Yorkshire Ouse team race and Naburn Paddle open meeting

Team Racing returns to Yorkshire Ouse SC

Despite dreadful weather for most of the day and a postponed start, Saturday 6th June 2014 saw the first YOSC Team Race this century get underway, albeit with a near windless, drifting start. Taking over 20 minutes to complete lap 1 the entire Gold Team of N2545 Philip David and Alexander Phillips, N2531 Vince and Dan Phillips and N3331 Simon and Tom Moss were all caught by the lack of wind at the Club mark with the river current drifting them downstream away from the course. Their predicament allowed the leading Streaker of Neil Botham (Red team) to round the mark, just as the wind filled in, grabbing the overall lead. It wasn’t long before Simon and Tom, first of the Gold Team to recover, gave chase and by lap 2 had taken the lead. They extended this but with the forecast wind and weather improvement, the rest of the Gold Team gradually hauled them in. Further down the fleet Larry Gray and Keith Cooper in the leading Enterprise for the Red Team had a tangle at the Club Mark with Neil McInnes and Beatrice Overend sailing N1483 for the Blue Team, resulting in Larry making several attempts, (following local sailing instructions), to re-round the mark and do his penalty turns. This proved to be the “Champagne moment” of the race with the assembled spectators bursting into popular, if not-so-rapturous, applause!
 
More drama followed with the closing stages and the leading pair of Philip and Alex, Vince and Dan incredibly close and coming up to the finish, it was just Philip who broke the line first to win individual line honours. However both he and Vince were recorded with identical times. As the overall team result was to be determined by Race Officer, Ian Purkis and AOD, Fiona Phillips, there followed a brief interlude with PY handicaps and calculator and, on corrected times, an amazing 3-way tie with Philip & Alex, Vince and Dan and Neil Botham all tied on identical corrected times! However with the support of Simon & Tom the Gold Team were declared winners and presented with the handsome YOSC Team Race Trophy.
 
An hour later and the competitors, YOSC members and guests enjoyed a beautiful early summer evening of blue skies and barbecue rounded off with a live music provided by the Joe and Emily duo in the Clubhouse. Special thanks to all who sailed, those who supported the event, including Nick Merriam & Andrew Holmes who came to assist preparations, despite the appalling weather earlier!

Naburn Paddle

Bright sunshine and gusty winds for 2014 “Naburn Paddle” at Yorkshire Ouse SC  

After the fun of Team Racing the previous evening, barbecue and live music, the N12 fleet gathered for the serious business of the Naburn Paddle 2014.

Race 1 and it was Bernard and Eli Clark in N2149 Xanthus  who set the pace following an early, albeit very brief, lead by Ian Purkis & Beatrice Overend in N1483 My Little Margie. Once clear, Bernard and Ellie stretched their lead to what looked like an easy win. Philip David and Alexander Phillips in N2545 Little Meg followed them home with Ed and Tom Storey in their wing-ruddered, double bottomed N 3514 Elise in third.

Race 2 and now, with the wind strengthening, it was Philip David’s turn to lead the fleet but following several spectacular capsizes, pitching first Brian Herring and Ros Stevenson into the Ouse and then Will Mitchell and Lois Spender in, the latter getting N3479 Not Another Aardvark ‘s  mast caught fast under a moored cruiser, the safety boat crews had their work cut out. Ed Storey was now going better too, coming home second.

In the final race, a now depleted fleet saw Philip David lose control and be forced into retirement allowing Vince and Dan Phillips to come home winners, followed again by Ed and Tom.

However, with one discard allowed, Philip David, with his second and first places, won overall. Bernard Clark from Ripon Sailing Club was second overall with Ed Storey third. With Vintage boats taking the top two places, a proposal was made at the prize-giving for a future special category award for the highest place double bottomed boat! Such is sailing on the Ouse at Naburn!

Overall results

1^st           N2545   Little Meg            Philip David and Alexander Phillips

2^nd             N2149   Xanthus                Bernard and Ellie Clark

3^rd           N3514 Elise                        Ed and Tom Storey

4^th           N2531 Invasion                 Vince and Dan Phillips

5^th           N3216 Twice Shy               Neil McInnes and Matt Foster

6^th           N3331 Gollum                    Simon and Tom Moss

7^th           N1483 My Little Margie     Ian Purkis and Beatrice Overend

8^th           N1673 Lets Go                   Brian Herring and Ros Stevenson

9^th           N3479 Not Another Aardvark     Will Mitchell and Lois Spender

10^th         N2589 Mary Deare              Brian Miatt and Margaret Purkis