Sailing Matters 14th October 2026

SAILING MATTERS 141026

I didn’t sleep much last night so resorted to BBC’s World Service, which I can recommend if you can’t sleep ! I didn’t need much of it before sleep was induced.  But before that I listened to and remembered part of ’The Climate Question’ at 02:32 which asked the question and gave some answers to: ‘Are we ready for a super El Niño?’. It made me think and ask the question ‘Are we ready for anything these days ?!!!  

Coming my way as Sailing Secretary was an enquiry from a lady who would like her son to be able to sail with us. I followed up the emailed enquiry and met up with lady and her ten year old son last Saturday after the ‘Introduction to Racing’ session which was in the club because it was ‘blowing dogs off chains’ outside. (An El Niño effect?). I explained to the lady that I didn’t want to promise anything I couldn’t deliver and that getting her son sailing would depend on various factors including weather and whether we have enough volunteers on a day when the weather is right.

Now I am keen to help anyone go sailing, especially youngsters. However, either I am less able or it has become harder to help folk (especially children) to go sailing than it used to be. Why is that? It has taken this lady who happens to be a Chinese linguist, to help me understand that we don’t reflect and therefore don’t sell the very important attributes that sailing has to offer in this world expectant of instant feedback, unpredictability and control, particularly for young folk and their parents. We still expect folk to come along and get stuck in like they always have. But that isn’t the way of it any more. The world has changed (along with the climate) and we need to be smart or at least smart enough to recognise that we need to be smart (!) in order to help folk into THE BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD. More on this in due course. I am pleased to say that the ten year old is hopefully joining in this coming Saturday, El Niño permitting ! 

Last Sunday 11/10/26 AUTUMN TIDAL SERIES 5&6 - FAST HANDICAP DINGHIES

There was a good turn out for Sunday’s tidal sailing. Plenty of sunshine and a gentle breeze greeted the eighteen competitors for the first race. The race officer chose to run the racing from the boat park which reduced the resources required to run the race and the time to get set up. However the gentle breeze fizzled out completely during the second race causing it to be abandoned which was great shame as the number of competitors had swelled to twenty three through five Manchester University Firefly teams joining in. 

Although there was a bit of a kerfuffle in the race team over times taken (or more precisely - not taken) this was easily resolved later. Liz Potter (D-Zero) won on corrected time from her husband Andrew (Phantom) despite completing three laps, along with Steve Fleming (Int. Canoe), from the rest of the fleet that completed two laps. Average lap time racing can disadvantage faster boats in a falling breeze when sailing an extra lap but not in this case primarily because the course favoured these two boats and of course they were well sailed !

Although Mike and Anne De St Paer (Heron) were strictly sailing in the High PY Fleet for the sake of competition they were counted into the fast handicap fleet in which they came a very respectable third on corrected time. (Slow boats have a hard job moving forward over the ground against the tide in light winds).

Once the second race was abandoned the activity switched from the intensity of racing to the RIB crews to tow everyone back to the slipway before the tide disappeared.

 

Last Sundays Tidal Racing - Lining up for the start

 

Light winds and getting lighter for last Sunday's tidal racing

Pics by Alan Jenkins

Last Sunday 11/10/26 AUTUMN TIDAL SERIES 5&6 - FALCONS

Whilst the entire seventeen strong fast handicap dinghy fleet comprised of single handers, apart from the aforementioned Heron, the Falcon Fleet of five boats racing was only two competitors different at fifteen because the Falcon is a three person boat. “So what” you might ask - well for Dee SC Regatta earlier in the year 16 x Falcons = 48 people - that’s a lot of folk at the bar afterwards helping the club to succeed.  Mal Jones, Jamie Uren and David Evans succeeded in beating off the challenge from Lee Matthew and team (2nd) and Kate Orrell and team (3rd).  I know from aprés sail gossip in the boat park afterwards that the team of Bob Mosedale, Martin Kemp and Alan Leyland were leading the fleet round the first market but couldn’t sustain the lead down the run. Like the dinghies, the Falcon’s ran out of wind in the second race and it had to be abandoned as well. 

420 TRAINING WEEKEND AT WKSC

Patience is an attribute that all sailors must learn and this last weekend would have tried the patience of the Archangel Gabriel although I am uncertain as to whether sailing was mentioned in the Bible in connection with him. A gale on Saturday prevented the 420 sailors from getting any time in on the water and Sunday it was close to a ‘driftathon’.

BUT at least the visitors could shelter in the clubhouse on Saturday and see / feel the potential of the estuary on Sunday. They did also get some coaching from the national champion, our very own Neil Marsden. 

The following report from Sally Bromilow:

We had our first 420 winter training camp last weekend at the club. We are holding one a month from now until March. Mostly on the tide, with some on the lake where we don't coincide with favourable tides. Last weekend was promising a fantastic Sunday with blue skies and a gentle breeze, as well as a big tide, so we persevered with the gales on Saturday and Neil and David did a fantastic shore session on 420 rigging, settings and set up for the sailors. One of the boats even ended up with a re-rope as part of the learning. Sunday arrived and delivered in true West Kirby style - blue skies, lovely breeze and a big tide. The sailors had a great session on the tide, making the most of the sailing area on the estuary, working on boat speed, with the wind dying just in time to come ashore for lunch. The wind appeared again for an afternoon session on the lake where they worked on boat handling and tactics.

We have been loaned a Class Association 420 for the winter. The boat is available for members to use and have a try of. Please do contact Sally or Stephen if any of our more competent junior/youth sailors would like to take it for a sail or use it in any club racing. If anyone wants one of our more experienced 420 sailors to take them out for a spin to show them the ropes, please do get in touch, the boat is there to be used! We will be running some organised try a boat sessions at the club when the weather is favourable. 

Sally Bromilow

 

420 TRAINING North West at WKSC 1 of 3

420 TRAINING North West at WKSC 2 of 3

420 TRAINING North West at WKSC 3 of 3——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

MIRRORS & STARS

The Mirror working group had their first meet up of the autumn in the sheds last Thursday evening. This was more of a planning and ra-ra session prior to the rolling up of sleeves and getting on with something useful which the same couldn’t be said of the STAR gang who in the next shed along were already getting well into shedly Star tasks - (there is slightly more work to be accomplished with a Star, it has to said). All sailing related boat activity is good activity.

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FORUM & COURSES

At least one person read last week’s ’Sailing Matters’ and promptly created a posting on the club FORUM on COURSES (thank you Andrew).This is indeed progress. I’ve been waiting all week to see if anyone would reply but as of 17:00 Wednesday 14/10/26 - nothing. Maybe I’ll get a chance a bit later. It’s a worthy subject for debate.

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RACE OFFICER VOLUNTEERING:  I need a volunteer for RO’ing on 25/10/26 Saturday’s Tidal Sailing. HW 9.56 8.83 M Tide. It’s an early start at 09:00. I swapped with Mally Jones and Jean-Louis Simons forgetting that I am running the ‘Introduction to Racing’… which is of vital importance. Now - this is a good opportunity to have a go. I can advise on Friday evening before hand on all aspects…. all you need is enthusiasm and the will to have a go.   

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COMING UP:

Thursday 15/10/26 evening  17:30 - 19:00 Mirror Class Working Party

Saturday 17/10/26 09:20 Adult Training

Saturday 17/10/26 09:30 Rigging Up for 10:00 on the lake ‘Introduction to Racing’

Sunday 18/10/26 11:00 Fast Handicap Autumn Lake Series Races 9 & 10 followed by 11:03 Novice Handicap and 11:06 High PY Handicap

That’s it for this week.

Tony Marston

Sailing Secretary

Last updated 20:08 on 14 October 2026