Barts Bash 2017
17th Sept 2017
Early start this Sunday morning for Barts Bash - an annual event which we run as a combined dinghy and cruiser race alongside our neighbouring clubs AYAC and ODC. With an early high tide the race was due to start at 0930.
Gordon and Jenny were with me for the first time. They are Wayfarer sailors and have a cruiser as well though it's out of action at the moment. We assembled around 0800 to get ready. Wind was around NEly forecast at F3 so I planned to go with full sail.
The race briefing at 0815 told us to expect a triangular port-hand course round some laid marks, the dinghies starting 10 minutes ahead of the cruisers. My outboard is increasingly difficult to get started but eventually we motored out just before 0900. With Jenny on the helm and Gordon and I setting the main and bringing in the fenders, we went to sea to find flat conditions and a cool wind from the NE.
The race was delayed getting started as the race team had to wait for all the AYAC dinghies to launch off their own beach and get out to the start line, and the wind kept shifting so the race officer had to keep re-laying the marks. We tacked around for half an hour or more waiting to see the flag signals for the dinghy start, so we could set the watch for our own start. Wind was F3 approaching F4 and Elsa was sailing well under main only while we waited. Great to see such a large fleet out on the water, about 20 dinghies and 10 cruisers.
Our start eventually came at 1020. We unrolled the genoa as we attacked the start line, crossing on port tack around the middle of the cruiser fleet, having seen the dinghies set off so we were clear on the direction to the first mark towards the shore. The wind was a good F4 by now so I was pleased to have 3 adults aboard as Elsa heeled her way through the sea. We were making good progress and were close to Cabre and Free n Easy, some other cruisers including a Crabber and a Drascombe had come out to race and were behind us. Around the first mark and a broad reach to the second, right alongside Free n Easy with Cabre a few metres ahead, we drew slightly ahead but then had to give them water at the mark as we gybed around. Wind a bit less now, maybe F3. Still neck and neck with Free n Easy as we approached the downwind third mark, as we tried to leave room for each other the fastest of the dinghy fleet came around inside us at the mark to lap us, already on their second lap!
We managed to beat Free n Easy on the final leg upwind tacking to the finish line and were delighted to cross the line about a minute ahead of them! Cabre slightly ahead, other faster cruisers were so far ahead they had to do a second lap. We got a toot from the committee boat to say we were finished which was good as we'd been out for over 2 hours though our actual race lap was only 45 minutes. Elsa had gone very well in her ideal conditions - flat sea, F3 wind.
Gordon got the motor going with a bit of a struggle and we returned to the berth having had a great sail, back at the clubhouse by 1130. Unfortunately the team responsible for the post race barbecue were still at sea so it didn't get lit till about 1pm but that gave the race team time to work out the results and for me to present keepsake medals to the fastest dinghies, cadets and cruisers. (We were 5th cruiser on corrected time):
Very pleased to have had such a good sail at the end of the season. Probably the last trip of 2017. I've got a quote for a new outboard including a trade-in on this 17 year old one so I think I'll buy it before next spring as I can't have an unreliable motor.
Early start this Sunday morning for Barts Bash - an annual event which we run as a combined dinghy and cruiser race alongside our neighbouring clubs AYAC and ODC. With an early high tide the race was due to start at 0930.
Gordon and Jenny were with me for the first time. They are Wayfarer sailors and have a cruiser as well though it's out of action at the moment. We assembled around 0800 to get ready. Wind was around NEly forecast at F3 so I planned to go with full sail.
The race briefing at 0815 told us to expect a triangular port-hand course round some laid marks, the dinghies starting 10 minutes ahead of the cruisers. My outboard is increasingly difficult to get started but eventually we motored out just before 0900. With Jenny on the helm and Gordon and I setting the main and bringing in the fenders, we went to sea to find flat conditions and a cool wind from the NE.
The race was delayed getting started as the race team had to wait for all the AYAC dinghies to launch off their own beach and get out to the start line, and the wind kept shifting so the race officer had to keep re-laying the marks. We tacked around for half an hour or more waiting to see the flag signals for the dinghy start, so we could set the watch for our own start. Wind was F3 approaching F4 and Elsa was sailing well under main only while we waited. Great to see such a large fleet out on the water, about 20 dinghies and 10 cruisers.
Our start eventually came at 1020. We unrolled the genoa as we attacked the start line, crossing on port tack around the middle of the cruiser fleet, having seen the dinghies set off so we were clear on the direction to the first mark towards the shore. The wind was a good F4 by now so I was pleased to have 3 adults aboard as Elsa heeled her way through the sea. We were making good progress and were close to Cabre and Free n Easy, some other cruisers including a Crabber and a Drascombe had come out to race and were behind us. Around the first mark and a broad reach to the second, right alongside Free n Easy with Cabre a few metres ahead, we drew slightly ahead but then had to give them water at the mark as we gybed around. Wind a bit less now, maybe F3. Still neck and neck with Free n Easy as we approached the downwind third mark, as we tried to leave room for each other the fastest of the dinghy fleet came around inside us at the mark to lap us, already on their second lap!
We managed to beat Free n Easy on the final leg upwind tacking to the finish line and were delighted to cross the line about a minute ahead of them! Cabre slightly ahead, other faster cruisers were so far ahead they had to do a second lap. We got a toot from the committee boat to say we were finished which was good as we'd been out for over 2 hours though our actual race lap was only 45 minutes. Elsa had gone very well in her ideal conditions - flat sea, F3 wind.
Gordon got the motor going with a bit of a struggle and we returned to the berth having had a great sail, back at the clubhouse by 1130. Unfortunately the team responsible for the post race barbecue were still at sea so it didn't get lit till about 1pm but that gave the race team time to work out the results and for me to present keepsake medals to the fastest dinghies, cadets and cruisers. (We were 5th cruiser on corrected time):
Barts Bash 2017 cruisers
AYC
Barts Bash 2017 cruisers
R1 - 17/9/2017 at 1020
Start: Start 1, Finishes: Elapsed time, Course: A, Wind dir: N, Ave wind: 15
| Rank | Boat | Class | SailNo | Club | HelmName | NHC1 | Elapsed | Laps | Corrected | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dedicated Dancer | Limbo 6.6 | 9943Y | AYC | David Robinson | 0.817 | 1;06;11 | 2 | 0;54;04 | 1.0 |
| 2 | Sooper Trooper | Seawolf 26 | 5614T | AYC | Phil Turnbull | 0.836 | 37;09 | 1 | 1;02;07 | 2.0 |
| 3 | Free N Easy | Westerly Centaur | 2157 | AYC | Nick Clare | 0.743 | 46;45 | 1 | 1;09;28 | 3.0 |
| 4 | Cabre | Hunter Horizon 23 | 130 | AYC | Ron Priest | 0.778 | 44;48 | 1 | 1;09;43 | 4.0 |
| 5 | Elsa | Seal 22 | 122 | AYC | Alistair Tyrrell | 0.779 | 45;13 | 1 | 1;10;27 | 5.0 |
| 6 | Kikay | Crabber 17 | 121 | AYC | Tony Dudley | 0.759 | 50;55 | 1 | 1;17;17 | 6.0 |
| 7 | Ayella | Seawolf 26 bk | 91 | AYC | Stuart Gibbs | 0.801 | 49;16 | 1 | 1;18;56 | 7.0 |
| 8 | Drascombe Lugger | AYC | Adrian Gill | 0.830 | 1;04;39 | 1 | 1;47;19 | 8.0 | ||
| 9 | Scampi | Four 21 | 9951T | AYC | Jonathan Peabody | 0.783 | DNF | 11.0 | ||
| 9 | Blue Rhythm | Westerly Centaur | CR574 | AYC | Alan Campion | 0.803 | RET | 11.0 |
Sailwave Scoring Software 2.19.8
www.sailwave.com
www.sailwave.com
Very pleased to have had such a good sail at the end of the season. Probably the last trip of 2017. I've got a quote for a new outboard including a trade-in on this 17 year old one so I think I'll buy it before next spring as I can't have an unreliable motor.
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