Osprey Open at Mount's Bay Sailing Club
by Harry Odling 2 May 2016 14:46 BST
30 April - 1 May 2016
The first day of the Mount's Bay open meeting on 30 April / 1 May saw 8 boats begin their campaign for the prestigious Panamorra cup. Although on the cool side we were graced with bright sunshine and 10-12 knots of wind from the North West with little chop (and we're not talking pork). Despite the relatively low numbers all crews eagerly anticipated the regatta. Stevie George gave the standard Cornish race brief to the other crews. This consisted of a hello, and a general warning about a big rock with a castle on to avoid.
Race 1 began with the standard, everybody over the line start with nobody to blame followed by a general recall. (All their faces as innocent as an international prop forward after a collapsed scrum). Black flags were raised for the remainder of the regatta which Basher Marshall was well aware of having a black boat, he had a certain affinity for it. The second start of the first race got away cleanly except for a certain black boat which was black flagged.
Harry and George Odling, starting at the committee boat end, got a good clean start and an early lead. Meanwhile Terry Curtis and Peter Grieg, and Martin Cooney and Peter Frith let the Odlings go as they were intent on who they thought were the main opposition for the regatta. Obviously they foolishly underestimated Infidel's sudden return to form where she took the first bullet.
The second race started with a familiar pattern with the exception of the Cornish Boys (Steve George and Matthew Skewes) popping up in second at the windward mark. The Odlings continued to lead for the first 3 laps as places often changed further back. Eventually Martin Cooney and Peter Frith gained momentum and with a LUCKY shift (Note-written by Harry Odling) they flukily managed to pass on the final run to take the lead. This was somewhat helped by their enormous spinnaker which is rumoured to be second hand off a J24.
Variable wind strengths and direction had led to some very interesting racing on the first day, with many position changes and overtakes throughout.
Whitestar had been struggling for pace throughout the day which led to F1 style fine tuning in the boat park later that evening. This rounded off a perfect day sailing, with the Odlings leading overall, and more wind expected for day 2.
Day 2
Sunday morning started with typical Bank Holiday drizzle and overcast grey skies. It was notable that there was a lack of enthusiasm amongst the crews as all boats still had covers on at 9:45 when the first race of the day was due at 10:55. Seven boats made their way out to the start as Paul Heather and Jonathan Osgood suffered an unfortunate breakage to their main halyard which left them unable to compete.
With more wind than Saturday and from the south west this time the sea was lumpier. The Cornish Boys were first round the windward mark and continued to play with the retuned Whitestar (Kevin Francis and Phillip Male) for the rest of the first lap. The fleet was fairly spread at this point due to a minor breakage on Terry Curtis and Peter Grieg's boat. Basher had also taken it upon himself to beat up to the wing mark instead of the windward mark. A new compass may be on the list for Christmas!
Cooney and Frith were some way back in the fleet at this point but flying that J24 spinnaker again it wasn't long before they were back at the front. After taking first place they eked out a small lead and finished off the job, Cornish Boys in second and Whitestar in 3rd.
The 4th and Final race of the regatta was a nervy one onboard both Swiftwun and Infidel, all was to play for... Terry Curtis and Peter Greig managed to salvage some pride by dominating the first beat having a stable lead at the windward mark. Behind, all sorts of drama was occurring. Infidel was on the outside with Whitestar below, both coming in on starboard. Cooney and Frith entering on port decided to tack underneath the two which proved to be a mistake... The mark was kissed by Swiftwun in what can only be described as a schoolboy error, in my eyes this needs to happen a little more often. For Cooney and Frith the fun was still not over as once they had rounded the mark and attempted to hoist the rear block was ripped from the deck causing an early end to the regatta.
Further down the course Terry Curtis and Peter Greig were establishing a lead while Infidel and Whitestar battled heroically. The Odlings executed the perfect gybe at the wing mark and rolled Whitestar, all down to superb crew work by myself, nothing to do with the helm. Whitestar attempted to return the favour at which point George Odling headed as high as possible shouting "UP" mixed in with the a vast vocabulary of swear words. The Odlings held the place until the leeward mark when all went pear shaped. A decision to drop later than usual left the Odlings heading round the wrong side of the mark, losing them 2 places and considerable distance from the Leaders. I blame the Helm....
Curtis and Greig continued to lead with Whitestar snapping at their heels for the rest of the race, always nice to see Peter Greig looking back nervously. The race finished with Greig/Curtis in first, Francis/Male in second and the Odlings in 3rd.
All boats returned to shore where they were greeted by the prospect of beer and pulled pork, always goes down well in the Osprey Fleet. Once prize giving was complete a special Thank You was given to the galley staff and the race officer, Mounts Bay had yet again put on a superb Osprey Open meeting. I certainly can't wait for next year where hopefully we can reach double figures again for one of the best open meetings on the Circuit.
Overall Results: (top three)
1. Swiftwun, Martin Cooney & Peter Frith - 5pts
2. Terry Curtis & Peter Grieg - 6pts
3. Infidel, George Odling & Harry Odling - 6pts