early
hours of the morning. This incident was entirely down to him. Let me
explain.
The Hon Sec (Ed Tomlinson), as per usual, brings his gear aboard
Ocean Angel early on the afternoon of the day before. He does this to
grab the best bunk in the boat ahead of his crew mates. Everyone was
sleeping soundly at around 6am on Saturday when we were rudely
woken by screams of outrage and mayhem from Ed’s cabin. First to
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Masthead
respond was Norman Doidge who discovered Ed soaking wet in his
bunk, spluttering obscenities whilst trying to grasp a plastic water pipe
writhing like a demented serpent whilst pumping hot water over himself
and his bedding. Attempts to grab the flailing pipe failed with the water
level in the cabin rapidly rising. The melée that ensued finally reached
the skipper in his forward cabin who reluctantly vacated his berth to see
what was going on. A good skipper will calmly appraise the situation
and bring the situation and his crew under control. I must admit, in all
modesty, this was accomplished without any undue panic on my part
as I flicked the switch marked “Water Pump” to the off position and the
pipe went instantly flaccid, if I may use this expression.
“What happened Ed, ” I asked, more concerned for my wet mattress
than for his own discomfort. “Well I saw that the pipe occasionally
dripped from the hot water geyser, so I give it a little wiggle!” Readers will
know doubt appreciate that the phrase “give it a little wiggle” has been
the harbinger of untold misery and havoc on mankind over the ages.
So it was on that early Saturday morning. Clothes, sheets and mattress
were dragged out and spread across the boom and decks to hopefully
dry out before we set sail. The owner of a nearby boat, observing that
Ocean Angel resembled a Chinese laundry, asked what had happened.
To which I replied “a bad case of incontinence by one of the crew I am
afraid”. He nodded in sympathy and wisely moved on without further
questions. The pipe was re-affixed to the geyser with two jubilee clips
and Ed was reluctantly persuaded to once again take up residence in his
chosen cabin. The fourth member of the crew, Ken Howard, his first trip
with Boys in Boats must have wondered what he had let himself in for.
10 am we were off! No wind whatsoever and no wet laundry to
be seen. Outside the river we met up with John Ellwood in his 39 foot
yacht, Morwenna, crewed by Mike Moody and Ted Tolliday. In vain
they flew their cruising chute and upon rounding Start Point called it
a day and turned on the engine. We did however manage a short sail
into Plymouth when the wind picked up. We elected to stay overnight
in Plymouth Yacht Haven and managed to get two berths close to each
other. Our choice of hostelry that evening was The Borringdon Arms
famous for its pies and beer. To our dismay the pub was heaving with
no chance of getting a table. The pub further along was equally busy
and so we had no option but to walk a couple of miles to the far end of
Radford Lake where there is a Balti Restaurant. The food was good and
relatively inexpensive.
Next morning we set off for Fowey. On clearing Plymouth sound
the light wind was against us and we tacked along the coast making slow
progress. I can’t remember much of the sail as I was too preoccupied with
listening on the radio to the last day of the football season with my team
Newcastle Utd. in danger of being relegated. “We will tack at half time”,
I explained from down below leaving the crew to wonder whether this
reflected good seamanship on the part of the skipper. My team won its
game and avoided relegation. In a state of elation I resumed my position
on the helm, took down all sail immediately and motored swiftly to
Masthead
7
Fowey to celebrate. Following the previous night’s disappointment, we
had reserved a table for the seven of us in the pub at Polruan. We took
the short ride by water taxi, which cost a small fortune, and a warning
that the taxi finished before closing time.
Morwenna left an hour before us the next morning and headed
for Falmouth. A fine wind enabled Ocean Angel to steer a close-hauled
course down the coast. There were many yachts out on this lovely
sunlit morning and it was sailing at its best. We were not of course
racing but we couldn’t allow any following boat to overtake and the
helm concentrated intently on gaining ground to windward. All too
quickly the Fal Estuary opened up and we tacked upwind dropping
sails at the channel leading to Falmouth docks and marina. We moored
alongside Morwenna which was already tied up at the Town marina. We
had agreed we would have a day’s stopover and everyone was free to
spend the time as they wished. For some this was a visit to the Maritime
Museum, the chance to view the two J class yachts on the quayside and
for others a mooch around Trago Mills in search of that exclusive gift for
those back home (get a life guys!)
We found a good pub where we could all sit down, (well most
of us are getting on a bit) which was to be our 'local' for the next two
nights. We enjoyed excellent fish and chips on the first evening and an
outstanding meal, albeit slightly expensive, near to the Marina on the
second evening.
Morwenna’s masthead light was not working and Ted Tolliday
volunteered to be hauled up the mast to fix the problem. So we had one
willing worker and another six supervising where no supervision was
needed. A variety of bulbs from Ocean Angel’s vast store of handy items
were tried. The problem turned out not to be the bulb but the contacts
which required attention. Ted was returned to terra firma having
successfully carried out the repair with a slightly superior demeanour
to those of us who couldn’t climb the mast if our lives depended upon it.
Wednesday morning brought fine sunny weather with a lovely
breeze and the prospect of a memorable sail back to Plymouth. It was
all very relaxing, the wind on the beam, a flat sea and a steady five knots.
We spotted a kayak on our port bow when several miles off land. To our
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Masthead
surprise the kayaker put on a spurt and came across to us taking station
just a few inches from our stern where it took less effort to maintain
speed. Somewhat bizarrely we chatted to him for some time. He was
on a circumnavigation of the UK, having already done this once before.
He was clearly extremely competent and could maintain 5 knots quite
easily even whilst eating his lunch! We enjoyed his company for about
two hours before he turned landwards to meet his support team. As the
day wore on the wind came from behind and we rolled our way into
Plymouth Sound. With Morwenna we made our way through the lock
into Sutton Harbour. Mike Moody found a Turkish restaurant in the
Barbican which provided huge portions of food which we all thoroughly
enjoyed.
Morwenna elected to sail directly on Thursday morning to
Dartmouth. Ocean Angel having a little more time to spare and, acquiring
an additional crew member in Plymouth, Andy Davies, decided to have
a night or two in Salcombe. We were aware that the next day’s forecast
was for strong winds so we had to be flexible. Again the wind was from
behind and the last four miles were extremely uncomfortable. Salcombe
was expectedly busy but we were shown to a vacant buoy. The forecast
wind began to materialise later in the afternoon and we declined the
harbourmaster’s offer of a more sheltered berth in The Bag. We took the
water taxi ashore, half the price of Fowey, had a good meal and a good
night’s sleep despite the rising wind whistling through the rigging.
Friday morning was wild. Yachts were veering two and fro on
their moorings. Ocean Angel, having a long keel and lots of weight
remained steady throughout. We took the water taxi to the Yacht Club
for lunch and afterwards were relieved to find the winds had abated
considerably. At 4pm we decide to poke our nose out of the estuary to
see what conditions were like. The sea was rough, the wind 20 knots
from behind. Under reefed genoa alone we ran for Start Point making
7 knots and more. Rounding the Point we hardened sheets and saw no
need for the mainsail as our speed under genoa was easily maintained.
We arrived at the entrance to The Dart in just over two hours from
leaving Salcombe. A great sail to end a great week.
Tony Swainston
The wind in your sale.
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07807 999406
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[email protected]
Hamilton Island Race Week
Prepare for Ashley Bower to make you green with envy or maybe green
from over exertion with his down under experience.
L
ike many good things, it started in the pub. A year or so ago I was
competing in a regatta in the Solent where I met a chap called
Ossie. It turned out that Ossie had chartered his boat to an Australian
chap David and they needed a Bowman to join them for the Voile de St.
Tropez. It was in the Hotel Sube bar during the post-race G&T sampling
and race debrief that David mentioned Hamilton Island Race Week. I
thought little of it, but a year later I was in the lounge waiting to board
the plane to Sydney.
On landing in Sydney I met David and the tour began, Champagne
breakfast at Manly beach followed by a tour of Sydney harbour and
out to sea for some impromptu whale watching. The next morning
we met some more of the crew and boarded another plane to fly
North to Mackay to join ‘Vamp’, a Corby 49 and sail the last 50 miles
to Hamilton Island. The approach into Hamo was fantastic with plenty
of tree-covered islands rising from a very blue sea. We also saw some
more whales although it only resulted in photos of sea where the whale
used to be! As we got closer to the island the converging of competing
boats became apparent and seemed to create and air of pre-Regatta
excitement. Seeing the competing boats also gave some idea of the
10
Masthead
competition and the type of fleet that we were going to be in, there were
several Farr 40’s, TP52’s and some more exotic mini-maxi’s of which the
canting-keeled ‘ Wild Oats’ was one.
The first few days on Hamo were largely taken up with some last
minute boat prep, settling into the apartments, exploring the island and
acquainting ourselves with the local establishments. Getting around the
island was a novelty in its self as there are no cars on the island as such.
Instead everyone gets around on a golf buggy with the occasional bit of
hitching. One afternoon I went to Catseye beach for some snorkelling
around the beach reef. Although everyone continued to tell me that
it was winter and the water was cold, at 23-25 degrees and sunny,
winter seemed perfectly pleasant to me. I also thought the water was
reasonable and was able to get in some good snorkelling and see plenty
of fish, the colours of which I had never seen before.
Over the first couple of days, the boat and the crew all came
together and we were able to get in some practice to familiarise the new
additions to the team (myself included) and to look at the new sails. It
also gave our navigator a chance to check the current against the charts
and generally familiarise ourselves with the local conditions. It was
also my first opportunity to really look at the islands and see just how
incredible the sailing area was. Time to get on the racetrack!
The conditions were looking good for the first day with 15-18knots
of breeze, and although a bit overcast, it was still 23 degrees. I assumed
my usual position as Bowman and plugged in the No. 2 jib for the prestart jostle. The first start was downwind between Hamilton and Dent
Island, the gun went, the kite launched, jib dropped and straight into a
gybe. Now settled on a port hand broad reach towards Henning Island
the breeze increased and weight on the rail was essential and required
our grinder James to leave the coffee grinder to allow the lightest person
to take his place – I was now head down over the coffee grinder, wearing
far too many clothes and getting cross with my hat which found the
short route down the hatch to the bilges! This was a fairly relentless start
to the regatta. Our efforts were only rewarded with a 3rd, which was ok
but didn’t get anyone too excited. Still I took away two main things from
day one…. I prefer being a bowman to grinding and that sailing in Aus
was hot! Shorts from now on!
Day 2 saw us motor to the other side of Hamo to find the race start
area. As we motored North we passed Plum Pudding Island and through
the narrow gap (and reef) between Fitzalan Island and George Harrison
old ‘Shack’. Our sailing area was to the North West of Hamo, between
Pentecost and Whitsunday Island and in the vicinity of ‘Surprise
Rock’. As the name may suggest, it is a semi submerged outcrop in the
middle of a fairly open stretch of water that has been known to cause
the occasional ‘surprise’. The Australians do seem to have a way with
names!
The day consisted of two windward-leeward races, which suited
the Vamp team far better and we achieved two race wins – a much better
day on the water.
The 3rd day was another day of 15 knots and sunshine (but it still
wasn’t getting boring). The first race of the day was another WW-LW,
however this was not as successful. A less favourable start saw a slow
launch off the line with a slower but higher pointing boat beneath us.
We could not generate the pace and could not tack off. Bugger! The only
saving grace from this race was that while sailing downwind on the final
leg we sailed past a sea turtle.
The second race of the day was a short ‘island-hopper’ with
several different angles of sail ad subsequently several headsail changes
and spinnaker peels – all followed with the now familiar request for the
bowman to ‘politely’ hurry up and complete the peel and get back and
‘*******’ GRIND! Again. And then go for another peel! This race finished
between Hamo and Dent Island and off the very stylish Hamilton Island
Yacht Club which was apparently inspired by a whale! The added benefit
of finishing here is a short trip back to the dock and the bar. Tomorrow
was lay-day so definitely beer-o’clock!
A quick post-sail debrief was followed by racing (of a sort – the
buggy’s would only do 20mph)! up the hill to the cocktail bar at the top
of ‘One Tree Hill’ to watch the sunset across the Whitsundays. Stunning!
Needless to say, the walk back to the apartments seemed a lot longer
without the buggy’s!
The very welcome lay-day started at lunch time with typical
Aussie fare of a huge BBQ and plenty of beers! The stereotype of Aussies
with beer and bbq is true. I think something (mainly steak) was cooked
on the bbq every night! The rest of the lay-day was filled with more
cocktails and questionable dancing at the pool party at Catseye beach!
Fortunately the early start lead to an early finish so no hangover on the
following day.
On the penultimate day of racing we had more short ‘island-
hopper’ races. The conditions did not play to Vamp’s strengths and we
could only manage another 3rd. the following race (race 7) was more of
the same in terms of conditions but a very aggressive start and a good
tactical call saw us take advantage of some local current effects and take
a huge lead. Unfortunately, the entire fleet sailed into a hole which saw
us trading places with the maxi-yachts as each boat got its vesper of
breeze only to get pulled back by the current. Unfortunately this was
also true for the smaller boats and they were able to catch up. It seemed
very similar (albeit warmer) to a river race. As the breeze filled in, the
race effectively restarted but taking no account of the previous hour
drifting, again Vamp could only manage a third.
The final day of racing started like something more akin to the
British Summer. Not overly warm and drizzling! Still, the starting area
was quite a sceptical with most of the 200 boats in the same starting
area. While the individual fleets had slightly different courses and
start times, most of the boats converged in a narrow passage between
Lindeman and Shaw Island, which made for lots of short tacking and
carefully picking the lanes of clear-ish air. After bearing away around
Lindeman, the sun came out and the breeze dropped. A long downwind
leg saw some close gybing with other boats and then a battle to avoid
the current by getting within touching distance of Dent Island which
provided great excitement for the last race of the regatta. Vamp achieved
another 1st which was an excellent finish to the regatta although it
meant that we were beaten by 1 point to finish 2nd in class. Annoying.
Still, the Regatta was fantastic with some great sailing in an
amazing part of the world. Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays look as
good, if not better than the brochures. Hamilton Island and title sponsor
Audi (who put in AUS$4 million of sponsorship… you could even win a
car) put on a great show with some excellent parties!
After the event I flew to Cairns for a couple of days diving on the
Great Barrier Reef. I had never dived before and it was amazing to see
the reef from beneath and learning to dive was great fun. I stayed on the
reef overnight so was able to see all of the colours during the day and the
sharks and predators at night. I even found Nemo! He was just down on
the reef hiding and observing the tourist and a slightly hungover sailor!
As my trip drew to a close I had a final 3 hour internal flight
(Australia really is massive) from Cairns back to Sydney from where I
flew home. Landing on the Saturday morning I was able to get back to
the RDYC for the Saturday evening party and Antigua Joe! – The Jetlag
can wait!
By Ashley Bower
Masthead
11
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Masthead
Swanning
round
the Fastnet
Neil Millward writes an article that draws you into the cockpit and forces
you to take part in this iconic race as you keep an eye on the competition
whilst waiting for the mouth-watering offerings from the galley.
T
he Runnel Stone buoy is one of those decisive points in an offshore
race around Lands End and across the Celtic Sea that puts you on
your mettle. Last year, as Peter Robson and I approached it during the
Triangle Race, we had a short-term tactical decision to make: keep the
kite up and hope for a lift or drop the kite and be sure of rounding the
buoy, but at a slower speed.
This year, during the Fastnet Race aboard Lulotte, Ben Morris and
I were debating a more strategic issue: whether to go north between
the Longships Reef and the Lands End Traffic Separation Scheme (an
“obstruction” in the RORC Sailing Instructions) or continue West against
the foul tide in very light winds, as the boats ahead of us were clearly
doing. They were expecting a freshening breeze from the West. We
knew we would get a North-going tide through the Longships channel.
We went for it and reckoned afterwards that it had paid us. But how had
we got into this catch-up situation in the first place and how come I was
there anyway?
Let’s skip back a few months to the start of the 2015 Offshore
Racing Season. Ben had decided on a Fastnet campaign and aimed
to improve substantially on his showing in 2013, when Lulotte had
managed only to be near the top of the bottom half of the fleet. A tactical
error at Lands End had been crucial in this showing, adding spice to our
discussion as we approached the Runnel Stone.
A Fastnet campaign is just that. It’s not just a single race. It’s a
series of qualifying races and other stringent requirements that aim to
ensure that the yacht and its crew are capable of coming through the
sort of conditions that led to the 1979 Fastnet tragedy when fifteen
people died. As it happens, I have sailed the yacht that won that race:
Tenacious, a Sparkman & Stephens (S&S) 63-foot Outright Ocean
Racer. I have also done two Fastnet Races in much smaller boats and
counted myself lucky that those treacherous conditions of 1979 were
not repeated. But Lulotte comes from the same stable as Tenacious.
She is a Swan 55, designed by S&S within a few years of her larger sister
Tenacious and inspiring the same confidence in her seagoing abilities.
So when Ben asked me to join his Fastnet campaign I had no hesitation.
Our two qualifying races were the RORC Cowes – Le Havre and
North Sea Races. Both involved extensive deliveries and long overnight
sails in May. The crew got to know each other. Some had raced with Ben
before; others like myself were new to the boat but brought experience
from other quarters. Besides being keen offshore racers we shared a
common interest in good food and Ben’s long-term friend Dan turned
out some amazing meals in the most difficult circumstances to earn the
admiration of the whole crew. Cooked breakfasts were routine and hot
dishes from a wide repertoire gladdened our hearts at dinner time. So,
several trolleys full of provisions arrived at Darthaven Marina with Dan
before we set off for the Solent in early August. Just five of us did the
delivery to Ocean Village in Southampton and we each salivate at the
memory of the two ribs of beef that Dan roasted for dinner on the way.
Masthead
13
In Ocean Village, the day before the Fastnet start, we were moored
very near the 100-foot modern racer Leopard and the elegant J-Class
replica Ranger. Their professional crews’ uniforms contrasted somewhat
with our anarchic amateur chic, but at least we managed a photo in our
newly-acquired Lulotte shirts.
Next morning it was out into the Solent for a light-wind, down-tide
start with 90 boats edging towards the line at the same time as us! This
is an awesome scene and it’s wonderful to be part of it – especially in a
boat that attracts so many admiring comments. Ben was cautious .There
was no point in pushing the line when you’ve got 605 miles to go! We
rubbed our hands at the few individual recalls after our start and settled
down to a nice beat down the West Solent in an increasing breeze, a
favourable tide and sparkling sunshine. Comanche and the other big
boats vying for line honours overtook us before the Needles, but as the
breeze gradually dropped we were confirmed in our expectation that
we wouldn’t make Portland Bill before the tide turned foul.
By nightfall we were struggling to make progress. Every available
warp was laid out and joined together in case we had to kedge in 60
metres of water. The lights of other boats suggested that some indeed
did so. With 2 or 3 knots of wind it was marginal. We kept sailing. One
yacht (we discovered later) strayed into the Casquets TSS and was
awarded a 20% penalty! We tacked to avoid it and later in the night
were glad to feel the freshening breeze on our quarter: kite and mizzen
staysail weather!
Weather routing software indicated that the better breeze would
continue to be in mid-Channel and we followed this guidance, leaving
Start Point some 10 miles off. Gradually we watched boats inshore
creeping ahead, particularly two famous Sparkman and Stephens
yawls: Dorade (the 1931 and 1933 overall Fastnet winner) and Stormy
Weather (the 1935 winner). These wonderfully restored, big budget
classics became our yardsticks for the rest of the race and they had
clearly made the right call, going inshore for the afternoon sea breeze.
But never mind, we were enjoying perfect sailing conditions: bright
sunshine, flat water and a soldier’s breeze (F3).
Of course, it couldn’t last. As evening approached the glorious
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reach turned into a beat and the wind gradually died. We edged past
the Lizard an hour after midnight, heading for the Runnel Stone buoy
and that big decision about when to turn into the Celtic Sea. By the time
we had crossed Mounts Bay we were committed to the inshore route.
The sun rose spectacularly and our spirits lifted with it. But we realised
that if this gamble didn’t pay, we would be firmly confined to the bottom
half of the fleet, along with Gryff Rhys Jones’s Argyll, another S&S classic
yawl that was stuck at the Lizard in six hours of foul tide.
From Lands End to the Fastnet Rock is 170 miles. It’s very open water.
Almost every sea state imaginable can be manifested here. But we were
blessed with a pussy cat. After the morning’s zephyrs the afternoon saw us
beating in 6 to 9 knots with a consort of playful dolphins and by nightfall
we were fetching in F5-6. A veer to the NW was forecast but the timing was
uncertain. We sailed high to get above the rhumb line in case the veer came
before we reached the Rock. The dolphins reappeared, leaving long trails of
phosphorescence as they raced alongside us. With the increasing wind and
sea, the early morning watch all succumbed to seasickness and sailed lower
than intended, so that we had to beat the last 10 or 15 miles to the Rock and
concede a few more places. But finally, we turned the corner at 1150 on the
Wednesday, nearly 3 days after the start. There was jubilation amongst the
crew, an ambition achieved and a worthy one too.
But how were we doing? Well, lots of high-tech electronic devices
sought to answer this as we trimmed our downwind sails and headed
for the Bishop’s Rock at the western extremity of the Scilly Isles. But,
unsurprisingly, G3 and G4 coverage doesn’t extend to the Fastnet Rock
so the techies were none the wiser. I phoned Pam on my ancient Nokia
mobile. We were 120th out of 310 starters - not a great result, but leaving
plenty of room for improvement.
At this point Lulotte took over. Designed for reaching, the yawl rig
comes into its own when the mizzen staysail can be set. It’s an easy sail
to hoist (once you know how to lead the sheet and halyard through the
maze of stays, runners and sheets around the cockpit) and it generates
lots of drive without greatly increasing the boat’s heel. We set it after
rounding the Rock and dropped it after the finish.
As the afternoon wore on into evening we started overtaking
boats. Spirits were lifted by Dan’s special dinner to celebrate our
homeward course: roast lamb of exquisite flavour and tenderness with
typically exotic vegetables. The lights of other boats periodically turned
from white to red or green, an encouraging sight. We were somewhat
spooked by a yacht with no lights that we could see close-by on the
AIS (her generator had failed, apparently). At some stage during the
night the big red spinnaker decided it had had enough and opened a
seam. (Ben said later that it was thirty years old and Ed and I had fond
memories of taping up a dozen or so holes in it earlier in the season.) So
the recently-made, but slightly smaller, asymmetric spinnaker served us
well for the rest of the race, all down wind. On a beam reach we set it on
a tack strop from the bow; with the wind further aft we set it on the pole
like a conventional kite.
By the time we were approaching the Bishop Rock at the western
extremity of the Scillies we could see Sarabande on our AIS plots. She
was the boat we had to beat: an S&S Swan 47 with an IRC rating almost
identical to ours. We had crossed tacks with her in St Austell Bay, but she
had pulled ahead and we lost sight of her on the plotter. Now, passing
Bishop Rock after dawn on Thursday, we reeled her in.
It became a drag race to the Lizard and from there a straight course
to within a mile of the finish. Long hours of broad reaching at 8 knots or
so with four or five sails to trim all the time. With five people on watch
there’s always something to do and the helming can be quite physical.
In those conditions an hour on any job is enough and it’s important to
rotate jobs. Exciting as the sailing was, four-hour watches in daytime
and three-hour watches at night often brought welcome rest below or
relaxation on deck.
But as we neared Rame Head and the Plymouth breakwater all
the crew were on deck and in buoyant mood. We had overtaken dozens
of boats since the Rock and we were hopeful of a substantially improved
position. So it turned out. When the final results were posted we were
in the top third of our class and 69th out of 310 overall, putting us
comfortably in the top quarter of the whole IRC fleet and twelve places
above Sarabande.
Over the celebratory refreshments the buzz was, ‘what was the
best bit of the race for you?’ For some it was rounding the Rock, for others
the dolphin and whale sightings, for others the pleasure of a really neat
spinnaker gybe. All these were good for me too. But my special joy was
helming this beautiful thoroughbred classic yacht in a stiff breeze and
a sparkling sea with the log reading 9 knots or more. Thank you, Ben!
By Neil Millward
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15
At Dartmouth: 26 boats, over 100 sailors, 208,012 metres sailed, £650
raised... While Worldwide: 11041 sailors at 468 venues in 62 countries
sailing 23 thousand kilometres, raising £45,000 and still counting.
O
n a day of remembrance when Hurricanes and Spitfires flew
over London, Bart’s Bash 2015 remembered one of Britain’s great
Olympic sailors, Andrew Simpson. Known universally and inevitably as
‘Bart’, Andrew won Gold as crew with Iain Percy in the Star Class at the
Beijing Olympics in 2008. He went on to crew in the run up to the 2013
America’s Cup with the Swedish Artemis Team but died when the AC72
Catamaran capsized in San Francisco Bay in May 2013. In his memory,
the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation transforms the lives of young
people through sailing.
So as the sun appeared through the early morning mist, on a
Sunday in September, crews assembled, boats rigged, engines started
and in a light South Westerly, they all emerged from the River Dart
making for the Homestone start line. Ranging in size from a Devon Yawl
to Pazienza, a 59 ft classic yacht, the scene was set for a good day’s racing.
The beat against the tide to No 1 buoy challenged the cruisers,
gaffers and small boats but as the wind freed on the reach to No 3 and
spinnaker run back to Homestone the sail became really enjoyable. As the
tide eased and the wind backed a few degrees south the next beat became
a little less taxing. Twenty one of the fleet completed the full course, while
average lap times meant every boat finished and got a result.
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In the end Avrio, now in the ownership of Maxine and Jerry
Round-Smith beat the much lighter J24 Jiggy (Mike Mackie and Roger
Nuttall) into second place. Third went to the much, much heavier (32
tons) Pazienza, the Laurent Giles 59ft Classic. Full results are on the
RDYC website and a slightly different version on the Bart’s Bash website
(they use a different handicap system).
So what made Bart’s Bash special? Was it paying tribute to a great
sailor? The biggest weekend turnout of the season? The variety of boats
racing? The rivalry? The Boat crews trying their hand at racing, some
for the first time? The money raised for charity? The barbecue on the
terrace afterwards?
It was the culmination of a great weekend of events (The Autumn
Cup on Saturday afternoon, Clive’s Bash to celebrate a commodore’s
milestone on Saturday evening, and the BBQ). The club at its best. And
some young people will get a taste of this great sport with our help.
Many thanks to all who raced, to Mike and Ruth Green manning
the Committee Boat, David and his team for feeding us, Commodore
Clive for helping with the fundraising, and the whole Bart’s Bash Team.
See you for Bart’s Bash 2016 on 17th September.
Norman Doidge, Race Officer for Bart’s Bash
0845 2700 217
www.chatham.co.uk
Masthead
17
John Miller involves us in his enjoyment of sharing some great sailing in
French waters with a few ‘classic’ moments.
T
he bi-annual Classic Channel Regatta “CRAB” got off to a flying
start with a reception for the eighty five competing boats from
five countries and their crews at RDYC in early July. As new owners of a
Laurent Giles classic 35’ and 10 ton sloop “Great Days” we were excited
to be involved. The Parade of Sail led by the Kingswear Castle down the
Dart provided a spectacular opening to the two days of the Dartmouth
Classics racing in Start Bay. The Market Square provided an unusual but
lively setting for the evening entertainment complemented by local
shanty music.
As with many Regattas over a week long , you can expect all types
of weather, so the start of the overnight race to Paimpol was delayed due
to strong winds and proved yet again that many classic boats are often
stronger than their crew! A French competitor lost his backstay and the
night was punctuated with pan pan relay messages as they only had a
mobile phone and hand held VHF on board!
Ironically, by the time the Regatta arrived in the Channel Islands
the Round Sark Race was cancelled due to lack of wind and strong 6
knot tides.
Perhaps the highlight of the Regatta was the arrival of the Parade
of Sail into Paimpol. It was now July 14th, the French National Day,
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and large crowds lined the locks applauding
every arrival accompanied by a Breton pipe
band. On Great Days we had Vernon Taylor
and Colin Holmes as cheer leaders on deck
and on the lock our “ground crew” had arrived
including Jane and Rozanthe having made the
journey by car ferry to join the celebrations.
A well-organised berthing operation saw us
berthed seven deep against another RDYC
based classic Mat Ali with Charlie and Mary
Hussey ready to take our lines.
After a day’s rest, the race around the Isle of
Brehat proved to be a tricky navigation exercise
with so many hidden and some uncharted rocks.
By now, having become more familiar with Great
Days, our performance had improved from the
first race. Rather unkindly the committee boat
had enquired on M1, “has that boat with the
red sails got anything to do with us, as we are
waiting to go home”. Thanks again to Ian and Jo
McClelland for supporting our late arrival and all
the other RDYC race volunteers.
What proved to be the last race of the
Regatta from Paimpol to St Peter Port saw
more of a race against the dying wind and
strong tides through the aptly named Plateau
des Roches-Douvres. We did, however,
manage to win the race and make the pub
before closing time. The prize-giving at the
Castle Cornet provided a stunning backdrop
and several classics, well-known locally, such
as Kelpie, Pazienza and Lulotte all picking
up prizes. Great Days finished in mid table,
mainly for turning up, but we all had great fun
confirming the CRAB regattas reputation as
the “friendly games”.
Like any good trip the post Regatta
blues have been softened by the anticipation
of the next event. The RDYC Classics are being
held in mid July 2016 in our special 150th
Anniversary year – I doubt any of the boats
will be that old but looking forward to seeing
a great turn out!
A bientot
John Miller
Photos: courtesy of Mike Wynne Powell more at http://tinyurl.com/CrabRegatta2015
Masthead
19
Two classics - Edward & Sally Benthall's Talisker Mhor & John & Jane Miller's Great Days approaching the finishing line during a Saturday pursuit race.
the Cans
The 2015 racing season is drawing to
an end and, at the time of writing this
article, there are only three Sunday
Autumn Series races left.
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Masthead
T
he weather gods have been kind for the 2015 season with only two
races having to be cancelled due to either too much or no wind.
The Clubs’ racing fleet continues to evolve and the results have
reflected this with two designs largely dominating - J24’s in Class 1 and
Devon Yawls in Class 2. A regular turnout by the squib fleet provided
some close and exciting racing.
Overall, racing was competitive and in good spirits with efficient
race management setting varied and challenging courses. As ever
thanks goes to Club members and colleagues for providing taxi services
and Les Hurst for giving invaluable race management support. A big
thank you also goes out to this seasons’ sponsors – Darthaven Marina,
Baltic Wharf & Nonsuch House.
The Hall of Fame
Wednesday Series Overall
Class 1
1st
Area 51
Savage, Rogers & Greenhalgh
2nd
Jiggy
Mike Mackie & Roger Nuttall
3rd
JaXXiva
Hugh Conway & Joe Barrett
Class 2
1st
Eider Duck
Robert Thomas
2nd
Two’s Company
Mike Bennett
3rd
Jack
Martin & Sue Thomas
1st
Mimosa
Simon Unwin & Judith Thomas
2nd
Corsair
David Biddle
3rd
Atom
Mark Simpson
Squibs
Taken on the last Wednesday evenings racing.
A total of 36 boats competed on Wednesday evenings with a
cumulative crew of around 130.
Well done to all who competed and we look forward to seeing you
out on the water next year.
The Saturday pursuit races have been blessed by some great
weather and, although turnouts have been low, everyone has enjoyed
the relaxed format of racing. The Sunday Series is still developing and
provided we can get enough Club support, we hope to have a headline
sponsor for next year's events.
Racing Support
We are very keen to help the fleet grow and to support members’
participation into racing. With this in mind we will be hosting a couple
of seminars as part of the Winter Lectures and we intend to improve the
communications around the ‘crew available pool’. Check forthcoming
emails for more details.
As part of our 150th anniversary celebrations next years’ racing
programme includes a number of additional racing events which we
hope as many Club members as possible will participate in and enjoy.
If you have any queries about club racing or comments on how
we can develop it further please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Don’t forget the Racing wrap-up meeting on Wednesday 14th
October where you have an opportunity to air your views and thoughts
on club racing and also Prize Giving on 14th November.
“My goal in sailing isn't to be brilliant or flashy in individual races,
just to be consistent over the long run.”
Mark Ashton
Area 51 always up for a laugh.
Masthead
21
22
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Not sure who would be rushing to fill the shoes of someone who has to
willingly put themselves in the firing line to such a degree that an alien
abduction seems to be the only way out.
L
ate August 2014, the Regatta had come to a close and the washup period had to start. The aim was to identify the problems that
arose, and take action to ensure they were not repeated. In addition, we
had to ponder the improvements that we wanted to implement with
the ever-present concern that we were struggling to make ends meet.
The Committee got together: by constitution it is a sub-committee of
the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta and has a representative of all
three clubs Colin Bower (RDYC), Trevor Phillips (DYC) and Colin Holmes
(DSC) who is also the treasurer. In addition, there is Ian Morton, the
Sailing Secretary; Janie Harford is the Awards Manager; Kate Brown is
the PR Manager and there is a Chairman. In support there are several
non-voting individuals: Trevor Reed for Junior sailing, Colin Holmes
for the Seniors, Roger Baron as the JRSC's Bosun, Phil Charlesworth
is the IT mastermind, Barbara Forey is the Entries Secretary and Peter
Forey manages the results. Jan Carter manages the website. All of these
persons work throughout the year to make the Regatta the event that it
is. And ,of course, there is Melinda to keep us on track!
For 2013, the profit and loss account showed a net gain of £800
with a turnover of £33K: entry fees provided just £24.5K. The Chairman's
perennial concern is that the annual increase in expenses is a given, so
how does one grow the income or, should we cut costs and maybe even
downsize the Regatta? The final financial position does not become
clear until much later in the year, so initial debate on where to go for
the following year is undertaken with a degree of uncertainty. In fact, in
2014 the revenue from entries increased, but overall income went down
which reflected the difficulty in attracting sponsorship. Costs also rose
as expected and, added to the expenditure on some initiatives (such as
development of the website and provision of on-line entry) deemed
essential for the evolution of the event, the net result was a loss of £5.5K.
Clearly, we had to be far more vigorous in our approach as we looked to
2015!
The optimist would look to attract more entries as well as
cutting costs where practical without endangering the quality of the
service. A more austere approach might be to cut the cost of assets
and resources and reduce from three courses to two with the possible
consequence of a limit on the number of entries. For 2015, optimism
abounded and we quickly attracted the interest of the fast-growing
J70 class who wanted to hold their National Championships as an
element of the Regatta. It would be some six months of negotiations
and planning before this idea came unstuck because the crews found
they could find no accommodation available during the regatta period,
something we all might have foreseen. At the same time, negotiations
were underway with the Old Gaffers Association, hoping to rekindle
their interest in attending the Regatta in larger numbers. Eventually
there were fourteen entries but only six turned up to race, and we
provided a unique committee boat, Race Officer and support team. We
were also hopeful that the 'Bank Holiday Monday' factor might kick in
and generate an increase in entries, a hope that was not fulfilled. Other
strategies included a review of the cost of the volunteers, and a more
focused approach on the hunt for sponsors and advertising revenue.
Around about Easter, we shifted the emphasis from the long
distance strategic thinking to the detailed planning for the forthcoming
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23
event. Many elements of the Regatta are already finely tuned and very
well managed: both Trevor and Colin have little need of input from anyone
else to make their dinghy events the great success that they always are.
The Chairman and Kate interacted with the Port of Dartmouth Regatta
Committee to ensure that Sailing got its fair share of coverage and that
the detail in the various publications was accurate: this is always much
more of a challenge than it might appear! Janie spent hours trying to
round up the trophies, get them engraved, polished, labelled and back
to the club ready for this year's presentations. Ian poured over the NORs
and SIs throughout the year, liaised with the ROs and with Stephen
Procter, our protest guru and sailing rules adviser, and tried to identify
every syllable that any legal beaver who happens to own a boat might
find fault with. Jan fine-tuned the now very attractive website that has
been her pet project for a couple of years and continued to interact with
the Twitter and Facebook social networks. Phil progressed the on-going
evolution of the on-line entry and results system that are crucial to the
provision of real time data on the main website. In the weeks preceding
the event, Barbara processed the entries as they came and Phil and the
Chairman engaged in the annual battle of the Handicaps: the attempt
to convince all entrants to come with either an IRC ticket or a bona fide,
boat specific, recent and accurate Byron handicap, and then to enter the
appropriate class and provide a sail number! Quietly in the background
with a minimum of fuss, Roger, the bosun, in negotiation with Ian,
prepared all the kit required for setting up the courses and undertook
his annual negotiation with the club on where he can store gear and
manage the logistics on the day. The clock ticked on and all of a sudden,
the Regatta was here.
August 2015
The Senior and Junior Dinghy events get under way at Dittisham
and the RDYC respectively with rowing heats off the embankment, five
days before the formal opening of the Regatta. Trevor has an increased
entry in the Juniors and inspires his team through some difficult weather;
at Dittisham, the Trophy Manager wins one of the PY races and the
Chairman comes second overall in the Senior PY series: smiles all around.
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Masthead
Wednesday arrives, and the ladies are busy in the Registration
Office handling all sorts of queries and welcoming everyone as they
arrive. The Passage Race gets underway but the smiles disappear as it
becomes evident the Race Officer and Committee Boat have not been
able to get out and record the finish for a second year running: the
Chairman is close to apoplexy and is contemplating Hari Kiri. Forward
thinking by Ian has covered our backsides with the legal clauses in the
Rules of Racing and the Sailing Instructions, but the JRSC's reputation
has taken a huge knock. Trevor runs a fantastic Demonstration Race
with a phenomenal turnout by club members.
Thursday and the usual chaos of the first day of racing in the bay
ensues. With everybody launched on time, Neville McKay has to take
Roger for a calming breakfast away from the premises to recover his sang
froid! The racing is a success and in the afternoon the club is aglow with
happy faces: Peter Johnson reports that it has been “a champagne day
of racing”: this is what the Regatta is really all about! Then the requests
for clarification start and both the Race Office and the Protest Office are
open for business. Meanwhile, the first Prize presentation event is put
on at the DYC, and despite all the planning there has been confusion
over the timing!
Friday sees the day promising much and the decision is taken
to run the Bay Race: often a bone of contention for some: the trick is
to ensure that it does not become a procession and to find the balance
between the fast racing machines who revel in short legs and lots of
action at the buoys and on the race track, and the less manoeuvrable
boats who prefer a more sedate approach with longer legs and less
vigorous activity. Competitors in the Bay Race took between two to four
hours to complete the course, which meant that the faster boats missed
out on the potential for an afternoon race. However, the Club is again
full of smiling faces and it seems that the ROs have set a challenging
course and it has been appreciated by all involved. Later in the day more
'Requests for Clarification' appear and the Protest Office, very efficiently
run by John and Kate Robinson, is again open for business,
Saturday is a Chairman's nightmare: there is no wind. The
Race Office overflowing with informed and opinionated individuals
quoting rules, drawing on their knowledge of the meanings of flags and
pondering on the state of the nation: the Chairman makes the tea! At
12:30 the decision is taken, after several delays while the AP flag dances
a jig, to postpone the racing until the next day. Again the crews continue
to smile and the ROs are applauded for their handling of the difficult
situation and for making the right decision at the right time. Everyone
settles in for an afternoon of fun ashore and David R and his team make
hay while the sun shines with the club full to busting all day. The Protest
Office has a day off, but the Race Office continues processing the neverending flow of requests for clarification.
Sunday arrives with most of the support team now feeling the
pressure. The weather is not particularly good but there is enough wind
to race, and later on more rain than even the most avid gardener could
wish for. The racing is completed, the boats return and the protests
begin. Requests for clarification on handicaps and racing results
continue as the published times for the prize presentations rapidly
approach. Through all of this there are 4 prize-giving events to stage,
and despite some deferments, with the efficient and very welcome
assistance of several Club members, they are completed within the
planned time and are well-attended and well-received. And suddenly it
is all over and the crowds dissipate and the exhaustion sets in.
Why do I do it? Because it is an event that I love and one that has
given me great pleasure throughout my childhood and my retirement.
The team that works all year to set the Regatta in place is magnificent
and its individuals selfless and 'can do' people. During the Regatta we all
have huge fun dealing with the challenges and enjoying the consequent
repartée and banter. The pride that I feel in heading up such an amazing
bunch of enthusiasts is enormous. To all of them: my fellow committee
members and the one hundred plus volunteers who help ashore, man
the boats and just lend a hand when they can, I offer my heartfelt
thanks. Who would run a Regatta? I would.
James Dodd
When the weather turns you’ll be
glad you’ve got the best local
crew aboard...
Wollen Michelmore
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Masthead
25
Cruising as you may never have experienced it before. Chris Cooper
whets your appetite for thinking outside the box... or hull.
T
he list of members’ yachts reveals that no more than 1% are
catamarans. It follows that 99% of owners, members of one of the
country's most prestigious yacht clubs, have monohulls, a type which is,
to put it bluntly, outmoded and less than ideally suited to the purpose for
which their owners profess themselves devoted, namely cruising. It can
only be tunnel vision which leads otherwise sane and pleasant people,
among whom I number many friends, to cling to such benighted ways
when the future is already here; perhaps it is sentiment, a misplaced
sense of loyalty, such as one might show to an ageing and decrepit pet,
which common sense and logic would have seen put down long since.
Salvation is at hand! Read on and let the scales of prejudice fall from
your eyes. Henceforth your cruising shall be full of joy and light!
I propose to make a number of assumptions about the nature of
cruising, based on the premise that is meant to be pleasurable. There
will be those, I am sure, for whom sailing satisfies a strong streak of
masochism, who are not fully satisfied unless they're cold, wet or
frightened, preferably all three, but I cannot believe that they amount
to 99% of members. I like to make good passages, in reasonable comfort
and to lie secure in a safe haven where I can survey the surroundings in
peace and contentment. And I'd wager most of you are the same.
So it’s surprising that so many of you stick to one hull when you
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Masthead
could reap the blessings of two. Let me explain.
Speed
Take the sailing side of things first. The most publicised feature
of catamarans is their speed (though it should be said that there
are catamarans which are floating caravans, just as there are with
monohulls). Speed offers a number of advantages quite apart from pure
satisfaction of creaming along (and the impure satisfaction of leaving
monohulls for dead) Speed is exhilarating.
In catamaran terms, my 36 ft Edel cat probably qualifies as a fast
cruiser. In full cruising trim, we have hit 12–14 kts and I guess we average
perhaps 15% faster than an equivalent monohull. We all have a limited
time at our disposal, even when retired, and speed significantly extends
the cruising range. This principle works on a smaller scale too; 5 kts
against a 3 kt stream and you end up motoring; 7 kts and you can do
it comfortably under sail. Speed helps you maximise the bit you really
came for and reduces the tyranny of tides. Last, but not least, there is
a safety factor: there is a greater chance of making port before a blow
arrives. And we all like to do that!
Close-Windedness
In traditional monohull terms, performance is a combination
of speed, close-windedness and and manoeuvrability. Speed we have
dealt with. As far as close-windedness goes, good ‘70s and early ‘80s
catamarans would compete with competent bilge-keelers. ‘80s and
subsequent designs have seen advances which can give comparability
with modern cruisers, if not racers. What they lose in angle they gain
in speed. And anyway, what true cruising man flogs to windward from
choice? As an eminent Victorian yachtsmen remarked, "Gentlemen do
not go to windward". Improved design also means that most modern cats
tack surely, without the need to back the jib and, anyway, no one thinks
the less of a classic gaffer where a bit of nifty backing may be required.
I suspect that making close-windedness such a paramount virtue either
reflects the influence of the racing fraternity, much of whose thinking should be
stoutly resisted by cruising folk, mono or multi; or else is residual one-upmanship
from the days when the Bermudian rig started to take over from gaff.
I digress. My next point is that off the wind, cats are magic. This
is where they really score for speed, but, equally important, speed
combined with comfort: for the helmsman, because they are extremely
steady downwind with none of the tendency to broach of some modern
cruisers; and comfort for the crew particularly in that nasty quartering sea
which can cause a mono to roll in a way prejudicial to stomachs. Then
there is acceleration: come a gust, the first thing a mono does is to heel;
the cat simply accelerates, the energy translated into forward motion.
Manoeuvrability
Most modern cats will sail under main or jib alone, depending on
design. As with monohulls, manoeuvrability is linked to keel design:
long straight keels help keep a boat on course, but are not as swift to
react as fin keels or dagger boards. Under motor the great advantage is
having one in each hull, when very precise manoeuvring is possible.
(Designs with a bridge-deck 'leg' have the disadvantage of needing
forward motion before the rudders will act.) Two motors also mean that
you are not stuffed if one fails. Fuel economy is good – cats do not have
to push along a large lump of iron.
Seaworthiness
Seaworthiness and sea-kindliness need considering separately.
All sailors need seaworthy yachts. The racing boys however seem
prepared to sacrifice sea-kindliness for performance. In cruising my
aim is to arrive at our destination with energy to spare. Sea-kindliness
helps the crew husband their resources and the fact that the cat sails flat
contributes strongly towards this.
Capsize and Collision
The first question is always “Do you ever fly a hull?” The second
“What about capsizing?” It is possible to capsize a catamaran, and,
once capsized, it stays capsized. However modern designs are very
stable – in the ‘80s it was discovered that increasing the beam of the
cat revolutionised stability without affecting other performance. No
modern design now needs a float at the top of the mast. In extreme
conditions it is likely to be wave rather than wind that is the critical
factor. In a sort of sailing I do, around the coast of the UK and the
continent, I am very unlikely to meet the Ultimate Wave. The capsize
stories one hears nowadays tend to be about racing machines designed
to sail at the limit. Multihull capsizes make for good folk myth; you can
capsize Thames barge, so I am told, but on the whole people do not
regard them as unseaworthy or high risk. I can only add that in over 40
years of catamaran cruising (and not in sailing caravans either) I have
never once felt remotely like flying a hull.
Next to capsize, the most catastrophic disaster is likely to be
collision. Because they do not have ballast, cats will stay afloat, though
the crew’s feet will undoubtedly get rather wet. In most of monohulls
the crew are almost certainly to find themselves in for some involuntary
synchronised swimming. Even if their boat is a modern unsinkable, it has
to support several tons of cast-iron before it starts on the crew. All in all,
given the amount of flotsam at large round our coasts, the odds on hitting
something must be way above those of meeting capsize conditions.
Heavy weather
Now to the final aspect of seaworthiness, behaviour in heavy
weather. Cats are able to deal with bad weather and many modern
designs can continue under sail in severe conditions. In terms of heaving
to/lying a-hull/towing warps, there is good evidence that cats are less at
risk of wave damage because they float in the surface layer and can ride
Masthead
27
with the blows. Towing warps or drogues is also very effective because
of the wide bight that can be made by streaming from both hulls. In
whatever conditions boat and sail handling are made much easier and
safer by the basically horizontal platform and rectangular deck plan (my
foredeck is bigger than a table-tennis table).
Sea-kindliness - sailing on the level
Lack of heel makes for sea-kindliness. Humans are designed to
operate on the flat, so having to exist on the slant is unnatural, hence
tiring. (Logic suggests that mountain goats would make a very suitable
crew for monohulls – presumably the good ones would be known as
Handy Billys.) Monohull fatigue is further induced by the angle of heel
constantly changing. In a catamaran conditions have to be quite rugged
before the gin and tonic starts jumping out of the glass and spilling.
Apart from not wasting good booze, it makes everything much more
pleasant for the watch below, who can get on with their lives.
There is virtually no need to stow – unless it's really rugged, things
stay where they are. We have a kitchen roll holder of the type with a
circular wooden base and an upright dowel to hold the roll: it rarely falls
over more than once a season.
This stability is particularly valuable with small children aboard.
It makes it easier for them to be below without feeling queasy and pass
the time enjoyably with games, painting or whatever else they fancy.
The tedium of the passage is dispelled to the benefit of both children
and parents. The loveliest sail can be ruined my moaning young.
Is that the light beginning to dawn? Are you just beginning to
comprehend what misery and inconvenience you have been putting
up with all these years? Be patient, do not pick up your pen yet to draft
that “For sale” notice, there is yet more to learn.
Passage over
If catamarans are superior at sea, they are equally superior
when not at sea. All but the most intrepid of us spend far more time
simply living aboard than we do underway. Full value from a cruise is
a combination of exhilarating passages, pottering aboard in harbour
or anchorage, walks and exploration ashore, not to mention the odd
hostelry here and there.
Cats have the advantage of space: space inside, space on deck.
There is room for people to be sociable or private all at the same time,
and privacy in particular is an essential ingredient of any cruise. Saloons
are invariably light and airy, with excellent views from large windows, so
that scenery or activity in the vicinity can be enjoyed without having to
stand up. You may even see that out-of-control sailing school Wayfarer
in time to race on deck to fend off. Down below in yer trad monohull
all you get is a sickening thump followed by a second as the skipper
leaps for the cockpit, half-braining himself on the deckhead as he goes.
Interestingly, modern monos are beginning to take a leaf out of the
multihull book; you see a number nowadays which offer a standing
greenhouse option (know technically, I believe, as a pilot house).
On deck the open spaces of the cat offer great opportunities. You
can find ample room to sunbathe, without having to mould yourself
round deck fittings or cluttering up the cockpit. Many have a trampoline
up forrard, more comfortable than a hammock and living up to its name
for youngsters. We carried a Topper on the foredeck of our second cat, a
30footer. Show me the mono that could manage that.
Only when it comes to parties are cats a disadvantage; you can
get so many people on board that the booze bill becomes astronomical.
What else is there to say? The stability factor also comes into
28
Masthead
play in harbour or at anchor. It's great to be able to avoid rolling around,
particularly if you are cooking or trying to sleep, and with their shallow
draft it's possible to creep into sheltered parts which other craft cannot
reach. My present cat, on 36ft, draws just over a metre. A dagger-board
design would probably draw no more than half that. It makes beaching
very easy, a real boon with children. This leads me to my final point
(about time, I hear you cry, we want to get on with our "For Sale" notices):
cats are friendly to the non-nautical. We can take ordinary, normal,
friends for trips or weekends in the knowledge they will not be put off
or frightened by some of the more grotesque antics (rolling, heeling)
and by features (dark saloons, poky fo’cs’ls, coffin berths) which are the
inevitable lot of the mono-man (or -woman).
There must be a catch…
Not really. Over forty years and three cats I can think of only four
disadvantages: you make more leeway going to windward in a light
wind and short sea combination; this can be largely compensated by
easing sheets a fraction and close reaching. You may be charged more
in marinas, but it's never been more than 20% in my experience and
I've never been turned away. On canals working locks can be tricky with
only two aboard – ideally you need one at each corner. And there’s a lot
of wetted surface when it comes to antifouling.
Boys in Boats had a catamaran day back in August: two cats, half a
dozen chaps on each. As we came to the end of the morning sail a voice
was heard to say "Don't let my wife come on one of these, she'll want
one". I rest my case.
Chris Cooper
I must go down
to the seas again
to a Cornish
Crabber 26
Jayne Rawlins shares her delight of a boat in
which she finds a great deal of poetry.
S
olid, beamy, steady and not too complicated to manage - eminently suitable for adventures
with Ladies Afloat. But that’s enough about me.
I have always owned gaff-rigged boats starting with a delightful 12 year old Shrimper, then
a Cornish Crabber 22 followed eventually by the Cornish Crabber 26 “Vagrant Gypsy” which will
hopefully see me through through to my dotage.
Her name is taken from the third verse of John Masefield’s poem ‘Sea Fever: “I must go
down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life “. An appropriate description of how I would like
to have sailed her if I had been a few years younger.
The advantages of a Cornish Crabber are that with the plate up they are great for creek
crawling in shallow waters and for taking the ground at a relatively stable angle. With the plate
down, her windward performance is a match for any cruising boat.
She handles well in strong winds and rough seas providing the sails are balanced or reefed.
Reefing the mainsail is controlled from the cockpit by scandalising the peak and partially lowering
the gaff. By furling the staysail, also from the cockpit and keeping the jib flying, weather helm is
further reduced. She also manoeuvres well under motor. The ease with which the bowsprit can
be raised or lowered makes anchoring and mooring a relatively easy task and saves a few pennies
on berthing fees.
A Crabber may appear complicated to some as there can be a bewildering amount of rope
to deal with at any one time;. The peak and throat, for the gaff mainsail are raised by two separate
halyards; two foresails mean two winches and two sets of sheets to handle when going about.
The bowsprit has a halyard, a bobstay and two bowsprit shrouds. The centre plate line, topping lift
and two reefing lines all lead back to the cockpit. Left unchecked the cockpit ends up like a bowl
of spaghetti. A tidy domestic approach soon solves the problem.
'Vagrant Gypsy' is the perfect boat for use during Ladies Afloat sessions. Her stability
gives confidence to novices and less mobile sailors, but the many differences between gaff and
Bermudan rig present a challenge to the more experienced. Even Boys in Boats have enjoyed
sailing her on their annual Gaffer day.
Thursday mornings, when weather conditions are unsuitable for sailing out at sea, she can
be sailed upriver with relative ease in congested or shallow areas so we are nearly always able to
get out on the water. The ability to remain extremely stable when hove-to is an enormous asset as
mid-morning coffee is an essential part of a Ladies Afloat outing and cannot be missed.
Her low draught with the centre plate raised means that we can anchor close to such shores
as Mansands, Newfoundland Cove, Redlap and Sunny Cove in Salcombe amongst many, for
swimming and beach parties. Her interior is roomy with generous headroom and comfortable
for overnight stays.
I often get a “thumbs up” and a pleasant comment from passing boats and would like to
think that that this had something to do with me or my sailing prowess but know that really it is
'Vagrant Gypsy' who has turned their eye.
Everyone has their perfect boat and I consider myself very fortunate to have found mine.
Jayne Rawlins
Masthead
29
Norman Doidge gives a detailed reminder of what to expect when sailing
inshore and explains how to remain firmly at sea.
g
D
artmouth is a relatively easy entrance with deep water
and the main hazards are well buoyed. But there are some
isolated submerged or semi-submerged rocks around of which
regular sailors in the area need to be aware , especially if sailing
close inshore to cheat the tide while racing.
Following a recent incident, this is a reminder of the rocks
that you most need to avoid. We would emphasize that you should
be familiar with and use charts in addition to chart plotters and
GPS, plus navigational aids such as buoys and transits.
Most of the submerged rocks are only a problem at LW Springs.
In an evening , there will always be at least 1m of tide over Chart Datum
(evening low tides are always neaps at Dartmouth), but at midday a
spring low tide can be 0.2m BELOW Chart Datum (CD).
Nimble Rock - This isolated rock is a hazard on the way to Berry Head,
about 1.25Nautical Miles (nm) North East of the Mew Stone and 0.3nM
SE off Scabbacombe Head.
It is easy to avoid as it is in line with Eastern Blackstone Rock and
Start Point Lighthouse. So, if you can see Start Point lighthouse you
will miss it. Easy, except in poor visibility when GPS or chart plotter is
needed. It is usually marked by fishing buoys or even a boat fishing.
Position: 50deg20’.827N 3deg30’.528W 1metre below Chart Datum
Rocks inshore of the Mewstone - There are a number of hazards
in the channel between the Mew Stone and the shore and unless you
have a shallow draft, a good chart and a good reason we would suggest
avoiding this area altogether.
West Rock - This isolated rock is awash at LAT and so can be hit at
anything less than half neap tide. It is about 200 metres NNE of West
Rock Buoy. All our racing instructions specify passing seaward of West
Rock Buoy to avoid this hazard. Position 50deg19’.960N 3deg32’.406W
awash at CD
Bears Tail - This inshore rock is 150 metres due south of Inner Froward
Point. By staying in at least 10m of water (plus tidal height, say 13m) you
would miss it. Kingswear Castle needs to be well open of the shore to
clear the rock. Position: 50deg20’.549N 3deg32’.663W dries 0.6m at CD
Castle Ledge (Old Castle rock 1m below CD) - We probably all sail
over this area inshore of Castle Ledge Buoy with apparent impunity. The
ledge is NW of the buoy 2-4m below chart datum but Old Castle rock is
only 1.8m below CD, roughly mid way between the buoy and the shore.
Checkstone - Checkstone Buoy is only 35 metres due East from Kitten
30
Masthead
Rock (1.8m below CD) and is there for a purpose. Stay to the east of it or
very close if using Checkstone as a rounding mark. There is a shallow
ledge 0.3m below CD three quarters of the way from the shore to the buoy.
Meg Rocks - These rocks north of Combe Point dry 3m. Kingswear
Castle clear of Blackstone Point will clear.
Western Blackstone Rocks - The rocks themselves never cover, but
not only have Eastward extensions but also isolated rocks 75 metres
West and SW at 1.5 and 1.2m below CD, so avoid at anything less than
2m of tide. The passage inshore is otherwise clear.
Homestone - This is 0.9m below Chart Datum so can be (and has been)
hit at extreme low tide by a deep keeled yacht. It is about 275m due West
of Homestone Buoy and in an area we usually sail across obliviously.
At extreme low tide (less than 1.5m above CD) avoid. Keep Kingswear
Castle well clear of the transit with Western Blackstone.
Combe Rocks and the Dancing Beggars. - Combe Rocks are the
well known rocks (often erroneously called the Dancing Beggars which
is actually a rock 0.8nM further West) with a series of steep pinnacles
always visible off Combe Point. The dangerous ones are Outer Combe
Rocks about 100m due East and another one 100m South West of the
visible one, which cover at 2.7 to 3.7m of tide, so could be hit even on a
5m metre tide.
There are two transits that JUST clear these rocks.
1. If you can see Kingswear Castle clear of the extreme point of
Blackstone Point you will just clear East of all the rocks, OR
2. If you can see Eastern Blackstone Rock clear to seaward of the Mew
Stone you will just clear south of all the rocks.
I suggest one lunchtime on a low Spring tide ,go out and have a
look at the transits, just to scare yourself!
Warning and Disclaimer.
This is a list of the main hazards around the entrance to the River
Dart and is for general guidance only and should not be relied on for
navigation. You should use large scale local charts of the approaches to
satisfy yourself of the areas that are safe to sail in, and make sure you
know the transits that keep you clear of the rocks.
Charts
Admiralty chart 5602-10 (part of the Leisure Folio SC5602) or
SC2253 shows the area in detail.
by Norman Doige
Sailing Committee, Royal Dart Yacht Club, 25 June 2015
CRUISING
Vernon Taylor reflects on a sociable
season
curtailed by inclement
weather but embracing fireworks in
Plymouth for the first time.
T
he Cruising Section's season started in March with a weekend
ashore. The "Winter Weekend" endeavours to provide an
informal mix of informative lectures and discussions combined with
social activities. Topics covered included fitting-out projects, rigging,
developments in electronics, anode protection, safety equipment and
advice available from RNLI. Combined with a dinner this made for
a most informative and enjoyable weekend attended by over forty
cruising members.
The first event on the water, a trip to the Yealm via Salcombe,
was not so popular as it was curtailed by severe weather. Despite the
forecasts a few boats braved the F7+ round Start and Prawle and made
Salcombe where they had an enjoyable time walking and socialising
whilst waiting for the weather to abate, which unfortunately it did not
do. Not a good start to a season in which too many plans were simply
blown away.
Conditions for the Cross Channel Cruise were much better and
seven boats crossed to St Peter Port where they enjoyed a most sociable
time, including a meal at an Italian restaurant. Although some needed
to return to Dartmouth others made most of the Bank Holiday weekend
and moved on to anchor off Shell Beach (Herm) for a BBQ and overnight
stay. The weather stayed fair which enabled boats to anchor off Sark
for a couple of nights before continuing to cruise the Channel Islands
individually. This was a good cruise with some of the best weather of
the season.
It was a season where cruising members had to make the most
of the weather windows available and two summer events managed
to do this. The first was on the River Dart, based around a BBQ on the
beach (although that disappeared due to the spring tides!) and pontoon
at Blackness, courtesy of Blackness Marine. Several boats spent the
night off Blackness, others off Dittisham while the remainder returned
to Dartmouth in the moonlight. The second event was a day sail and
picnic at Brixham which made best use of the one day of good weather
sandwiched between two unusually stormy periods. Although this was
an unscheduled event ten boats made the most of a lovely sunny day
with good wind.
The weather allowed the cruise to Plymouth to watch the National
Firework Championship take place as scheduled. This event had not been
included on the program before and was unusual in that it was a midweek
event designed around an external event. It proved to be a success with
the majority of participating boats in Sutton Harbour where the marina
had allocated us berths close together which made for a sociable party.
Sutton Harbour proved to be a good location to watch the impressive
firework displays and Plymouth was also a convenient location in that
it enabled people to extend the cruise, either before or after the event,
although yet again poor weather rather limited the options after as most
wanted to be sure to get back for Dartmouth Regatta.
The final scheduled event was again blown away by the weather.
The September cruise is normally very popular but the forecast was
bad with gales expected, which not surprisingly, caused many to cancel.
However, the forecasts proved very pessimistic and six boats met in
Salcombe, including Wildeve, the newest boat in our fleet, on the final
leg of her delivery trip from Sweden to Dartmouth. It proved to be a
most enjoyable weekend - even though the BBQ was cancelled due to
rain! - with some good sailing conditions.
A frustrating season with too many events constrained by the
weather. But in general we made the most of opportunities available
and thanks to all those who helped make 2015 an enjoyable season
despite the odds.
Vernon Taylor
Masthead
31
A TERAfic ADVENTURE (excuse the pun)
Freddie Gillmore (aged 13) and his brother Albert (aged 11) have been
Junior Members of the Royal Dart Yacht Club for the past 4 years.
They have both been regulars at Saturday morning Junior
Sailing since they were 10 and 9 respectively, where they have
sailed most of the Club dinghy classes, Toppers, Teras, Fevas and
Visions. They have both had regular success with RDYC Club
racing and with Dartmouth Junior Regatta. Although they are
both competent in the two handed RS Fevas, they particularly
enjoy the thrills of single handing an RS Tera. This year, parents
Charles and Rebecca decided to broaden their son's horizons
somewhat and Freddie has told us all about the adventure below.
During the spring and summer of 2015 we have driven up country
to take part in three national Tera events. Borrowing a Tera from the
RTYC I travelled with my Dad and his big van to Northampton Sailing
Club for the ‘Start of the Season Championships’ in April followed by the
‘Inland National Championships’ at Oxford Sailing Club in June.
I loved these two events and we decided to take the plunge
and buy our very own RS Tera in time to take part in the National
Championships over the August bank holiday weekend. The venue was
the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, which as you
can imagine, had a fantastic atmosphere and you needed no reminding
that it was here that Ben Ainslie and Team GB won those Olympic
medals in 2012.
We decided to combine the Nationals with a family camping
32
Masthead
weekend and pitched our tent at a campsite down the road from
Portland with an awesome view across the famous Chesil beach. Dad
said on a clear day we could have seen as far as Berry Head but this was
a Bank Holiday so, of course, it was cloudy!
We were very grateful to the RDYC who allowed us to borrow one
of the club Tera’s which meant my younger brother Albert could get
on the water and take part too. The numbers of entries to the national
events is about 80 to 100 boats which as you can imagine is amazing to
see. The format consists of a trapezoid course which separates the fleet
into two race classes being the RS Tera PRO rig and the RS Tera SPORT
rig. You will be familiar with the SPORT rig as this is the sail shape we
have on the club Teras and it is in this class which I compete. For the
Nationals championships there was a third ‘training’ Regatta fleet using
the RS Tera SPORT rig. My brother, Albert, entered the Regatta fleet
which consisted of about 20 boats combining coaching as well as racing.
Freddie has just been offered a place on the RS Tera Sports
National Squad. According to the invitation letter the RS Tera
Squad Programme purpose is to coach, develop and nurture
talented young sailors to enable them to succeed at open events
held all around the country as well as the more prestigious
National, European and World events.
by Freddie Gillmore
Dart Sailability and Junior Sailing
Instructor Emily Hodge and willing
student Oscar Jones
A
partnership, some would say, made in heaven. Certainly these two
avid sailors enjoy the waters of the Dart and a delicious sense of
humour.
Emily and Oscar have known each other since their early years at
Kingswear Primary School, an inclusive and successful school in the heart
of the village. In fact, Oscar was just three years old and Emily remembers
that they “got on immediately. We were just on the same wavelength”. She
describes Oscar as “ cheeky and intelligent”. Since then, Emily has been an
important part of the Jones’ family and you can see why. She has a relaxed
and friendly manner and clearly has developed interpersonal skills which
are successful. She is also an enthusiastic speaker about what she does
and why it is important to her and how she is involved with Junior Sailing
She has been out on the water, in Safety Boats, at the Club since
she was seven and clearly her love of water has increased from this point
onwards. Before long she wanted to learn what everyone else was doing
and that is exactly what she did. She explained that her Dinghy Instructor
Qualification, which she gained before the age of eighteen, will enable
her to go anywhere that takes her fancy! She does not seem the least bit
daunted by that prospect at all.
Her relationship with Oscar, as he has grown into his teens is
wonderfully funny, she says. “We go for days out. Sometimes to Rockfish
or sometimes we just go crabbing. We like hanging out like teenagers do.
He makes me laugh.”
I asked her why it was important for her that Oscar sails. “Oscar is in
control of the boat and being on the water is a kind of freedom for me, so
it must be the same for him. He can learn practical skills and succeed at
them. That is important.”She feels that he has been excited to learn racing
tactics as part of team RDYC and especially the fact that “he wants to go
to Africa in the Optimist-or Narnia”. Well, I say, hold that thought, Emily.
Oscar may well succeed in that, too.
It takes someone very special to make Oscar feel the way he does
about sailing and having talked to Emily I can see just how special she is. I
also know she would be the last person to think to think she was.
by Lynne Maurer
Masthead
33
We’re
all
soies
now…
An interesting glimpse into a
past Channel crossing that was
more than just a hard work.
H
ow many of us have taken three days crossing the Channel?
And I don't mean waiting for two days for the weather and then
setting out. Back in 1960 that is how long my stepfather and a friend
took getting from Chichester Harbour to Cherbourg on his first Channel
crossing
A bit of background: we had purchased our first cruiser in 1959.
Wren was 24ft overall and 19ft lwl. She had a 4hp Stuart Turner engine
and, navigationally, a compass and a lead line. I had been sailing dinghies
since the early Fifties, but my stepfather had only been bitten by the bug
around 1957. It was to prove a good combination: I taught him sailing and
he, an airline pilot, taught me navigation. The crossing was intended to
position the boat in France in time for summer holidays – new horizons
beckoned. I was not part of the crew, being still at school, and he was to
be accompanied by a sailing friend; both of them were wartime fliers.
They departed at 2100 on 20 July from Hayling Island SC, towing
an 8ft Duckling dinghy, (solidly cold-moulded by Fairey Marine). (It was
common practice to tow your dinghy if you couldn’t stow it on deck.)
The log records a SW wind, 12kts. There are regular hourly log entries
over the next twelve hours, recording a gradual increase of wind. At 1100
(by now 21 July) they pulled down two reefs. The noon entry records a
course of 220°, wind Wly 25kts and wind and sea increasing.
At 1700 they hove to (who does that nowadays?) in gale conditions with
gusts of 40+kts. At 0535( on the 22nd) the log records: underway – two
reefs: heavy seas, wind Wly20-25kts. The 0845 entry gives a course of
235° with wind now WNW f5.
Then at 0900 :”Pos’n 11nm ENE Cap Barfleur. (They must have been
34
Masthead
very glad to confirm their position) Position held at throughout the day
against E-setting tide of approximately3 kts with Wly wind of 25-30 kts”.
1800 - Hove to (again), wind SWly 35-40kts. Then, at 0130 (now 23 July):
“Dinghy broke away whilst threshing around under tow by two separate
1.5’ circumference new grass warps. Pos’n 22nm ENE of Cap Barfleur
(est); hove to in moderate gale.”
0440: “set sail again – three reefs, wind WNW f5.”
0630: “Barfleur visible at estimated max range of 18nm.”
O900: “sea abated slightly. Motor on to assist; two reefs”.
At 1250 they tacked onto port half a mile N of Barfleur; wind still f56. The next log entry records: “1600: Pas de L’Est, Cherbourg.” 1750:
“Moored alongside jetty below Yacht Club.”
It had taken them just under seventy hours. What the log does not
record is that, by mistake, they headed first into the forbidden French
Navy basin and were summarily ejected, despite their exhausted state.
When they finally reached the Yacht Club my stepfather was absolutely
all in and on jumping ashore he overbalanced and fell in from the
opposite side of the pontoon.
Why didn't they turn back when the wind started to blow up?
They could have safely run for the E Solent. My stepfather had been an
avid reader of pre-war cruising accounts where often, when the wind
blew up, heaving to was just what one did, (provided there was searoom). Also, both he and his friend had flown many missions with the
RAF during the war and turning back was not in their nature or training.
Would we do it nowadays? I doubt it.
Chris Cooper
CLUB PROFILE
PETER FAIRHURST
“I was going down today, but I’m...I’m waiting for the weather
to break”. This the is the oft-repeated line of Pinter’s famous
Caretaker and it popped into my mind as I thought that Peter
Fairhurst would never let a small matter of weather deter him
from the job in hand.
The Extraordinary Caretaker. Peter Fairhurst retired to Devon
20 years ago to sail his boat which was already in the Dart. After he
had sorted his house and garden in 1998 he joined the Yacht Club,
participating with the cruising section, where he recalls he was made to
feel most welcome. He has owned 3 boats, and cruised a few thousand
miles in England, France and the Med, including a trip home with ‘Ruby’
from the Baltic. He has enjoyed thrashing around the cans for a few
years but claims no racing honours.
His first introduction to building matters at the club was when his
wife, Viv, was Hon Secretary. The cottage needed serious renovation
to make it habitable and knowing Peter’s architectural background and
practical capabilities she put his name forward. “It’s all her fault”, he
chuckled.
Whilst managing the tanking of the cottage to combat the terrible
damp problem and the installation of a kitchen, the then President,
Colin Harris, said he was worried about slates falling off the Victorian
Clubhouse roof and Peter was soon elected Rear Commodore House
and project managing the new roofing. “No point in patch repairs any
more, if a job is worth doing its worth doing properly”. Then followed
the refurbishment of the Office and in 2006 changes were made to the
cramped cellar where he ably demonstrated how to get the proverbial
quart into a pint pot!
Peter is passionate about the building and endearingly refers to
her as “The Old Lady”. Next year she will celebrate her 135th birthday,
coinciding with the Club’s 150th anniversary. She clearly is the Club’s
greatest asset in this prime location. ”We must make the best of her”
Awareness of the impacts of climate change rates high on his
agenda. He wrote two articles for Masthead, ‘The writing is on the wall’
and ‘Bridge under troubled waters’ His report in 2009 ‘Rising sea levels
and flood defences’ led to professional help being sought and the raising
of the sea wall and the addition of tidal gates. This was timely, the Club
would most certainly have been flooded in a severe storm in February
2014 had no action be taken. This storm prompted the installation of
pumps beneath the bar floor to manage water ingress. Today Peter
heads a ‘Flood Watch’ monitoring the weather at spring tides and has
a team of local volunteer ‘Gatekeepers’ at hand to respond to his ‘shout’
Peter has enjoyed his role as Premises Officer since 2012 reporting
to Rear Commodore House on maintenance planning and budgeting.
He looks after the maintenance of the building fabric, the services and
security matters and backs up Bar & Catering and Social. Generally
he is in charge of contractors although has been known to roll up his
sleeves to carry out running repairs or make small improvements,
like constructing the library unit. His artistic sensitivity and attention
to detail is epitomised by the small but beautiful glass pyramid on the
balcony he created in 2007 as homage to the original entrance to the
Victorian Clubhouse, from the ‘Garden’.
Routine work behind the scenes includes monitoring energy and
water, supply and maintenance contracts, lamp stock control, Health
and Safety and myriad other things.
Some regard Peter as the caretaker, he certainly takes care, but he
is no ordinary caretaker!
Liaising with, and managing consultants and contractors is a
big part of the job which comes easily to him as he did this most of his
working life in London as a Senior Project Architect. Last year alone
projects included a new bay window to the Dining Room, hot water
installation improvements, re-fitting of the Galley, new flooring in
the kitchen ( a major operation to keep the show on the road), as well
as the ongoing maintenance to the exterior of the building. He has
circumnavigated the building in the last 4 years, checking dampness
and renewing areas of rot, believing in the old adage ‘a stitch in time’.
Wearing his other hat, he is a member of the seven-strong Premises
Development Committee with a remit for longer term planning. Peter’s aim
is to make the building fitter for purpose and more enjoyable for members.
In his spare time he enjoys watercolour painting. His painting
“The Barge Race” was sold at the last Auction of Promises to raise funds
for the RNLI.
by Peter Fairhurst (written in third person)
Masthead
35
The Art of Race Management is
obviously so much more than
laying a few buoys out on the water
for people to sail round it seems.
Richard gives an insight into how
he arrived at doing what he does.
RICHARD
STEVENS
RDYC RACE
OFFICER
36
Masthead
Richard has been sailing in dinghies and yachts since he was six
years old, both cruising and racing. There isn’t a whole lot he doesn’t
know about the subject, really, and his varied experience has been
colourful and interesting.
As a bachelor, he spent ten years in the Royal Navy as a Navigating
Officer and in the mid 70s, after leaving the Navy, ran an Estates and
Land Use Management Consultancy, mainly in Scotland, utilising an
MBA he had acquired from the Open University. “At this time, I ran The
Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club in Helensburgh, including the
sailing and support side, before running the private island of Jethou in
the Channel Islands”. A self-confessed “mid-life crisis” followed more
land-locked estate management and he ran away to sea, “two years
sailing round the Med whilst also teaching Scottish Country dancing”,
to be more precise. He then returned to Portland with the boat and set
up home just north of Yeovil. He ran his own Letting company there at
the same time as running Racing events at Portland for fifteen years and
was awarded IRO status in 2002.
Richard was much involved in the development of the Sailing
Academy and the surrounding area, getting it ready for the forthcoming
Olympics, running top quality Racing there and abroad, primarily in
France, before the big event itself. He also ran RNSA branch, setting it up
to cope with the decrease of service amenities.
“After the Olympics”, he says ,”As a Mentor of Race Officers and
also on the RYA qualifications panel, I was persuaded to move down
here to help in development of improved Race Management and
racing in the South West. In particularly, to help at the RDYC which I am
pleased to do so, having known and liked a number of local people who
were members.”
The friendliness and inclusivity of the Club impresses him and
the way in which volunteers want to help and share their skill-based
knowledge. He feels there is a role for everyone. “We can all update old skills
and utilise our experience in learning new ones, for the good of all, whilst
having fun, coupled with something to talk about in the bar afterwards”.
He enjoyed his first Regatta and really hoped that it was pitched
at the right level for those who won prizes and also “ those who had
little expectations except for enjoying being out on the water.” The fact
that it is a “truly unique event” is shown by the numbers who attend
and Richard clearly enjoys the buzz and what is more, enjoys good
feedback. This is what top class racing is.”Racing is for the clients and
for the people and I enjoy working for them, pushing boundaries and
putting people under a little pressure”.
He has a good team at the Club and a good Race Officer lets
them get on with their job . Interestingly, Richard likes to use ladies
as timekeepers as they are so good, except for me. I was late for our
meeting. Sorry to let the side down there.
by Lynne Maurer
NEW CHEF IN THE GALLEY:
PAUL HEPWORTH
T
he Club has reeled in a young and enthusiastic Chef who hopes to
shape a menu which will suit all tastes and share his love of fish.
By his own admission ‘Crab Week’ was Chef, Paul Hepworth’s
‘baptism of fire at the Club. Used to working at the head of a team he
found himself having to think carefully about the menu. “ It needed
to be designed so that it could be cooked and plated by one person”.
It seems he is a bit of a one man band. Having previously worked at
Occombe Farm and successfully achieved a five star rating within six
weeks he was looking forward to a challenge. “When I looked at the
view”, he told me,” I thought, I want to work here”. Who can blame him,
although I expect the view is sometimes hard to see through all the
steamed up windows in that busy kitchen. He is hoping to tempt Club
members with his creative ways with fish.
Paul is an avid fisherman, although surprisingly he, himself, did
not try eating fish until his early twenties. He has a thing about bones,
which is why you won’t find any in the dishes he prepares! He has won
plenty of awards for the fish he has caught and has been featured in
prestigious magazines from an early age. It is only of recent years that
he has started eating them rather than putting them back in the water.
He learned to cook the traditional way from his Mother. He
believes strongly that “food should taste like what it is without too much
tampering with. The importance is great ingredients and I feel that if I
like the taste of something, other people will, too. I would like to be selfsufficient one day and produce my own food.” He told me he would also
FULL-SERVICE MARINA
IN THE DART HARBOUR
SERVICES – provided where your boat is – or in our
workshops at the marina and in Brixham.
love to have his own fishing boat, take people out for the day to cook
what they caught.
As Autumn is upon us, the subject of Sunday Roasts springs to
mind and Paul is hoping that Club members will enjoy socialising with
friends over a leisurely lunch. I tentatively asked about a vegetarian
option and he is thinking about that!
by Lynne Maurer
DARTHAVEN
MARINA
SHIPWRIGHT & REPAIRS – repairs in wood
and GRP – boat plumbing, toilet repair services – bow
and stern thrusters fitted – boat shrink wrapping – boat
CHANDLERY – comprehensively stocked – open 7
wash, polishing, antifouling packages available.
days a week – one hour free parking.
TRAVEL HOIST – 35 tonne – available at any state
Largest UK Volvo Penta engine stockist – parts
of tide.
counter open 7 days a week.
FUEL BUG ELIMINATION – Express Lube fuel
ENGINEERING – service, repairs, overhauls,
cleaning services – fuel system overhauls.
winterising, repowering Volvo Penta, Yanmar, John
Deere, Perkins, Gardner – Williams dealer – mobile
service – 24/7 emergency callout.
WINTER BERTHING – special monthly and
overnight rates from October to March.
darthaven.co.uk
Darthaven Marina, Brixham Road,
Kingswear, Devon TQ6 0SG
T +44 (0)1803 752242 F +44 (0)1803 752722
Masthead
37
Atlantic
Crossings
in Yacht
Emily
Morgan
Listening to Dolphins conversing about the goings on in the ocean and
cuddling migrating birds in between dodging storms and getting to know
knew friends. It can’t get better than that, surely? Bones tells us why.
W
hen we think of crossing the Atlantic in a small boat our minds
automatically turn to storm force winds and big waves, and yes
we have all heard the stories at the bar of waves as big as a block of flats
and winds that will knock you flat.
Anna and I have now crossed the Atlantic twice in "Emily Morgan"
and are about to cross again in November, this time with the Atlantic
Rally for Cruisers (ARC) leaving Las Palmas in the Canaries on November
22nd and arriving in St Lucia approximately fifteen days later.
We have been subjected to the bad weather conditions mentioned
above but with good satellite communication and High Frequency
Radio (SSB) we can download a detailed weather forecast every day and
plan our route to miss the nasty stuff!
We treat weather systems as if they are ships, you
would not want to pass in front of a large ship, they are
always going faster than you think .You need to either
pass behind it or slow down and let it pass. Simple. On
passage from Antigua to the Azores this spring we did find
ourselves in a storm. We knew it was there and our plan
was to keep just south of it to get the advantage of some
extra wind but not feel the full force of the storm. Well,
the best laid plans... we ended up a little further North and
the storm was a tad further South than predicted so as the
weather deteriorated we headed South and were soon out of the system
and back in good sailing conditions.
After a few days at sea the crew soon settle into the watch routine,
3 hours on and 6 hours off works well for us with two people on each
watch and Anna, as skipper, initially popping up on each watch to
ensure the crew are happy.
I spend a lot of my time doing maintenance, mainly checking for
chafe. We try to eliminate wear by adjusting sails on a regular basis so the
point of wear is always moving. A small leather cover over rigging can
stop a huge amount of chafe. There was a sheet chafed through in one
night when the Genoa was slightly over sheeted and touching a shroud.
So how do we amuse ourselves while on passage?
38
Masthead
Everyday at 18:00 the whole crew gather for a meal prepared by
the 15:00 to 18:00 watch.We feel this is very important for all the crew
to come together to eat and chat. We all muck in to help by steering,
preparing or clearing up after.
There is plenty of time to relax, reading is a good pastime, also
baking seems to go down well; we bake most days, bread and cakes
being the favourites. Stargazing is one of the most amazing things for
me; there is no light pollution so the sky at night is just full of stars and
planets -as clear as can be. The Milky Way is huge and so clear and
shooting stars are common to see, then as the moon waxes to full the
stars fade as the moonlight fills the night sky.
Fishing is always a good pastime - I love fishing
but the funny thing is I don't like catching fish! The fun
of setting it all up, waiting for the bite and catch, then
you have to bring it in and deal with it, that's the bit I
don't like! But when we do get a whopper the evening
meal is very satisfying.
While on the subject of sea life we were visited
most days by dolphins on our passage West to East.
There is something magical about Dolphins, we go to the
bow and watch them play, they look at you with delight,
also if you go below you can hear them communicating
with each other.
Now and again we become a resting place for small birds , they
circle a few times planning their landing site then land for a rest. They
will let you touch them but will not take any water or food, they each
stay for only a couple of hours then head off on their great journey.
For us on "Emily Morgan" the Atlantic is not about foul weather
gear and hard sailing, it is about comfortable sailing, good food, lovely
sunsets and sun rise, interesting conversations from a varied crew who
may otherwise not spend time together and ,of course, the adventure of
doing something out of the normal every day ritual.
Bones Black
www.yachtemilymorgan.com
The Social Scene
As the last Masthead hit the press
Mike Goodearl was hosting his
infamous Music Quiz.
As Masthead goes to print we are looking forward to Clive’s Bash
to help our Commodore celebrate his 70th Birthday in the form of a
Barn Dance and Hog Roast. Clive has kindly arranged for a band, cider
and even an ice-cream van so that Members can have a wonderful shindig ! Watch out for the photos in the next Masthead!
Even though we may not be able to bask in the evening sun
as it disappears behind Dartmouth we will still be putting on events
throughout the Autumn and Winter. We have some fantastic talks
booked on Wednesday evenings (Sailing and General Interest) and we
are hoping to encourage more members to enjoy the club on a Friday
evening - come along to a fun Quiz evening on alternate Fridays or to
a film evening, bar games evening and even an evening of Music and
Verse. All our events are on the RDYC Website. Please use the website to
check start times and whether you need to book for supper too !
So gather your friends for some fun evenings and let’s make the
most of our wonderful club.
Thank you to the Social Committee and House team for their
continuing hard work.
If you would like to join the committee or have any ideas that you
think the committee would be interested in please do not hesitate to
contact the RDYC office.
Jane Miller
Q
uestions on topics from Jazz to Light Classical and TV adverts
to Opera caused lots of head scratching as the teams tried to
remember the title of that tune which is so familiar but for which you
just can’t remember the name !
In the end the evening produced a very reasonable score for all
the teams and a lot of fun and laughter.
Thank you, Mike
When the sun does shine there is no better place to enjoy the
evening sun glistening on the Dart than the Terrace of the RDYC. So
we made the most of our fantastic facility by holding some wonderful
events in May, June and July.
May saw us enjoying the evening sun as we dined on a flavoursome
Paella whilst listening to the sultry music of The Toby Morgan Duo. We
received many favourable comments about having live music on the
terrace so will endeavour to organise this for more evenings next year.
With such a fabulous evening to follow David and the team
excelled in producing a mouth-watering feast for the Seafood and Wine
evening in June (thank you Mark Lobb for the loan of the nets and lobster
pots!). Members enjoyed a glass of Kir on arrival and were then treated
to a smoked fish platter, poached river salmon and fruits de mer. It was
fantastic to enjoy the taste of the sea whilst sitting by the beautiful Dart.
July was a little less sunny but we were very fortunate that the
sun did shine for our Summer Soiree.
Members enjoyed a wonderful evening listening to the Dave
Barrow Band whilst dining on another fabulous feast. The food was
superb and it was wonderful to see so many people enjoying the club
and mixing with friends.
Whether luck has anything to do with it but once again the
weather was kind to us for the Commodore’s Cocktail Party at the
beginning of Regatta week. Prosecco or Pimms was offered on arrival
and then as we mingled with friends and invited guests we were treated
to gorgeous canapes – a truly wonderful evening.
The Regatta followed with fun on and off the water culminating in
a packed terrace once again (although in the drizzle this time)!
Masthead
39
If it's wintertime, it's training time
O
ver the next few months, we're planning
to run/organise some of the more
popular RYA courses either here at the Club
or at a local training school, if there's enough
demand to make the costs viable of course, so
let us know here at [email protected] if
you're interested in any of the following:
First Aid
This one-day course covers all the usual first
aid subjects, but from a boating perspective. It
is aimed at anyone who goes afloat, whether
on inland waters, rivers, estuaries or on cross
channel passages. In a medical emergency a
little first aid knowledge and immediate action
can save lives, especially in remote locations.
This course is designed to provide a working
knowledge of first aid for people using small
craft and to support skippers. Cost: £65
Powerboat Level 2
This two-day entry level course provides the
skills and background knowledge needed
to drive a powerboat and is the basis of the
International Certificate of Competence. It
focuses on low speed close quarters handling,
man overboard recovery, an introduction
to driving at planing speed, and collision
regulations. Cost £200
Safety Boat
This two-day course provides the skills required
when acting as an escort craft, safety boat or
coach boat for a fleet of dinghies, windsurfers
or canoes, or for racing or training activities. It
includes rescue techniques and elements of
race management and mark laying. Cost £200
Diesel Engine
A one-day beginners’ course to help you
prevent and solve diesel engine failure.
Mechanical failure is the main cause of rescue
call-outs to cruisers. Basic maintenance and
engine care will help ensure that you are not
part of this statistic.
Most engine problems can be avoided by
taking simple precautions, and you don’t need
a detailed mechanical knowledge.
This course teaches you how your engine
works, how to keep it healthy by using basic
checks and maintenance procedures, and
how to get it started again in the event of a
breakdown. Whether you sail a yacht with an
auxiliary diesel engine or are a motor cruising
enthusiast, this course could not just save you
money, but one day could save your life. Cost:
TBC
Marine Radio (SRC)
A course for anyone who owns a fixed or
handheld marine VHF radio. A radio is an
important piece of safety equipment on
board and it is vital to understand the correct
procedures. The Short Range Certificate is the
minimum qualification required by law to
control the operation of VHF and VHF Digital
Selective Calling (DSC) equipment on any
British flagged vessel voluntarily fitted with a
radio. This includes both fixed and hand held
equipment using International channels.
A radio is an important piece of safety
equipment on board and it is vital to
understand
the
correct
procedures.
Unnecessary transmissions could block out a
Mayday distress call. Cost:TBC
Radar
A one-day course giving you an understanding
of radar as an aid to navigation and collision
avoidance. Cruising boats increasingly have
radar on board. The International Regulations
for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea state
that if you have a radar, you must know how
to use it. Radar is probably the most versatile
of all electronic navigation aids, but the best
results are only obtained when you know how
to use all the functions correctly. It is not an all
seeing eye, and can easily mislead those who
do not understand its controls, allow for its
limitations, or interpret its picture. Cost: TBC
Sea Survival
A one-day course for anyone going to sea,
providing an understanding of how to use
the safety equipment on board your boat. A
genuine lifesaver. Cruising is one of the safest
leisure sporting activities, and 99.9% of those
afloat will never use their life raft. However, if
you are part of the unlucky 0.1% your chances
of survival will be greatly increased if you
understand how to use the equipment and
how to help yourself. It is a well-proven fact
that, in the event of an emergency at sea,
people with training are more likely to survive.
An important part of the course is a practical
session in a swimming pool. Experience
first hand the problems of entering an
uncooperative life raft and assisting others
while fully kitted out in wet weather gear and
a lifejacket. Cost TBC
Day Skipper
A comprehensive introduction to cruising
for inexperienced skippers. This course
equips you with enough knowledge to
navigate around familiar waters by day. A
basic knowledge of lights is also included
to introduce you to night cruising. We are
continually updating our courses to take into
account developments in technology and
the electronic navigation aids now available
on most cruising boats. In conjunction with
the UK Hydrographic Office the RYA have
developed a chart plotter specifically for use
on training courses, giving you a realistic
insight into electronic navigation. Use of this
plotter is an integral part of our Day Skipper
shore based course. There are northern and
southern hemisphere versions of the training
materials. So, no matter where you are in the
world, this course can be tailored to you.
The course is taught over 40 hours with two
exam papers. It can be covered as a series of
short sessions, 3 weekends, as an intensive
week-long course, or by distance learning.
Cost TBC.
Next Masthead Deadline
A
s you can see by the wealth of colourful experiences Club members have between them there would be enough to fill several issues but still
we want more. There are always tales of white-knuckle , teeth clenching sailing trips that can be re-lived and draw admiring and jealous gasps
from Club members. Or quieter more contemplative voyages for those sedately surveying their watery environment.
In general, an article should be about a thousand words and pictures would be most appreciated. Special Interest Groups, our regular
contributors, aim to write about seven hundred and fifty words and a short , informative piece of up to four hundred words with a relevant picture
would be perfect. The Editor reserves the right to adjust content where necessary.
Please send the largest picture possible, as sometimes they have to be enlarged 22x28cm at 300dpi. Make sure that you give a file name and
identify people and boat name. The deadline for the Spring issue will be 22nd February 2016.
40
Masthead
It is nearly time to put our yachts to bed for the winter. There are many
important decisions to be made depending on whether you are staying
afloat or hauling out.
Preparing for winter
T
he greatest luxury is access to an electricity supply – to power a
dehumidifier and heater, but for most – we must make do without.
It is advisable to leave the diesel tank full – to stop condensation.
Staying afloat
If electricity is available a dehumidifier and a heater set on cold
watch protect the interior brilliantly. Without power the yacht is
protected from the extreme cold by the water surrounding it, but it is
still important to have enough anti-freeze in the freshwater system on
engines with a heat exchanger. I tend to leave the engine in commission
and run it everytime I go onboard and at the same time run the diesel
heater and air the cabin. The freshwater system for domestic water
can be vulnerable above deck and I would always advise to turn off the
freshwater pump and leave the taps open. The cockpit shower should
be isolated if possible and the shower head removed and stowed below.
In an ideal world it is worth taking the bedding and cushions
home, but if not possible then stand the cushions up on their sides.
To avoid mildew it is worth wiping all the interior surfaces with antibacterial spray or a weak solution of bleach. Make sure the bilges are dry
and don’t leave any windows or hatches open, although it can help to
leave the heads compartment hatch or window on vent to allow airflow.
Turn off the seacocks, but remember to turn back on when running the
engine.
Also it is worth emptying lockers of perishables and leave lids/
doors open. Empty the fridge, leave clean and wedge the door/lid open
for ventilation. Clean the heads/toilets and leave some fresh water with
marine toilet cleaner in the bowl. De-odoriser can be left in the holding
tank. Turn off the gas at the bottle and check battery levels.
Hauling out
Now everything needs to be winterised, even if a dehumidifier
and heater are used. Power cuts can easily happen due to breakers
tripping, wet cables or human error. When out of the water everything
can freeze in extreme conditions.
The engine must be winterised and the fresh water system must
be drained and pipes left empty. Do not forget to remove the cockpit
shower head as they tend to split when frozen. Also, clean the toilets
and leave empty. Full service yards like Darthaven will winterise craft
that are hauled which saves owners from having to be available for the
lift out.
It is always advisable to remove as much as possible from the rig
and deck. Sails should be removed on a dry day and stowed completely
dry. If it is not possible due to bad weather, then the sails can be washed
and dried by the local sailmaker. All ropes and halyards should be
moused and removed. It is important to use good quality mouse line
that is not too thin, as it can jump the sheave and jam at the top of the
mast. When removed it is a good opportunity to wash the ropes if
required. A warm wash in the washing machine, and not too many at
once. Shackles that cannot be removed can be put in a thick sock and
cable tied on to protect the washing machine.
Spray hoods and dodgers etc should be removed as well as
jackstays and dinghies etc.
Ropes and covers that are removed for the winter will last much
longer and a small amount of effort can save a great deal of money in the
future. The spring clean and polish is made much easier if everything
on deck is removed before the winter.
Mainstay Yachts is run by Steve and Tracey Kilpatrick, if you have
any queries or would like to meet for an informal chat then please do
not hesitate to contact us.
Steve and Tracey Kilpatrick
07971 217947 – [email protected]
Masthead
41
Premises Development Committee –Progress Report
A
lot of water has passed under the
Royal Dart bridge since the last AGM
where the concept for the development of the
clubhouse was introduced to members.
For those of you that attended, you may
recall that there were two main options presented.
Option A ,which involved the demolition of the
cottage and the rebuilding of the “East Wing” and
Option B ,which was a watered down version
which retains the cottage building.
After a huge amount of work by the
Premises Development Committee (PDC) a
Quantity Surveyor was engaged to attach some
costings to the concept. The costs were estimated
to be in excess of £700,000.00
Following the AGM a funding committee
was formed to look into all aspects of raising
money. The Funding Committee concluded that
£700,000 was too much for the Club to be able to
repay over a reasonable period even if it could be
raised. It also concluded that it would take a long
time, possibly many years, to raise in other ways.
The original brief from the General
Committee was revisited and a hard view was
taken, to not only reduce costs, but to come up
with an even better overall plan which could
be adopted in phases, allowing the works to go
ahead as and when it could be afforded.
We needed to come up with a fresh new
concept with a “wow” factor which would really
excite the membership, for although the original
concept was well received, it did lack that extra bit
of “zing”
Not in the mood for giving up, the PDC once
again put their heads together to produce a plan
for the future.
Simply doing nothing is not an option, as the
club is beginning to look and feel a bit dated, we
are after all, only custodians of the club and have
a duty to bring it up to date for future generations.
So, a set of ideas was tabled and with the
assistance of Club member Peter Fairhurst architect (retired) and yet more drawings, the
PDC has produced a really exciting new concept.
This will considerably enhance the club, by
making better use of space, better use of the
superb views, making the internal spaces flexible
enough to accommodate both large and small
functions. It will also improve facilities for both
the Kitchen and the members, whilst retaining
the much loved terrace.
The concept has met with the approval of
the GC who have recently authorised the PDC to
go ahead with architect’s drawings and to obtain
the relevant permissions ready for a presentation
to the membership no later than the next AGM.
The GC and the PDC have listened to the
members as there have been many comments
regarding a major revamp of the lounge bar.
This will be handled by the Rear
Commodore House as a separate issue and can
be funded out of club reserves.
As for the redevelopment, the new design will
be stunning and practical whilst retaining the overall
character of the building. I can’t wait to see it!
by Colin Bower, Chair PDC
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150th
Anniversary
of the Royal
Dart Yacht Club
The 150th Anniversary Committee has been working hard to make sure
that the next year’s Celebrations are going to be exciting and diverse.
T
here will be activities to suit all club
members, land-based and waterbased and the Committee urge you to put
the 28th May half-term in your diaries now,
because that is when all the fun is going to
start.
The ever-popular Special Interest
Groups, the backbone of your Club have
a few inventive treats up their sleeves.
Boys in Boats are planning a trip. We all
know about their trips, so that is bound
to be worth investigating. Ladies Afloat
are doing something special with a
Thursday. Be there. There will be Dinghy
Racing, Wednesday Racing... all with
Celebrity themes and competing for the
Commodore’s Cup. Not to be sniffed at.
There are a number of amazing
cruising opportunities, so before you make
plans, check what is going on at the Club
first. Guernsey is one destination to whet
your appetite and it is always good fun
with people you know.
There will, of course, be divine
entertainment. The Admiral’s Cocktail
Party, a chance to dress up. There will be
a family evening and Disco... so no need
to dress up at all! In fact, something for
everybody, which is what the Club is all
about . However, on the 16th July there
will be the 150th Grand Gala Celebration
event and that is definitely going to go off
with a bang. A special Club Anniversary
memento to mark the occasion ...so as they
say ...bring it on!
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
FOR 150th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Saturday 28th May
tOpening Cocktail Party
tJunior Regatta
Sunday 29th May
tBrunch followed by
tWaterborne Treasure Hunt
Monday 30th May
tBank Holiday
Saturday 4th June
tSail Past
tSpring Regatta
tFamily Evening & Disco
Sunday 5th June
tSpring Regatta
tPrize Giving + Barbecue
Sat/Sun 9/10 July
tDartmouth Classics Regatta
Saturday 16th July
t150th Grand Gala
Saturday 13th August
tSeafood Event
Saturday/Sunday 23/24 or Saturday/Sunday 30/31 July
tCommodore’s Cup
Friday 19 -22 August
tSmall Sail Training Ships (ASTO)
tVisit to Dartmouth and
Race to Gosport
25th – 28th August
tPort of Dartmouth Royal Regatta
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43
OBITUARY
GEOFFREY EDWARD BENNETT 31 AUGUST 1948 – 10 APRIL 2015
Geoffrey died on April 12th 2015
after a hard fought battle against a
rare form of cancer. Geoffrey was
elected as the Club’s Honorary Legal
Adviser at the AGM on Saturday
25th April 2009. Like most things in
Geoffrey’s life he put his heart and
soul into fighting the disease not for
himself but for his family.
G
eoffrey grew up for the first fifteen years of his life in East Africa.
Born in Tanzania, he grew up in Nairobi where his father was
Commissioner for East Africa. Geoffrey loved Africa where his childhood
was free and exciting. He attended a small school where he had lots of
free time at home where he could go camping on his own with his bow
and arrow, hunting for food. This all took place in the garden, so if the
hunting trip was not successful the kitchen was not far away. (Food was
always important to him, as I found out when we first met at the Gara
Rock Hotel in 1960. His parents had come from Kenya to set up home
in South Milton and I won his admiration by sneaking a steak from the
kitchen to him as he went about pot washing).
At seven he boarded at a Prep school, Thompson Falls, which he
adored after he realised that he would not be returning home. He always
claimed he was rather thick. Cricket, Rugby and Boxing were sports he
took to readily and at the age of twelve he was sent back to England
to his Father’s old school, St Edward’s, Oxford. Again, he fitted in well
apart from the slight East African accent. Sport was his great love and he
managed to be the youngest in the 1st X1 Cricket Team, Captain of the
1st X1 Hockey Team and a player for England School Boys Academy, he
was bright enough and managed to get into Bristol University to study
Law ( which didn’t quite match up to his desire to be racing driver) but
was on his father’s advice about having something to fall back on if his
racing career didn’t take off!
During his University years he spent his holidays working either
at The Gara Rock Hotel, on the construction of the A38, digging the new
Salcombe Sewers, driving an articulated lorry to Spain and back and
occasionally trying his hand at Formula 3 racing at Silverstone. Once
qualified , he qualified in Entertainment Law, most notably carrying out
the legal work for the film Ghandi alongside Dickie Darling. By this time
Geoffrey and I were married, had bought a house in SW6 and had two
small children, Gemma and George. However, we both missed Devon
and after twelve years in London we decided to make the move back
“home”. In 1985 we moved to Stoke Gabriel and Geoffrey joined a small
Dartmouth law firm, Courtney Richards, as a Partner.
Around this time Geoffrey’s attention turned to other country
pursuits. He enjoyed fly fishing, shooting and sailing and we soon
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purchased with friends a gaff-rigged shrimper. Conscientious as always,
he wanted to learn properly and so he took himself off to do his Yacht
Masters, learning enough to get us to the Channel Islands and The
Scillies on our next boat, a twenty nine foot Sadler. We sold the Sadler
upon moving to Kingswear some twenty two years later and Black Pearl
(a twenty three foot Karnac sports boat) came into his life) Next to me,
the children and his dogs, Black Pearl became one of his greatest loves.
At long last he could enjoy speed both on the road and on the water.
Within the firm he, with his partners, built up a substantial
business resulting in mergers with Hooper and Wollen and then
Michelmores to become one of the most successful law firms in he
South West. Geoffrey treated his work with the same dedication and
care that he treated his friends and family. Only his complete best would
be good enough and a genuine care of his clients was apparent from
those he retained throughout the years, including famous singers and
songwriters from his time in London.
What more can I say about him...He liked to dance in the kitchen
with his family, clutching a broom in style of Freddie Mercury after a
glass or two of wine. He couldn’t watch an English Rugby match without
leaping from the sofa in a fit of joy or despair. He appreciated his friends
enormously and though he let few get too near, those he did he did he
cared for and admired deeply. He loved his family , his dogs and his life.
Geoffrey wasn’t perfect, but as far as Gemma, George and I are
concerned, he was pretty close.
by Susie Bennett
NEW MEMBERS
Names
FEBRUARY 2014 TO SEPTEMBER 2015
The Club has pleasure in welcoming the following New Members:
Name of Boat
Anne and Nick Woodward
Resident
Dartmouth
Christine and David Rogers
Blue Horizon
Exmouth
Lynn and Ron Stoddart
Moonshadow
Dartmouth
Margaret and Richard Jacobs
Fridays Girl
Exton
Helen Cottington
Margaret and Peter Watling
Blackawton
Fatima
Alison and Michael Timms
Kingswear
Holsworthy
Diana and Peter Crook
Wishstream
Dursley and Little Dartmouth
Angela Gibbon
Finale
Totnes
Janet and Tony Bradley
Ant
Dartmouth
Sarah Harding and Max Graesser
Callisto
Cullompton
William Pratt
Cornworthy
Sarah and Mark Driver
Goodwinds
Twickenham
Matilda and Alastair Newing
Giselle
Galmpton
Amanda and Chris Wood
Susie and Mark Hubbard
Dartmouth
Amethyst
Cornworthy
Sarah and Ian Knight
East Sussex
Caroline and Richard Knight
Kent and Stoke Fleming
Pamela Nicholson
Carpe Diem
Dartmouth
Andrew Simpson
London
Lucy Mann
Dartmouth
Alison Carter and Reuben Modell
Wasp
Tunbridge Wells and Brixham
Jane and Peter Fellows
Eryri
Gloucester
Keith Hayes
Siento Mejor
Ashprington
Carol and David Willmington
Ruby
Clyst St Mary
Pippa and Andrew Clague
Blue Lowrie
Dartmouth
Steven Gray
Dartmouth
Elena Sayers
Brixham
Sarah Hanrott and Andrew White
Liberty
Chipping Norton and Blackawton
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45
As is usual when the nights draw in
it is time to look forward to the other
events offered by the Club over the
winter, including a programme
of general interest lectures. This
Autumn’s programme starts on
October 7th and includes stories of
people and places of local interest,
of great adventurers past and
present and even a light-hearted
look at ourselves.
General Interest
Winter Lectures
W
e are lucky this year to have Paul Heiney (October 28),
well known writer and broadcaster, who has a great
passion for sailing along with his wife, Libby Purves. With over
a dozen works of fiction and non-fiction to his name he has
written on both farming and maritime matters. However, it is
his trip to Cape Horn that he has come to the Club to talk about,
which is celebrated in his book “One Wild Song”. There will be
opportunities to purchase the book, supplied by Dartmouth
Community Bookshop, and ask questions while Paul signs them
after his talk. Our speakers are experts in their subjects and all
will be our guests after their talk, so please support them by
coming to as many lectures as you can and by meeting them
afterwards over supper.
November 4th 'Babbage and Beyond' by Lucy Simister
Lucy is publishing works on many little-known aspects of our local
hero from the past, Charles Babbage FRS - inventor , mathematician,
mechanical engineer and philosopher.
The full programme is:
December 16th 'Could Scott have been saved? - The man who
found him' by Mike Tarver
Our in-house historian re-assesses the last days of this controversial
Antarctic explorer.
Once again Mike’s meticulous research has found a new and controversial
angle to the great ill fated expedition of 1911. Mike’s new book will be
available to buy, just in time for Christmas!
October 7th 'Serious Sailors Need Serious Charts' by Bob Bradfield
Bob is a modern day adventurer who has explored some of the most
remote corners of the world to provide charting for yachtsmen, by
yachtsmen.
October 21st 'Kent’s Cavern Prehistoric Caves' by Nick Prowse
Nick is the 5th generation of custodians of this popular local attraction and
a key resource in understanding the history of early humans in the UK.
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November 18th Dartmouth: 'an Enchanted Place' by Joslin Fiennes
Joslin has amassed a collection of verse and pictures to explore the
enchantment of Dartmouth. A worthy candidate for your Christmas
present list?
December 2nd 'New Year’s Resolutions that Really Work!' by Sue Thomas
Sue is a specialist in motivation training and will engage you in a lighthearted look at this year’s resolutions.
Forces get together
at RDYC
DRESS CODE RDYC STYLE
The evening came to get together
BRNC hoping for clement weather
And so it was, all lined up proper
Trying not to come a cropper,
Shoes well polished, neatly tied
Medals gleaming, pinned with pride.
Jackets of varied cut and hue
Some of red, some black, some blue
Trousers with creases that could slice a steak
And bow- ties, real ones, never a fake.
Naval dress code on display, rigged at number one
Formal , starched and plain white shirts, clearly having fun.
But wait, who have we here, smiling without a tie?
Tony , our Vice-Commodore, it is without a lie!
A lounge suit, most acceptable, it seems, at RDYC!
Welcome to the Royal Dart and Kingswear...home of the Free!
YOUR
COMPLETE
B O A T YA R D
BOATYARD
Lift out & relaunch
Storage ashore open & undercover
Collection and delivery from
Dartmouth
On site chandlery
Adjacent to town/ good road
access
Level concrete yard/ all boats
held in quality cradles
Electric/ water access
BOAT SALES CENTRE
Open for customer friendly
viewing seven days a week
24hour secure access for
boat owners
On site brokerage
BALTIC WHARF
B O AT YA R D
St Peter’s Quay
Totnes, Devon TQ9 5EW
01803 867922
[email protected]
www.balticwharf.co.uk