Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club Saturday Series - Day 4
by Simon Scammell 23 Jun 2014 15:47 BST
21 June 2014
Saturday saw the sun rise with not only his hat on, but his overcoat and umbrella left behind at home. The prospect of a classic champagne day's sailing at Felixstowe Ferry loomed very large.
A solid gradient wind of 10 knots and with the sun helping to build up ickle fluffy clouds saw the teams arrive with the prospect of a solid sea breeze.
After the youth squad boats came ashore for lunch and refreshments the club boats began rigging for what looked like a champagne day at the ferry. Due to technical reasons the O.D abandoned racing just before the fleet was due to lunch.
With no safety cover many teams decided to call it a day, however the B14 team of Simon Scammell / Chris Jones (or is that Jones / Scammell after a nifty change of helm) and the Laser 2000 team of Nick Swain / Mark Swain launched in time for a drag race out to sea. Two of the teams failed to make it back to the starting area, Deben buoy hanging around the entrance left it too late to make the start and Woodbridge Haven making the school boy error of not watching the time.
Team Scammell / Jones soon realised that the time spent rigging wasn't enough and shortly put ashore to re-rig the big asymmetric whilst Swain / Swain set of like a hare (well as much like a hare as a 2000 gets).
Swain / Swain led the 14 out of the river and made the turn at Haven first with the big red kite of Scammell / Jones gaining fast. Shortly before passing the 2000, the pole on the B14 shattered leading to some new sailing terms being generated on board the B14.
Swain and Swain carried on serenely horizoning Jones / Scammell who eventually got the pole working enough to allow the kite to go up again.
Fluky conditions inshore let team Jones / Scammell catch up to the Swain(s) just as the sea breeze kicked in for the blast in.
Jones / Scammell led into the Deben bar finding themselves caught up amongst the cruisers making their way in through the narrow channel, a Beneteau 40 tried closing Jones / Scammell out at the green entrance buoy only for Jones to catch a gust and squeeze them though.
Team Jones/ Scammell took line honours with Swain & Swain closing fast. Race 8 was not sailed.
That wasn't the end of the sailing as Simon took Nick for a blast in the B14 topping out at 14.8 knots!
With the latest results the series is still wide open with the discards kicking in after next month's racing anyone can win. The next race takes place on Saturday 19th July 1430hrs (club line start).
Would-Be Results:
1st Apathy
2nd Nick Swain / Mark Swain
3rd Chris Jones / Simon Scammell
DNC Woodbridge Haven
DNF Deben Bar