Kestrel Open at Goldhanger Sailing Club

The Kestrel open meeting at Goldhanger Sailing Club had promised to be special this year as it was being held in conjunction with the club’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The promise being that, “not only will there be the traditional superb hospitality and surroundings, but they will be turbocharged”. The Kestrel fleet enjoy this event because of the effort the club puts into hosting our open, the only open the sailing club have due to restricted access (their landlords being the fruit growers / preserve makers Wilkins & Son of Tiptree). Full English breakfasts and evening meals are the norm with us filling the clubhouse to capacity in the evening.

The celebrations on Saturday evening included hog roast, band, fireworks, games for the children and guests from the village and past members swelling the numbers to 200+. The memorabilia include photos of the members building the clubhouse themselves, many founders being still heavily involved today. All of this followed Saturday’s racing.

Race one started in a good force four with a beat against the tide leading to the fleet tacking up the shore to stay out of the tide. Dave & Gareth, although one of the first boats off the line and up to speed, capsized on the beat. Paul & Ian rounded the windward mark first* followed by Dusty & John and a small pack. Spinnakers then hoisted for a long reach towards the opposite end of Osea Island. Richard & Mark having been recalled at the start proved their downwind speed and took the lead by sailing high and catching Dusty & John and Paul & Ian off guard (or were just too quick).

Following a gybe it was a two sail reach across the estuary and a beat back to the start finish line. Richard & Mark took the win followed by Paul & Ian and Dusty & John having dropped back on the second beat. Graham & Duncan started their consistent series with fourth. Steve & Lin took fifth in their preferred conditions.

(* Graham and Duncan have photographic evidence to lay claim to the fact that they led almost the entire first lap, only being overtaken on the beat to the line - Duncan)

Race two started just after high water with a dip in the wind followed by it returning to its earlier strength. A change of course led to more ‘mark finding’. Paul & Ian led Dusty & John and Richard & Mark vaguely towards the leeward mark, the order reversed as Richard & Mark spotted it first and took the most direct route.

Richard & Mark capsized on a gybe mark near Osea Island, Dusty & John taking up the lead and the race win. Richard & Mark recovered sufficiently quick enough to take second with Paul & Ian chasing them up the last beat. Dave & Gareth having had four swims stuck to sailing round the course to take fourth. Graham & Duncan took fifth.

The morning after the night before started with very heavy rain and wind, ‘ideal camping weather’, not. Having got soaked just getting to the clubhouse the general opinion was that we would not be sailing. However, by 10 o’clock the rain had stopped, the wind had subsided and the sun was coming out. A few black clouds passed nearby through the day but no more rain fell. Race three got underway in a light force three, but having set the course prior to the wind changing direction we started on a broad reach. This led to a shake up of the fleet, but with the two main contenders getting out in front.

Dusty & John were chased by Richard & Mark for two laps and from behind it looked for a moment that Richard & Mark had taken the lead on the last run lengths before the finish, however they crossed again and Dusty & John had pulled off a cleaner last gybe to hold the lead to the finish. Graham Richmond held off Dave & Gareth for third and Paul & Ian recovered from a poor first leg to take fifth.

A fourth course for the fourth deciding race had the fleet starting on a run and once over the line sailing high to try and pass boats or defend. Richard & Mark had been held out at the line, once crossing went for the extreme, reaching off towards Osea, gybing back and recovering to the front of the fleet. Dusty & John having made the first mark in the lead were faced with a series of headers and looked back to see others rounding and being lifted higher. Rod & Jenny rounded in second.

As the race went on, the wind faded, and the fleet swapped places. On the last beat of the course, Ian Rintoul & Richard Anthony managed to reach the breeze first as it filled in to the left of the windward mark and sailed around four boats. Dusty & John sailed home comfortably for a third race win and the event. Dave & Gareth took second and Graham and Duncan another third. Ian & Richard jumped to fourth and Richard & Mark dropped from second at one stage to fifth. Following presentations and thanks, Dusty finished by ‘wondering how Goldhanger S.C. would top this years event’.

Results

1 - 1558 - Dusty Miller / John Ellingham
2 - 1561 - Richard / Mark Hartley
3 - 1548 - Paul Jarvey / Ian Bray
4 - 1574 - Dave Hearsum / Gareth Fay
5 - 1549 - Graham Richmond / Duncan Wilson