Rotherham Model Yacht Club
Upcoming race dates for 2026 :-
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Open Series racing is held each Saturday at Harthill. Racing starts at 10:00am. |
.... Race Reports ....
DF65 Open Series - 7th February 2026
Report to follow
IOM Open Series - 31st January 2026
No sailing. Sailors unavailable for IOM/DF65
DF95 Open Series - 24th January 2026
Another awkward predominantly Easterly light breeze presenting a difficult wind direction for an effective starting line and very tricky winds in the area in front of the club house. However, the chosen start line worked fine for four competitors and the tricky winds presented plenty of opportunities for positional changes.
Racing commenced at 10am and time was not wasted between races resulting in the completion of an impressive fifteen races, with only a short coffee break.
Steve won the first race, leading from start to finish, but Martyn got to grips with the conditions best from that point on and took a string of wins only interrupted by Jen in race 14. There was some good competitive racing however, with all the sailors in the mix at times and mistakes tended to cost dearly.
Final result: 15 races completed, Martyn 1st (13 points), Jen 2nd (26 points), Peter 3rd (39 points), Steve 4th (45 points)
It was a pity that Rob and David couldn't compete, but boat issues prevented their inclusion. Hopefully the issues will be sorted for our next DF95 outing!
Racing commenced at 10am and time was not wasted between races resulting in the completion of an impressive fifteen races, with only a short coffee break.
Steve won the first race, leading from start to finish, but Martyn got to grips with the conditions best from that point on and took a string of wins only interrupted by Jen in race 14. There was some good competitive racing however, with all the sailors in the mix at times and mistakes tended to cost dearly.
Final result: 15 races completed, Martyn 1st (13 points), Jen 2nd (26 points), Peter 3rd (39 points), Steve 4th (45 points)
It was a pity that Rob and David couldn't compete, but boat issues prevented their inclusion. Hopefully the issues will be sorted for our next DF95 outing!
DF65 Open Series - 17th January 2026
A very light E/SE wind greeted us on a cool and overcast morning. A distant start line was selected in this awkward wind direction. This gave an initial beat toward the club house in the rather fluky winds. The club welcomed Simon Fairman as a visitor and the racing got underway promptly at 10 am with David arriving late and missing the first race.
Martyn took the first five races, but the leading position was contested strongly in most of those races, mainly by Simon. They were not straight-forward wins! Simon then took the race-winning mantle and finished first in the next five races, again with the leading position often changing and some good racing as the fleet closed up and the racing became closer and more intense.
The final race (race 11,) was dominated from the start by Jen and some excellent sailing by Steve pushed Martyn and Simon into third and fourth places respectively. The outcome of this race sealed the final positions of Martyn and Simon, with Martyn winning on countback. Jen came in third overall, just beating Steve into fourth place by one point. Rob and Dave's final positions were fifth and sixth. Rob was seriously compromised by missing the first four races however.
A very enjoyable day of sailing!
Martyn took the first five races, but the leading position was contested strongly in most of those races, mainly by Simon. They were not straight-forward wins! Simon then took the race-winning mantle and finished first in the next five races, again with the leading position often changing and some good racing as the fleet closed up and the racing became closer and more intense.
The final race (race 11,) was dominated from the start by Jen and some excellent sailing by Steve pushed Martyn and Simon into third and fourth places respectively. The outcome of this race sealed the final positions of Martyn and Simon, with Martyn winning on countback. Jen came in third overall, just beating Steve into fourth place by one point. Rob and Dave's final positions were fifth and sixth. Rob was seriously compromised by missing the first four races however.
A very enjoyable day of sailing!
IOM Open Series - 10th January 2026
No sailing; water frozen.
DF95 Open Series - 3rd January 2026
No sailing. Freezing conditions!
DF95 Open Series - 20th December 2025
A foggy start which never completely cleared making buoy judgement and sail trimming difficult in the cold fickle wind which was blowing +/-45 degrees ...... when it blew at all! A distant start line was required due to the unfriendly wind direction and the correctness of our port/starboard starts could only be ascertained in the later seconds of the countdown. All races were one lap taking 6 to 8 minutes, with one minor course change introduced.
Martyn made some reasonable starts count toward race wins but was often initially chased by Peter, Rob or Steve. The fleet was usually spread out due to the nature of the wind at the upwind mark in particular and we were only all in close contention in one race. That one was won by Steve! Rob was still having a few issues with his boat after successfully servicing his rudder servo. Peter had a few issues with his buoy rounding. Martyn got his issues out of the way early by forgetting his sails and borrowing Jen's. The word 'numpty' was heard used. Steve had a very varied day in his performance; he doesn't like these conditions much but is getting better at dealing with them!
Final result: Martyn, Peter, Steve, Rob. 12 races, a late start and a slightly early finish. No coffee break. All good fun!
Martyn made some reasonable starts count toward race wins but was often initially chased by Peter, Rob or Steve. The fleet was usually spread out due to the nature of the wind at the upwind mark in particular and we were only all in close contention in one race. That one was won by Steve! Rob was still having a few issues with his boat after successfully servicing his rudder servo. Peter had a few issues with his buoy rounding. Martyn got his issues out of the way early by forgetting his sails and borrowing Jen's. The word 'numpty' was heard used. Steve had a very varied day in his performance; he doesn't like these conditions much but is getting better at dealing with them!
Final result: Martyn, Peter, Steve, Rob. 12 races, a late start and a slightly early finish. No coffee break. All good fun!
DF95 Open Series - 13th December 2025
Only three boats on the water today to capitalise on a reasonably steady wind from a lovely SW direction. The weather; cool and mainly overcast. It's a pity we didn't have more boats competing but both Rob and Jen had to pull out from the sailing today.
It was a slow start with Peter having to change up from his B rig and Steve getting stuck on a buoy. Many thanks to Dave from the paddlers for releasing him using a canoe and thereby avoiding the need to launch the rescue boat.
In the racing, Martyn had it pretty much his own way. He was challenged a few times by both Peter and Steve but managed to get back in front each time. Steve and Peter had some close races but Steve lost out when the wind speed rose and he then had trouble tacking and was also getting into irons.
Final result: Martyn 9 points, Peter 20 points and Steve 23 points
It was a slow start with Peter having to change up from his B rig and Steve getting stuck on a buoy. Many thanks to Dave from the paddlers for releasing him using a canoe and thereby avoiding the need to launch the rescue boat.
In the racing, Martyn had it pretty much his own way. He was challenged a few times by both Peter and Steve but managed to get back in front each time. Steve and Peter had some close races but Steve lost out when the wind speed rose and he then had trouble tacking and was also getting into irons.
Final result: Martyn 9 points, Peter 20 points and Steve 23 points
RMYC AGM - 6th December 2025
Trophies presented by our Chairman Peter Cogill to Jen Hand, Steve Rowlay and Martyn Aspinall.
DF65 Open Series - 29th November 2025
Well done Steve!
DF95 Open Series - 22nd November 2025
A cold day at Harthill and some maintenance required before racing could commence. The rising water level had left the temporary launching pontoon stranded so Peter kindly came along to organise its relocation, making it an extension of the main pontoon. He was helped by Steve and Dave from the paddlers.
Peter was unable to stay and sail but we managed 4 boats on the water as Rob had arrived. Rob had some electrical issues and did not compete in the first two races.
The wind had become lighter whilst we were there and was quite changeable in direction. A simple triangular course was set and racing commenced. Despite the fairly tricky conditions the race finishing order tended to reflect the order of boats to the first mark. Martyn had a good day by making the windward mark first and was often closely chased by Jen or Rob but was managing to stay up-front.
Final result after nine races; Martyn, Jen, Rob then Steve. All were happy to find the comfort of the warm club house after the racing and packing away was completed.
Peter was unable to stay and sail but we managed 4 boats on the water as Rob had arrived. Rob had some electrical issues and did not compete in the first two races.
The wind had become lighter whilst we were there and was quite changeable in direction. A simple triangular course was set and racing commenced. Despite the fairly tricky conditions the race finishing order tended to reflect the order of boats to the first mark. Martyn had a good day by making the windward mark first and was often closely chased by Jen or Rob but was managing to stay up-front.
Final result after nine races; Martyn, Jen, Rob then Steve. All were happy to find the comfort of the warm club house after the racing and packing away was completed.
DF95 Open Series - 15th November 2025
No racing
IOM Open Series - 8th November 2025 (changed from DF65)
A pleasant warm day brought a light westerly wind coming over the far-side trees for the majority of the time. The conditions were quite tricky with stronger gusts, complete lulls and some unfathomable changes in wind direction.
Martyn kicked off with a win in the first race, leading from the first mark rounding and didn't release his hold on all the following races. The wind gods were favouring him immensely with nine straight wins! Jen and Peter both challenged from time to time and had some close races between them with Jen just establishing superiority in the final three races to achieve an overall second.
A fun days sailing overall untroubled by weed. Nice to see plenty of activity at the club with the paddlers starting to establish themselves.
Martyn kicked off with a win in the first race, leading from the first mark rounding and didn't release his hold on all the following races. The wind gods were favouring him immensely with nine straight wins! Jen and Peter both challenged from time to time and had some close races between them with Jen just establishing superiority in the final three races to achieve an overall second.
A fun days sailing overall untroubled by weed. Nice to see plenty of activity at the club with the paddlers starting to establish themselves.
DF65 Open Series - 1st November 2025 (changed from IOM)
On arrival we had to re-lay many of the marks which had drifted in all directions, and then we had to decide which rig to use - A or B - David had rigged A and Rob arrived with B. After one race it was clear that the A rig was being overpowered, so we all rigged B.
A generally southerly breeze which shifted westerly later in the morning. We started on a figure of 8 course. however when the wind shifted west there was a reaching start for a beat to 4 for a trapezoid course. In one race we had two beats and two runs - a very odd wind and we had a couple of showers which drove us in for our coats but we finished under a blue sky.
An enjoyable morning of weed-free racing, Rob and Peter had several battles, each taking advantage of the others mistakes.
Overall Rob was more constant than Peter in the seven races and took top spot ahead of Peter and David.
A generally southerly breeze which shifted westerly later in the morning. We started on a figure of 8 course. however when the wind shifted west there was a reaching start for a beat to 4 for a trapezoid course. In one race we had two beats and two runs - a very odd wind and we had a couple of showers which drove us in for our coats but we finished under a blue sky.
An enjoyable morning of weed-free racing, Rob and Peter had several battles, each taking advantage of the others mistakes.
Overall Rob was more constant than Peter in the seven races and took top spot ahead of Peter and David.
Overall results for the RMYC racing year starting Oct 2024
to the end of Sept 2025
DF95 Open Series - 25th October 2025
No sailing
DF65 Open Series - 18th October 2025
No sailing - work party clearing weeds and willow growth from the water and shoreline. Thank you to Peter, Rob, David, Jen and Martyn for your efforts. The water level was found to have been lowered even further in preparation for more work by CRT on a leaking sluice gate.
IOM Open Series - 11th October 2025
No sailing
DF95 Open Series - 4th October 2025 - Start of the 2025/26 RMYC racing season!
No sailing.
DF65 Open Series - 27th September 2025 - Final Race Day of the RMYC 2024/25 Season!
Rob joined David and Peter after the first two races and went on to win the session by one point.
Nice to have David back sailing again!
A good mornings racing with a steady S breeze that shifted SE from time to time. The overall result rested on the finish of race 4; the wind bent on the last leg, Peter who was in the lead, had to tack to cross the line; but Rob was able to lay it and crossed ahead of Peter.
Jen and Martyn missed this race day as they were at the DF95 Nationals at Barton's Point on the Isle of Sheppey.
IOM Open Series - 20th September 2025
Today provided a fairly steady light SW breeze with a heavily overcast sky, but no rain ........ initially. Our Jen was unfortunately unable to sail due to a sore knee but Denis joined us from Manor to give us some good racing. The competition was tight with no room for mistakes and everyone taking wins. A course change was made after a few races that provided more opportunities for changes in the lead. Martyn's early and late strong performances carried him to an overall win, but part way through the session it could have been anyone's day.
We got in thirteen races and finished ten minutes early as the rain had started and then came down more strongly as we packed away. It did not spoil an excellent day of sailing.
Thanks to Peter for providing a start countdown in the absence of our malfunctioning start timer, which undoubtably distracted him. Also, thank you to Denis for coming along with his new Alioth V4 in an interesting peri-peri colour and providing excellent competition.
We got in thirteen races and finished ten minutes early as the rain had started and then came down more strongly as we packed away. It did not spoil an excellent day of sailing.
Thanks to Peter for providing a start countdown in the absence of our malfunctioning start timer, which undoubtably distracted him. Also, thank you to Denis for coming along with his new Alioth V4 in an interesting peri-peri colour and providing excellent competition.
DF95 Open Series - 13th September 2025
Only two sailors, so informal racing was conducted. The water is low but launching was achieved from a temporary ramp and there were no weed issues. Rob got the better of Peter in an enjoyable sail.
DF65 Open Series - 6th September 2025
After a session of terminating some weeds and willow growth then repositioning the buoys, we had an hour of racing. The wind was fluky in direction and strength but the racing was good and we were WEED-FREE for the first time in a while. We all had a taste of leading and trailing, but Martyn managed top spot in the final count-up. Rob got the full number of races in (that's a first!) and sailed well. Peter's mind-set was still on sailing his Streaker dinghy after his previous week's Championship event but he recovered well to finish on a race win.
Jen and Martyn are supporting a Marblehead event at Lincoln next weekend as part of the race team but we are still hoping to raise enough boats for some DF95 racing at Harthill.
Jen and Martyn are supporting a Marblehead event at Lincoln next weekend as part of the race team but we are still hoping to raise enough boats for some DF95 racing at Harthill.
Martyn working in the paddy field (attempting to pull weeds out along with their roots)
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IOM Open Series - 30th August 2025
No sailing
DF95 Open Series - 23rd August 2025
Weed cutting and temporary launch ramp placement to accommodate the low water level. No racing.
DF65 Open Series - 16th August 2025
Weed cutting. No racing.
IOM Open Series - 9th August 2025
No sailing
DF95 Open Series - 2nd August 2025
Action on weed cutting. No racing.
DF65 Open Series - 26th July 2025
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The day brought light winds, generally from the SW but periodically moving as far as South and North! Very tricky for setting starts and courses. The rain threatened but held off for the entire sailing session. Floating weed and underwater weed were a problem despite the clearance efforts of Peter and a further RSC member on Thursday evening.
We managed eight one lap races with our boats brought in for weed clearance between races and also occasionally within the races. A nice sociable meet-up for our club members but not really competitive racing. Martyn and Jen were the least weed affected, Peter and David the most affected, as indicated by the results. Rob joined us later in the session after running at Monsal and sailed David's boat for a race. David was also given a minute start for the last few races which improved his competitiveness. We left Peter in his waders with a rake busily scraping away at the weed in the launching area as the outdoor swimmers started to arrive. Fingers crossed for an improvement in our sailing conditions, but we desperately need some rainfall to maintain our ability to launch from the jetty and provide some clear water above the weed. |
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IOM Open Series - 19th July 2025
Racing cancelled due to other commitments and lousy weather!
DF95 Open Series - 12th July 2025
Racing cancelled due to other commitments
DF65 Open Series - 5th July 2025
A great day for a sail. Racing was delayed as we had to start with a weed cut to clear the inshore marks..
Four keen skippers arrived on a warm day with a moderate SW wind, so we all used A Rigs.
The racing was very competitive with Steve winning the first 2 races, Rob the next and then it was Peter's turn. We kept coming in to clear the blanket weed off the keels, but otherwise the weed caused very few problems.
The results were very close: Rob won 3 races, Steve and Peter the other 2, However, Steve with four 2nds won by 1 point from Peter and then Rob
DF95 Racing next week is cancelled as four of us are sailing away. Back in 2 weeks for another IOM morning.
Four keen skippers arrived on a warm day with a moderate SW wind, so we all used A Rigs.
The racing was very competitive with Steve winning the first 2 races, Rob the next and then it was Peter's turn. We kept coming in to clear the blanket weed off the keels, but otherwise the weed caused very few problems.
The results were very close: Rob won 3 races, Steve and Peter the other 2, However, Steve with four 2nds won by 1 point from Peter and then Rob
DF95 Racing next week is cancelled as four of us are sailing away. Back in 2 weeks for another IOM morning.
DF95 Open Series - 28th June 2025
No racing
DF95 Open Series - 21st June 2025
Racing was abandoned due to weed issues and we got on with some weed cutting instead. More weed cutting is planned for Tuesday if anyone wants to help.
DF65 Open Series - 14th June 2025
Three sailors initially and a lovely Southerly wind; a perfect direction! A+ sails were required to start with, but we were soon changing down to A's and B's (the better choice) as the wind speed increased and the gusts became stronger. The forecast rain fortunately held off, but the visibility was difficult at times when the heavy passing clouds affected the light levels. Weeds were unfortunately a major blight on the day with both loose weeds and static patches under the surface affecting all of us at some point in most races.
William joined us after race one and Rob after race three. Neither William nor Peter seemed to cope well with the gusty wind combined with the weedy conditions and their 'A' rigs. Rob was in good form however and so was William when he sailed Rob's boat with a 'B' rig! It must be the boat :-) You've got a good one there Rob!
Martyn was looking good for victory after the first seven races, but Jen came storming through in the last five races with three bullets and two seconds to command pole position on the day and beating Martyn by one point. Rob was third, followed by Peter, then William.
We finished sailing at 1pm, as the swimmers started to arrive. It was a good day out but we are going to have to do some serious weed cutting if we are to eliminate the weed-affect on the racing.
William joined us after race one and Rob after race three. Neither William nor Peter seemed to cope well with the gusty wind combined with the weedy conditions and their 'A' rigs. Rob was in good form however and so was William when he sailed Rob's boat with a 'B' rig! It must be the boat :-) You've got a good one there Rob!
Martyn was looking good for victory after the first seven races, but Jen came storming through in the last five races with three bullets and two seconds to command pole position on the day and beating Martyn by one point. Rob was third, followed by Peter, then William.
We finished sailing at 1pm, as the swimmers started to arrive. It was a good day out but we are going to have to do some serious weed cutting if we are to eliminate the weed-affect on the racing.
We are saddened to report the death of Gerry Berresford who was a long-standing member of Rotherham MYC.
Gerry was the President of the Club during the original move from Poolsbrook to
Rotherham Sailing Club at Harthill, and was looking forward to resuming his sailing at Harthill once we returned.
Gerry built a number of wooden IOMs; he was sailing his Dave Creed designed K1 competitively before we left Harthill.
Gerry was also long time member of the Sheffield Ship Model Society in Millhouses Park.
Gerry was the President of the Club during the original move from Poolsbrook to
Rotherham Sailing Club at Harthill, and was looking forward to resuming his sailing at Harthill once we returned.
Gerry built a number of wooden IOMs; he was sailing his Dave Creed designed K1 competitively before we left Harthill.
Gerry was also long time member of the Sheffield Ship Model Society in Millhouses Park.
IOM Open Series - 7th June 2025
No racing
DF95 Open Series - 31st May 2025
No racing
DF65 Open Series - 24th May 2025
Our five skippers were presented with the 'as-forecast' Westerly breeze that was usually light but occasionally became strong enough to be a problem on the downwind legs. Peter couldn't join us today. The figure of eight course went into a fluky zone that was badly affected by the wind shadow of the far bank trees. This was responsible for many position changes.
Steve showed that he meant business in the first race and produced a good win which he repeated in race five. Martyn was also on good form and Jen was showing promise but struggling to finish in the top position. Rob joined us in race five and was a key contender but struggled to stay in front when he got there as the buoys kept jumping out in front of him. Rob's race eight was an epic in this respect. David struggled at first but improved after a bit of practice and a boat adjustment.
Steve clearly didn't respond well to caffeine, as his finishing positions suffered badly after the break. The wind was swinging severely for much of the racing, but for a couple of races we were treated to a steady South-Westerly breeze that was blowing straight down the reservoir and was an absolute joy. It didn't last, unfortunately.
Martyn's consistency paid with an overall first at the end of the session and Jen managed to nose in front of Steve to take overall second by one point. Rob, then David completed the finishing order.
It was an enjoyable sail. Although the weeds were visible, none of us had weed issues in our sailing. We did check after most races but weeds did not provide any excuses for our performances!
Steve showed that he meant business in the first race and produced a good win which he repeated in race five. Martyn was also on good form and Jen was showing promise but struggling to finish in the top position. Rob joined us in race five and was a key contender but struggled to stay in front when he got there as the buoys kept jumping out in front of him. Rob's race eight was an epic in this respect. David struggled at first but improved after a bit of practice and a boat adjustment.
Steve clearly didn't respond well to caffeine, as his finishing positions suffered badly after the break. The wind was swinging severely for much of the racing, but for a couple of races we were treated to a steady South-Westerly breeze that was blowing straight down the reservoir and was an absolute joy. It didn't last, unfortunately.
Martyn's consistency paid with an overall first at the end of the session and Jen managed to nose in front of Steve to take overall second by one point. Rob, then David completed the finishing order.
It was an enjoyable sail. Although the weeds were visible, none of us had weed issues in our sailing. We did check after most races but weeds did not provide any excuses for our performances!
IOM Open Series - 17th May 2025
Photo at Harthill taken by Jen.
The day had a cool start but a lovely light NW wind was blowing down the reservoir suggesting that we were in for a good day. Our regular visitor, Denis from Manor Park also rolled up bringing his Alioth. This pleased Martyn, as he had brought his own Alioth for its first race day. We also greeted Brian with his MX16 to make a total of six skippers with Steve, Jen and Peter.
The first 3 races were all about the Alioth, with Denis and Martyn out front. This didn't last though, with Brian throwing in a second in race four. Denis then got his eye in and scored three straight firsts in races five, six and seven. Jen then did the same in races eight, nine and ten. Finally, Martyn scored 3 straight firsts in races eleven, twelve and thirteen. a very unusual pattern! The racing was close and everyone had their moments resulting from the frequent wind shifts and lulls. Several course adjustments were made to accommodate the wind changes but we finished up sailing the same course that we started with.
Steve was struggling for boat speed with his beautifully made planked Nimbus despite a lot of tuning but enjoyed himself and was in the mix much of the time. Peter sailed well but was frequently distracted by the wildlife!
In the final count-up, Martyn won the day by 2 points from Denis. Jen trailed Denis by just 4 points and was followed by Peter, Brian and then Steve. It was a great day of sailing. Plenty of chat and sportsmanship in evidence, and "It was all done in the best possible taste". Thank you Kenny Everett.
The first 3 races were all about the Alioth, with Denis and Martyn out front. This didn't last though, with Brian throwing in a second in race four. Denis then got his eye in and scored three straight firsts in races five, six and seven. Jen then did the same in races eight, nine and ten. Finally, Martyn scored 3 straight firsts in races eleven, twelve and thirteen. a very unusual pattern! The racing was close and everyone had their moments resulting from the frequent wind shifts and lulls. Several course adjustments were made to accommodate the wind changes but we finished up sailing the same course that we started with.
Steve was struggling for boat speed with his beautifully made planked Nimbus despite a lot of tuning but enjoyed himself and was in the mix much of the time. Peter sailed well but was frequently distracted by the wildlife!
In the final count-up, Martyn won the day by 2 points from Denis. Jen trailed Denis by just 4 points and was followed by Peter, Brian and then Steve. It was a great day of sailing. Plenty of chat and sportsmanship in evidence, and "It was all done in the best possible taste". Thank you Kenny Everett.
DF95 Open Series - 10th May 2025
An interesting wind, mainly from the north but occasionally from south east; in one race it changed half along the course. Good racing on a figure of 8 course Early races had a steady northerly , but later more a distant start line beating into the shore. Some close racing but eyesight won as several luffed for the mark and tacked on the wrong side. All skippers had their moments in the lead. Eventually Peter won from Stephen and William.
DF65 Open Series - 3rd May 2025
A lovely NW wind at Harthill and some close racing. The final result was settled in the last three races with William coming out on top by one point.
IOM Open Series - 26th April 2025
Our fourth week back at Harthill, and another Easterly breeze, but with a Southerly element to it which did make an improvement for achieving a decent start line. Six skippers were present including a welcome visitor from Lincoln, Paul Kelly.
A course was set after moving a few buoys and Martyn initially dominated with three straight wins in the light and fluky conditions before yielding to Jen in the fourth. The failing wind led to a coffee break and a little more buoy movement accompanied by a course change.
Paul had been threatening to produce a win in all the early races and achieved this in race five, closely followed over the line by Jen whilst Martyn developed a costly habit of misjudging buoys, which had also been Jen's earlier problem. Brian had joined us in race 2 and was enjoying some interaction with the leaders in the early stages of the races but was struggling with his vision of the buoys, despite some helpful guidance from Peter, who was also finding it hard to keep pace with the race leaders. Steve too was struggling with the fluky winds but demonstrated some competitive sailing by leading one race for a complete lap.
In the last three races Jen was dominant in the later stage of each race and was looking good for an overall win, only to be denied this on countback by Martyn, with Paul coming a creditable third followed by Peter, Brian and Steve. It was an enjoyable sail, concluding as the outdoor swimmers arrived and a sense of normality at last being felt in the increasing utilisation of our Rotherham Sailing Club facilities.
DF65s again next week at Harthill, whilst Jen and Martyn will be taking their DF65s and DF95s to the Weecher Reservoir to compete in the Dragon TT event being held there.
A course was set after moving a few buoys and Martyn initially dominated with three straight wins in the light and fluky conditions before yielding to Jen in the fourth. The failing wind led to a coffee break and a little more buoy movement accompanied by a course change.
Paul had been threatening to produce a win in all the early races and achieved this in race five, closely followed over the line by Jen whilst Martyn developed a costly habit of misjudging buoys, which had also been Jen's earlier problem. Brian had joined us in race 2 and was enjoying some interaction with the leaders in the early stages of the races but was struggling with his vision of the buoys, despite some helpful guidance from Peter, who was also finding it hard to keep pace with the race leaders. Steve too was struggling with the fluky winds but demonstrated some competitive sailing by leading one race for a complete lap.
In the last three races Jen was dominant in the later stage of each race and was looking good for an overall win, only to be denied this on countback by Martyn, with Paul coming a creditable third followed by Peter, Brian and Steve. It was an enjoyable sail, concluding as the outdoor swimmers arrived and a sense of normality at last being felt in the increasing utilisation of our Rotherham Sailing Club facilities.
DF65s again next week at Harthill, whilst Jen and Martyn will be taking their DF65s and DF95s to the Weecher Reservoir to compete in the Dragon TT event being held there.
DF65* Open Series - 19th April 2025
*Note the change from the scheduled DF95 racing
Five Skippers sailed on a lovely sunny day with another light easterly offshore breeze from over the clubhouse.
Many of the races were determined by the shifts / wind holes on the inshore windward mark which caused a number of boats to clip the mark. The wind shifted occasionally to the south but never for a full race.
The results were very close with Stephen, William and Peter each winning 3 races, and Rob, a late arrival, the other one.
We were fortunate to be back at Harthill with the rescue boat as Rob’s boat had to be recovered as it nearly sailed under the bridge, something that has fortunately never happened.
An enjoyable morning of close racing. William was the most consistent with 5 seconds, and won the morning by one point from Peter in second closely followed by Steve in third.
Martyn and Jen were at the Lincoln IOM Nationals, Martyn finished a very creditable 24th while Jen was one of the main organisers.
We look forward to a full turn out of IOMs next Saturday when I expect we’ll be chasing Martyn.
Five Skippers sailed on a lovely sunny day with another light easterly offshore breeze from over the clubhouse.
Many of the races were determined by the shifts / wind holes on the inshore windward mark which caused a number of boats to clip the mark. The wind shifted occasionally to the south but never for a full race.
The results were very close with Stephen, William and Peter each winning 3 races, and Rob, a late arrival, the other one.
We were fortunate to be back at Harthill with the rescue boat as Rob’s boat had to be recovered as it nearly sailed under the bridge, something that has fortunately never happened.
An enjoyable morning of close racing. William was the most consistent with 5 seconds, and won the morning by one point from Peter in second closely followed by Steve in third.
Martyn and Jen were at the Lincoln IOM Nationals, Martyn finished a very creditable 24th while Jen was one of the main organisers.
We look forward to a full turn out of IOMs next Saturday when I expect we’ll be chasing Martyn.
DF65 Open Series - 12th April 2025
A beautiful day but a pitiful wind at Harthill! Light and changeable blowing roughly from the SE with the odd gust and many lulls, particularly near the shore.
A course was set with a start line well off-shore for the initial six skippers who were subsequently joined by Rob after his run, making a fleet of seven. Martyn led the fleet from the start in race one and kept his lead to the finish followed by Jen and Steve. Race two was similar with Jen and Steve jostling for the second and third spots.
Martyn managed to maintain his first spots for another three races, but the other places were hard fought with Peter, Jen and Rob all showing form. Peter and Steve took the top spots in races six and seven, whilst Brian and Malcolm decided to call it a day after race five. The wind filled in slightly during the morning and races eight and nine enjoyed slightly better conditions which Martyn took advantage of. The final leg to the finish line was often nerve racking as the wind veered and lulled. Places were frequently exchanged in the last few metres.
A good day overall. What's not to like in twenty degrees Centigrade temperatures and full-on sunshine in early April!
A course was set with a start line well off-shore for the initial six skippers who were subsequently joined by Rob after his run, making a fleet of seven. Martyn led the fleet from the start in race one and kept his lead to the finish followed by Jen and Steve. Race two was similar with Jen and Steve jostling for the second and third spots.
Martyn managed to maintain his first spots for another three races, but the other places were hard fought with Peter, Jen and Rob all showing form. Peter and Steve took the top spots in races six and seven, whilst Brian and Malcolm decided to call it a day after race five. The wind filled in slightly during the morning and races eight and nine enjoyed slightly better conditions which Martyn took advantage of. The final leg to the finish line was often nerve racking as the wind veered and lulled. Places were frequently exchanged in the last few metres.
A good day overall. What's not to like in twenty degrees Centigrade temperatures and full-on sunshine in early April!
IOM Open Series - 5th April 2025
Our first day back at Harthill!
The weather gods provided a lovely Easterly breeze and warm sunshine for our first racing day at Harthill. The wind was light to top end (and more occasionally) for our top rigs and changed in direction enough to make life interesting. Great to see Brian racing again and a pity that Peter was otherwise engaged, although he did come and help us to get sorted.
Jen got off to a flying start with 3 straight wins whilst Martyn managed to hit most of the buoys and the odd boat as he re-orientated to Harthill sailing. Brian took mainly third spots with the occasional second but finished early to ensure he did not over-do it. Steve was finding himself overpowered with his top rig on his self-designed boat and missed a couple of races to change to a B rig which he found more suitable. Martyn found his feet after the first 3 races and knocked up a run of firsts only interrupted by Jen in the penultimate race. The racing was frequently close between Martyn ad Jen with the result often determined by the final leg.
Martyn won the day with 14 points followed by Jen on 20 , then Brian closely followed by Steve on 41 and 42 respectively.
This was a brilliant resumption to our racing back at Harthill and we all went away happy after a tidy up. Looking forward to next week!
The weather gods provided a lovely Easterly breeze and warm sunshine for our first racing day at Harthill. The wind was light to top end (and more occasionally) for our top rigs and changed in direction enough to make life interesting. Great to see Brian racing again and a pity that Peter was otherwise engaged, although he did come and help us to get sorted.
Jen got off to a flying start with 3 straight wins whilst Martyn managed to hit most of the buoys and the odd boat as he re-orientated to Harthill sailing. Brian took mainly third spots with the occasional second but finished early to ensure he did not over-do it. Steve was finding himself overpowered with his top rig on his self-designed boat and missed a couple of races to change to a B rig which he found more suitable. Martyn found his feet after the first 3 races and knocked up a run of firsts only interrupted by Jen in the penultimate race. The racing was frequently close between Martyn ad Jen with the result often determined by the final leg.
Martyn won the day with 14 points followed by Jen on 20 , then Brian closely followed by Steve on 41 and 42 respectively.
This was a brilliant resumption to our racing back at Harthill and we all went away happy after a tidy up. Looking forward to next week!
Photo upon our return to Harthill
DF65 Open Series - 22nd March 2025
Our last day at Poolsbrook before returning to Harthill! Thank you to Staveley Council (and Sarah in particular) for allowing us to sail at Poolsbrook for the last two and a half years.
A good turnout today when Rob and David appeared, but we were missing Peter, who was sailing his Streaker elsewhere. The day was warm and the forecast rain did not materialise, but unfortunately the South-East wind didn't materialise either. When it settled, the wind was in our faces from the East and was very light and shifty with quite a wind shadow from the far bank at the windward buoy. We tried a number of courses and moved to a course further up the lake to minimise the wind shadow after a few races.
There were just three of us in the initial race, but Rob made his presence felt in race two taking a good lead but having great trouble at the windward buoy and letting Martyn, Jen and Phil through. He redeemed himself in the third race with a second but it was the fifth race before Martyn's run of firsts was halted. David had joined us by then and made some impressive runs toward the windward mark on wind shifts but was struggling with the windless areas, although having some good battles with Philip.
Rob made some good port starts initially but was latterly headed off by boats on starboard. Martyn returned some more top spots, closely followed by Jen apart from race nine which was an easy win for Jen. We sailed until 1.00pm completing ten races before heading off and had a thoroughly enjoyable morning, although the wind could have been kinder!
A good turnout today when Rob and David appeared, but we were missing Peter, who was sailing his Streaker elsewhere. The day was warm and the forecast rain did not materialise, but unfortunately the South-East wind didn't materialise either. When it settled, the wind was in our faces from the East and was very light and shifty with quite a wind shadow from the far bank at the windward buoy. We tried a number of courses and moved to a course further up the lake to minimise the wind shadow after a few races.
There were just three of us in the initial race, but Rob made his presence felt in race two taking a good lead but having great trouble at the windward buoy and letting Martyn, Jen and Phil through. He redeemed himself in the third race with a second but it was the fifth race before Martyn's run of firsts was halted. David had joined us by then and made some impressive runs toward the windward mark on wind shifts but was struggling with the windless areas, although having some good battles with Philip.
Rob made some good port starts initially but was latterly headed off by boats on starboard. Martyn returned some more top spots, closely followed by Jen apart from race nine which was an easy win for Jen. We sailed until 1.00pm completing ten races before heading off and had a thoroughly enjoyable morning, although the wind could have been kinder!
IOM Open Series - 15 March 2025
Racing Cancelled
Martyn and Jen at IOM Rankings
Martyn and Jen at IOM Rankings
DF95 Open Series - 8th March 2025
We were greeted by blue sky and a light on-shore breeze which slowly filled in during the morning. We welcomed Philip back.
Following the resetting of the marks that had drifted in the gales, during the week, we were able to use the northern marks again.
The wind at times was fickle with a number of holes; it was not unusual for the trailing boats to make up a lot of ground and even pass the leaders when they sailed into a hole. Peter and William shared the wins for the first few races until Rob arrived. Philip's results improved as we tried to tweak his tuning, but it needs Martyn's touch.
David was sailing his DF65 and swapped with Rob for a couple of races and hopes to get a 95. Jen and Martyn were away sailing at the TT.
We had an enjoyable and competitive morning of racing on a simple triangular course, with Peter pipping William to win the day.
Following the resetting of the marks that had drifted in the gales, during the week, we were able to use the northern marks again.
The wind at times was fickle with a number of holes; it was not unusual for the trailing boats to make up a lot of ground and even pass the leaders when they sailed into a hole. Peter and William shared the wins for the first few races until Rob arrived. Philip's results improved as we tried to tweak his tuning, but it needs Martyn's touch.
David was sailing his DF65 and swapped with Rob for a couple of races and hopes to get a 95. Jen and Martyn were away sailing at the TT.
We had an enjoyable and competitive morning of racing on a simple triangular course, with Peter pipping William to win the day.
DF65 Open Series - 1st March 2025
No race sailing is planned.
IOM Open Series - 22nd February 2025
The dreaded Poolsbrook SW wind greeted us today; plenty of wind in the car park but not much on the water, and the wind direction near the bank was anyone's guess. It was a lovely day though with the sun almost making it through the cloud and the temperature rising to some 15 degrees.
We were joined by our 'regular' and very welcome guest, Dennis Walker, who is always on the pace and showed us round the course on the first race (despite some course mis-directions!), only to be pipped by Jen on the finish line as we all hunted for wind. He got his own back in the next race with a win over Jen. Peter and Martyn were not having much success initially and Steve by his own admission was struggling with the fickle wind.
As the racing progressed in the morning, the wind began to fill in and courses were set to include more distant buoys to try and achieve some good beating legs back toward the shore. The shore area still remained tricky. Martyn found his groove in the final 5 races and scraped a win over Dennis by 2 points with Jen only a further point behind. Peter and Steve failed to make an impression in the final races and took the fourth and fifth spots.
No racing next week as Peter, Jen and Martyn have other commitments.
We were joined by our 'regular' and very welcome guest, Dennis Walker, who is always on the pace and showed us round the course on the first race (despite some course mis-directions!), only to be pipped by Jen on the finish line as we all hunted for wind. He got his own back in the next race with a win over Jen. Peter and Martyn were not having much success initially and Steve by his own admission was struggling with the fickle wind.
As the racing progressed in the morning, the wind began to fill in and courses were set to include more distant buoys to try and achieve some good beating legs back toward the shore. The shore area still remained tricky. Martyn found his groove in the final 5 races and scraped a win over Dennis by 2 points with Jen only a further point behind. Peter and Steve failed to make an impression in the final races and took the fourth and fifth spots.
No racing next week as Peter, Jen and Martyn have other commitments.
DF95 Open Series - 15th February 2025
A cold wet morning with the temperature at about 2 degrees and a light South-Westerly wind greeted us at Poolsbrook. Jen had a boat problem and left without sailing leaving Peter, Steve and Martyn to fight it out.
The wind was not reliable in strength or direction providing opportunities to gain and lose places.
Martyn opened the score sheet with a win. The second race was a complete reversal, with Steve achieving a good win from Peter on the finish line. The races were often close but Martyn resumed his winning streak until the last race when Peter sailed a good final beat to win leaving Martyn to fend off Steve, who was showing good boat speed.
Eight races were sailed, with Martyn winning on 6 points, followed by Peter on 11 and Steve on 15. We finished early as the wind had largely disappeared for the last 2 races.
The wind was not reliable in strength or direction providing opportunities to gain and lose places.
Martyn opened the score sheet with a win. The second race was a complete reversal, with Steve achieving a good win from Peter on the finish line. The races were often close but Martyn resumed his winning streak until the last race when Peter sailed a good final beat to win leaving Martyn to fend off Steve, who was showing good boat speed.
Eight races were sailed, with Martyn winning on 6 points, followed by Peter on 11 and Steve on 15. We finished early as the wind had largely disappeared for the last 2 races.
DF65 Open Series - 8th February 2025
The sailing numbers were down as Jen and Martyn were living it up in Southport at the DF TTs.
The day was dull but fine with a steady light North-Easterly wind.
3 boys came out to play at Poolsbrook however. Steve was sailing has DF95 for the first time but only took one race to get the hang of it.
Peter and Steve had several very close finishes with positions changing near the line, and shared the wins in the 8 races. Peter won the majority for an overall win on the day by 2 points. David took third place with 18 points. David was having problem and it took us all a few races to get his boat tuned. However, by the end all three were close racing
There is a working party meeting at Harthill on Wednesday 12th February to begin our preparation work for a return to this sailing water.
DF95s next week. Martyn has a cracked DF95 boat to sort out first!
The day was dull but fine with a steady light North-Easterly wind.
3 boys came out to play at Poolsbrook however. Steve was sailing has DF95 for the first time but only took one race to get the hang of it.
Peter and Steve had several very close finishes with positions changing near the line, and shared the wins in the 8 races. Peter won the majority for an overall win on the day by 2 points. David took third place with 18 points. David was having problem and it took us all a few races to get his boat tuned. However, by the end all three were close racing
There is a working party meeting at Harthill on Wednesday 12th February to begin our preparation work for a return to this sailing water.
DF95s next week. Martyn has a cracked DF95 boat to sort out first!
IOM Open Series - 1st February 2025
Report lost, but Jen won in some close racing!
DF95 Open Series - 25th January 2025
A bright cool day greeted our 5 skippers at Poolsbrook with a dreaded SW light wind. We knew it was going to be tricky, and so it was!
A short course with 3 laps was set which was used for the whole session. Jen took the first two races after which Martyn dominated most of the pole positions. Steve pleasingly took a first spot in the seventh race with Martyn hot on his heels. The upwind mark was difficult with swirling winds (if there was any at all!) and places were won and lost here with regularity. As it also constituted the distance mark of the finishing line, this resulted in some tense finishes as boats hunted for air movements to propel them toward the line.
Ten races were achieved with Martyn taking the top spot, followed by Jen, Peter, Steve then William, who had retired after race 5.
A short course with 3 laps was set which was used for the whole session. Jen took the first two races after which Martyn dominated most of the pole positions. Steve pleasingly took a first spot in the seventh race with Martyn hot on his heels. The upwind mark was difficult with swirling winds (if there was any at all!) and places were won and lost here with regularity. As it also constituted the distance mark of the finishing line, this resulted in some tense finishes as boats hunted for air movements to propel them toward the line.
Ten races were achieved with Martyn taking the top spot, followed by Jen, Peter, Steve then William, who had retired after race 5.
DF65 Open Series - 18th January 2025
Cancelled due to frozen water
IOM Open Series - 11th January 2025
Cancelled due to unsafe freezing conditions.
DF95 Open Series - 4th January 2025
A cool windless day greeted the four skippers for our first race of 2025 at Poolsbrook. After setting up our DF95s, the forecast SSW wind kicked in and made for a good first race initially, although it became very variable during the race, which made the race overly long. The course was shortened by one lap for the subsequent races to one and a half laps.
Martyn won the first race from a good start and found himself leading the other races too, as his challengers seemed to have an attraction to the buoys and found themselves doing penalty turns. Peter was wearing some new react-to-light glasses which were not doing him any favours, seemingly because they had a tint that was too dark.
Overall, the wind was light and patchy throughout the sailing session. Steve sailed very well and only missed out on second place by a single point to Jen. Peter was was rather disappointed with his performance and decided to finish early. One further race was then completed and it was decided to finish after race 7 as the cold was starting to bite.
Martyn won the first race from a good start and found himself leading the other races too, as his challengers seemed to have an attraction to the buoys and found themselves doing penalty turns. Peter was wearing some new react-to-light glasses which were not doing him any favours, seemingly because they had a tint that was too dark.
Overall, the wind was light and patchy throughout the sailing session. Steve sailed very well and only missed out on second place by a single point to Jen. Peter was was rather disappointed with his performance and decided to finish early. One further race was then completed and it was decided to finish after race 7 as the cold was starting to bite.
No race sailing scheduled - 28th December 2024
Happy New Year everyone!
DF65 George Cliff Series - 21st December 2024
Cancelled due to high winds.
IOM Late Series - 14th December 2024
Today marked a return to normal sailing at Poolsbrook with our IOMs and we were blessed with the typical Poolsbrook fluky winds! Denis Walker joined us again from Manor Park to enjoy a rather cool but a pleasant, bright day.
Peter missed the first race due to a boat issue but the rest of us had a competitive race which was won by Martyn with Denis and Jen hot on his heels. Jen won the next race after which Martyn settled in to a winning streak, losing only two more top spots to both Jen and Denis.
Steve was sailing his newly refurbished Nimbus but was struggling with the very variable wind conditions. Peter was in some good positions during the races but generally fell behind Jen, Denis and Martyn before the finish to take fourth spot. The racing was nevertheless competitive with positional changes and close finishes making it a very enjoyable day.
Martyn took the day with 8 points from 10 races. Jen and Denis tied with 17 points; Jen taking second spot on countback. Peter, 28 points in fourth and Steve, 38 points in fifth.
Peter missed the first race due to a boat issue but the rest of us had a competitive race which was won by Martyn with Denis and Jen hot on his heels. Jen won the next race after which Martyn settled in to a winning streak, losing only two more top spots to both Jen and Denis.
Steve was sailing his newly refurbished Nimbus but was struggling with the very variable wind conditions. Peter was in some good positions during the races but generally fell behind Jen, Denis and Martyn before the finish to take fourth spot. The racing was nevertheless competitive with positional changes and close finishes making it a very enjoyable day.
Martyn took the day with 8 points from 10 races. Jen and Denis tied with 17 points; Jen taking second spot on countback. Peter, 28 points in fourth and Steve, 38 points in fifth.
RMYC AGM at Poolsbrook 7th December 2024. No sailing
There was a great turnout for the RMYC AGM, with 14 of our Club members present.
Photos from the meeting :-
Peter Cogill receiving the Tom Richie Trophy in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the club as Chairman throughout 2024
Jackie Quinn receiving flowers and a unique card (picturing her own DF95) for her long service as Club Treasurer. Thank you Jackie!
Martyn Aspinall receiving the DF95 Trophy for the DF95 Open Series 2023 - 2024
Photos from the meeting :-
Peter Cogill receiving the Tom Richie Trophy in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the club as Chairman throughout 2024
Jackie Quinn receiving flowers and a unique card (picturing her own DF95) for her long service as Club Treasurer. Thank you Jackie!
Martyn Aspinall receiving the DF95 Trophy for the DF95 Open Series 2023 - 2024
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DF65 George Cliff Series - 30th November 2024 (rescheduled from 16th November)
The wind was south westerly and was very steady but there were a few shifts.
As it was the MYA AGM there were only three skippers who could sail, so we changed to DF65s.
We had an enjoyable morning's racing which was much closer than the results show, with Peter winning most of the races.
As it was the MYA AGM there were only three skippers who could sail, so we changed to DF65s.
We had an enjoyable morning's racing which was much closer than the results show, with Peter winning most of the races.
IOM Ted Ward Series - 23rd November 2024
A social sailing day
DF65 George Cliff Series - 16th November 2024
A social sailing day
IOM Early Series - 9th November 2024
A social sailing day
DF95 Open Series - 2nd November 2024
5 skippers took to the water for an excellent race session in an unusual Southerly light breeze which was a little shifty but provided a very pleasant sail with our A rigs. A concise course was set over 2 laps giving 3 beating legs.
Martyn opened the scoring with a win and continued to take firsts until the final race. The final race positions did not tell the story of the competitive sailing however where all competitors led at some point and the action taken on wind shifts and avoiding trouble was crucial. Steve in particular gave a great performance in a boat class that is quite new to him.
The pleasant breeze faded in race 7 and it was decided to curtail the racing at this point.
Note: Social sailing is planned for the next 2 weeks due to the DF95 Nationals at Southport and other member commitments. The next race day is on Saturday 23rd November (IOM Ted Ward Series).
Martyn opened the scoring with a win and continued to take firsts until the final race. The final race positions did not tell the story of the competitive sailing however where all competitors led at some point and the action taken on wind shifts and avoiding trouble was crucial. Steve in particular gave a great performance in a boat class that is quite new to him.
The pleasant breeze faded in race 7 and it was decided to curtail the racing at this point.
Note: Social sailing is planned for the next 2 weeks due to the DF95 Nationals at Southport and other member commitments. The next race day is on Saturday 23rd November (IOM Ted Ward Series).
October Race Reports
Social sailing was conducted throughout October.
We hope you all had a look at the excellent video footage and commentary at the IOM World Championships 2024 in Australia! It is available to view on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflGjby8ks9Tkfgvvfe9CivOHLciIOYy7
We hope you all had a look at the excellent video footage and commentary at the IOM World Championships 2024 in Australia! It is available to view on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflGjby8ks9Tkfgvvfe9CivOHLciIOYy7
IOM Ted Ward Series - 28th Sept 2024
A light Westerly wind and bright sunshine provided for a pleasant sailing day with Ken and William entertained as onlookers. Peter had electrical problems that required a rescue and made for a late start plus Peter missing the first race. Jen took the first bullet and traded the first spots with Martyn throughout the session, with Martyn just coming out on top and Jen complaining of being robbed! Brian enjoyed his sail and was in some good positions during the racing, as was Peter. Those positions needed to be held on to in some fairly fluky conditions though!
DF65 George Cliff Series - 21st Sept 2024
A misty and cool day slowly improved to provide pleasant sailing conditions and a good A+ sail breeze from the NE. There was little of the Poolsbrook flukiness, but still some good wind shifts to act upon for the 7 skippers.
Martyn opened the scoring with a couple of wins before Peter and Jen took charge of the leads. There was some good competitive racing with Philip, William, David and Brian all showing promise but generally getting caught out at some point in the race by misdemeanours or wind shifts. William finished early with some electrical issues and David didn’t complete all the races, but we had at least 5 boats in contention for all the races and a very enjoyable sailing session.
Peter finished the day by putting his practical skills into action with some welcome repairs to our leaking container. Thank you Peter. He is caught in the photograph explaining to Martyn how far he was behind Jen at some of the final 4 race finishes. Yes, they were close!
The final result is shown below. IOMs next week.
Martyn opened the scoring with a couple of wins before Peter and Jen took charge of the leads. There was some good competitive racing with Philip, William, David and Brian all showing promise but generally getting caught out at some point in the race by misdemeanours or wind shifts. William finished early with some electrical issues and David didn’t complete all the races, but we had at least 5 boats in contention for all the races and a very enjoyable sailing session.
Peter finished the day by putting his practical skills into action with some welcome repairs to our leaking container. Thank you Peter. He is caught in the photograph explaining to Martyn how far he was behind Jen at some of the final 4 race finishes. Yes, they were close!
The final result is shown below. IOMs next week.
IOM Early Series - 14th Sept 2024
This was a day of good weather and tricky light SW winds, and was hotly contested by Peter Cogill and Jen Hand. Steve Rowlay was unfortunately not in contention, finding the conditions rather demanding. Peter took the day on the final race by winning it, with Jen playfully protesting that she was robbed! Lovely to see Gerry Eggington make an appearance, but without a boat unfortunately.
DF95 Open Series 7 - Sept 2024
Fun sailing only today, with Brian and Peter enjoying one of the best winds of the year (from the North) at Poolsbrook.
DF95 Pursuit Race – 31st August 2024
No race sailing today
IOM Ted Ward Series - 24th August 2024
No race sailing today
DF65 George Cliff Series - 17th August 2024
We enjoyed a lovely weather day and a tricky wind day in yet another Poolsbrook Westerly. A simple triangular course and A+ sails were the order of the day with 5 skippers on the water.
Martyn seemed to enjoy the tricky conditions and took the initial 5 races. He then lost his way and trailed well behind Jen and Peter for a couple of races before taking the eighth and final race of the day. Jen and Peter in particular had some excellent tussles throughout the racing, but Jen gained the upper hand (!)
Brian brought along an entirely new red boat and spent some time tuning it. David was finding the wind conditions difficult and was found to be towing a rather large reed at one time, which was definitely not helping!
The final result is pictured below. IOMs next week.
Martyn seemed to enjoy the tricky conditions and took the initial 5 races. He then lost his way and trailed well behind Jen and Peter for a couple of races before taking the eighth and final race of the day. Jen and Peter in particular had some excellent tussles throughout the racing, but Jen gained the upper hand (!)
Brian brought along an entirely new red boat and spent some time tuning it. David was finding the wind conditions difficult and was found to be towing a rather large reed at one time, which was definitely not helping!
The final result is pictured below. IOMs next week.
IOM Early Series - 10th August 2024
A lovely day greeted us at Poolsbrook, and those Westerly winds were sent again to entertain us! Our usual crew was joined by Denis Walker from Manor Park who always puts up a good race performance at Poolsbrook. Today was no exception, with Denis scaring us by impressively taking the first two bullets in the initial races, although his performance did slip from that point onward!
A simple ‘figure of eight’ course sufficed giving 3 windward beats and plenty of opportunity for positional changes. Additional beats (and runs) appeared at some points as well! The finish line presented worrying times for leaders and opportunities for those following.
Martyn maintained the most consistent results with five race wins from eleven races, but was closely followed by Jen, Peter and Denis, each of whom gained 2 race wins. Steve and Brian completed the positions, with Steve not getting to grips with the tricky wind conditions with his beautiful Nimbus ‘home-built’ yacht and Brian unfortunately needing to leave after race 4.
Get those DF65s ready for some more great racing next week guys and gals!
A simple ‘figure of eight’ course sufficed giving 3 windward beats and plenty of opportunity for positional changes. Additional beats (and runs) appeared at some points as well! The finish line presented worrying times for leaders and opportunities for those following.
Martyn maintained the most consistent results with five race wins from eleven races, but was closely followed by Jen, Peter and Denis, each of whom gained 2 race wins. Steve and Brian completed the positions, with Steve not getting to grips with the tricky wind conditions with his beautiful Nimbus ‘home-built’ yacht and Brian unfortunately needing to leave after race 4.
Get those DF65s ready for some more great racing next week guys and gals!
DF95 Open Series - 3rd August 2024
An overcast and cool start developed into a very pleasant warm day with 5 skippers on the water. The wind was initially from a Northerly direction and allowed a super course to be set with a great beat from the start line. As the morning progressed, the wind swung more Westerly and the sailing became more ‘Poolsbrooky’(!) with wind swings and dead spots presenting the usual challenges. The sailing was nevertheless great and everybody got a taste of first or second position finishes. Some of the finishes were very close, requiring a keen eye on the line.
Martyn took the honours for the day followed by Peter, Jen, Steve and William. Peter then led a session of buoy maintenance and re-positioning. Thank you Peter and also to William and particularly Steve who was invaluable in getting the rescue boat back up the hill to its container.
IOMs next week!
Martyn took the honours for the day followed by Peter, Jen, Steve and William. Peter then led a session of buoy maintenance and re-positioning. Thank you Peter and also to William and particularly Steve who was invaluable in getting the rescue boat back up the hill to its container.
IOMs next week!
IOM Ted Ward Series - 27th July
A pleasant mornings racing in the sunshine at Poolsbrook with the usual fickle wind.
Peter got off to a good start for the first two races, but went downhill after that; after several races he found he had a broken shroud caused in a collision before the start of the third race. Brian took advantage and won most of the races. Vernon was sailing well but had an affinity for touching marks
Peter got off to a good start for the first two races, but went downhill after that; after several races he found he had a broken shroud caused in a collision before the start of the third race. Brian took advantage and won most of the races. Vernon was sailing well but had an affinity for touching marks
DF65 Open Series - 20th July 2024
No race sailing today
IOM Early Series - 13th July 2024.
No race sailing today
DF95 Open Series - 5th July 2024
A poor weather forecast perhaps put a few sailors off, as we just had three boats on the water. In the event, we were lucky with the weather, seeing no rain and enjoying a variable 8mph wind from the West. There were plenty of direction and strength changes in the wind, which Martyn seemed to cope with best, gaining 10 wins from the 12 races that were run at the final count. Jen and Peter had a good battle for the points for second place, which went to Peter.
There will be no race sailing next week as Jen and Martyn are competing at he IOM ranking event at Fleetwood.
There will be no race sailing next week as Jen and Martyn are competing at he IOM ranking event at Fleetwood.
DF95 Pursuit Race – 29th June 2024
For the unassigned fifth week of the sailing calendar we held a DF95 pursuit race. A number of skippers reported themselves to be unavailable but the four of us that turned up had a good day trialling a handicap system where for each successive race, the start times for the competing boats were adjusted to give everyone the chance of winning the next race.
Poolsbrook was playing its Westerly wind tricks making the sailing ‘interesting’! The racing was tight, as usual, with Martyn taking four race wins, Jen one win and Brian two. William threatened to grab a race or two, but didn’t. It was great to see Brian manage the full schedule of seven races and express his defiance toward his recent health problems.
Martyn took the day with nine points, Jen was second with eleven, Brian third with fourteen and William (who had to leave shortly after the break) fourth with 24 points.
These were not our best sailing winds, but we made the most of the pleasant weather and enjoyed the day, as usual. Back to the normal racing calendar next week, but we will do this again!
IOM Ted Ward Series - 22nd June
Light Westerly winds again gave us a tricky sailing scenario, with a number of course changes being required! A lovely day though and a good turnout of six skippers. Gerry Eggington was encouraged by his visit last week and put his MX14 on the water for the first time. He had some good battles with Vernon who was sailing his ZigZag. Vernon claimed a first place in the second race. Brian was in good form and gave everyone a battle for position at some point in the racing.
Peter, Jen and Martyn generally found their way to the front in the races, probably from their regular experience of the Poolsbrook wind phenomena, They took the first three positions on the final count-up with only nine points separating them. Vernon was top side of Brian in fourth place by one point and Gerry needed to leave at half-time, taking the sixth spot.
Next week we are planning a handicapped fun race with DF95s as it is the fifth Saturday in the month and has no scheduled series racing. More details later in the week.
Peter, Jen and Martyn generally found their way to the front in the races, probably from their regular experience of the Poolsbrook wind phenomena, They took the first three positions on the final count-up with only nine points separating them. Vernon was top side of Brian in fourth place by one point and Gerry needed to leave at half-time, taking the sixth spot.
Next week we are planning a handicapped fun race with DF95s as it is the fifth Saturday in the month and has no scheduled series racing. More details later in the week.
DF65 George Cliff Series - 15th June
An ominous weather forecast and awkward wind direction maybe put a few of our fellow sailors off, as our numbers for racing this popular boat were just four! We did stay dry and had a good sail with our A+ rigs, but the wind did live up to its tricky reputation for a Poolsbrook Westerly.
The race wins were well contested, with each one of us taking a win in the first 4 races. It was great to see Brian take his win, but he was struggling to see his yellow boat in the intermittently low light conditions created by the heavy cloud, and he retired after race three. The remaining three of us then battled on with help from Gerry Eggington on the starts and finishes. We do look forward to Gerry joining us again on the water at some point.
Peter faded in the later racing results and Martyn and Jen were in contention for the number one spot. In the end, Martyn just did enough, with a win by one point over Jen and with Peter trailing by 6 points behind Jen, leaving Brian in the fourth spot.
Back to the IOMs next week, and hoping for a better turnout for some competitive racing!
The race wins were well contested, with each one of us taking a win in the first 4 races. It was great to see Brian take his win, but he was struggling to see his yellow boat in the intermittently low light conditions created by the heavy cloud, and he retired after race three. The remaining three of us then battled on with help from Gerry Eggington on the starts and finishes. We do look forward to Gerry joining us again on the water at some point.
Peter faded in the later racing results and Martyn and Jen were in contention for the number one spot. In the end, Martyn just did enough, with a win by one point over Jen and with Peter trailing by 6 points behind Jen, leaving Brian in the fourth spot.
Back to the IOMs next week, and hoping for a better turnout for some competitive racing!
IOM early Series - 8th June 2024
No racing conducted 8th June. Jen and Martyn tuned their BritPops in a challenging top-end A suit wind .... so watch out next IOM race day! They will be HOT!
DF95 Open Series - 1st June 2024
Some of the best conditions that we had experienced greeted us at Poolsbrook for a DF95 showdown. The day was initially cool but bright and a Northerly breeze was blowing down the lake. There were lulls and periods of stronger wind plus wind direction changes of 10 or 15 degrees, all of which presented opportunities for decisions and gambles.
A course was easily set and the racing was started. Martyn took the first three races, one of which was scrubbed as we were not sure how many laps had been run! Counting did seem to be a recurring problem. Well, we were doing two and a bit laps and most of us are getting on a bit!
Peter and Rob each took a win. Rob sailed with a ‘B’ rig and only appeared to be disadvantaged in the lightest airs, being fully competitive even though an ‘A’ rig seemed to be the clear choice. Jen initially struggled to get her boat to perform and was denied any wins as Martyn tuned in to the conditions and gained a run of first spots. Will was near the front for periods of time in many of the races but tended to drop back from mistakes.
It was a most enjoyable day with Martyn coming out the clear winner on 9 points after 11 races and with Peter, Jen, Rob and Will finishing in that order and all coming within 5 points of each other, indicating the competitive nature of the sailing.
A course was easily set and the racing was started. Martyn took the first three races, one of which was scrubbed as we were not sure how many laps had been run! Counting did seem to be a recurring problem. Well, we were doing two and a bit laps and most of us are getting on a bit!
Peter and Rob each took a win. Rob sailed with a ‘B’ rig and only appeared to be disadvantaged in the lightest airs, being fully competitive even though an ‘A’ rig seemed to be the clear choice. Jen initially struggled to get her boat to perform and was denied any wins as Martyn tuned in to the conditions and gained a run of first spots. Will was near the front for periods of time in many of the races but tended to drop back from mistakes.
It was a most enjoyable day with Martyn coming out the clear winner on 9 points after 11 races and with Peter, Jen, Rob and Will finishing in that order and all coming within 5 points of each other, indicating the competitive nature of the sailing.
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 2 - 25th May
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A lovely sunny day greeted us at Poolsbrook, with a light Easterly breeze that veered considerably during racing and which produced some interesting wind channels and lifts giving everyone a chance of catching up .... or dropping back!
Most skippers were there well on time allowing for a relaxed setup and a reasonably prompt start after some course deliberation. 8 skippers made the start line. As well as the usual protagonists, we welcomed Denis Walker from Manor Park, Alan Lees, Brian Quinn (who has missed a few sessions recently) and Vernon Harrod, now a fully fledged and enthusiastic member. Jen took the first two races, but the positions and leads changed continuously in the hard-to-fathom wind changes. Martyn found a bit of form from race three and Brian sailed his socks off in race four to defend his leading position (from Martyn who was harassing him) to gain a first spot. Well done Brian! Peter was in the first position many times during the racing but was only first across the line in race ten. Denis was similar to Peter in being at the front of the pack with his latest Alioth, but making costly mistakes causing him to drop back and deny him the top spot. Both Alan and Brian finished early. Steve and Vernon were not at the front much of the time, but enjoyed some very competitive racing against each other, with Vernon emerging on top. There was some consternation regarding the course setting in the attempt to get a good first beat from a wind that was swinging about ninety degrees from East to South. This resulted in the course being set and re-set a number of times. Frustrating for everybody, but necessary! After 11 races we did not know for sure how the positions would turn out. However it emerged that Jen had walked away with the day with 13 points, followed by Martyn on 21, Peter on 23 and Denis on 29. Vernon, Brian, Steve then Alan completed the final line-up. So, another great sailing day! Competitive, friendly racing, with any incidents being quickly resolved and everybody ‘doing the right thing’. All just as it should be. |
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DF65 George Cliff Series - 18th May
We greeted Philip Waterfall as a guest and ‘soon-to-be’ new member for the sailing today at Poolsbrook. Confirmed new member David Whitehead also returned with his ‘sorted out’ DF65 after the problems he had previously experienced. Peter was unfortunately not able to be there and Brian gave late notice that he was not feeling fit to sail. There were still six of us to enjoy a lovely weather day and another challenging and predominantly North-Easterly light breeze.
There was some debate around the course because of the swinging wind, but one was finally set and it was just changed once, and only for the second race.
Martyn opened up the scoring in the first race by taking first spot, with Philip showing early promise by coming in second followed by Jen, Will then David. Will found good form for the next five races but didn’t quite achieve a first spot. The coffee break completely killed his form though! David, Philip and Rob all provided some close racing for periods of time, but Jen and Martyn showed greater consistency throughout the duration of most races and shared the majority of the first spots. Philip did take an impressive win in race 7 though and wondered why he couldn’t repeat this. I’m sure he will in future weeks. David left at the break after demonstrating some solid sailing which he will continue to build on. Rob shared his transmitter with fellow runner Becky, who demonstrated a natural ability for sailing. Rob will be looking out for an additional boat soon!
The final result was Martyn followed by Jen, then Philip after eleven races. Not bad for a first showing at tricky Poolsbrook, Philip! Again, it was an intensive and thoroughly enjoyable race-day sail, all done in the right spirit and with a sense of fun. Keep it up folks!
There was some debate around the course because of the swinging wind, but one was finally set and it was just changed once, and only for the second race.
Martyn opened up the scoring in the first race by taking first spot, with Philip showing early promise by coming in second followed by Jen, Will then David. Will found good form for the next five races but didn’t quite achieve a first spot. The coffee break completely killed his form though! David, Philip and Rob all provided some close racing for periods of time, but Jen and Martyn showed greater consistency throughout the duration of most races and shared the majority of the first spots. Philip did take an impressive win in race 7 though and wondered why he couldn’t repeat this. I’m sure he will in future weeks. David left at the break after demonstrating some solid sailing which he will continue to build on. Rob shared his transmitter with fellow runner Becky, who demonstrated a natural ability for sailing. Rob will be looking out for an additional boat soon!
The final result was Martyn followed by Jen, then Philip after eleven races. Not bad for a first showing at tricky Poolsbrook, Philip! Again, it was an intensive and thoroughly enjoyable race-day sail, all done in the right spirit and with a sense of fun. Keep it up folks!
IOM Late Series Round 8 - 11 May
Another report from sunny Poolsbrook, and yes, it was sunny! Light winds swinging some 60 degrees made setting a course a little problematic, but we finally agreed one and started racing.
Peter was hampered by a setting-up shroud breakage and missed the first race. Martyn put in some good early races, which carried him through. Brian sailed well and took race 3 with some great defensive sailing to maintain his lead, but had to rest his back after 8 races. Jen required a few boat tweaks to find winning form with her very fast downwind BritPop final setup. Peter took the lead on many occasions but fell foul of some wind shifts to lose his leading positions.
We stopped racing at 1.00pm after 10 races and feeling pretty pooped in the strong sun. Martyn had hung on to win the day with 11 points with Jen on 13 points after her strong finishing results. Peter had 21 points followed by Brian, 23 points.
This was another very competitive and enjoyable sailing day at Poolsbrook which particularly suits the Easterly winds that we seem to keep getting. No visiting skippers today unfortunately and not enough club members bringing IOMs along. You are missing some great sailing days!
This was the last of the Late Series, we only able to sail on 4 of the 8 days. Peter won the series from Martyn and Jen.
Peter was hampered by a setting-up shroud breakage and missed the first race. Martyn put in some good early races, which carried him through. Brian sailed well and took race 3 with some great defensive sailing to maintain his lead, but had to rest his back after 8 races. Jen required a few boat tweaks to find winning form with her very fast downwind BritPop final setup. Peter took the lead on many occasions but fell foul of some wind shifts to lose his leading positions.
We stopped racing at 1.00pm after 10 races and feeling pretty pooped in the strong sun. Martyn had hung on to win the day with 11 points with Jen on 13 points after her strong finishing results. Peter had 21 points followed by Brian, 23 points.
This was another very competitive and enjoyable sailing day at Poolsbrook which particularly suits the Easterly winds that we seem to keep getting. No visiting skippers today unfortunately and not enough club members bringing IOMs along. You are missing some great sailing days!
This was the last of the Late Series, we only able to sail on 4 of the 8 days. Peter won the series from Martyn and Jen.
DF95 Series Round 2 - 4 May
A good days racing at Poolsbrook with a steady on shore wind which was different across the course. There were 4 skippers who enjoyed another good days racing.
Steve won the first two races and a further two, Peter was the most consistent with six wins, Malcolm won two of the last three races and and Brian all had some good results.
Peter won the day with , Steve pipped Malcolm on the 12th race Malcolm won, with the 3rd discard
Steve won the first two races and a further two, Peter was the most consistent with six wins, Malcolm won two of the last three races and and Brian all had some good results.
Peter won the day with , Steve pipped Malcolm on the 12th race Malcolm won, with the 3rd discard
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 1 - 27 April
Another week and another visitor/potential new member! Vernon Harrod joined us with his older but very functional Zigzag design IOM yacht and had a very enjoyable sail. We look forward to seeing him again soon.
The forecast suggested a NE wind, which would normally suit Poolsbrook. In practice, we got a wind that was swinging by about ninety degrees, making it difficult to set a course with a good first beat. A compromise was reached on the course, with a tricky start line being required and a wind that varied considerably in strength, although always within the scope of an A rig.
Jen showed the way round the course in the first race with a comfortable win. Martyn took the next two, and then Peter took two. It was looking like the day could be won by any of these three at this stage until Martyn got in the groove and scored a series of first positions. Vernon and Steve were having a battle-royal, usually taking the fourth and fifth spots, but getting in the early action with some creditable starts and with the occasional second and third position.
We managed to get 13 races completed. Martyn took the top spot with 12 points. Jen second with 19 points, then Peter third with 22, Vernon 38 and Steve 44.
It proved to be a very satisfying sail again at Poolsbrook with highly competitive racing, yet a great fun-feel for us all. Keep an eye open for notices of sailing for the following weeks, as other commitments are affecting the attendance numbers
The forecast suggested a NE wind, which would normally suit Poolsbrook. In practice, we got a wind that was swinging by about ninety degrees, making it difficult to set a course with a good first beat. A compromise was reached on the course, with a tricky start line being required and a wind that varied considerably in strength, although always within the scope of an A rig.
Jen showed the way round the course in the first race with a comfortable win. Martyn took the next two, and then Peter took two. It was looking like the day could be won by any of these three at this stage until Martyn got in the groove and scored a series of first positions. Vernon and Steve were having a battle-royal, usually taking the fourth and fifth spots, but getting in the early action with some creditable starts and with the occasional second and third position.
We managed to get 13 races completed. Martyn took the top spot with 12 points. Jen second with 19 points, then Peter third with 22, Vernon 38 and Steve 44.
It proved to be a very satisfying sail again at Poolsbrook with highly competitive racing, yet a great fun-feel for us all. Keep an eye open for notices of sailing for the following weeks, as other commitments are affecting the attendance numbers
DF65 Series Round 1 - 20 April
Poolsbrook offered us a cool breeze from the North-East that kept swinging to an Easterly direction and varied between light and overpowering for the A+ rigs that we all chose to use, except for Rob, who used an A rig. At the time Rob put his boat on the water, his choice appeared to be the right one in the elevated wind speeds, but he was not able to extract an advantage and the wind did not really play in his favour in its consistency.
We were also joined on the water by Dave Whitehead as a new member. He was introduced to our club by Rob, and had sailed previously at Ely. Dave showed himself to be very keen and was finding his feet in the racing when he unfortunately suffered a boat issue which caused his retirement from race 5 and no further sailing for him. We look forward to seeing Dave again soon, maybe with a DF95 or IOM!
Jen, Peter and Martyn enjoyed close racing throughout the sailing session with William and Rob snapping at their heels but generally falling out of the top three spots during the races. William was struggling with his tacks in the stronger winds and called it a day after race 5 leaving Rob, Peter, Jen and Martyn to fight it out over the remaining 8 races.
13 races were run in total, with Martyn taking 8 top spots and winning overall with 12 points. He was closely followed by Jen, who took the remaining 5 first positions and finished with 15 points. Peter was third with 26 points and Rob fourth with 38 points.
Poolsbrook again delivered a great sailing day, and we finished off in warm sunshine and with some friendly chats before departing.
We were also joined on the water by Dave Whitehead as a new member. He was introduced to our club by Rob, and had sailed previously at Ely. Dave showed himself to be very keen and was finding his feet in the racing when he unfortunately suffered a boat issue which caused his retirement from race 5 and no further sailing for him. We look forward to seeing Dave again soon, maybe with a DF95 or IOM!
Jen, Peter and Martyn enjoyed close racing throughout the sailing session with William and Rob snapping at their heels but generally falling out of the top three spots during the races. William was struggling with his tacks in the stronger winds and called it a day after race 5 leaving Rob, Peter, Jen and Martyn to fight it out over the remaining 8 races.
13 races were run in total, with Martyn taking 8 top spots and winning overall with 12 points. He was closely followed by Jen, who took the remaining 5 first positions and finished with 15 points. Peter was third with 26 points and Rob fourth with 38 points.
Poolsbrook again delivered a great sailing day, and we finished off in warm sunshine and with some friendly chats before departing.
IOM Late Series Round 1 - 13 April
The day took a dramatic up-turn for Peter and Martyn with the unexpected arrival of Denis from Manor Park and our own Brian Quinn, making it a total of four competitors and a full-on racing day. The sun was shining, the air temperature was rising and there was wind, although from a rather Westerly direction, leading to tricky wind shifts and an often fluky finishing line and upwind mark.
Racing got underway in good time with some very competitive sailing. It was great to see Brian sailing well again and enjoying his day. In this wind direction, leads were won and lost on wind shifts and lulls with luck being a significant factor!
We all had our moments of joy and despair, but at the end of 11 races, Martyn came out on top with 14 points followed by Peter on 17, Denis on 21 and Brian on 28. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, but what a shame that we couldn’t have had more boats on the water. Thanks go to Jen who helped with the start line and scoring duties whilst child-minding. Thanks again to Denis and Brian for making it a competitive day.
Racing got underway in good time with some very competitive sailing. It was great to see Brian sailing well again and enjoying his day. In this wind direction, leads were won and lost on wind shifts and lulls with luck being a significant factor!
We all had our moments of joy and despair, but at the end of 11 races, Martyn came out on top with 14 points followed by Peter on 17, Denis on 21 and Brian on 28. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, but what a shame that we couldn’t have had more boats on the water. Thanks go to Jen who helped with the start line and scoring duties whilst child-minding. Thanks again to Denis and Brian for making it a competitive day.
DF95 Series Round 1 - 6 April
5 sailors converged on Poolsbrook with some trepidation due to the high wind forecasts for the weekend. The shoreline appeared fine for an ‘A’ rig, but the waves and gusts indicated a smaller rig requirement for the outer buoys. We settled on ‘B’ rigs, which surprisingly proved to be the correct choice for the entire sailing session.
A simple course was set for the Southerly wind which initially blew straight down the lake. Martyn took the first race from Steve, who put in a great performance for a second position, with William taking third. Jen moved up a gear after the first race, never achieving less than a second position from that point and Brian took a couple of fourth positions before calling it a day at race 5, along with Steve, who had other commitments.
The wind became increasingly more gusty and shifty as it swung more Westerly, leading to a tricky finishing line and some downwind duckings as visible gusts ripped across the water. Will turned the table in the eighth and final race, gaining an impressive win over Jen, whilst Martyn struggled through the race with a rig failure.
This was a satisfying sail in the unusually windy conditions and the warm weather was a real bonus. The day finished with Martyn on 6 points, followed by Jen on 11 and William on 14. Malcolm Yeomans came along with his recently acquired boat, but was unable to sail without a smaller rig. He did bring his very impressive camera though and took some excellent shots. He will have a ‘B’ rig for the next windy event!
A simple course was set for the Southerly wind which initially blew straight down the lake. Martyn took the first race from Steve, who put in a great performance for a second position, with William taking third. Jen moved up a gear after the first race, never achieving less than a second position from that point and Brian took a couple of fourth positions before calling it a day at race 5, along with Steve, who had other commitments.
The wind became increasingly more gusty and shifty as it swung more Westerly, leading to a tricky finishing line and some downwind duckings as visible gusts ripped across the water. Will turned the table in the eighth and final race, gaining an impressive win over Jen, whilst Martyn struggled through the race with a rig failure.
This was a satisfying sail in the unusually windy conditions and the warm weather was a real bonus. The day finished with Martyn on 6 points, followed by Jen on 11 and William on 14. Malcolm Yeomans came along with his recently acquired boat, but was unable to sail without a smaller rig. He did bring his very impressive camera though and took some excellent shots. He will have a ‘B’ rig for the next windy event!
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 12 - 30 March - Final
A beautiful day presented itself to the 7 skippers at Poolsbrook on this Bank Holiday weekend. Light winds blowing roughly down the lake from the right presented the opportunity to set a simple but effective 2 ½ lap course with 3 beats using 3 marks.
William sailed his Marblehead, leaving 6 skippers to fight it out with IOMs over 12 races. It was great to see Denis Walker in attendance from Manor Park and Malcolm Yeomans, an RMYC member. Steve was sailing a newly built wooden IOM to his own design and took a leisurely approach to the racing as he tweaked his latest creation. Brian made a welcome appearance, but did not feel well enough to sail unfortunately. He will be back!
Racing began with a good win for Peter before the other skippers found their feet (or their sticks!) and kept him in lower positions for the rest of the morning. Denis and Jen both took wins, but Martyn dominated with 9 wins from the 12 races. Malcolm sailed well and came within touching distance of a win in race 6. Poolsbrook again presented some dilemmas for leading skippers and provided opportunities for position changes in the final beating leg as the wind direction and strength changed toward the upwind mark. Jen struggled on occasion with having 2 magenta coloured Brit Pops on the water (her own newly restored boat and Malcolm’s) and also with some distant buoys. A trip to Specsavers is booked however!
It really was a lovely day for a sail. Jen took second spot with 19 points, Denis third (21 points) followed by Peter (25 points), Malcolm (38 points), Steve (54 points).
This was the final event of the Series with Martyn the Overall Winner from Peter and Brian.
William sailed his Marblehead, leaving 6 skippers to fight it out with IOMs over 12 races. It was great to see Denis Walker in attendance from Manor Park and Malcolm Yeomans, an RMYC member. Steve was sailing a newly built wooden IOM to his own design and took a leisurely approach to the racing as he tweaked his latest creation. Brian made a welcome appearance, but did not feel well enough to sail unfortunately. He will be back!
Racing began with a good win for Peter before the other skippers found their feet (or their sticks!) and kept him in lower positions for the rest of the morning. Denis and Jen both took wins, but Martyn dominated with 9 wins from the 12 races. Malcolm sailed well and came within touching distance of a win in race 6. Poolsbrook again presented some dilemmas for leading skippers and provided opportunities for position changes in the final beating leg as the wind direction and strength changed toward the upwind mark. Jen struggled on occasion with having 2 magenta coloured Brit Pops on the water (her own newly restored boat and Malcolm’s) and also with some distant buoys. A trip to Specsavers is booked however!
It really was a lovely day for a sail. Jen took second spot with 19 points, Denis third (21 points) followed by Peter (25 points), Malcolm (38 points), Steve (54 points).
This was the final event of the Series with Martyn the Overall Winner from Peter and Brian.
DF65 Series Round 12 - 16 March - Final
A steady light Southerly wind greeted the 5 skippers at Poolsbrook on this warm and pleasant Saturday Spring-like morning. A+ sails were the required rigs for the day
A short triangular course was agreed, which suited Brian who was not feeling too good and needed to be seated. Racing got underway, with Jen making a great start and leading for the entire first race. She was initially pursued by Martyn, who was then overtaken by William, and he was catching Jen as Martyn fell back. Unfortunately, this was Williams only moment of glory as he inexplicably struggled to be competitive in the remaining races and left after race 7. Brian had continued to feel off-colour and left after 2 races.
After the first race and some boat tweaks, Martyn dominated the session making good starts and rarely being over-taken, achieving 11 wins in succession. Peter didn’t find his form and had a few battles with William and Jen, but mainly fell into third place, which was his final overall position on 24 points, with Jen in second spot on 17 points and Martyn first with 9 points.
It was an enjoyable good-natured sail with Poolsbrook again providing some really great conditions. Some more competing boats on the water would have been nice and our sailing colleagues not joining in are sadly missing out!
Overall Martyn easily won the Series from Peter and Jen.
A short triangular course was agreed, which suited Brian who was not feeling too good and needed to be seated. Racing got underway, with Jen making a great start and leading for the entire first race. She was initially pursued by Martyn, who was then overtaken by William, and he was catching Jen as Martyn fell back. Unfortunately, this was Williams only moment of glory as he inexplicably struggled to be competitive in the remaining races and left after race 7. Brian had continued to feel off-colour and left after 2 races.
After the first race and some boat tweaks, Martyn dominated the session making good starts and rarely being over-taken, achieving 11 wins in succession. Peter didn’t find his form and had a few battles with William and Jen, but mainly fell into third place, which was his final overall position on 24 points, with Jen in second spot on 17 points and Martyn first with 9 points.
It was an enjoyable good-natured sail with Poolsbrook again providing some really great conditions. Some more competing boats on the water would have been nice and our sailing colleagues not joining in are sadly missing out!
Overall Martyn easily won the Series from Peter and Jen.
DF95 Series Round 12 - 2 March - Final
With the wet forecast only three skippers arrived to sail at Poolsbrook for the final round of the DF95 Series. There was an onshore breeze which had a few bends, provided one of the best sailing days of the year. The position in each race depended on who managed to keep clear of any incidents, following the shifts some lead into lighter winds. The wind bent throughout the morning giving different option on the start line, which permitted some cheeky port end starts - but they didn't always pay. Jen, Peter and Steve all had their moments, but a small mistake allowed the others to sail away. Peter gained most from this and won the day.
Well done to Martyn who was away celebrating his birthday, won the easily series with seven wins from the ten events sailed..
Well done to Martyn who was away celebrating his birthday, won the easily series with seven wins from the ten events sailed..
DF65 Series Round 11 - 17 February
A light but steady Southerly wind greeted the 5 skippers at Poolsbrook on a damp and overcast, yet pleasant, Saturday morning.
A course was easily set after a short discussion and the first race got underway without Brian, who was not ready. Martyn took the first race, then the next two before William found form with his brand new black hulled speed machine and took the next three, with Jen, Peter and Martyn all accepting second and third spots. Will was anticipating adding to this tally, but flat batteries finished his day. Brian was unable to get comfortable with his back problem, and although he was there in the fray at the starts, he always dropped back in the fleet and sadly called it a day along with Will after race 6.
Peter, Jen and Martyn completed a further 6 races, making 12 in total, as the wind became a little more fluky and changeable both in strength and direction. Martyn initially took a further 3 bullets before Jen began to take some first spots. Peter sailed well but was denied any wins, although leading in some races and always competitive.
The day finished with Martyn in top spot with 11 points, followed by Jen on 17, then Peter with 21. It was an enjoyable sail on one of Poolsbrook’s most consistent wind days. Some more boats on the water would have been nice!
Next month is the final event of the 23-24 Series
A course was easily set after a short discussion and the first race got underway without Brian, who was not ready. Martyn took the first race, then the next two before William found form with his brand new black hulled speed machine and took the next three, with Jen, Peter and Martyn all accepting second and third spots. Will was anticipating adding to this tally, but flat batteries finished his day. Brian was unable to get comfortable with his back problem, and although he was there in the fray at the starts, he always dropped back in the fleet and sadly called it a day along with Will after race 6.
Peter, Jen and Martyn completed a further 6 races, making 12 in total, as the wind became a little more fluky and changeable both in strength and direction. Martyn initially took a further 3 bullets before Jen began to take some first spots. Peter sailed well but was denied any wins, although leading in some races and always competitive.
The day finished with Martyn in top spot with 11 points, followed by Jen on 17, then Peter with 21. It was an enjoyable sail on one of Poolsbrook’s most consistent wind days. Some more boats on the water would have been nice!
Next month is the final event of the 23-24 Series
IOM Late Series Round 4 - 10 February
Not enough wind to sail.
DF95 Series Round 11 - 3 February
7 skippers turned out for the first race in February in a light SW wind blowing from the café area which left the sheltered bank side rather windless. Following the gales Martyn and Peter had reset the marks which gives more choice in setting courses.
The wind was quite steady initially and a good but distant start line was established with a short triangular course giving 3 windward beats over the 2+ laps. During the day the wind became more intermittent and fluky
There was some good close racing throughout the morning, but Martyn got the best starts and became the skipper to beat after the first few races. Positions were often gained and lost on the frequently fluky and windless shoreline finish. There was always something to try in order to gain the upper hand! Race 2 was a great race for Will and Steve who sailed off from the first buoy leaving the rest of the fleet stranded and gaining them easy first and second places. They didn’t manage to repeat this however!
It was great to be joined by Malcolm Yeomans, who had just settled the purchase of his DF95 that morning. Rob was also in good time for the racing and managed all but the last race before having to leave. Steve Rowlay sailed well with 4 second places but did not have any discards to get a higher order placing.
Martyn took the day with 9 points from 11 races followed by Peter on 24 points and Jen with 26. A very enjoyable and competitive day’s sailing!
Martyn has a strong lead in the series from Peter and Jen.
The wind was quite steady initially and a good but distant start line was established with a short triangular course giving 3 windward beats over the 2+ laps. During the day the wind became more intermittent and fluky
There was some good close racing throughout the morning, but Martyn got the best starts and became the skipper to beat after the first few races. Positions were often gained and lost on the frequently fluky and windless shoreline finish. There was always something to try in order to gain the upper hand! Race 2 was a great race for Will and Steve who sailed off from the first buoy leaving the rest of the fleet stranded and gaining them easy first and second places. They didn’t manage to repeat this however!
It was great to be joined by Malcolm Yeomans, who had just settled the purchase of his DF95 that morning. Rob was also in good time for the racing and managed all but the last race before having to leave. Steve Rowlay sailed well with 4 second places but did not have any discards to get a higher order placing.
Martyn took the day with 9 points from 11 races followed by Peter on 24 points and Jen with 26. A very enjoyable and competitive day’s sailing!
Martyn has a strong lead in the series from Peter and Jen.
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 10 - 27 January
After a layoff of a couple of weeks due to the water being frozen over, we were back at Poolsbrook on a pleasant overcast morning with a gentle but steady breeze from the South. The buoys had moved considerable distances in the inclement weather necessitating a removable buoy to be positioned as an upwind mark.
A suitable course was set by Peter that provided a good upwind beat with some lulls and shifts that made things interesting.
Four skippers commenced racing, but Will soon retired with battery issues. There was some close racing and some tight starts. Not a lot of difference was often apparent in the boat speeds of the TS2, the V9 and the BritPop when the boats were together.
The conditions became more gusty in the later races as the wind swung more towards the forecast South-Westerly direction and some dead spots appeared on the water, particularly at the upwind mark close to the shoreline.
Martyn managed to gain an edge in most races and took the most wins. Peter took one win with a well executed close finish. Despite leading at times, Jen did not fully get to grips with the TS2 that she was sailing in place of her usual BritPop and had to settle for some second places. The BritPop should be back on the water soon!
All agreed that it had been a great sailing day and that we were sorry that Brian and Alan were unable to join us due to illness. Lovely to see Gerry, and thanks for scoring the initial finishes. We look forward to seeing Steve and other club sailors soon!
A suitable course was set by Peter that provided a good upwind beat with some lulls and shifts that made things interesting.
Four skippers commenced racing, but Will soon retired with battery issues. There was some close racing and some tight starts. Not a lot of difference was often apparent in the boat speeds of the TS2, the V9 and the BritPop when the boats were together.
The conditions became more gusty in the later races as the wind swung more towards the forecast South-Westerly direction and some dead spots appeared on the water, particularly at the upwind mark close to the shoreline.
Martyn managed to gain an edge in most races and took the most wins. Peter took one win with a well executed close finish. Despite leading at times, Jen did not fully get to grips with the TS2 that she was sailing in place of her usual BritPop and had to settle for some second places. The BritPop should be back on the water soon!
All agreed that it had been a great sailing day and that we were sorry that Brian and Alan were unable to join us due to illness. Lovely to see Gerry, and thanks for scoring the initial finishes. We look forward to seeing Steve and other club sailors soon!
DF95 Series Round 10 - 6 January
The first race day of 2024 did not disappoint! The wind strength upon our arrival was near to zero, but a light breeze gradually settled in from the forecast Northerly direction and provided some good sailing conditions for the 6 skippers.
Martyn and Jen traded blows for the first 5 races, exchanging first and second finish line positions before Peter found form and took a couple of good wins. There was some close racing with Brian, Will and Rob all having their moments but losing out on wind shifts and lulls that added interest to the sailing. Brian and Will both felt the chill, with Brian backing out after 3 races and the ‘coatless(!)’ Will taking a warm-up in the cafe for a while. Jen’s boat was raced by a competent potential new member for 1 race. We hope to see him again!
10 races were completed, with Martyn taking the top spot and then Jen followed by Peter. It was a good start to what will probably be another 6 months at Poolsbrook before a return to Harthill.
Overall, Martyn is leading the Series from Peter and Jen
Martyn and Jen traded blows for the first 5 races, exchanging first and second finish line positions before Peter found form and took a couple of good wins. There was some close racing with Brian, Will and Rob all having their moments but losing out on wind shifts and lulls that added interest to the sailing. Brian and Will both felt the chill, with Brian backing out after 3 races and the ‘coatless(!)’ Will taking a warm-up in the cafe for a while. Jen’s boat was raced by a competent potential new member for 1 race. We hope to see him again!
10 races were completed, with Martyn taking the top spot and then Jen followed by Peter. It was a good start to what will probably be another 6 months at Poolsbrook before a return to Harthill.
Overall, Martyn is leading the Series from Peter and Jen
DF65 Series Round 9 - 16 December
It was a bad start to the day but sailing got underway with 6 skippers.
A simple triangular course was set for the 6 skippers, with a distant start line to try and secure a good upwind leg. The wind was mostly light but with occasional squalls that flattened the ‘A+’ rigs from time to time. Rob sailed with an ‘A’ sail, which didn’t appear detrimental. The wind was from the worst direction for Poolsbrook, South-Westerly, and was very frustrating, rarely filling our sails for more than a few seconds before changing direction. The direction was often unfathomable leading to boats going into irons. Brian was struggling to keep track of his boat and had an early finish with radio issues. The positions in races changed frequently, sometimes on the finish line which was prone to being windless.
Jen was the only sailor who really got to grips with the conditions, winning 6 of the 10 races, sometimes by a good margin. So, Jen won the day with ease. I’m going to let Peter use Sailwave to determine the other positions, so study the results grid!
A simple triangular course was set for the 6 skippers, with a distant start line to try and secure a good upwind leg. The wind was mostly light but with occasional squalls that flattened the ‘A+’ rigs from time to time. Rob sailed with an ‘A’ sail, which didn’t appear detrimental. The wind was from the worst direction for Poolsbrook, South-Westerly, and was very frustrating, rarely filling our sails for more than a few seconds before changing direction. The direction was often unfathomable leading to boats going into irons. Brian was struggling to keep track of his boat and had an early finish with radio issues. The positions in races changed frequently, sometimes on the finish line which was prone to being windless.
Jen was the only sailor who really got to grips with the conditions, winning 6 of the 10 races, sometimes by a good margin. So, Jen won the day with ease. I’m going to let Peter use Sailwave to determine the other positions, so study the results grid!
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 8 - 25 November
Very calm conditions resulted in a leisurely start to a bright and sunny, but very cold day. A light wind gradually built up and racing commenced with 3 skippers who all completed the 8 races.
The racing was very close between Martyn and Brian, and after a rig adjustment, Steve increased his boat speed and was in the tussle for several races. This beautiful homebuilt boat has more speed to give! The starts were very tight and there was some really good tactical racing on the windward legs, with very few misdemeanours requiring penalties. Brian was in great form with a well set-up boat and again was making the most of his new spectacles sailing very precisely and only occasionally needing to rest his back with a sit-down. Martyn took the day however with 6 points from the 8 races, followed by Brian with 10 points and Steve with 18.
It was a very enjoyable day, again with Poolsbrook providing a good wind direction, straight down the lake from the North-West with some lulls and minor shifts making the sailing interesting.
The racing was very close between Martyn and Brian, and after a rig adjustment, Steve increased his boat speed and was in the tussle for several races. This beautiful homebuilt boat has more speed to give! The starts were very tight and there was some really good tactical racing on the windward legs, with very few misdemeanours requiring penalties. Brian was in great form with a well set-up boat and again was making the most of his new spectacles sailing very precisely and only occasionally needing to rest his back with a sit-down. Martyn took the day however with 6 points from the 8 races, followed by Brian with 10 points and Steve with 18.
It was a very enjoyable day, again with Poolsbrook providing a good wind direction, straight down the lake from the North-West with some lulls and minor shifts making the sailing interesting.
DF65 Series Round 8 - 18 November
The forecast strong winds had been revised to lighter winds overnight, and that was what we got. A+ rigs, and a light wind that reduced during the sailing session.
Initially, there were 3 of us but the number swelled to 5 with Rob and Jon joining the fun, and some good racing ensued. Jen and Martyn traded first place initially, before Martyn managed a run of first positions. This does not tell the story though, as fortunes and positions changed during the races.
Brian struggled to find form and completed 6 races before an early finish. Jon suffered a sail winch failure which meant he only managed 4 races. But he did enjoyed them! Rob came with an already-rigged A sail, which left the boat underpowered. He changed to an A+ at an early coffee break, which then saw him competing at the front of the fleet. His lack of time on the water was showing though!
All-in-all, a good day of sailing in a wind direction that was friendlier than that at some of our days at Poolsbrook.
Initially, there were 3 of us but the number swelled to 5 with Rob and Jon joining the fun, and some good racing ensued. Jen and Martyn traded first place initially, before Martyn managed a run of first positions. This does not tell the story though, as fortunes and positions changed during the races.
Brian struggled to find form and completed 6 races before an early finish. Jon suffered a sail winch failure which meant he only managed 4 races. But he did enjoyed them! Rob came with an already-rigged A sail, which left the boat underpowered. He changed to an A+ at an early coffee break, which then saw him competing at the front of the fleet. His lack of time on the water was showing though!
All-in-all, a good day of sailing in a wind direction that was friendlier than that at some of our days at Poolsbrook.
IOM Late Series Round 2 - 11 November
.The forecast was for a sunny day with a light WNW wind. As Martyn and Jen were sailing at the TT at Fleetwood, there were only three skippers on the start line. The wind was generally steady, parallel to the shore with a few bends. The racing was close, but Brian made a good start and won the first three races from Peter and Stephen. During the coffee break Peter tweaked his mast bend to close his leech and won the next four races. In the last race Brian passed Peter on the penultimate leg to win the final race.
Overall Peter won the day on countback of second discard from Brian. A pleasant mornings sailing with some interest from the visitors to the park.
Overall Peter won the day on countback of second discard from Brian. A pleasant mornings sailing with some interest from the visitors to the park.
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 7 - 28 October
Brian and A flat calm water and initial light drizzle greeted the 6 skippers at Poolsbrook. The numbers were thankfully boosted by Denis Walker from Manor Park and Malcolm Yeomans, which compensated for a missing William.
After a long first race in the lightest of airs and won by Brian, a more predictable light wind gradually emerged and provided better sailing for the rest of the day. Nobody dominated, but the results of Brian and Denis were the most consistent, Brian took the win on count back, Brian's now equipped with the best lenses Specsavers could provide paid off, they were followed by Jen, Martyn and Peter. Malcolm’s result was compromised by only completing 5 of the 10 races.
Well done Brian who was back on form, and Denis who has built a fascinating Alioth 3D printed boat. We hope you join us again soon!
A very enjoyable, fair and friendly sailing day.
After a long first race in the lightest of airs and won by Brian, a more predictable light wind gradually emerged and provided better sailing for the rest of the day. Nobody dominated, but the results of Brian and Denis were the most consistent, Brian took the win on count back, Brian's now equipped with the best lenses Specsavers could provide paid off, they were followed by Jen, Martyn and Peter. Malcolm’s result was compromised by only completing 5 of the 10 races.
Well done Brian who was back on form, and Denis who has built a fascinating Alioth 3D printed boat. We hope you join us again soon!
A very enjoyable, fair and friendly sailing day.
IOM Late Series Round 1 - 14 October
Six skippers turned out for the first race day of the IOM Late Series in a variable strength NW wind which was mostly easily within the scope of the top rig. A course was set with 2 beats and a start line that was well off-shore. There were a couple of duckings and some fairly brisk legs sailed!
Peter took the first race and Martyn the second, before Jen found her feet with her BritPop and dominated the rest of the sailing session, taking 7 of the 12 races sailed. There was some good racing with the positions often changing, particularly on some of the more tricky legs and on the finish line approach as the wind direction and strength would suddenly change. Well done Jen!
Peter took the first race and Martyn the second, before Jen found her feet with her BritPop and dominated the rest of the sailing session, taking 7 of the 12 races sailed. There was some good racing with the positions often changing, particularly on some of the more tricky legs and on the finish line approach as the wind direction and strength would suddenly change. Well done Jen!
DF95 Series Round 7 - 7 October
The wind today was light and the direction was from the cafe behind our 5 skippers, producing a windless shoreline and fluky conditions, particularly at the inner marks and the finish line. The racing was close for much of the time and everyone scored a win apart from Rob, who had unfortunately gambled on windier conditions and only brought a ‘B’ rig. It was noticeable that Steve was finding his groove with the DF95 and Will also sailed some good races.
12 races were completed, with Martyn adapting best to the conditions and winning the day, and Peter a strong second.
12 races were completed, with Martyn adapting best to the conditions and winning the day, and Peter a strong second.
DF95 30 September
6 skippers converged on Poolsbrook for a day of friendly racing on a rare day not dedicated to a racing series. Great to see Brian getting back into the racing!
Before sailing some time was spent in sharing rig settings resulting in further rig-tinkering between races.
The forecast wind direction was not good, with the wind supposedly coming from the café behind us. In practice, the wind was actually reasonably down the lake from the right allowing Peter to propose a course with a good upwind beat. The wind was light throughout the sailing with the usual lulls and dead spots characteristic of Poolsbrook. Being in-tune with the wind shifts at the upwind mark (buoy number 5) was race-critical and decisions had to be made regarding how close to the bank wind shadow a skipper sailed.
Martyn made a strong start to the racing and shared wins with Peter and Jen. There were some tight finishes and a few incidents which were resolved in a friendly manner. Will and Steve made some good starts but found it hard to maintain top positions over 2 laps. Brian had a few problems with the more distant marks and was not really finding his groove.
It was an enjoyable sail and racing was completed well before the rain set in for the day. Next week we do it all again with the 95s for the racing series!
Before sailing some time was spent in sharing rig settings resulting in further rig-tinkering between races.
The forecast wind direction was not good, with the wind supposedly coming from the café behind us. In practice, the wind was actually reasonably down the lake from the right allowing Peter to propose a course with a good upwind beat. The wind was light throughout the sailing with the usual lulls and dead spots characteristic of Poolsbrook. Being in-tune with the wind shifts at the upwind mark (buoy number 5) was race-critical and decisions had to be made regarding how close to the bank wind shadow a skipper sailed.
Martyn made a strong start to the racing and shared wins with Peter and Jen. There were some tight finishes and a few incidents which were resolved in a friendly manner. Will and Steve made some good starts but found it hard to maintain top positions over 2 laps. Brian had a few problems with the more distant marks and was not really finding his groove.
It was an enjoyable sail and racing was completed well before the rain set in for the day. Next week we do it all again with the 95s for the racing series!
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IOM Ted Ward Series Round 6 - 23 September
DF65 Series Round 6 - 16 September
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No racing 9th September or 26th August due to weather conditions
IOM Early Series Overall
There was no wind for the September round of the IOM Early Series
Well done to Martyn for winning the Series from Brian and Peter.
Well done to Martyn for winning the Series from Brian and Peter.
DF95 Series Round 6 - 2 September
DF65 George Cliff Round 5 - 19 August
IOM Early Round 5 - 12 August
DF95 Series Round 5 - 5 August
Despite the forecast of rain all morning, 4 hardy sailors braved the conditions and enjoyed some closeDF95 racing with an on shore wind
Steve launched his ne boat and soon racing in the mix. The rain was never heavy and eased by mid morning; but there were very few people in the park. Martyn won from Jen and Peter
Steve launched his ne boat and soon racing in the mix. The rain was never heavy and eased by mid morning; but there were very few people in the park. Martyn won from Jen and Peter
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 4 - 29 July
A good wind was forecast but there was little wind inshore and the wind was shifting from leg to leg. To sail well we had to continually concentrate on our boats to reset the sails for beating to running. if we got the lift we could gain several places or lose them.
Late morning the weather brightened after a short shower and the wind steadied.
Overall Jen won with Peter second, then Martyn.
Late morning the weather brightened after a short shower and the wind steadied.
Overall Jen won with Peter second, then Martyn.
DF65 George Cliff Round 4 - 15 July
Poolsbrook didn’t disappoint on an interesting and off-putting weather forecast!
There was plenty of wind and some heavy rain showers, which luckily passed over quickly. Only 4 skippers today unfortunately, including a welcome Simon Fairman, who did more than make up the numbers by winning the day.
B rigs were the agreed choice although Martyn ‘accidentally’ (!) put on an ‘A’ rig and paid the price in some races with some boat acrobatics when the wind built and the gusts hit. The ‘B’ rigs were not completely immune from kissing the water either in the worst squalls.
The wind direction often changed rapidly and there were also flat spots and localised ‘lifts’. Consequently, good leads were built and often lost, and there were some nail-biting finishes. The wind was bemusing, but the racing was fair and interesting.
All involved had a good day and just managed to pack up before the heavens really opened in a long, heavy thunder storm. The day was well worth a soaking or two!
Martyn's gamble on the A rig was very nearly justified as Simon only won by 2 points
There was plenty of wind and some heavy rain showers, which luckily passed over quickly. Only 4 skippers today unfortunately, including a welcome Simon Fairman, who did more than make up the numbers by winning the day.
B rigs were the agreed choice although Martyn ‘accidentally’ (!) put on an ‘A’ rig and paid the price in some races with some boat acrobatics when the wind built and the gusts hit. The ‘B’ rigs were not completely immune from kissing the water either in the worst squalls.
The wind direction often changed rapidly and there were also flat spots and localised ‘lifts’. Consequently, good leads were built and often lost, and there were some nail-biting finishes. The wind was bemusing, but the racing was fair and interesting.
All involved had a good day and just managed to pack up before the heavens really opened in a long, heavy thunder storm. The day was well worth a soaking or two!
Martyn's gamble on the A rig was very nearly justified as Simon only won by 2 points
IOM Early Round 4 - 8 July
Four sailors presented themselves on a forecast that predicted 8-10mph winds and heavy rain showers. Neither the wind nor the rain predictions were as forecast! A light but reasonably consistent wind from a good southerly direction provided for some good close racing in the first session, with just a light refreshing rain shower leading up to the coffee break. The rain shower unfortunately ‘killed’ the wind, and the final race was held in drifting conditions which brought the day to an early conclusion after 7 races.
Martyn put in a strong performance with Brian close behind. Race wins eluded William who saw some good race positions to slip away before the finish. Steve, with his beautiful home built Nimbus was in contention for some races and produced an excellent line finish in race 5 to claim a second position.
Martyn put in a strong performance with Brian close behind. Race wins eluded William who saw some good race positions to slip away before the finish. Steve, with his beautiful home built Nimbus was in contention for some races and produced an excellent line finish in race 5 to claim a second position.
DF95 Series Round 4 - 1 July
‘A’ rigs were the order of the day in the generally light and infuriatingly variable winds, although stronger winds filled in occasionally with boat-flattening gusts ripping across the water. The starts were frequently tight and Martyn initially faired best at finding the finish line but Brian and Jen started to take first positions after a few races. Leads were taken and lost in the wind shifts and also in the gusts making this an interesting and enjoyable days sailing with Poolsbrook demonstrating how tricky it could make sailing in a westerly wind!
Overall Martyn won from Jen.
Overall Martyn won from Jen.
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 3 - 24 June
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A good days IOM racing on a lovely warm day. The local terrain and trees spoilt the forecast steady S9mph south westerly which was patchy but we still had good racing. Only William, Martyn and Peter sailed. Martyn and Peter shared the wins, William suffered a broken jib sheet.
Peter won overall |
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DF65 George Cliff Round 3 - 17 June
IOM Early Round 3 - 10 June
DF95 Series Round 3 - 3 June
IOM Ted Ward Series Round 2 - 27 May
DF65 George Cliff Round 2 - 29 May
DF65 George Cliff Round 1 -15th April
IOM Early Series Round 1 - 8th April
There was virtually no wind when we arrived, although the forecast was for 4mph easterly.
During the morning kept singing through 180 deg and eventually picked up to a nice breeze from SW
The racing was close and depended which skipper found some wind as positions then changed quickly.
Brian started well, but later on Peter found more wind.
On the final race both Brian & Peter lead but Brian nipped through at the final mark, and won on the discards.
Another enjoyable mornings sailing at Poolsbrook.
During the morning kept singing through 180 deg and eventually picked up to a nice breeze from SW
The racing was close and depended which skipper found some wind as positions then changed quickly.
Brian started well, but later on Peter found more wind.
On the final race both Brian & Peter lead but Brian nipped through at the final mark, and won on the discards.
Another enjoyable mornings sailing at Poolsbrook.
DF95 Series Round 1 - 1st April
DF65 Racing 25th March
IOM Racing at Poolsbrook 18th March
On Saturday eight skippers enjoyed a successful first mornings racing of IOMs at Poolsbrook.
After a three weeks of northerly winds at Poolsbrook, we were greeted with a light southerly which was from right to left for the course.
Racing was generally close with several skippers winning races, but Martyn was the in-form skipper and won most races.
It was good to see that Steve had finished new wooden IOM and launched and raced it for the first time.
Next Saturday is DF65 racing, with the start of series racing with DF95s on Saturday April 1st.
After a three weeks of northerly winds at Poolsbrook, we were greeted with a light southerly which was from right to left for the course.
Racing was generally close with several skippers winning races, but Martyn was the in-form skipper and won most races.
It was good to see that Steve had finished new wooden IOM and launched and raced it for the first time.
Next Saturday is DF65 racing, with the start of series racing with DF95s on Saturday April 1st.
Sailing Starts at Poolsbrook Country Park
On Saturday 4th March four members brought their DF95s to have the Clubs first sail at Poolsbrook Country Park, the home for Rotherham Model Yacht Club for 2023, while Canal & Rivers Trust (C&RT) refurbish Harthill Reservoir.
Over the last few weeks the sailing equipment has been moved and the marks have been laid.
It was great to have a a gathering of members as well as the sailors. Sailing cannot start until after the Fun Run, so we will be starting at 10:30
The sailing generated quite a lot of interest from the visitors to the Park.
The frost and snow caused the sailing to be cancelled on 11th March
We plan to start the racing on Saturday 18 IOM's and DF65s on 25th March
Series racing will start in April.
Over the last few weeks the sailing equipment has been moved and the marks have been laid.
It was great to have a a gathering of members as well as the sailors. Sailing cannot start until after the Fun Run, so we will be starting at 10:30
The sailing generated quite a lot of interest from the visitors to the Park.
The frost and snow caused the sailing to be cancelled on 11th March
We plan to start the racing on Saturday 18 IOM's and DF65s on 25th March
Series racing will start in April.
Selection of Photos at Harthill
Roy Randall 1st & 3rd in 2022 MYA Photograph Competition
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 Close finish
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DF65 Racing April 21
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IOM May 2021
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© Photos by Roy Randell
