Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Bembridge Keelboats Mid July Racing

by Mike Samuelson 15 Jul 2024 09:47 BST 13-14 July 2024

After a very successful few days at Cowes racing in Cowes Classic week, and congratulations to Mark Grzegorczyk in No 9 who won overall, the One-Designs had a day off on Saturday to charge batteries!

Although six or seven Redwings left the harbour on Friday evening in the hopes of a race for the 'Friday Night Challenge', the absence of a sailable breeze put paid to that and so boats were towed to their moorings at Under Tyne.

Eleven Redwings (the largest fleet so far this season) had three challenging races in almost perfect conditions on Saturday afternoon. The challenging part was simply that the breeze varied in strength (5 to 12 knots) and direction (S to SW) as the afternoon developed. The first race had Janson as the pin, Undertyne (E) as the windward mark and a laid inflatable as the leeward mark (twice round finishing at Janson). Team Downer in Enigma over cooked it and lost a bit of time extracting themselves and returning back to the line.

With the fleet splitting tacks, it was Paroquet, helmed by Class Captain Rory Morrison who lead the fleet round the two lap course. Initially with Redwing, helmed by Olav Cole, Tara, helmed by Mike Toogood and Ibis, helmed by Tom Scott, as the chasing group, however as the race unfolded, Enigma moved into second place and was only 5 seconds behind Paroquet at the finish. Ibis was third and Tara was fourth.

With Ibis returning to the harbour, and Redwing heading off to the Under Tyne moorings, the remaining nine boats made a clean start to the second race with Undertyne still as the windward mark; they then had a run to Ruthven before tacking to Fitzwilliam, a run/reach to the inflatable leeward mark and a final beat back to the line.

Enigma, helmed by Alex Downer, was lead boat throughout the race with Paroquet, Tara, Harlequin, helmed by Alastair Spreare-Cole and Lady Leatitia helmed by Billy Clegg battling it out for second and third. In the event, there was less than a second separating Enigma and Paroquet as the latter closed the gap on the final beat. Harlequin was third and Lady Laetitia was fourth.

With Gannet, helmed by Bella Janson and Lady Laetitia returning to the moorings, and after a short postponement while the Committee boat re-set the line after the breeze backed to the SW, the remaining seven boats made another clean start to the third and final race of the day.

Enigma, helmed by Mark Downer, was again the front runner with Paroquet never far away. However having been a boat length behind round the last mark of the course (Fitzwilliam), it was Paroquet who crossed the finish line at Undertyne thirty seconds ahead of Enigma. Tara was third and Redwitch, helmed by Henry Thorpe was fourth.

Sunday proved to be another lovely sunny afternoon with a F2-3 SE/S breeze. The first of the two Redwing races saw nine starters, seven of which were helmed by instructors. As on the previous day, the start line was based on Janson with Tara as the windward mark and Derrick as the leeward mark. To keep them clear of the line on the way to Derrick they had to pass Janson to port. Overall it was an impressive start and although Lady Laetitia, helmed by Alice Clegg, was OCS, she was close to the Committee boat so it did not take long to circle back.

Indeed half way through the race, she had moved up into second behind Enigma, helmed by Rupert Cunningham-Day. With split tacks on each beat, there was little to separate the top three; indeed at the finish there was only two seconds between first (Harlequin, helmed by Hawkie Findlater), second (Enigma) and third (Lady Laetitia). Well done to all; it was great to see the quality of the helming.

After some crew changes, the second race used a similar course but with the finish at Garland. Enigma, now helmed by Mark Downer lead from the start.

As in the previous race the fleet split tacks but there was all to play for as they rounded Janson on the way to Derrick. The main decision after Derrick was whether to go inside or outside St Helens Fort on the way to the finish.

Enigma chose well and just managed to keep a boat length or two ahead of Redwitch who had gone inside the fort and Paroquet who had gone outside. Indeed these two boats were so close that they were scored as a tie. Redwing, helmed by Olav Cole had also gone inside the fort and picked up fourth. On the closest of count backs and excluding the instructor race, this meant that team Downer won the Svalan Quiache.

Sadly there were only four One-Designs which meant that there were not enough boats for the second race to be helmed by the same instructors who had helmed the first Redwing race. Although No 7 helmed by Sarah Marshall and No 9 helmed by Penny Stanley made good starts, No 4 helmed single handed by John Suffield and No 3 helmed by Stephan Ludwig were well off the line!

With a slightly shorter course so as to match up finish times, and notwithstanding that No 9 flew her spinnaker on the runs, No 7 lead for most of the race only to be overtaken by No 3 who then went on to cross the down wind finish line inches ahead of No 9.

After a better start and with their leeward mark as Britten rather than Derrick, the four boats were pretty close for most of the race, however John in No 4 got the break when he went inside the Fort on the final leg to Garland and finished over a minute ahead of Sarah in No 7 and Mark Grzegorczyk helming No 9.

Morning racing next weekend and then the following week we go into daily racing until the last week in August.

Related Articles

Bembridge Sailing Club Late June Keelboat Racing
No shortage of wind on Saturday for the Redwings and One Designs Four Redwings and five One Designs (using their smaller mainsails) raced on Saturday. There was no shortage of wind at 15-20kts, but being from the SW the sea state was moderate. Posted on 30 Jun
Bembridge Sailing Club June Keelboat Weekend
An early high water time meant an early start An 08.00 HW meant an early start for the Keelboats on Saturday. Happily, a forecast 10kts from the SE filled in nicely for the four Redwings and two BODs who came out to race. Posted on 23 Jun
Bembridge Sailing Club Mid June Keelboat Weekend
A brisk breeze keeps the fleet ashore on Saturday, but Sunday proves more manageable Although nice and sunny on Saturday, the F5 SW'erly kept even the keenest ashore; fortunately it had dropped to a more manageable F4 for Sunday's early afternoon races. Posted on 16 Jun
Edwardian Bembridge Harbour Trophy for Redwings
This year's crews had failed to read the small print Saturday was of course the Round the Island Race which always makes course setting for the Bembridge keelboats quite challenging. Unusually Saturday's Redwing race was programmed for just one race for the 'Edwardian' Bembridge Harbour Trophy. Posted on 9 Jun
Bembridge Late May Bank Holiday Keelboat Racing
Redwings battle for Gunston Trophy The late May Bank Holiday normally draws pretty good fleets out onto the water, however the windy forecast and commitments by the One-Designs, eight of whom are racing next week in Cowes Classics, resulted in only seven Redwings and no One-Designs racing. Posted on 27 May
Redwing 25th Anniversary Medal at Bembridge
With Bembridge One-Design keelboat racing The forecast was mixed, but a warm 10kts from the south meant perfect sunny sailing for the six Redwings and two One-Designs who went afloat on Saturday. Posted on 19 May
Bembridge Sailing Club Mid-May Keelboat Racing
Glorious sunny sailing in about 15kts of breeze Several days of cool easterlies may have deterred a few crews, but the two Redwings and two One-Designs that raced enjoyed some glorious sunny sailing in about 15kts of breeze. Posted on 12 May
Bembridge Early May Bank Holiday Keelboat Racing
Redwings back out for the Quail Trophy while the One Designs race for the Woodroffe Bowl The first Redwing racing of 2025 (for the Quail Trophy) attracted three boats to the start line, Colin Samuelson in Toucan, Matt Alexander helming Harlequin, and Jockey Wilson in Quail. Posted on 6 May
Bembridge Illusion season concludes
St George's Day Trophy and Woodford Long Distance Trophy weekend The last weekend of the Illusion season is always reserved for the St George's Day Trophy on the Saturday and the Woodford Long Distance race on the Sunday. This year was no exception. Posted on 28 Apr
Bembridge One-Design Oppenheim Trophy
As usual Good Friday was the first day of the year's Bembridge keelboat racing As usual Good Friday was the first day of the year's keelboat racing at BSC; but unfortunately the rain and F5 from the SE attracted only thee boats to the race course. Posted on 23 Apr