Peterborough Lakeside Sailing Club 24hr Race for the RNLI

15th & 16th June 2001

Lakeside Sailing Club and the Peterborough Branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution owe a great debt of gratitude to many people, impossible to count and mention individually for the number must surely run into the millions! Sincere thanks go to the many people and groups of various kinds who sponsored the teams or made donations in cash or in kind to support the event as the justification for the event and for all the enjoyment gained by those able to participate is the raising of money to support the gallant and selfless work of the mainly volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews around our coasts.

The national face of the RNLI was seen at Lakeside all weekend, worn by the ex-Coxswain of the New Brighton Inshore Lifeboat who is now saving lives at sea from his base on dry land as he tours the country to a stream of events and places preaching the message of “Safety on the Sea” with the 20’ roadshow trailer he keeps outside his house on Merseyside! He seems to have survived well the battering which the body receives particularly when crewing the “Atlantic” inshore lifeboats in the ROUGH seas they often face - by appearances it is difficult to believe that he has reached, never mind passed, the age of 45 years at which they are compulsorily retired (for the good of their spines, etc!) by the RNLI. Certainly his good humour and tremendous enthusiasm for saving people from a watery end, by whatever means he can, seems now surely as fresh as it ever could have been and still he intends “the sea shall not have them!“. The local RNLI Sea Check Advisors took this man and his roadshow their bosoms, considering him to represent “their” part of the RNLI operations, and turned out in small but more than adequate numbers to support him throughout the weekend - not that a man accustomed, in mid-winter, to driving a twenty-some feet long bit if rubber and air through thirty foot following waves in the wild anger of the Irish Sea with the safety of two crewmen and the lives of unknown casualties on his mind would need much support to deal with the British public on dry land in the most miserable weather that Peterborough could hurl at him in mid’ June!

The Mayor and Mayoress of Peterborough honoured us with their official presence on Saturday to inspect the arrangements and to assist our Race Officer in starting the race. The Commodore of Lakeside Sailing Club met our City’s “first citizens” within forty-eight hours of their re-election for a second term of office and, having welcomed them to Lakeside and briefly shown them around, introduced them to the Race Officer who had flags and horn ready at the end of the starting line, on the beach, where the crowd was assembling for the signals to mark the commencement of perhaps the craziest but certainly the most worthwhile twenty four hours sailing of the year for many of us! Whilst the Race Officer concentrated on hoisting flags and watching the line for possible offenders who would be unmercifully punished for infringements with laps being docked from their final tally for anyone who dared to cross the line early, our civic dignitaries were given the responsibility of the horn! The official position, under the world wide “rules” of sailing racing, is that the actual and overriding starting signal is the flag - any sound signal is provided merely to draw attention to the flags and in the event that the one does not coincide with the other, it is the flag that counts! In practice, many sailors rely on the time indicated on their watches and confirmed by the Race Officer’s sound signals. So, officially our Race Officer had to get his flags up and down correctly and on time to avoid a waterborne riot which would have seen a torrent of abuse and derision from the fleet travelling faster than a Lancaster bomber in his direction. In practice, however, that burden of responsibility was on the shoulders of the Mayor and Mayoress, in charge of “sound effects“ for the start! A ten minute warning signal was given on the horn and probably a flag was raised (but as was said above, nobody would really have wept too much if the flag wasn’t even there!). This was followed at precisely five minutes to three by the clearest and most insistent of preparatory signals heard over the “Waters of Nene” for some time. If a man can exert such control and bring seriously to order the strong-willed and independent sailors of Lakeside and their fiends and visitors of similar disposition and persuasion, he won’t have much trouble sorting out a Council chamber in boisterous mood! Again precisely on time, a solid, long and strident rousing starting horn (possibly again accompanied by movements of flags!) was heard throughout the wet and wild field of battle and its environs.

The echoes of the starting horn’s shrill and insistent blast, fit to have wakened the occupants of “Davy Jones’ Locker” let alone any Wayfarer crewmen who may have been dozing in their bunks at the start line, died into the wooded copses and open fields of Ferry Meadows Country Park to be replaced by one of those stirring sounds that even generations of people who never heard it in anger, can not fail to immediately recognise. From those final disappearing echoes of the Mayor of Peterborough’s uncompromising starting signal, a low and powerful tone majestically arose, recognised more by emotion than intellect. The densely packed fleet of more than twenty boats, competitors and supporters, were vehemently debating the rights and wrongs of starboard tacks and windward boats as they steered for the most advantageous position across the start line. Their protest shouts and generally reciprocated cries of mutual abuse were silenced as the growing roar of Rolls Royce “Merlin” engines covered the waters of Gunwade Lake. The Lancaster, the Spitfire and the Hurricane covered the sky as they arrived over the high ground and trees to the North and overflew the sailors and the spectators, straight down the start line at what, from the small boats below, looked and felt like mast-tip height The Mayor and the Race Officer had been right on time with the starting signal and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight could hardly have timed their arrival more magically! Amid all of this excitement the mixed fleet of sailors, surfbikers and canoeists representing all ages, sexes, abilities and styles of competitors from places at least as far apart as Leicester and the “Northern Lights” of Derbyshire got off to a great start - nobody penalised for being “on the course side“ of the line and nobody left behind. As the close, low flying formation of those wonderful aircraft, maintained and flown with such respect and admiration for the courage and sacrifices of men who flew them in very different circumstances, returned to again fly across the water before heading home to RAF Coningsby, the sailors were sorting themselves out, tacking up the beating leg of the course and settling into the first shift on behalf of their respective teams with paddlers and bikers taking a straight(-ish!) line to first the turn!

Lakeside will not see a race start so memorable for at least a year and a week! Who knows what will occur on 22nd and 23rd June 2002 (next year!) when we shall, God willing and with the continuing support of the army of people who make their contribution to enable it all to happen, DO IT AGAIN!

The finish of the race was also a noisy and memorable affair as the assembled crowd on the beach cheered when the horns were sounded and the loud report of the “pyrotechnic” discharged by the Race Officer signalled to anyone in doubt that three o’clock and the end of the race had arrived. As instructed by the Race Officer at his briefing the previous day all teams finished the lap they were sailing and all crossed the line to an individual finishing horn and cheers and applause from the crowd. It was a poignant moment as the first boat crossed the line - the yellow hulled SigneT of our local RNLI “Chairman from Hell” that is the essence of 24 hour racing for the lifeboats, sailed by granddad in the first race of them all at Paxton and today sailed across the line at the head of the fleet by his grandson!

The weather forecasters perhaps should consider making significant personal contributions to the RNLI in reparation as their part in the proceedings left something to be desired! Indeed, in meteorological terms, we received more or less that which they ordered for us. They sent us a consistently inconsistent “breeze” from East of North, generally backing more Northerly on Sunday. It is difficult to say concisely where the wind came from after the first few hours as it never really stayed still long enough to establish a definite direction - it was never recorded as Westerly, Southerly or even really Easterly - we shall just have to say it was NE going “walkies” in a N direction as it got bored later and then continuing to fidget around between the two to the end of the race! The strength of the wind again was variable but it never fell much below about Force 3 and continually found the energy to huff and puff gusts of a good Force 4. At times it was wet and miserable, at other times it rained hard, it was bloomin’ cold permanently after the first dark rainy session on Saturday chased off the last vestige of weekend sunshine. However, we all persisted and the final score in the battle of the weather was WEATHER - nil, RACERS - lots of fun and cash for the RNLI! We were fortunate to have a wind all through the event that kept all the boats moving well and challenged all of the sailors without overpowering or defeating any of them. The conditions through the night were so inhospitable and rough that many people away from the water were concerned and wondering how we had faired throughout the night particular. The Mayor, having seen us off at the beginning of the race, was so concerned to know that all was well that he came back in his personal capacity as a concerned friend and supporter early on Sunday morning whilst some of “off-duty” crews were tucking into “Lifeboat Breakfasts” in the Lakeside Café. With most of the bodies becoming tired and obsessive after a hard night, it required our Commodore to even recognise the presence of the Mayor among us and to extend to him the courtesies of a “Good morning” welcome. It has been suggested that the “Lifeboat Breakfast” was invented by a Wayfarer team captain who felt that their “slightly” larger vessel may be better able to carry the additional load of a heartily fed crew than some of the smaller or faster competition, such as the Signet or the Kestrel. Of course, anybody fed by the ladies of the Watersports Café were again contributing to the RNLI funds as the proceeds were being shared. Even those brave and unsuspecting souls who tried out the pleasures of being shouted at by the captain of a “Dragon Boat” as they endured a pleasure trip on the lake in an eight-seater belonging to the local club were contributing through split proceeds!

Many are the stories of personal courage and commitment that could be told and which will remain for a long time in the minds and hearts of those who did it, those who saw it and those who thank them for it! There were many tired and semi-destroyed people after they had made their most determined effort and had given of their best in support of the women and men of the crews who regularly take to the water to give their best - ultimately to give everything when the worst occasionally happens. We remembered as we went home, tired but safe, that the lifeboat doesn’t always come home and their crews’ safety is far from certain.

Despite the conditions, no-one was hurt sufficiently to require medical attention though two of the boats were laid low by the force of the elements and were unable to continue without extensive repairs not feasible in the time and conditions of the race. The family team running the Albacore’s challenge were able to press into service a replacement boat from elsewhere in their collection and the Firbeck Pirates came to an accommodation with the proprietor of Lakeside Leisure (who with the Peterborough RNLI Branch is the promoter of our annual “good deed” for the lifeboats!) for the loan of the (in)famous “red Comet Trio” in which they finished the race! The generally benevolent disposition of the “Proprietor” is legendary and was no doubt boosted this weekend as it marked the end of his month of sponsored alcoholic abstinence - guess which well known deserving cause benefits from the proceeds of this heavily scrutinised effort which has been watched by a “world of disbelief”.

Though this was not a race for prizes, honours or personal gain of any kind beyond the satisfaction of taking part and contributing, it was concluded with the announcement of results by the Race Officer who had personally carried the responsibilities for seeing good order, sportsmanlike behaviour and safety in all aspects of the race through the weekend. In these responsibilities he enjoyed the support of his wife and he was assisted by crews of qualified and experienced rescue boat helmsmen with trained volunteer supporters, lap counters and many others generally drawn as willing volunteers from the ranks of the competing teams and their supporters. Prizes were donated by both Lakeside Leisure and a couple of trade suppliers, mementos of the event were made by hand by the “Chairman from Hell” of the Peterborough Branch of the RNLI and the race officer and his wife and all were distributed equitably among the teams. The Kestrel team, who had a fast boat but worked hard with only six in their team to beat off the challenge of the “Bogeyman” Wayfarer team who took the trophy last year, received the “kneeling lady” trophy in its fourth year of award. The “Alternative Propulsion” skateboard went to the surfbikers who had travelled the distance but the admiration and gratitude of all went to the pair of young men who propelled that tiny, slender canoe through the night. The presentation was carried out by the General Manager of the Nene Park trust who has overall responsibility for everything that takes place with in the Park and who, perhaps particularly as a salty water sailor himself, appreciates and supports the lifeboat crews no less than anyone else.

The financial result for the RNLI is of as much concern to us all as is the result of the race. The actual outcome will not be finally known for some time as a large proportion of the cash will arrive through schemes which require confirmation of the event taking place and people’s participation before funds are released. By Sunday teatime well over £1200 was already formally accounted for or presented. In past years at that time the “cash at bank” has represented in the order of a quarter of the final outcome - so we may look forward to ultimately exceeding last year's figure by a significant margin!

If reading this report makes you wish you were there, you have two choices. Either get down to Paxton Lakes Sailing Club toward the southern end of Cambridgeshire the weekend after next, 30th and 31st June, when the sun might shine or wait till next year and come to the fifth Lakeside event where, after this year’s experience, we will probably plan for snow!

More Information:

• Peterborough Lakeside Sailing Club