UKLA Noble Marine / Rooster Spring ILCA 6 Qualifier at Stokes Bay Sailing Club

It's with great pleasure that UKLA welcome back Rooster as one of our main sponsors. As many of you know Steve Cockerill set up Rooster Sailing in 1999. He raced the then Laser to the highest possible standard and contributed, and continues to, so much to the class and the sport. Here he reports on the first UKLA ILCA Qualifier of the season.

I wonder why the ILCA class visit Stokes Bay for their early qualifier - perhaps it's that the club has the best showers and a host of great sailors who dig out to ensure the event runs smoothly despite the severe cold conditions. I think Stokes Bay Qualifiers have to be legendary for their cold and tough conditions. This year was no different.

ILCA UKLA Qualifier 1 at Stokes Bay SC - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

We were greeted by the absolute most challenging conditions for both the sailors and the race team. A north easterly is directly offshore at Stokes Bay which makes for a small and challenging racecourse as the race team are Restricted by the shipping channel to the south. Combined with temperatures and the relative inactivity of lighter winds I layered up with hot legs under my Rooster Pro Hikers and hot top under a Supertherm Top and Aquafleece, neck gaiter and Supertherm Beanie; options in women's sizes also available. Hot soup in my 10L drybag and Combi Gloves. This was going to be a tough day on the water.

With the start of the first race just over three hours before low water there was going to be some significant difference in the tidal stream at the leeward and windward marks. The stream ebbing in the main channel (towards Cowes) and the flood just starting along the Stokes Bay shore. This is common anywhere you sail - the edges always start the change before the main channel. At Stokes Bay - the delay can be up to an hour.

So with the first half of the beat with stronger ebb and the second half of the beat with a weakening ebb becoming a flood we had a permanent right shift near the shore at the windward mark.

For a better understanding of the tidal wind effect see images:

Image 1 - tidal wind - the effect of the current wind direction.

tidal wind - the effect of the current wind direction - photo © Steve Cockerill

Image 2 - how the tidal wind effects the apparent wind we all experience. Sailors are always looking to put the current under their bow to give them the lifted effect of the current wind.

how the tidal wind effects the apparent wind we all experience - sailors are always looking to put the current under their bow to give them the lifted effect of the current wind - photo © Steve Cockerill

I can only assume that the RO was getting his wind readings from the windward mark as his line was port biased which made it very tricky to cross on starboard. There was then a fight for the pin resulting in a Melee of boats that once tacked to cross the start line, laid the windward mark in one. The experienced heads made a smart start at the port end and tacked directly. Jon Emmett, Ben and Chloe Elvin lead the charge finishing in that order.

Race 2 - the current had started to flood towards Portsmouth giving a right shift that straightened the line. The leaders came from both sides, Steve Cockerill made a jump on the left fleet having started at the committee boat but did not have the speed to hold back a max hiking Freddie Sunderland. The jury had a good look at both Jon and Steve down the last run as they were 'trying very hard' to stay ahead of Ben Elvin. Steve holding Ben off on the last leg to the finish.

ILCA UKLA Qualifier 1 at Stokes Bay SC - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Race 3 - the flood was in full swing. The line was re-laid with a small port bias. Small shifts in wind direction always appear even more exaggerated in cross current - so a small shift to the right gave a huge right shift for the sailors. Smart money was to start on the right to gain most of the right flood wind shift which gave those who started on the right a race to remember. Dru Townsend took the gun from Alfe Noel and Angus Beale.

Overnight placings were affected by some OCS's and big numbers from race three. So the top three places were held by Jon, Ben and Steve.

ILCA UKLA Qualifier 1 at Stokes Bay SC - photo © Giles Smith

The morning brought a change to the wind to the North for race 4. We were now starting in the ebb (Cowes bound). The balance between using the ebb current to take you on starboard in the main channel and then take the tack to the windward mark without overstanding and having something left in the bank for a late starboard tack as the ebb shifted wind eased giving you a header on port. The fleet were once again concerned about being OCS and were slightly shy getting a good transit. Most of them lining up the pin with the end of the Isle of Wight - however, there was another 4 fingers of the isle of Wight visible behind the pin. Steve took his chance and tacked at the gun near the pin having sailed down his safe transit in the last 20 seconds whilst the rest of the fleet were trying to lay the pin from below. They had a merry dance trying to gybe round and re start a few times before succeeding whilst Steve's port tack was also lifted. Most of the fleet went for the starboard headed tack and missed out on next bigger right shift. Most overstanding and then still experiencing a header at the mark. Steve rounded 90 seconds ahead of the next boat and sailed deep on starboard before ferry gliding to the leeward mark. All looked safe until the last run when the wind died when Freddie and Chloe were in the stronger pressure in the centre. Squeaky bum time for Steve, but he did take the gun. Steve reflected that it had been 2009 when he last won a race and Radial qualifier when he was actively on the Laser circuit. He was happy.

Race 5 - There was change in the air - and those who had spotted the sun might have thought that the wind would go left for a sea breeze - but in March - well it did a little - whether it was sea breeze or not = the wind dropped to below 3 knots and we drifted to windward on a big left shift to the windward mark. Sadly the clever ones were not rewarded as the race was abandoned. We had not had a beat in the race to that point or a steady wind so it was probably a good but late call.

ILCA UKLA Qualifier 1 at Stokes Bay SC - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Race 5 re-run was now in the flood to Portsmouth. There was a chance that as the flood starts first near the shore - there might be less current further in the channel. It appeared to me that those that took the chance on the left came good. The middle was not a great place to be. Ben Elvin had to put a couple of places between himself and Jon, but although he won the race from Fred Salter, Jon was a close third giving him the event from Ben. Chloe finished 4th to give her 4th overall. Freddie Sunderland had a consistent series to give him 3rd overall and first under 17. Fred Salter took 5th and first under 19 from Steve in 6th.

Despite swimming 6,000m, rowing 15,000m and doing two core workouts a week, my 60-year-old body is broken by 9 hours on the water in an ILCA. Perhaps I will back for some more unusual conditions at Stokes Bay next year.

Thanks to the on the water teams who managed to get five races completed, the beach team and the club for putting on a great weekend. Thanks also to our sponsors who help make these events such a success:

• Noble Marine
• Rooster Sailing
• Ovington Boats
• Sailingfast