Easter 2009

[Michael]

Easter Programme

Doug & Chris Gorton are manning the Rescue Boat this weekend, thanks.

Good Friday - High Water 1236 hours; 9.5 metres

The official opening of the Cruiser Season with the Shakedown Cruise to Piel Island. Aurora, The Other Woman, Hound Dog and Rice Pudding have already launched and the bigger two have already been to Piel. Hound Dog was going to Whitehaven last weekend?

For the Dinghies and Small Cruisers that don't wish to go to Piel there is the Millennium Bridge Race starting at 1130 hours. This is a race to the Maritime Museum, just short of the Millennium Bridge, at Lancaster and back through the transit line at the Club opposite the OOD Box. It is unlikely that we will have an Officer of the Day so start your watches as you leave the apron, go under one arch of the Carlisle Railway Bridge at Lancaster and come back through a different one, keep to the south two arches and time yourself as you pass through the transit line on the way back. Give your times to me when you come out of the water.

This is a light hearted fun race!! Just join in and cruise there and back if you don't feel inclined to race.

Small Cruisers who would like to stay in the river over Easter can pick up a mooring on the north shore.

Easter Saturday - High Water 1312 hours; 9.4 metres

Dinghies & Cruisers There is a Lighthouse race scheduled but for the smaller boats this obviously depends upon the weather - too early to forecast accurately as it is very changeable at the moment.

The start will be sometime around 1200 hours and again this can be regarded as a "Cruise in Company" by those who wish, if not all of you.

Easter Sunday - - High Water 1346 hours; 9.1 metres

Dinghies - The Carlsberg Trophy Races - two races, both to count. The races also count towards the Spring Series Trophy.. First race starts at 1245 hours.

Cruiser Race Round the Lighthouse if you wish, start about 1315 hours.

Easter Monday - High Water 1420 hours; 8.8 metres

Dighies and Cruisers - Lighthouse race start around 1320 hours.

The Easter Saturday & Easter Monday schedule can be amended to suit the participants and weather.

[Michael]

Good Friday was dull and the wind died away to almost nothing. Nine boats took part in the Millennium Bridge Race, eight Club boats and one visitor. The wind was so light with the last leg from Snatchem's to Lancaster shimmering like a mirror we shortened the race to Snatchem's where we turned round as the pub steps lined up.

The visitors probably won, Mark and Frank Bamber in a GP14! However they left without leaving a time so John & Jack Broadhead were declared winners with a new member in a Laser second. For the full results and entrants go to :
http://picasaweb.google.com/susadort/Mi ... 9418690866

It should actually come up in the message but for some reason I can't make it?


It was Michael Gill's first race and he was by no means last.

I don't think anyone left for Piel. Some had planned to but they are delaying their departure till Saturday.

Saturday was a glorius day, warm sunshine and a perfect breeze - better than forecast, perhaps there was a sea breeze?

Only three dinghies took part in the Lighthouse race: John Broadhead, Enterprise, again winning; Steve Tomkinson, Mirror, second and a good third Peter and Leslet Booth in their GP14.

Jaja & Michael were out in Jaja's Mirror and Michael (Gill) was out in his West Eleven - venturing out as far as Crook Perch where the racers encouraged him to turn back.

As Jeff would say "You all missed a great day on the water."

Rice Pudding and The Other Woman and several others, probably including Jet Wind left for Piel.

Moonshine launched. There was activity round Perriwinkle, Penny Diamond, Pebbles, Shona and Drumlin. John was working on Curlew and Glen was working hard on Billy Ruffian.

Mant thanks to Doug & Chris Gorton who have manned the Rescue Boat on both days.

There were two significant birthdays today: David Booth and Kathleen Topping, both made it to 60 and are on the way to collect their bus passes next week. Kathleen and Family went to Liverpool for the day and David is on a canal cruise with his daughter and family in the midlands.

Alan cut the grass again so don't forget to come up soon and mow round your dinghies.

[Michael]

Sunday was even better than Saturday, glorious weather and a perfect sea breeze from the west, F2 for the first race and up to F3 for a short while during the second race.

Today was the first Trophy race of the season - The Carlsberg Trophy. Eight dinghies raced! plus a ninth - Daniel in the Johnson's Solo.

Sail No. - Type/Class - Helm - Crew
757 - Blaze - Nick Miller
694 - RS400 - Martin Topping & Samantha Topping
12673 - Enterprise - John Broadhead
48234 - Laser - Martyn Browitt
35606 - West Eleven - Michael Gill
19663 - Topper - Rebecca Sharples
326 - Comet Verso - Anne Bourner & Paul Cassidy
3134 - GP14 - Martin Lord
1949 - Solo - Daniel Johnson

The course was the same for both races: Line; Bs; (Curlew's Mooring)p; Hp; Fs (F is where T should be); Line x 3 laps for the first race and four laps for the second race.

In both races Martin & Sammy shot into the lead closely followed by Nick then John then Martyn.

After corrected time the overall results were:

Winner - Nick
2nd - Martin & Sammy
3rd - John
4th - Martyn
5th - Anne
6th - Michael
7th - Martin (GP)
8th - Beccy

As this was also the second day of the Spring Series points were gained for that making John Broadhead, Penny Diamond II , the leader with 41 points closely followed by Nick with 37 points.

Rice Pudding and The Other Woman returned from Piel as did several others.

I'll put some phots on Picasa

[Michael]

Photographs, as promised with slides of the Carlsberg results and the latest standings in the Lighthouse Series and the Spring Series.

http://picasaweb.google.com/susadort/Th ... ailingClub#

[Michael]

Monday

Still some sunshine and warmth!

Eight boats raced round the lighthouse setting off in a light breeze. Once we got out to the lighthouse the wind all but dropped and the smaller boats were forced to retire, two chose to turn back before they reached the lighthouse. They were faced with the choice of drifting out with the tide or receiving help from the Rescue Boat, again manned by Doug and Paul willingly taking Chris' place - we might not get him into a sailing boat now!

I was on the Dart so was the first round the lighthouse and still had a few minutes of tide to help me start on the way back. For some reason Ian & Barbara thought they were off to Piel!

Just past Crook Perch the wind picked up for me but there appeared to be no wind at all at the lighthouse. The wind seemed to strengthen and the Dart was flying along with me desperately trying to find out how to slow it down. I kept moving aft until all of a sudden I was in the water clinging on to the mainsheet. Needless to say the Dart sort of pitchpoled and ended up on its side. After what seemed a long exhausting time I managed to get it up again but by now Owen had passed me and Giles & Kate were about to. Fortunately for me, Alison, Paul and family sailed around me until I got the thing upright. No one else noticed that I was in the water, at the time of 'entry' they were all round the lighthouse so I was more or less out of sight. Well I've managed to get the Dart back up again and to get back on it so I'm pleased about that but I'm not sure what happened so I'm more than apprehensive about sailing the thing until I can find out how to slow it down or preferrably be confident enough to go with it?

On corrected time Giles was the winner.

Result:

1st - Giles & Kate - Wayfarer - 64' 14" - 17 points
2nd - Owen - GP14 - 68' 00" - 14 points
3rd - Ian & Barbara - GP14 - 73' 53" - 12 points
4th - Michael S - Dart 15 - 69' 45" - 10 points
RTD - Chris - Mirror - 5 points
RTD - Rebecca - Topper - 5 points
RTD - Michael G & Jessica - West Eleven - 5 points
RTD - Alison, Paul & Family - Dabber - 5 points

Big John was on his way to Conwy.

Norman and Lawrence were covered in woad. What had they been up to?

There will be some of us around tomorrow.

[John]

It should actually come up in the message but for some reason I can't make it?

You won't be able to link to images in Picasa Web Albums. (At least I've never managed to do it.) You could try putting the images onto e.g. Flickr or Photobucket, from where you can link.

[Michael]

Thanks John

[Lopud]

What do you mean strange craft ? Strange crew maybe !!!!!

Martin & Sammy, eventually second overall, leading a strange craft

[Lopud]

It has linked OK for me from Picasa. Right clicked on image - click on "copy image url" - then back here on the forum click the Img tab - then paste inbetween the [IMG] [/IMG} tabs.

[John]

Yes, I've just tried it, and it worked for me too. Links from web albums used not to work.

I think I know what the problem could be: if you copy the image address from the address window, it looks something like

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/............

This does not work as an image link.


If you right click and select "copy image url", it looks something like

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_I1jpvDEfBug/RlL18Gn_q3I/...........

This does work as an image link.

[dr.syn]

I see from the first posting Aurora launched on Friday. I hope she was put back again in the proper position. It's a bit worrying seeing I was down in Kent at the time.

[Michael]

Hi Dr. Syn, I meant that Aurora had already been in this season, prior to the official shake-down cruise, not on Good Friday - sorry to have got you worried, love, Michael

[Michael]

We were up again today but the sun didn't shine and the wind was sort of too flukey to let Jaja and Ethan out on their own.

Jaja & Ethan


The three of us


A Black Swan arrived today:


Monday's Results


I've done just the same as usual and the photos have come out this time?