Eggstreme waves melt Easter sailing hopes
Bexhill Sailing Club always hosts a fabulous Easter weekend, with the added benefit of catering provided by Jo and Dini Adams, whose bacon baps are to die for! Six races were planned over Good Friday to Easter Sunday, and members spent time chatting to lovely passers-by on the Bexhill promenade.
Sadly none of those planned races could be sailed due to high winds with large swell and surf. However, all came good on Easter Monday, thanks to the quick thinking of Vice Commodore Malcolm Brookes. The power boat (RIB) refresher course on Easter Monday was turned into a racing opportunity for the keenest of sailors. It was also an opportunity to see if our new SailRace.app timekeeping system could be handled by the Race Officer without a Timekeeper. Success!!
There were 2 races, which were both sailed as 1 fleet with 1 start in a Bft3-4 south EASTERly wind. The first buoy marker was relatively close to the starting line causing some jockeying to get around it. After that was clear water, some sailors choosing to stay on starboard tack in the shallows before heading out to sea for to the 2nd buoy on port tack, some heading out to sea on port tack so they would approach the 2nd buoy on starboard, or just heading out to sea towards the 3rd buoy because they misread the course (you know who you are!).
Sailing as one fleet produced an interesting set of race results. Race 1 saw Richard Eagleton, sailing solo in his Europe dinghy, coming first ahead of his Firefly crew Cristina Terrazas who sailed her Comet Xtra. Third place went to Sam Coffey in his Laser (full rig). Race 2 saw Richard fall back into 3rd, Cristina maintaining her 2nd place and Colin Coard (Laser full rig) beating them both, taking 1st. The way the scoring works means that although Richard and Cristina have equal points after the 2 races, Richard wins overall, Cristina 2nd. I'd love to be a fly on the mast in the Eagleton/Terrazas Firefly next weekend! Colin Coard and Sam Coffey were 3rd and 4th overall respectively. All entrants received an Easter Egg prize, afterall, it was Easter!
Club members get the opportunity of attaining the RYA's Power Boat Level 2 qualification. This qualifies those members to Cox the Club's safety boats. Easter Monday's refresher course was very well attended by members who wanted a reminder of launching, driving and landing the power boat, and also practicing what safety boat duty entails. This training session also facilitated the 2 races, for which the sailors were very thankful. Laying and collecting course marker buoys, attending a capsize generously provided by Peter Bennett in a Laser, attending a dinghy where helm Rachel Wynn (Comet Xtra) was bailing water, all real situations that would occur on a Club race day.
The Saturday Evening Series commences on 11th April at 6pm. No race on Sunday 12th due to tide times. But it is time to apply for the last remaining places on this year's Learn To Sail course for adults. The induction day is Saturday 25th April. The course will be run on Saturdays, starting on 30th May for 10 consecutive weeks, ending on Saturday 1st August. The start times will vary, with some morning sessions and some afternoon sessions, to suit the tide on that particular day. More details at https://bexhillsailing.club/learn-2-sail We look forward to welcoming you to our Club.