Flying Fifteen Open Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Burnham

Burnham Flying Fifteen Open © Roger Mant Photography

The Royal Corinthian at Burnham on Crouch hosted their Flying Fifteen Open on the 13th/14th of June sponsored by Waples Wines. It's a unique event in many ways as everyone is greeted with a mug of coffee/tea and a bacon roll on their arrival on Saturday at the marina to rig (actually most of the fleet arrive on the Friday evening to enjoy the social).

There are chilled beers after the Saturday racing on the pontoon before rafting up overnight in the marina. The traditional long tabled supper for 34 this year follows in the evening. We did well this year, five speeches during supper led by the ff's travelling MC, Caddy who extracted a few words from the President and then the past Commodore of the FF Class. Just when we thought the speeches were done, the President suggested that someone other than a middle aged man to speak, Jackie promptly took the lead, and kept us all amused on her experiences of being part of the ff fleet, possibly all helped by the now customary Imperial sized/6 litre bottle of Rosé! It really does help when there's a Wine Merchant in the fleet (#wapleswines!).

Burnham Flying Fifteen Open - photo © Roger Mant Photography

The breakfast buffet for all those staying at the Club in the morning and tea and cake at the prize-giving on Sunday, and that's all before we mention the racing with tides, the choices of the north or south banks of the river (even the two local Waples brothers split shores in two races, just don't ask about the back eddies in certain areas, and of course the mud on a falling tide, on both shores too, and the 4 miles of short tacking in the last race home, and did anyone mention you could sail right up to the shore line in some areas too! The final twist to the results is that there's no discard in the series either.

Burnham Flying Fifteen Open - photo © Roger Mant Photography

To the racing, we sailed around the river marks down river on Saturday (now commonly known as orienteering on the river) the fleet working their way to the Inner Crouch navigational buoy which led to a 4 mile beat to the finish outside the marina on the last of the ebb. The local mud played its part in all the races; both shores were used and interestingly the traditionally better shore wasn't always the winner. Various techniques for getting off the mud were witnessed, the best must be the crew who instructed his helm to jump out and push while he heeled the boat to leeward and importantly held the helm straight, almost leaving his dutiful helm behind. At the end of day one, Dave & Harry Lucas and Justin Waples and Jackie McKellar were on equal point overnight with Chris Waples close in 3rd spot.

Justin Waples and Jackie McKellar during the Burnham Flying Fifteen Open - photo © Roger Mant Photography

Sunday's racing was upriver, with one river course to the starting area followed by a couple of windward lewards. At this point Peter Bannister showed his form had carried over from the day before (he did not one but two port end flyers on Saturday, and won race 6, while Bill Chard led from the front in race two. Christina and Steve Moncur came a brilliant 3rd, with Dave Lucas holding a 2nd in the last race but he needed a clear 3 point to beat Justin. Justin and Jackie had a tense last run as their position was looking vulnerable with a run against the tide and a flowing pack, fortunately the gybe out to the leeward marks came just at the right time and they help their 4th position to win the event.

The Prize Giving was accompanied by tea and cake, and with Commodore Mary Makey handing out the bottles and glasses, Justin was able to give three spot prizes to the sons and daughter who were sailing as teams, so Emma Debenham, Stan Birkin -Walls and Harry Lucas all aged checked as youth looks so young, they were the new owners of bottles of wine.

Justin Waples and Jackie McKellar win the Burnham Flying Fifteen Open - photo © Roger Mant Photography

As the FF President said 'the best bit of the Open Meeting is the Saturday Supper on the long table, he's right, just occasionally as sailors we need to remember that sailing with friends in sunshine with food and wine to add to the mix is simply a great thing to do.

We'll raise a glass to next year, when the ff Class will achieve Justin's aim with over 20 boats at the next Burnham event.

Overall Results: