FOOTY RACING 2013
Footy Fleet Captain - Mark Litherland.
Footy Fleet Captain - Mark Litherland.
Footy racing 22nd October
The final race of the "summer" season produced results more or less to form.Graham dominant, with the two Marks in hot pursuit. (Mark Unitt the most improved sailor this season?) Sailing conditions not great, with a light variable southerly wind making it difficult to set an ideal course on our lake. The rain held off until tea break, (galley work again thanks to John Meredith and Peter Hartley) but returned with a vengeance during the final race. Some competitors cowering under the boat house shelter but Peter Henderson only managed to fend off some of the rain with his fancy umbrella and Sid's help.
Thanks to race officials Graham Saunders and Clive Hartland and scorer Harry Butler.
The final race of the "summer" season produced results more or less to form.Graham dominant, with the two Marks in hot pursuit. (Mark Unitt the most improved sailor this season?) Sailing conditions not great, with a light variable southerly wind making it difficult to set an ideal course on our lake. The rain held off until tea break, (galley work again thanks to John Meredith and Peter Hartley) but returned with a vengeance during the final race. Some competitors cowering under the boat house shelter but Peter Henderson only managed to fend off some of the rain with his fancy umbrella and Sid's help.
Thanks to race officials Graham Saunders and Clive Hartland and scorer Harry Butler.
Footy racing 27th August 2013
Better than forecast NE-NW winds greeted 8 competitors.
Graham Tite sailed very consistently although Sid made it quite close in the end.
Mark Unitt managed to beat his Dad (Roger) for the first time this year - well done.
Ron Hall, sailing his first competitive Footy race, managed to hold his own, and probably learned a lot.
Thanks to Graham Saunders OOD, keeping all under control, Robin Webb "on the line", and Ian Apps and John Meredith in the catering department.
Better than forecast NE-NW winds greeted 8 competitors.
Graham Tite sailed very consistently although Sid made it quite close in the end.
Mark Unitt managed to beat his Dad (Roger) for the first time this year - well done.
Ron Hall, sailing his first competitive Footy race, managed to hold his own, and probably learned a lot.
Thanks to Graham Saunders OOD, keeping all under control, Robin Webb "on the line", and Ian Apps and John Meredith in the catering department.
BMYC Footy Open
The 27th July saw the running of the 2013 BMYC Footy open event. A beautiful day greeted us as we assembled at the lake side and it was sunshine all day with the predicted rain nowhere to be seen.
Zero wind early on made setting out the course tricky but we managed to guess correctly and when the wind (what there was of it ) came we found that we had a reasonable Port rounding flattened triangle. I think that we were a bit optimistic in regard to the size of the course, the race officer declaring one lap races, to be extended if the wind filled in. This did not happen.
In all 11 competitors took part and racing was very close throughout the fleet.
Brian Morris had a lot of radio problems which had him take to a canoe to rescue his boat a couple of times. He finished 11th.
Boat 31 was shared by John Meredith, 10th place, (he retired after race 4 otherwise I am sure he would have finished higher) and Peter Henderson who took over from race 5 and sailed well to 8th place. Their scores were calculated individually inserting DNS on the score card where appropriate.
Robin Webb came ninth, a very creditable performance being as this was first ever Footy event having only sailed a borrowed boat on a couple of occasions previously.
Nigel Rudd a first time visitor to BMYC found the conditions tricky but a 2nd place in race 7 showed he had the potential to feature higher in the fleet than his eventual 7th overall.
Securing 6th place was Allan Coleman, another first time Open event competitor who was hampered by insufficient sail area for the conditions but very good effort as it’s a big step up from our six race club series races to 16.
Sid Sims has made a big step forward in performance, he now seems to have a balanced boat and scored 6 top three positions including one win, well done.
Peter Jackson sailed well but things did just not seem to click as they do for this normally very strong front runner. He scored one win but a coming together with Nigel forced a retirement for race 12.
The top three :-
Graham Tite secured 3rd place with a workmanlike but not sparkling performance, while threatening to win on several occasions didn’t manage it once giving the lead away on the short last leg run to the line. He worked it out for the last few races and turned the tables on others and this made it possible to pip PJ by 2 points.
Second place 4 points ahead was David Wilkinson. A very steady performance with 2 race wins and no finishes lower than 5th as to be expected from this regular competitor on the Open Footy circuit.
Peter Shepherd was on excellent form scoring 12 wins to card an overall score of 14 points from 16 races. He mastered the conditions in great style and is the target that we all need to aim for. I heard him comment that it was due to the toothbrush motor and lipo hidden in the boat, perhaps we should scrutinise his boat a little more closely (only joking). Very good performance, well done Peter.
So that was it. A great days sailing with a good group of friends in the sunshine. What more could you ask for?
The BMYC race team.
Results below.
The 27th July saw the running of the 2013 BMYC Footy open event. A beautiful day greeted us as we assembled at the lake side and it was sunshine all day with the predicted rain nowhere to be seen.
Zero wind early on made setting out the course tricky but we managed to guess correctly and when the wind (what there was of it ) came we found that we had a reasonable Port rounding flattened triangle. I think that we were a bit optimistic in regard to the size of the course, the race officer declaring one lap races, to be extended if the wind filled in. This did not happen.
In all 11 competitors took part and racing was very close throughout the fleet.
Brian Morris had a lot of radio problems which had him take to a canoe to rescue his boat a couple of times. He finished 11th.
Boat 31 was shared by John Meredith, 10th place, (he retired after race 4 otherwise I am sure he would have finished higher) and Peter Henderson who took over from race 5 and sailed well to 8th place. Their scores were calculated individually inserting DNS on the score card where appropriate.
Robin Webb came ninth, a very creditable performance being as this was first ever Footy event having only sailed a borrowed boat on a couple of occasions previously.
Nigel Rudd a first time visitor to BMYC found the conditions tricky but a 2nd place in race 7 showed he had the potential to feature higher in the fleet than his eventual 7th overall.
Securing 6th place was Allan Coleman, another first time Open event competitor who was hampered by insufficient sail area for the conditions but very good effort as it’s a big step up from our six race club series races to 16.
Sid Sims has made a big step forward in performance, he now seems to have a balanced boat and scored 6 top three positions including one win, well done.
Peter Jackson sailed well but things did just not seem to click as they do for this normally very strong front runner. He scored one win but a coming together with Nigel forced a retirement for race 12.
The top three :-
Graham Tite secured 3rd place with a workmanlike but not sparkling performance, while threatening to win on several occasions didn’t manage it once giving the lead away on the short last leg run to the line. He worked it out for the last few races and turned the tables on others and this made it possible to pip PJ by 2 points.
Second place 4 points ahead was David Wilkinson. A very steady performance with 2 race wins and no finishes lower than 5th as to be expected from this regular competitor on the Open Footy circuit.
Peter Shepherd was on excellent form scoring 12 wins to card an overall score of 14 points from 16 races. He mastered the conditions in great style and is the target that we all need to aim for. I heard him comment that it was due to the toothbrush motor and lipo hidden in the boat, perhaps we should scrutinise his boat a little more closely (only joking). Very good performance, well done Peter.
So that was it. A great days sailing with a good group of friends in the sunshine. What more could you ask for?
The BMYC race team.
Results below.
An enjoyable if slightly frustrating afternoon's racing due to light and shifting SE-SW winds.
Graham on good form again. Roger, sailing left stick, but now free of supports and with increasing movement in his right fingers, getting better all the time.
Close racing in the middle of the field but Dave Peters struggled with rig balance.
Peter (314) "had a little help from his friends" in race 3 with Robin Webb in second and in race 6 with John Meredith sailing to an impressive and clear first. John obviously still remembers how to do it in spite of a run of bad luck with mechanical failures recently.
Thanks to birthday boy Allan Coleman for the tea break cake.
Couple of pictures here
Graham on good form again. Roger, sailing left stick, but now free of supports and with increasing movement in his right fingers, getting better all the time.
Close racing in the middle of the field but Dave Peters struggled with rig balance.
Peter (314) "had a little help from his friends" in race 3 with Robin Webb in second and in race 6 with John Meredith sailing to an impressive and clear first. John obviously still remembers how to do it in spite of a run of bad luck with mechanical failures recently.
Thanks to birthday boy Allan Coleman for the tea break cake.
Couple of pictures here
Pictures of the day here

Here are some comments from an interested observer:-
Powell's Pool looked like Cowes at times, pictures show some spectacular manoeuvring at the start of every race.
Graham led with his 'posh' unarig sail most of the time turning the tables on our keen visitors with their swing rigs. Roger also had some good early results.
John Merediths 'ice breaker' design sails proved their worth on several boats in today's strong breeze from the south, we all enjoyed the sun!
Peter Shepherd sailed Sid's spare 1299 when he suffered an Ice dismast in the fresh breeze and performed well with his swing rig.
Peter Jackson gave us a spectacular last race when he found "the correct angles" could have been something to do with cake once again from the Webb kitchen.. thanks. (PJH)
Powell's Pool looked like Cowes at times, pictures show some spectacular manoeuvring at the start of every race.
Graham led with his 'posh' unarig sail most of the time turning the tables on our keen visitors with their swing rigs. Roger also had some good early results.
John Merediths 'ice breaker' design sails proved their worth on several boats in today's strong breeze from the south, we all enjoyed the sun!
Peter Shepherd sailed Sid's spare 1299 when he suffered an Ice dismast in the fresh breeze and performed well with his swing rig.
Peter Jackson gave us a spectacular last race when he found "the correct angles" could have been something to do with cake once again from the Webb kitchen.. thanks. (PJH)
2012 season final results
If an event has to be abandoned it will be rescheduled to the next free Tuesday.
Eight events in the calendar for each class, best six to count for series result.
I would like to keep up the quality of the racing and have everyone do their best to hold to the standard racing rules. Help and advice will be available to all, if you are unsure please ask.
I think that’s all for now, don’t forget this is YOUR club if you have any issues/improvements to the way we operate them please communicate them to myself or any of the committee members and we will do our best to resolve/act on them for you
Graham Tite - Racing Secretary
Eight events in the calendar for each class, best six to count for series result.
I would like to keep up the quality of the racing and have everyone do their best to hold to the standard racing rules. Help and advice will be available to all, if you are unsure please ask.
I think that’s all for now, don’t forget this is YOUR club if you have any issues/improvements to the way we operate them please communicate them to myself or any of the committee members and we will do our best to resolve/act on them for you
Graham Tite - Racing Secretary