Graduate 3010 - What we did on our Summer Holidays

Regatta week at Maylandsea Bay © Maylandsea Bay Sailing Club

Regatta week at Maylandsea Bay © Maylandsea Bay Sailing Club

What we did on our Summer Holidays

Every year we go away for a month with the tent and our Graduate dinghy to compete in the Summer Regatta weeks. This year we had the new Graduate dinghy from Rooster Sailing. The internal layout has been redesigned by Phil Morrison and the boat well made in epoxy foam sandwich by Beer Boats in Devon.

The first Regatta we sailed in was on Wroxham Broad, home of the well organised Norfolk Broads Yacht Club. This Regatta has up to 18 races a day for tiny Optimists up to Broads river cruisers. We could have sailed in 3 races/day but elected to compete in the early morning (9.40) start when the winds are invariably light and the 1400 start after lunch.

There is always something to watch on the Broad - Opies, Yeomans, Stars, Norfolks, Yare and Bure One designs, River Cruisers and of course the dinghy handicap fleet. The fleet included Toppers, Lasers, Firefly, Wayfarers, and Norfolk dinghies. Racing on this modest sized broad suited the Graduate, particularly when the winds were light. As older sailors we can concentrate despite not being able to throw ourselves round the boat as much as we used to. This gave us some excellent results.

After a short break at Aldeburgh in Suffolk we moved down into Essex to Brightlingsea Sailing Club for the famous Pyefleet week.

We sailed alternate mornings and afternoons in the Slow Handicap Fleet. There are 9 to 10 starts daily, the other fleets being Brightlingsea One Designs, Catamarans, Merlin Rockets, Fast Handicap, Laser and Mirrors. Committee boat starts in the Colne estuary are now the norm, and you need to allocate sufficient time particularly at low tide to launch off and return the trolley to somewhere near the boat park. Light winds for the first few days saw us get a first and third but we suffered a little towards the end of the week when the wind blew Force 4-5. However overall we managed 3rd in the fleet and unfortunately I was presented a trophy for being the oldest Helm (out of about 80 boats). Sandra also oldest Crew but thank goodness no trophy.

Then we struck camp and drove to Maylandsea Bay Sailing Club in Essex, on the Blackwater. This family friendly club have a Regatta week and all club members are catered for. Tinies are taken out sailing, Juniors sail in Picos and there is short course racing for the inexperienced. Racing takes place at 1½ and 2 hours each side of high tide and after that mud rules. All of the races are from the club line so it could be a run, reach or beat to the first mark! This 16 strong fleet included Kestrels, RS Visions, a Finn and a swarm of Lasers. We experienced light winds initially then the wind increased to Force 4-5. One day we went out of the creek into the main channel of the Blackwater and it gusted 5-6. We capsized twice along with many others and two boats had to be abandoned for recovery later.

With a fantastic social programme and warm welcome we had a great time. We finished 2nd in the fleet behind a very well sailed Kestrel.

After a month away camping and sailing we returned home to tend the neglected garden and put away the tent until next year.