OGA 'Swamazons' event at Walton and Frinton Yacht Club
by Sue Lewis 7 Jul 2015 14:05 BST
4 July 2015
"Best weather ever!" was the conclusion reached by participants in last weekend's 'Swallows and Amazons' sailing event at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex. Organised by the OGA, the Association for gaff rig sailing, this weekend event attracted 23 entrants including visitors from Kent, Suffolk and Norfolk.
Boats arrived on trailers and their crews camped nearby, surviving a spectacular electric storm and heavy downpours overnight on Friday to enjoy a glorious sunny Saturday on the water with a good fresh breeze to make the race interesting.
20 boats completed the course, circumnavigating Horsey Island under sail as characters did in Arthur Ransome's famous children's sailing books after which the event is named, to finish right outside the club house of the hosts: Walton & Frinton Yacht Club.
This course is attempted every year at this event but often has to be shortened to get the boats home before the tide ebbs. Once the water's gone Horsey Island is no longer an island as readers of Arthur Ransome's Secret Water will well know.
The fleet comprising 11 traditional East Coast Smack Boats and 12 others including an OGA Trailer Section member from Deal in Kent with "Guillemot" and a Tideway 14 "Horta" from North Norfolk were supported by well co-ordinated support crews and vessels from W&FYC as well as OGA members' motor boats.
One club member, Eric Perks, who had just re-launched his 1950s lug rigged Swallow called "Skylark" lent her to a youth crew of Eden and Ruby Lovesee-Clarke and Harry Triffitt.
Moray McPhail of Classic Marine, Woodbridge, sponsored the "fun and games" in the afternoon, entertaining younger members with a challenge to build a car powered by elastic bands and then entertaining all with his quirky prizes and witty reporting of the results.
The fleet was divided into a few different classes.
Results in order of corrected time:
1st overall and 1st New Classic "White Diamond"
1st Smacks Boat and 2nd overall "Neva"
1st Spirit of Tradition and 3rd overall "Montmorency"
4th overall "Hellovathing"
The event had been due to continue on Sunday but that triumphant "Best weather ever!" cry on Saturday brought on heavy rain for Sunday and no wind, so members gradually recovered their boats and headed home to dry out.