Messages

Jeremy
I can't open this page ... can you check please?
Thanks for making all the shots available.
Mike D
N3533

Well - great regatta and congratulation to Meds and Katy for a fine overall win.  It was jolly windy - especially in Monday's F6 when I found the weakest point in my winged rudder set-up and so a big thank you to the two unoffical rescue boats that finally got us back to the boat park.  21 boats was a great turn-out and the Salcombe fleet was as hospitable as ever.
 
Mike D
N3533

I am probably the least technical person sailing Twelves.  What I do know in the last season and a half sailing with a winged rudder is that about half a dozen times, without warning and on different points of sailing, the boat has moved into a completely different zone of speed and feel - when the rudder really must be working.  Problem is I'm not at all clear what combination of lift setting, fore/aft trim and sail setting made it like that!  Then it disappears ....  there are also times when the boat suddenly loses control - either nose-diving, rolling to windward on a reach or stalling in tacks.  And nothing has yet broken apart from when I have hit the bottom.
Anyway, it's all pretty exciting and the challenge now is to learn more about the zen moments of speed and try to eradicate the losses of control.
 
Mike D
N3533

Ranelagh open meeting July 2011

Belated thanks to Ranelagh for hosting the event and congratulations to Chris Edwards for his win - showing a masterful control of all the vagaries of this tidal reach of the Thames and also a pre-race briefing style that managed to put premature starting fear in to the minds of all other competitors, such that we gave him a clear run at it.  Although the weather forecast of 1 knot gusting 2 deterred a few people, the six boats there had a great race.
 
Jon Ibbotson took lots of super photos here: http://gallery.me.com/jon.ibbotson/100084
 
Mike D
N3533

Time to give a shout out for this Sunday's open at Ranelagh.  As usual, just one long race - with a 1500 start time advertised on the club's programme.  I know already of three or four boats coming but everyone is welcome - to sail for one of the Twelves' oldest trophies.

Mike D
N3533

You'll all be aware that on the Sunday, The Queen's Royal Barge is leading a  river flotilla on the Thames from around Battersea going past the Tower with hundreds of boats following.  As an alternative to Burton Week, we could all take part ...!!!

Mike D
N3533
- sending advance apologies for not being at Hayling due to the above.

Well, in spite of pouring rain and 30mph winds, Burghfield was indeed a blast.  We did eight races of about 12-15 mins each and, with great race management, it was a lot of fun.  More of this kind of racing, please!
Big thanks to Jeremy and all at Burghfield for making us feel so welcome.

Mike D
N3533

Goodee ... 30mph+ winds and pouring rain for Sunday!

Yes, me too.  I'll definitely be there for the Sunday and we'll count the results towards the Thames Area.
Mike D
N3533

All sorted ... Clare Hunter has kindly offered.  See you there.

Mike D
N3533

Anne is away that weekend so I'm crewless.  If there's anyone out there less than 9 stone who fancies a day in the front of Rock Lobster, I'd love to hear from them! 

Ian, Simon ... is there anyone in the Spinnaker cadet fleet who might be available?  Thanks

Mike D
N3533

Probably a bit too much forward rake there for optimum upwind performance!
 
Mike D
N3533

And we all had a very nice day ... eight boats including 5 visitors, a different winner in each race and John Thornton plus Bryony won the last and therefore the meeting.
Mike D.
N3533

The unusual Tom Stewart / Zoe Ballantyne pairing heads the results after three races and judging from the DNFs and DNCs, there's probably a deal of wind.

Mike D
N3533