Sailing Matters 11th November 2026

SAILING MATTERS 111126

I am on a catch up this week.  Not that there has been much sailing going on. It is as well to remember that there are, of course, many other matters in life that need attention. Remembering today and last Sunday those who have gone before. Even in ’Sailing Matters’ I have to force myself to think ’Sailing’. But for other folk’s sacrifice we wouldn’t be going sailing.

Back on track - the focus for the i2R SESSION (Introduction to Racing) Saturday 31/10/26 was ‘Would we Sail or not?’ The wind was up around 15Kts from the SE. We had the main ingredients to go afloat: Rescue boat and crew, an organiser, enthusiasts who were enthusiastic and helpers. Marginal though it was the spirit was willing ‘Lets have a go!’

It was obvious to all concerned that it might have been a step too far. However, although racing was beyond our reach and the forecast for the wind to drop was premature the experience gained in finding a way to tack in those conditions and making upwind to the jetties was valuable. It gave us something to talk about in the debriefing and in the  briefing a week later for the next session!  (Too busy to take any pics). Thanks to Mike and Anne De St Paer, Steve Ferrington and Derek Lyne. 

TIDAL SPECIAL ‘The HALOWEEN HOP’ -Saturday 31/10/26  

Same day as the i2R Session just later in the day. And still the wind hadn’t dropped. This was one of those remarkable events which all came together at the last moment. As if by magic two RIBS and crews were available, a three person race team and two further RIBS, though unconnected to the racing but with communication prior to going afloat, were going to ‘keep an eye on us’ on our racing as they planned to be in the same sailing area…. thank you Gavin and Dan.

The racing being possible was especially pleasing because Andy Carter had made the trip from Manchester via Leigh and Lowton SC to pick up his Solo, to compete.

Nine boats competing in an autumnal (a bit chilly) F4 S to SE which kicked up quite a chop and required careful boat handling to avoid a time wasting capsize (not that everyone did !). There were three races all to count, two of which were won on corrected time by Eve Bromilow and Tom Underwood (420). Steve Jardine (ILCA6) was second with a win, 3rd and 4th. Andy Carter (Solo) on form after suffering a 4th in the first race, had two 2nds and equalled Steve’s 8 points overall but slipped into third place on count back. Glyn Punell was fourth overall and the only other sailor to finish all three races.

 

One of the starts for the Haloween Hop

 

Conditions: breezy and choppy

 

Good 420 weather - well done to Eve Bromilow and Tom Underwood the overall winners.

Thanks to Matt Geddes, Gary Price, Amber Price, Sophie Gatenby, Wendy Shallcroft and Derek Lyne and to all the competitors and would be competitors (turned up but didn’t make it afloat because of the conditions) for making it all worth while.

i2R Session #8  Saturday 7/11/26. A beautiful day with a light breeze. There were four races, three of which were timed and recorded in the results for the first time for these novice sailors. Results are important at what ever level one is at in the sport of sailing. The most frequent response to the question ‘Why do you want to race’ is ‘I want to improve my sailing’. Just comparing corrected times and BCE (Back Calculated Elapsed Time = how much time a competitor needed to knock off their elapsed time (or the elapsed time they would have needed) to tie or win against the first-place boat), is useful especially when there are only seconds between certain places. The mind thinks back to that bad tack which cost time.  There will be some reflection on handicap racing and results in next Saturday’s i2R Briefing.

SHEDLY MATTERS

Lots of interesting things going on in the sheds: Featuring large is Jonathan Edwards Corribee. LOA 20ft 9’ (6.32M), LWL 16ft 3” (4.95M), Beam 7ft 2” (2.18m), Draft 2ft 2” (0.66m), Displacement approx. 2,000 lbs 907kg). Designed by Robert Tucker 1963-4. Stand next to her and think that there have been a number of Atlantic crossings made in Corribees and Ellen McArthur completed a circumnavigation of Britain via the Caledonian Canal in 1995 in one.

Jean-Louis Simons latest Finn built by Devoti in the Czechia, is a lovely machine. But there’s always attention needed to something or other in order to get right… the mast step adjustment on this particular model does not lend itself to easy adjustment. JLS soon got that sorted. The Finn was designed in 1948 by Richard Sarby a Swedish International Canoe sailor. 

Hilbre and Star winter work is well underway. Great to see these elderly Stars being attended to by their new custodians.

Not quite as old but still getting on, is a fifty year old Mirror dinghy, one of the project Mirrors which is slowly getting a bit of love and attention.

COMING UP: 

This Saturday 14/1/26:

Introduction to Racing #9   10:00 Lake. Reasonable forecast at the time of writing but getting colder. 

Special Tidal Event: 

for Handicap dinghies and Falcons

RO Jean-Louis Simons

HW 13:27 8.05 Mtrs

Start time 12:30  3,2,1, Go. 

Starting from a RIB, 2 x Races sailed back to back. Average lap time.

Sunday 15/10/26 Frostbite 3 & 4 Lake

Start 11:00

That’s it for this week.

Tony Marston

Sailing Secretary

Last updated 18:53 on 11 November 2026