Hunts Sailing Club Mirror Weekend
by Hannah Rose 13 Jul 2022 12:11 BST
25-26 June 2022
With an exciting wind forecast ahead, the travellers arrived on Friday evening and pitched camp. Saturday dawned bright and rather breezy, with more travellers arriving and boats being put together at a relaxed pace.
After much rigging, spying on other boats and the customary faffing, there was a brief introduction to rig tuning, mainly mast rake and the importance of rig tension. Tape measures flew around the fleet and rig tension gauges were puzzled over, along with much use of Hannah's magic rig tension handle.
By this time coach Ian Gibbs had arrived and applied his Fireball racing experience to give an excellent demonstration of what the sail controls do and how to apply them in strong wind conditions. We all think we know, but it's very different to look at it on land!
After a much needed lunch, the fleet took to the high seas. It was blowing a hooley, so the course was a simple triangle to get used to the conditions and a roving coach giving advice on sail controls. Other boats just cruised, including a very old Mirror (with a centreboard!) being sailed for the first time by its new owner, and another being capsized for the first time by its new owner. The fleet bedded down for the night in anticipation of more wind the day after.
Sunday dawned even windier than Saturday, with the arrival of three more travellers. The race officer was persuaded to set some decent runs and the fleet prepared in trepidation for the first race. Which was windy. Very windy. Terry and Charlie Hunt led the way round the course, setting the flavour of the day, even flying the spinnaker to show us all how it's done. After cramming down as many sandwiches as we could justify as extra ballast, and in one case a trade for a bigger crew, the second race got started to follow much the same pattern. Jewels Vass singlehanded was flying, although she later admitted she was nearly capsizing just on the jib. Richard Nobles tested the water a few times but bravely soldiered on to complete all races.
The third race happened shortly after the second in much the same conditions with much the same results - Terry and Charlie showing the way, followed by Jewels' excellent tussle with dad Ron and Dolphin holding the fort for the home boats. The fleet crawled ashore with shaking limbs and agreed that it had been very challenging but very good, and that Mirrors are not nice slow stable boats in the slightest.
Results were presented with accompanying Mars bars and apologies that the trophy was in exile. A huge thanks to all who came and participated in whatever way, with your enthusiasm for these special little boats - it was a very special weekend.
Overall Results:
| Result | Sail No | Boat name | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Points |
|---|
| 1 | 70584 | ‑ | Terry Hunt | Charlie Hunt | Netley | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 70972 | ‑ | Jewels Vass | ‑ | Reading | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 64799 | Dolphin | Hannah Rose | Yvonne/Alex Nobis | Hunts | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | 68617 | Lightening | Andrew Ince | ‑ | | 4 | 3 | DNS | 7 |
| 5 | 70513 | ‑ | Ron Vass | ‑ | Reading | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 6 | 59727 | Serenity | Rachel Heesom | Beverley Howe | Tynemouth | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 7 | 39831 | Joy | Timothy Waitt | ‑ | ‑ | 6 | 7 | 6 | 12 |
| 8 | 50253 | ‑ | Richard Nobles | ‑ | Hunts | 8 | 8 | 7 | 15 |
Non-racers:
Andy Start, 67472 Snowflake
Jenny Fletcher/Fletcher Minor, 8085
Alan Bennett/Fletcher Minor 2, 69929 Zarya
Tony Parkinson, 19 Mellow Yellow