Racing News from the AGM...

For those of you who didn't make the annual Z Class AGM on Wednesday (which is most of you!) here's a summary of the decisions made regarding keel boat racing at Castle Cove in 2014. The full minutes and accompanying documents, including discussions on Moorings and Winter Storage will be published shortly.

Handicaps:

In common with YCW & WSC, Castle Cove will adopt the NHC system for 2014. The biggest gripe with NHC has been the wildly inaccurate base numbers so our base numbers will be based on this season's YCW PY numbers which should smooth things out a little. Even without accurate base numbers the system appears to work surprisingly well, we published test results from our first two series earlier in the year and have received no negative feedback.  It would be difficult to be too scathing given that the NHC version shows all but identical series results to PY scored version.

In addition to NHC, if there are sufficient boats with current IRC or VPRS certificates we will generate additional results for them. Note they will start with the NHC fleet and sail the same course - they will simply be scored under both NHC and IRC/VPRS.

Cup Races:

Cup races are still being poorly supported. The sailing committee may consider the possibility of moving some of the cup races on a Monday night - if this is likely to encourage you to take part please let Gary, Bill, Des or John know over the next week or so.

Weekend Races:

To help with the eternal 'lack of crew' problem, the sailing committee will consider the possibility of making all weekend races lightly crewed - that is the slow fleet with 2 crew (double handed) and the fast fleet being permitted 3 crew. If this is likely to encourage you to take part please let Gary, Bill, Des or John know over the next week or so.

Long Distance Races:

Given the lack of support in recent years, the sailing committee will consider if we should continue to organise Long Distance/Passage races. Before this happens (and given that it's only ever going to be a small group)  I would ask all interested parties to contact Gary or Bill over the next week or so with a view to arranging an informal get-together to discuss where we might like to go and when.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Gary Warr (Z Class Captain)  01929 463265

Bill Barker (Assistant Z Class Captain)  07887 943920

Des Quick (Fast Class Captain) 07729 845216

John Kirby (Slow Class Captain) 01305 777769

Winter series plus some news and views...

Fancy racing this winter? 

Several boats are taking on the YCW Autumn and Winter series (often the best racing of the year) again this year including Flair 2, Tumbarumba, Tiger Lily, Orion and Echo. 

Orion's skipper Paul Elson is looking to put together a crew to challenge Steve Dadd's Rumrunner (the other Achilles 9m) as well as the rest of the PY fleet so if you fancy some really good close class racing give him a call on 07964 685979.  If don't fancy the commitment but still fancy crewing occasionally on one of the boats let me know and I'll let the skippers know - don't be shy, just email me at zclassnews-sailing@yahoo.co.uk

Moatt Sails are offering some interesting deals on new sails and sail care over the

winter period, between 31 October and 20 December 2013. 

"To avoid musty boats and mouldy sails, make the most of our free storage. Your sails will be stored in a safe, dry and clean environment. When you collect the sails, they will smell fresh and they will be ready for you to fit and sail away hassle free. No time wasted.

This offer only applies between 31 October and 20 December 2013.

• Free Inspection. Your sails will be thoroughly inspected free of charge and overhauled at a competitive rate.

• Free storage between 31 October and 31 March - FIVE months free storage.

• 20% off launder fees (reduced from £4.80 per kilo to £3.80 per kilo). Your sails will be professionally laundered and stored dry on our premises, and will smell fresh on collection. This will guard against the risk of black spot and mould on the sail, and a musty smelling boat.

• 20% off new sails for Early Bird enquiries before 20 December 2013

• Free collection from Castle Cove Sailing Club for club members.

Moatt Sails will be down at Castle Cove Sailing Club over the lift out weekend to collect your sails and covers"

Contact them at the loft on 01305 824254, or on their mobiles - Steven on 07833 383221 and Mark on 07971 437255.

Americas Cup

If you haven't seen any of the racing this year, you missed something truly amazing. Even though by now everybody knows the outcome, if you've not seen the racing it's worth getting onto Youtube and watching it - it's incredible and proves once and for all that those of us who said sailing would never be a spectator sport couldn't have been more wrong. Ridiculously close racing in 70 metre monsters at speeds well over 40 knots just has to be seen to be believed.

The racing started with the US team already down 2 points following what the Americans called rule infractions earlier in the series (meaning they'd stuffed a load of illegal lead weights in their boat and got caught). In addition to the 2 points it also cost them a quarter of a million dollars in fines - even so many reckon they got off lightly as they were hosting the event and may well have faced exclusion otherwise.

Anyway when the racing started the Kiwi team seemed unstoppable,  in the early races the US team couldn't get near them. Then they played their trump card - replacing one of the last remaining americans on their boat with our own Ben Ainsley. Within a couple of races they became almost unstoppable and rapidly closed the gap to the Kiwis, and then ultimately overhauling the Kiwis to retain the cup for the US.  It went right down to the wire though, both teams on 8 points with the first boat to 9 points taking the cup is about as close as it gets.

Ben was amazing. It can't be coincidence that he stepped on a boat that was hopelessly outclassed and within 2 races became almost unbeatable.  You have to feel for the Kiwi team though, 3 times they were miles ahead and it looked like the cup would be theirs, only to have the race stopped.  Twice when the wind momentarily exceeded the race limit and once when the race exceeded the 40 minute time limit - with only a few hundred metres to go! They may have lost the cup but they won the hearts of the world.

www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup  

Keel Boat October Lift-Out

Saturday 5th AM Lift - First Lift  06.30

• Heimdall
• Iola
• Clare lll
• Graealan
• Chloris
• Aquea Sulis
• Palamina
• Tigerlilly
• Merrywake
• Harriet
• Ella
• Myth
• Mars
• Buckeroo
• Yankee Folly
• M'Lady Jane
• Hullabaloo
• Peny-Y-Less
• Plovka
• Pimpernel

Saturday 5th PM Lift - First Lift  17.00

• The Hunter
• Windrush
• Sequal
• Tiptoe
• U-Beauty

Sunday 6th First Lift - 06.30

• Almada
• Spook
• Oxygen
• Scherzo
• Wild Affair
• Syrenka
• Trips East
• Larkspur
• Hobnob
• Varne l
• Wolfee
• Arriba
• Skua
• Alouette

Monday 7th First Lift - 07.00

• Mistress
• Quetzal
• Scorcher
• Blue Mist
• Silver Girl
• Pieces of 8
• Dreamer
• Deuce
• Negende

Notes: 

• All dependant on weather conditions on the day
  
• The lift order can be subject to change due to circumstances
  
• All boat owners must ensure that they present in time for the first lift
  

Please check with your boat insurance company to ensure that you have adequate cover for lifting purposes. This is not covered by the Club or the crane company

Autumn Lift-Out...

The keel boat lift-out this year will be Saturday 5th, Sunday 6th and Monday 7th October. The first lift will take place at 06.15 on Saturday so please ensure that you and your boat are ready. Cradles should be positioned in accordance with the plan (to be posted at clubhouse) and in good working order. Any specific tools required for adjustment must be to hand.

The boat list for each day will be posted at the club house and on the CCSC website shortly.

If you need to unstep your mast please make one of the lift team aware at the start of the lift or prior to this if possible.

Lift Team

Castle Cove weekend cruises...

A day cruise is being planned for Bank Holiday Monday 26 August, for Dinghys, Day boats and Keel boats to Durdle Dor or Lulworth.  We plan to leave Castle Cove at 10am with a fair tide.  

The weather forecast is good!  Imogen will accompany us as a mother ship/picnic stop.

Please e-mail Mike Conroy at  gossip@waytown.eclipse.co.uk to confirm your interest.

Date for your diary.

A keel boat cruise is planned for the weekend of 20/22 September to Swanage. Details to be settled at the Cruisers meeting on Friday 30th August at 7. 30 pm. Come along.

Last minute Regatta entries pegged at £60

In recognition that many boats have been unable to confirm crew availability with the new expanded Regatta format the last minute entry fee has been pegged at £60. 

So it's not too late to enter, come and join the fun!

• Wednesday 14th August in Portland Harbour at CCSC committee boat 18:45 first start

• Thursday 15th August in Weymouth Bay at WSC committee boat 18:45 first start.

• Friday 16th August, Long distance race for keelboats. One race around the cans for Squibs  12:00 first start

• Saturday 17th August Weymouth Bay, two races starting no earlier than 11:00. Around the inshore cans.

• Sunday 18th August Weymouth Bay One long race around the outer cans (Two around inshore cans for Squibs)

• Prize giving Sunday afternoon at WSC.

Enter here:

http://www.weymouthregatta.co.uk/events/enter/keelboats/class

Download Sailing instructions here: 

http://www.weymouthregatta.co.uk/sites/all/files/2013-KB-NOR.pdf

Note: When entering please ignore the reference to £90 on the entry form. You will only be billed £60.

Single Handed Race...

Last minute reminder that the annual Castle Cove Single Handed race takes place tomorrow (11th August) at 10:40. 

FERRY INFORMATION FOR REGATTA...

Ferry times - Regatta week

• Wednesday - normal hours

• Thursday - 17:00 till 17:45

• Friday - normal hours plus 10:30am till 11:00am  (note Bill Barker is ferrying as well as racing - it's not fair to expect him to be late for his start through his kindness so if you want the use the ferry be aware the last run will leave the pontoon at 11:15 sharp!)

• Saturday - normal hours

• Sunday - normal hours

Draig's Fastnet...

Kay & Kevin Stibbs are delighted to have qualified for the Fastnet Race 2013 with their team aboard Draig O’r Mor. This is the third time they will have entered the race on Draig. This year’s team  completed two qualifying races – The Myth of Malham and the De Guingand - to cover the 300 offshore racing miles in order to qualify for the race.

 Left to right: Helen Middleton-Stewart , Albert De Heer, Kay & Kevin, Robert Horton, Artur Skrzyszowski and Mickey Carter

The first qualifier (Myth) was from Cowes round Eddystone Rock (off Plymouth) and back to finish off Lymington. At 230 miles it took the team just short of 2 days – 1:23:17:05. This covers a fair amount of the Fastnet course itself and is a good trial of strategy through tidal gates and varied weather conditions.  The Fastnet team aboard –  Helen Middleton-Stewart , Albert De Heer (from the Netherlands), Kay & Kevin, Robert Horton, Artur Skrzyszowski (our guest from Poland) and Mickey Carter.  We tried a new watch system which worked well & meant less time on deck for each team during the wee hours. Light airs prevailed which is not exactly Draigy’s kind of thing so we were pleased with a respectable 14th out of 34 result. Other than that the race was unremarkable. Painfully slow at times searching for breeze. A beat to the rock & a spinnaker home. The wind freshened as we approached the Solent which was just as well as it is no fun outrunning the available breeze.
The second qualifying race was The Guingand, Cowes to Guernsey leaving Alderney, the Casquettes & Guernsey to Port. Not your most direct route! With the wind forecast to be 25 gusting 30 knots on the nose it was rather worrying to only be able to muster a team of 4. Kay, Kevin, Rob Horton & guest John Poyner. We were all experience sailors & knew how to sail a boat through tough conditions.  With an agenda of finishing the race at all costs in order to qualify for the Fastnet we left Cowes in idyllic conditions with a rather reachy start. Bang on the money we were first away and managed to hold that lead for at least half of the stretch to Hurst castle. ‘With Alacrity’ to leeward of us & ‘Mefisto’ to Port we were nip & tuck all the way. We did suffer from having our number 2 headsail up, without the weight of crew on the rail, but we were happy we had chosen the correct sail later on! The forecast was for a massive 30 degree wind shift at midnight and our plan was to head as far west as we could before tacking over on that wind shift  to a lay line for the West side of Guernsey. It was a great plan which if we had stuck to it would have worked magnificently.  Conditions were grim. Damp, slamming waves, on the nose, proper beat, water down the neck, 30 – 40 knot gusts, grim. Rorc website described it as a ‘Wild Ride to Guernsey’ and many boats retired through the night. Shortening sail, both reefing the main & changing down to a number 4, made it slightly more bearable. It was one of those moments when you ask yourself ‘Why?’ Late in the evening we experience a small unpredicted shift which made us doubt that a 30 degree shift would actually manifest. It’s a brave man who sails away from their destination on the basis of a forecast. We stayed high which meant that as we tacked on the big shift (which did turn up as forecast), we were a little short of clearing Guernsey. It was an agonising 35 minute tack straight into the Atlantic rollers off the back of the Island but Draig took it well. Interestingly we were neck & neck with a Figaro II at the Windward mark on the SW corner of Guernsey. Once we all bore away & shook out our reefs they took off like a rocket. We gave pursuit and made good time at the Finish and were delighted to have finished 5th in class, 32 minutes behind the winning boat ‘Mefisto’. Absolutely shattered we hit our bunks then a welcome meal ashore. Frustratingly we motored most of the way back to Weymouth the next day through lack of wind.

The Fastnet Crew 2013 are Kay & Kevin Stibbs, Mickey Carter, Albert De Heer, Robert Horton, Nix Middleton-Stewart & Richard Veale. We have a core of 3 who completed the 2009 race – Kay Kevin and Mickey. Albert & Helen joined us in 2011. Albert with us again this time but sadly, although Helen completed the Myth, she has since had to pull out. Her daughter Nix has proved a ready substitute. Although she has not sailed on Draig before she has sailed offshore with Kevin on another boat. Rob Horton has sailed with us for many years but this is his first offshore season with us. He completed all the qualifying races. Richard is a keen offshore sailor on his own boats and has jumped aboard when he realised we needed extra crew. A strong crew indeed & we have great hopes for a good result. Fingers crossed for strong winds which are Draigy’s preferred conditions.

The Last Last Supper.

If you are around at all on the evening of Friday 9th August please come to Castle Cove Sailing Club & give the Fastnet team a good send off. Bring your own BBQ or we will send out for a takaway if the weather is awful. As always we hope to raise money for Sail 4 Cancer and there will be a donation pot available on the night. If you intend to watch our progress please think about giving a little back. You can donate online here:- 

http://www.sail4cancer.org/draig-fastnet-2013

Even just £1 would be great if everyone who showed an interest donated.

We leave Weymouth in the wee hours of Saturday morning for Cowes to get all our last minute registration and race preparation in order. Our Race start is at 12:30 Sunday. You will get a grandstand view of the fleet passing Portland Bill in the afternoon/evening. You can follow our progress on the Race tracker ( we all carry tracking devices) on the RORC fastnet site http://fastnet.rorc.org/blog/race-information/tracking/index.html

Castle Cup this Sunday (3rd August)...

Don't forget the Castle Cup races this Sunday. There'll be two races, back to back and as they're part of the double handed series lack of crew is no excuse. Nice forecast too!

Unrelated quote of the day...

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else"

Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)