Ely four plank open meeting
Sunshine n’ Scruffy Yachts
On July 5th Ely Sailing Club played host to the inaugural
four Plank event. With the weather forecast looking iffy
(maybe that’s what you get for planning an event on
Wimbledon Finals weekend) and this being the first event of
its kind it was up in the air as to whether anyone else was
going to join us. So when we arrived to find two Cheshire
Cat’s basking in the July sunshine and the two locals rigged
and ready, Paul and myself had grins like the famous Lewis
Carol character the Mike Jackson design shares its name
with.
The full list Skippers and their yachts was Paul Turner with
Cheshire Cat fresh from the barn sporting a new deck and
repaint, Gerald Copsey with Beggars Maid (Cheshire Cat)
still looking pretty good given she hadn’t been on the water
for a while, Suzie Salis with Dynamena (Warlock) looking
very shiny with some new decks and Jack with Subversion
looking far from sorted but not feeling foolish.
With the Pimms on ice and all fours boats lined up along the
jetty all that remained was for Aleyne Salis RO for the day
to run everyone through how we intended to fit in four short
fast races (each 40 minutes long). Just in case you
wondering the day went as follows: two races before lunch
followed by two races after lunch. As a Brucey Bonus because
the Roswell pits are about 40 acres all in and there’s
plenty of jetty mooring it meant there was no hanging around
on the water between races and everyone was able to head
back the club, tie up, grab a breather and swap some banter.
This is pretty much how the racing went down.
First Half, Race 1. Youth verse Experience
Jack Knight and Chandler Stamford despite their combined age
being lower than each of all the other helms, they were keen
make their presence felt, by pretty much leading from the
start and leaving Gerald and Paul to fight it out amongst
themselves. All was going well for the Ely Boys till
the fourth lap when the wind filled in from behind down leg
4 bringing the `Cats creeping up on Subversion like she was
an unsuspecting mouse. Things then went from tricky to
very bad just when it looked like Jack and Chandler might
stop Gerald (who by this time had found the boost button or
had finally got his main to set properly) from grabbing the
top spot. Gerald was handed the lead when Subversion’s jib
halyard gave way.
No more places changed so by the time finish gun sounded
Gerald and Tanya Copsey in first, Paul Turner and Andrea
Murphy in second followed by Suzie Salis and Kerry Whitford
in third.
Race 2; Two Wet Locals to Two Dry Visitors
By now the sun had come out the clouds disappeared and the
wind had settled into a nice solid force 2. Race 2 also saw
another Ely boat showing the local 12s weren’t going to just
simply hand over the wine, I mean trophy, over with Suzy
taking on all comers to win the start and by half way round
first lap she was second just behind Gerald. When a luffing
match ensured between Suzy and PT the result saw Paul doing
turns allowing Gerald to escape. Life then got a whole
lot damper for Suzie and Kerry when just after being
overtaken by Paul and Murph, they executed a magnificent
back ward capsize thanks to a 90 degree wind shift plus gust
= 8/10 for artistic interpretation with extra points going
to Kerry for bombing her helm from the upper deck. While all
this was going on Jack and Chandler had filled up after very
deep roll tack had coincided with massive change in wind
speed. It was also then they discovered they had forgotten a
bailer. After all that drama Gerald cruised home to take
another victory, with Paul in Second and Jack in third.
Lunch time saw a sit down meal for ten with plenty of chilli
cooked by Andy Knight and the gallery crew with lashing of
Pimms for those not driving. All rounded off with small
mountain of fresh fruit for people to work their way through
for desert. Thanks must go out everyone involved in putting
on such a fine spread.
Second Half, Race 3; Ringing the Changes
Paul T retired gracefully having completed two races, this
being first sail in six months after recovering from spinal
surgery so handed over the reins of Cheshire Cat to Andrea
his crew with Jonathan ‘Smilie’ Garfitt first time back
crewing in a National 12 open meeting in a very long time.
Once again Suzy showed her Salis genes by leading the race
off the line. While Murph last off the start, mainly due to
Murph was still finding out what tacking facing backwards
malarkey was all about. With Gerald now fully into his
stride it wasn’t long before he was leading the pack. But
Jack was pushing all the time waiting pounce keeping Gerald
and Tanya on their toes.
By end of race three Gerald had bagged his third victory and
the open meeting, with Jack in second and Andrea in third
and Suzie forth.
Race 4; Bank Snerculing and iffy wind
Once a again there was a big swap round of crews, this time
Kerry crewed for Gerald, Tanya crewed for Suzie and Smilie
steered a 12 competitively for the first time in 10 plus
years. After a bit jostling at the start all got away
cleanly only for Jack to get confused about which way to
round buoy 5 and sail back to re-round. He wasn’t alone when
the race rusty Smilie followed him thinking he might have
got wrong as well (they had both been right the first time).
This was pretty much it for major happenings for race 4,
there was some more close racing for the first couple of
legs till Jack got a lucky/jammy lift and escaped the
peloton to join Gerald at the front.
As the race went on the wind become lighter and more patchy
but all the time Jack was snapping at Gerald’s transom
flaps, ever hoping for another lucky lift to give him the
jump and then the break away on Gerald but it wasn’t to be.
When the finishing quack sounded Gerald was confidently
holding first with Jack a close second with Suzie coming in
third. Smile and Murph had already called it a day by then
and paddled for home when wind disappeared completely round
buoy 7.
So to summarise for everyone who didn’t make it along
they missed a day of fun close racing. The race organisation
was spot the lunch perfect (and and the breakfast bacon
butties) and prizes where generous. Thanks has to go Alayne
Seymour for getting all four races in without any dramas,
Dave for looking after the rescue boat and putting up with
me waffling away to him and Andy Knight and rest of Jack’s
family for looking after the galley. It’s not every open you
get massive hunks of pineapple for dessert.
One last thing to say was it also really good to see a
fleet of 12’s back racing at Ely Sailing Club. There also
looks to be the green shoots of the fleet growing again at
Ely, fingers crossed.
One event down two more to go, With such a good start the
next meet at Trent Valley on the 20th July can only be
better.
Later all
Smilie
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