Scoles Trophy Races at Overy Staithe Sailing Club

Scoles Trophy Races at Overy Staithe Sailing Club © Bernard Clark

Scoles Trophy Races at Overy Staithe Sailing Club © Bernard Clark

Scoles Trophy Races at Overy Staithe Sailing Club © Bernard Clark

A very early alarm call was needed to make the 07.00 start at Overy Staithe on Saturday 9 August. The 'Clark Co-operative' were, once again, in charge of flags and hooters and they chose to set the start line in the vicinity of Gun Hill meaning a ten-minute sail to the start line in a light breeze.

A two-lap course was set as follows: A starboard biased beat to B was followed by a broad reach to C and then another to G before returning to D.

The bias on the line was such that the fleet amassed at the committee boat end well in advance of the gun. Ellie Clark, Ashley Deakin and Spike Turner all hit the line exactly on time and made great starts. Rodney Tidd in his OK had held back hoping that a gap would appear. It did but he was a little late in getting up to speed and he found himself on the weather hip of Ellie's Europe heading over to the corner of the marsh.

The flood tide took the fleet to the end of the northern most groyne mark. From there it was a matter of judging when to use the tide to the best advantage so a port tack hitch would leave one further tack to round mark C. Tidd led to the finish with Deakin and Turner having a really close race for second place on the water. On Handicap Ellie Clark took well deserved line honours.

The wind had swung a little to the west and increased a little for the second race of the series. This necessitated moving the committee boat to near mark C to get a beat to B. A starboard triangular course was set with D being the downwind mark. The same four protagonists fought out the start and it looked like it could have been anyone's race to take.

Your author was swiftly reminded that it is necessary to take a note of tide heights and times at Overy Staithe and even to walk round the course once or twice a year to get an idea of where the course marks are in relation to the channel, marshes and other obstructions.

Spike Turner had done his homework and was never headed throughout the race and he increased his lead throughout all three laps of the shortened course. The increase in wind led to both Ashley and Ellie retiring with broken kickers. Tidd continued to find sandbanks wherever he went and was soundly beaten on handicap by George Smith in a Laser Radial.

Gear failure is an inevitable part of sailing, and it happens to champions as well as club sailors. The advancement in sailing chandlery and cordage in recent years has meant that failure is much less likely to happen but a routine monthly check on all the equipment you use will pay dividends in the long run.

Overall Results: