Racing at Morecambe and Heysham Yacht Club

Perfect conditions for racing were received with great joy by sailors at Morecambe and Heysham Yacht Club on Sunday 22nd July. The wind was blowing from the South West at a steady force four.

This means that the wind blows straight in from the Irish Sea so it blows steadily because there are no obstacles in its path to make it fluctuate or deviate. The same with the waves they roll in straight from the Irish Sea and arrive in a regular pattern which makes it possible to predict. As all Morecambe schoolboys of my generation knew every seventh wave was a big one and that was the one that always got you when wave dodging on the Promenade.

Conditions were also rather too rough for the jet skiers so peace reigned at the Town Hall slipway.

I digress, dinghy sailors are all overgrown school boys (No girls sailing at Morecambe just now. But they're always welcome) at heart and like nothing better than a lovely dunking in the warm clean (yes that's right clean. The brown colour is just agitated sand and there are more seals and dolphins in the Bay then ever there was when I was a youngster and they wouldn't be there if it was filthy) waters of Morecambe Bay.

It was with great anticipation that the sailors noted the course set by Race Officer for the day Barry Maguire. The course started at the end of the Town Hall slipway, on to the Pier Buoy, then to Bank which is the round black buoy that can be seen from the promenade, back to the slipway, out to Outer East Buoy, in to the Grand buoy and then back to the slipway. Three laps about an hours race.

As they lined up for the start the excitement was just too much for John Gibbison and his crew in the Osprey and despite having three people aboard failed to see the fluorescent pink buoy which marks the the outer end of the start line and sailed right into it. This meant he had to restart his race after the other racers had got away a mistake he never quite recovered from although he did end up in third place. Not too bad Gibby. Colin Jex (sex with a jay) made no mistake and took the lead from start and despite sailing the slowest boat on the water, a Toy with a sliding seat, was never challenged until the closing stages of the race when he was overhauled by Hughie Reid sailing his Shearwater Catamaran. Hughie went on to win the race proving what a superb design these veteran cats are.

In race two Colin Jex again made the best start but this time Hughie had settled into his stride and was soon in the lead and thoroughly enjoyed his sail and could be heard whooping and hollering his way around the cousre enjoying some fantastic sailing. At the end of the shortened course ( the tide was ebbing fast and sailors tiring) Hughie Reid took line honours but it was Colin Jex who won on handicap. Hughie Reid second, Nigel Simson sailing a Javelin third and in fourth place John Gibbison in his Osprey.

If you're an overgrown wavedodger why not come and join us we sail most Sundays through the Spring, Summer and Autumn age is no barrier to having fun on the bay. For further information call in at the Yacht Club open Friday evenings between 8.30 pm and 11pm.

More Information:

• Morecambe and Heysham Yacht Club