RACE REPORTS 1999
July 18th 1999
Congratulations were pouring in last night from as far afield as California and England as news spread about the debut victory for Jamie Eckers new Lightning 2. The victors were cock-a-hoop at their cruise to the line and promised greater things as soon as they found out how to attach the sails. The race was held in freshening wind and finally stopped early because of fears of lightning. But Lightning had already struck and the small but high class field was left reeling by the blow. Eric "where did I leave my anchor" Maslen and the 2 skipper crew of Harris "There's no such thing as a dry ship" Whitehead and Rink "I need more spaghetti for my cap" Dupont failed to make an impression even with their ploy of using the lightweight but experienced crew of Celia and Kye Whitehead. Eric could not be found after the race but was rumoured to be trying to get a refund on a set of new sails and checking the bottom of the Flying Scot to see if there was anything stuck to the bottom. Other local crews missed out on an easy chance to pick up points for the Brightwater & Wynburg Trophy and may rue their mistake at the end of the season.Lightning Strikes Twice!
July 25th 1999 The second race in the Brightwater and Wynburg regatta series saw a day with very different conditions to the first race and everyone was on edge to see how they'd fare in the light winds and patchy fog. Some were so on edge that they actually were late starting as mother nature made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Glad everything worked out in the end Charlie. A good start was made by most boats but some were confused by the lobster pots with blue flags on them which bore an uncanny resemblance to the start flag. First across the start line was the Flying Scot of Eric "Crooked rudder" Maslen, with his crew of Chris "That tooth was coming out anyway" and Mary "Just let me know when we're going about" Hobart, who was trying out a deviated tiller in the hope that it would make the Scot point higher. Better luck next time Eric, although a strong finish saw him snapping at the heels of Charlie "Did the race start already?" Whitehead and his crew Carol.Handicapping Shock for top sailors!
1st August 1999. The Brightwater and Wynburg communities were reeling today as news emerged of a millennium software bug that had officials scurrying for the rule books. Technicians were working late into the night to try and restore a semblance of order to the regatta series after it emerged that the first three race results had been incorrectly calculated and the race for the championship was wide open again. Apparently results had been calculated by results of their performances in 1899 when only a few of the crews were alive. No names, no pack drill.Chris's Dream 8th August 1999. Under a blue sky
with balmy warm breezes the 4th 1999 race was held in the New Meadows River
today. There was a record turnout of boats with crews ranging from the semi-professionals
from Sheep Island to the habitual old salts of Brightwater and Wynburg, well experienced
in the nuances of local wind and current conditions.
These waters are renowned on the North East Coast as being some of the most trying and
demanding in the whole of the New Meadows.
Tension was high before the start about the new handicapping system with a staggered start
designed to bring all the boats to the finish together and the timekeepers, Eleanor and
Rollie "Every second counts" Johnson were busy checking and rechecking their
watches as the start time of 2.00 PM. approached.
There was much jockeying for good start positions with everyone aware how vital it was to
get off to a fast start in clear air with so many top notch crews in the field. Several
protests were made but none upheld in a Raleigh eat Bonnie situation and it was a case of
looking after number 1.
The favoured crews all started strongly with a beat upwind to Sheep Island Buoy against
the fierce currents and at first it seemed as though experience would tell again.
Onlookers were amazed however when the prototype Wynwater 1 sailed by Chris
"Moose" Schwabe decimated the field sailing past Lightning's, J22's, Olympic
Stars and the like. Try as they might none of the other boats could point as high or sail
as fast downwind while on the beats Chris had the little boat planing as often as not.
Designer Dick "I'm a cowboy" Kelly would not be drawn on the legality of the
turbo dagger board but insiders say he has been in talks with the Royal New Meadows Yacht
club about their entry into the year 2000 America's Cup race.
"Chris, CHRIS, CHRIS, WAKE UP!!!!
Stormy Weather 15th August 1999:- As gales lashed the
shores of the New Meadows River on race day many crews decided that safety was the best
policy and stayed home. Wynburg sailors were unfortunately detained, rumour has it, by
their obligations to their new quilting circle and couldn't come out to race.
A small high quality field did start however led by the winner of last weeks race
dream Chris "Moose" Schwabe. His crew consisted of tactician Anya "Can't
wait for Friday" and sail trimmer Lael "Has it only been 17 years?"
Schwabe. "Moose" got off to a flying start with the little used Cundy's lobster
pot manoeuvre and was well clear of the rest of the fleet at the first Sheep Island mark.
He was being chased hard by Charlie "Salty Dog" Whitehead who sniffed his first
chance of victory this year in the adverse conditions. Charlie tried his well-tested trick
of lulling the opposition into a false sense of security by seeming not to be in the race
until it had already started. This time his tactician Carol "You didn't tell me these
boats had seats" Pinkham got him onto the water before his start time but the old dog
had a new flea trick up his collar and started 3 minutes late anyway.
Last to start was Lightning 2 owned by absentee philanthropist Jamie "Will o the
Wisp" Secker and crewed by the foreign professionals of helmsman Nick "Money
talks" Price and the sail trimmer he had to marry to get her in the bed
boat Wendy "I'd rather be down a well!" Price. In a bid to give themselves the
best chance they employed the services of local expert Chris "30 biscuits a day
week" Kidger and their ploy almost worked as they relentlessly closed down
"Salty Dog". A couple of cock-ups unlucky breaks by
"Moose" after they rounded the first mark gave the chasing Lightnings some hope
of closing the gap and just before the second mark they filed past the
"Rockettes" in the little Wynwater and set off on the beat to Rich Mans Buoy.
Fighting hard to hold down his boat in the gusty conditions the old seadog just managed to
hang onto his lead as they crossed the line for their first win of the year keeping the
chasing pack at bay until victory was in his bowl. Good boy! The time keepers Eleanor and
Rollie "Why spoil a good lunch" Johnson were baffled by the sudden turn of speed
that "Moose" and his crew were able to demonstrate to cross the line when, for a
time, they were easily able to keep up with the Lightning of "Salty Dog". If
they had shown the same speed earlier in the race there is no doubt they would have come
second.
With points being dropped as well as gained Lightning 2 was only able to add one to their
bag but it was enough to move them equal first with the non-starting Scot of Eric
"Pass me the pink cotton" Maslen. With two races still to go in the series there
are still 7 boats with a theoretical chance of winning the coveted trophy.
NB! Two more races to go on August 22nd and 29th
Fashion correspondent to the Sailing News says. "Nice outfit Eleanor"!
22nd August 1999. Grey skies and pouring rain greeted the crews planning to
turn out for the 5th race of the series. Wynburg sailors were keen to lay their
poor showing of the previous week to rest and were out in force with three top notch boats
and crews. Brightwater also had a strong field out with a few black sheep among them.
Before the race started the rain stopped and so did the wind leaving boats paddling from
all parts of the river just to make the start line. The handicapped start saw the Wynwater
of "Moose" and Nina "Could he do it without me" Schwabe following
Shelby "Does the wind EVER blow?" and Geoff "Gloria" Leighton lead the
pack away up to Sheep Island buoy which seemed a long way away! As the other hopeful
mariners drifted off in pursuit they were followed over the line by the scratch Lightning
of Jamie "One shoe" Ecker who was desperately trying to find his second lucky
shoe in the bilges of Lightning 2 before the start. Little did he and his crew The "
I'll sleep while you sail" Prices know at that stage that it was to be a chastening
experience for them all. Making a strong move on the opening leg was Charlie "Got my
motor running" Whitehead. (How about that for a song next year Charlie?) and his
lightweight all women crew, "The sirens". Rumour has it that Charlie is opening
a dress shop next year after his success with sailmaking. He has in mind a ball gown that
will double as a spinnaker and thinks it could be a big seller. A number of boats rounded
Sheep Island buoy in close proximity but your reporter was too far from the sharp end to
see their exact order. Debbie "Light my fire" Leighton was grabbed by her
propeller, (propeller Debbie?) and given a twirl. No names were mentioned but your
fearless hack is pointing the finger squarely at Rink "sheepish grin" Dupont in
his clapboard dingy, "Somesuch". A pattern began to emerge when a few boats lost
the plot rounding the buoy and it was a scenario that was to repeat itself throughout the
long sultry afternoon. Those rounding the mark early were able to lay a course for the
Hojo line but the Narrows force field was again in evidence. This time locking the trio of
Link Rink and the Professional crew, "Das Flintermice" sailing
Sage as well as the Flying Scot of Eric "I never paid more than 100 bucks for a
boat" Maslen and his crew Chris "mighty atom" Kidger. Eventually the Dutch
crew "we're only on holiday for 10 days and can't spend all of it sailing" broke
the deadlock by dropping sails and motoring in. Rumour had it that they were only paid for
an hour and when their time was up, they left! Removal of their large sails left a bit
more wind for the others however and slowly things began to move. Moose "read and
learn" Schwabe confounded the boffins in Lightning 2 by sailing right around them and
chasing the leaders Charlie and Debbie up to Rich Man's Buoy. As they rounded the buoy
Charlie made his big mistake of the day when he wrested the tiller from Carol "Maybe
next year we'll get seats" Pinkham and banished his mother to the foredeck. Charlie
sailed up behind Sheep Island looking for wind (there was never any wind there Charlie)
and Eric "bottom line" Maslen spotted his chance. Recognising his own
limitations as a helmsman he passed the tiller to Chris "this is going to cost you a
packet (of cookies)" Kidger and they made their late break for the line. It was a
startling and bold manouver and paid off handsomely with a win on the day. Equally
brilliant sailing by Debbie and her Valkyries snatched second place from the languishing
Lightning of "Silky Salty Dog" Whitehead who only just managed
to avoid being beaten to third place on the line by the Wynwater of Moose "You'll
never hear the end of it" Schwabe in a last desperate lunge. The Schwabes were
certainly the pick of the day however and this young sailor will certainly be in the next
Olympic team if they decide to race Wynwaters. Macy "one shower a year is enough for
any man" Whitehead and Shelby in the Wherever Whatever were locked
in a chop and change duel for the wooden spoon which was lost by Shelby who had a crew
that was far too large for the conditions. Good try though. Take your mom next time,
Shelby!
Special thanks for the usual flawless performance of the timekeepers Eleanor and Rollie
"We can time a second hour to the nearest hour
second" Johnson. They made a day of it.
The Big Blow 29th August 1999. A beautiful sunny
day with just a touch of wind was on the menu for the intrepid mariners of Brightwater and
Wynburg as they hurtled back and forth across the New Meadows during the countdown for the
seasons final race. Reputations were at stake & crews hoped to confirm, dispel or
create them depending on their showings of the past weeks. A strong field came to the line
and were led away by the Flying Scot of Eric "Cracked leaky bottom"
Maslen, the
only boat with a reefed mainsail. Smart choice as it turned out! Bob "Boom BOOM"
and his crew Alwyn "Board silly" Wilbur in Lady Ship followed with nearly all
yachts getting over the line in the first minute. Certainly a record! There was one
exception, no prizes for guessing who! The only dramas on the first leg were when Moose
Schwabe tried to cut down drag by sailing without the rudder. A few minutes like this
convinced him it was a theory that wasnt going to work! Some questionable
manoeuvring tactics by Moose also had him on the horns of a dilemma when he locked antlers
with the huge crew in Sage. Among their number were Captain Pink Rink
"Why do people sail so close to me" Dupont, tactician Callie "Give me the
mike" Dupont and the out of town hustlers Jim & Leslie "Come on baby light
my cabin fire" Loney. Moose was about to be boarded and put to the
plank when a gust of wind (Did anybody hear what he said?) carried him clear.After an
indifferent start, Lightning 2 picked up a few places & had some more lined up when
the mutiny began. Tremayne "Wheres the galley" Jones Price discovered that
no victuals had been brought on board, & demanded to be put ashore at once. This was
accomplished with some difficulty at the Hojo dock in high winds and the remaining crew
set off to try and pick up the lost places. The Flying Scot was living up to its name
& was positively airborne! The nature of the race meant that they were to be victims
of their own performance & when they rounded the mark at the end of the first lap the
other boats were strung out in their wake. As the lap neared completion some dodgy tactics
were in evidence & some crews left the true course to enhance their return leg. We
know who you are & you will suffer in years to come! Lady Ship had retired hurt with
split ends. As if there wasnt enough water about the crew of the Tern had connected
their bailer to a water gun and was directing it at passing boats. Three generations of
Leightons combined their skills and guile and snatched victory by 24 seconds from the
Wynwater of young Moose and his "Sylkies". Geoff, Debbie and Shelby "The
spirits are with us" Leighton came from nowhere in the hunt for the trophy and
snatched second place in the last race of the season with their strongest performance of
the year. The Indian never made it to the start when their rigging was found to be adrift
and running repairs were also carried out to the forestay of the Wynwater just before the
off. Charlie "Summer time" Whitehead and his regular squeeze
crew Carol "I like it!" Pinkham again fell into a hole at Rich Mans buoy
an area that is becoming a bit of a nemesis for them. The Price "Drama? I wanna tell
you!" boys also had a hiccup as they rounded Rich Mans in the wrong direction
and they had to go back and do it again. As they rounded the start mark on their way back,
Lightning 2 nearly lightened their crew further when they gibed & the boom caught Jim
"For my next trick" Price flipping him into the New Meadows where a passing wave
threw him back. Most of the next leg was spent trying to lower the centreboard, which had
jammed with a piece of shock cord in the pulley linkage. Things settled down, apart from
the weather, and at the post race debriefing it was decided that although fun this format
gave too much opportunity for gain by sandbaggers or those who had genuine problems on the
first leg. Eric Maslen was a worthy winner of the first Brightwater & Wynburg Sailing
Trophy but he will have his work cut out next year if he is to retain the tankard. Your
handicapping committee will spend the winter trying to come up with a system that will
astound and baffle you all. This should work on the premise that if you dont know
whats going on you cant take advantage or complain. New boats are expected on
the water next year & I would urge you all not to push up prices artificially as you
bid against each other for the Lightnings in Uncle Henrys. Have a good winter and
remember that winning begins (and ends!) in the mind.
Boat |
Skipper |
18th July |
Finish time |
Elapsed time |
H/C pos |
Points |
Handicaps after August 29th 1999 |
Boat |
per lap |
Final points |
Lightning 2 |
Nick, Jim Jamie |
1st |
14.56.18 |
56.08 |
2nd |
6 |
||||
Flying Scot |
Eric |
2nd |
14.59.34 |
59.09 |
1st |
7 |
Nick & Jim Price, Jamie Eckers |
Lightning 2 |
0 |
18 |
Indian |
Rink |
* |
15.01.09 |
3rd |
5 |
Chas Whitehead |
Lightning |
0 |
15 |
|
Eric Maslen |
Flying Scot |
-1 |
21 |
|||||||
25th July |
Peter/ Alex Blachly |
Melody |
-4 |
|||||||
Lightning 2 |
Jim & Nick Price |
1st |
3.00.35 |
1.05.15 |
3rd |
5 |
Debbie, Geoff Leighton |
Tern |
-8 |
19 |
Lightning |
Charles Whithead |
2nd |
3.17.35 |
1.15.35 |
5th |
3 |
Harris, Macy etc |
Indian |
-10 |
12 |
Flying Scot |
Eric Maslen |
3rd |
3.18.38 |
1.18.28 |
4th |
4 |
Flintermans, Rink etc |
Sage |
-11 |
5 |
Catspaw |
Rink Dupont |
4th |
3.20.38 |
1.19.58 |
1st |
7 |
Bob, Alwyn Wilbur |
Lady Ship |
-11 |
1 |
Tern |
Debbie Leighton |
5th |
3.23.20 |
1.29.20 |
2nd |
6 |
Gus Manomaitis |
Sea Wench |
-11 |
|
Seabird |
Bill Bull |
* |
=6th |
2 |
Callie, Rink Dupont |
Catspaw |
-11 |
11 |
||
Indian |
Macy Whitehead |
* |
=6th |
2 |
Bill Bull |
Seabird |
-12 |
2 |
||
Frank Roberts |
Ruah |
-12 |
||||||||
1st August |
Rink Dupont |
Nonesuch |
-12 |
3 |
||||||
Lightning 2 |
Jim & Nick Price + Griff |
1st |
3.24.10 |
1.24.02 |
2nd |
6 |
Chas Whithead |
Chas cat |
-12 |
|
Flying Scot |
Eric Maslen |
2nd |
3.35.36 |
1.35.15 |
1st |
7 |
Macy |
Beetlecat |
-12 |
|
Indian |
Macy Whitehead Dick Kelly |
3rd |
3.46.59 |
1.45.59 |
3rd |
5 |
Lambert |
Lazy Cat |
-12 |
|
Catspaw |
Rink Dupont & Gus |
4th |
3.58.55 |
1.58.30 |
4th |
4 |
George Cameron |
Greyling |
-12 |
|
Keith Prouty |
Union Maid |
-12 |
||||||||
15th August |
Dennis McCarthy |
Spirit |
-13 |
|||||||
Lightning |
Charles Whithead |
1st |
14.55.00 |
36 |
1st |
7 |
Nick Price |
Blueberry |
-17 |
|
Lightning 2 |
Nick & Wendy Price |
2nd |
14.55.20 |
35.05 |
2nd |
6 |
Chris Schwabe |
Wynwater 1 |
-17 |
15 |
Wynwater 1 |
Chris, Lael & Anya Schwabe |
3rd |
Later |
More |
3rd |
5 |
Shelby Leighton |
Whatever |
-25 |
|
22nd August |
||||||||||
Flying Scot |
Eric Maslen, Chris Kidger |
1st |
16.38.30 |
2.20.30' |
1st |
7 |
Best three results counted |
|||
Tern |
Debbie Leighton |
2nd |
16.40' |
2.24.30' |
2nd |
6 |
||||
Lightning |
Chas Whitehead, Carolx2 |
3rd |
16.45 |
2.22 |
3rd |
5 |
||||
Wynwater 1 |
Chris & Nina Schwabe |
4th |
16.47.30' |
2.47.30' |
4th |
4 |
||||
Nonesuch |
Rink Dupont |
5th |
16.51 |
2.38 |
5th |
3 |
||||
Lightning 2 |
Nick & Jim Price, Jamie Ecker |
6th |
17.03 |
2.38 |
6th |
2 |
||||
Indian |
Macy Whitehead |
7th |
17.24 |
3.01 |
7th |
1 |
||||
29th August |
Adjusted |
|||||||||
Tern |
Geoff & Debbie Leighton |
1st |
3.02.00 |
3.02.27 |
1st |
7 |
||||
Wynwater 1 |
Chris Schwabe, Lael, Nina |
2nd |
3.02.24 |
3.03.04 |
2nd |
6 |
||||
Sage |
Rink, Jimbo, Leslie |
3rd |
3.03.44 |
3.04.06 |
3rd |
5 |
||||
Lightning 2 |
Nick, Jim & Tremayne Price |
4th |
3.02.42 |
3.04.32 |
4th |
4 |
||||
Lightning |
Chas Whitehead, Carol P |
5th |
3.03.09 |
3.06.49 |
5th |
3 |
||||
Flying Scot |
Eric Maslen |
6th |
3.06.55 |
3.07.06 |
6th |
2 |
||||
Lady Ship |
Bob, Diane Wilbur |
* |
1 |
|||||||
* Did not complete course |
||||||||||
Footnote:- Shoal Cove race on August 21st. Results were hard to come by but some were as follows |
||||||||||
Class (Up to 25') |
||||||||||
1st Race |
Lightning 2, Nick & Wendy Price |
1st |
Thanks again to Eleanor and Rollie for their |
|||||||
Flying Scot, Eric Maslen |
3rd |
splendid work this year on our behalf. |
||||||||
O/A |
||||||||||
2nd Race |
Lightning 2 |
2nd |
||||||||
Flying Scot, Eric Maslen, Macy Whitehead |
4th |
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