Cadet October Training 2017

Over the course of three Saturdays in October, 37 boats took part in the Frensham Pond Cadet October Training series. This year we were fortunate to be sponsored by dinghy-rope.co.uk who provided a generous collection of prizes.

Sailors were split into Gold, Silver and New Helm fleets and coached by Ben Hazeldine, Lucy Terkeslon, Sam Barr and George Bridge in a range of conditions. The numerous home fleet was joined by visitors from South Cerney, Pevensey Bay and Fishers Green. It was great to see so many boats (11) entering the New Helm category.

The first weekend (7 October) saw the windiest conditions of the series and provided quite a challenge for the New Helms. They sailed in the more protected water by the clubhouse and provided excellent entertainment for the parents watching from the patio. Sam Barr deserves particular praise for successfully coaching such a mixed ability group.

Racing in the Gold and Silver fleets was tight at the top. After two races, Sam and Ben Goult, crewed by the McEwan siblings, were tied on four points each. A win in the final race for either of them would secure the Silver fleet trophy. In the Gold fleet there were at least three in strong contention for the title. The first two races had been won by Charlotte Videlo/ Tom Shepherd and Amy Goult/ Zac Hardie with Rosie Targett/ Sofia Sfaxi posting consistent results. Again, a win in the final race was needed.

With a 10knot SW breeze the Gold and Silver fleets set off on the club course, with a short tricky beat. Toby Slump and Will Shepherd, trying something different, had a crack at a port hand flyer. Sadly they were a little late and ended up having to duck most of the fleet. Meanwhile Amy had the better of the starts leaving Charlotte having to tack multiple times and play the shifts up to the first mark.

Charlotte/Tom were first around the windward mark closely followed by Rosie/ Sophia, Amy/Zac and Emily Speirs/Rosie Voyantzis. All four boats were bunched as they headed off down the length of the Pond. Charlotte and Tom eked out a slender lead by the leeward mark but Rosie and Sophia kept on their tail for the rest of the lap. The second long beat was decisive with Charlotte pulling out a commanding lead. Rosie/Sophia finished second ahead of Emily and Rosie with Amy/ Zac in fourth.

Overall, this meant Charlotte and Tom won the event with two bullets; Amy & Zac were second from Rosie and Sophia.

Overall Results:

Frensham Pond Sailing Club Enterprise Open 2017

Frensham Pond Sailing Club Enterprise Open  2017 – 8^th October

The penultimate SE Area Enterprise meeting on 8^th October saw an increased fleet consisting of 4 visitors and 9 home boats sharing the water with a similar number of GP14s.

The forecast for 8 gusting 14 had disappointingly dropped by the morning to 6 gusting 8 NW which caused the race officer, Hugh Marston, to reschedule for 2 races before lunch in case the wind died in the afternoon.   

As it happened the wind lasted to allow one race to be completed in the afternoon.

In the first race Megan and Karen Ferguson had a good start and set off showing others the way.   However on the last lap, when finding some awkward conditions at the windward mark, were caught and overtaken by David Beaney and Alison White, who then stayed ahead.   Martin Davies and Rebecca Bradley, whilst hot on their heels ensured there was no time to relax, finally took 3^rd place, with Alan and Barbara Dance 4^th.

Race 2 turned out to become rather 2 separate races after a small group benefited from new wind on the port side of the course and broke away,  remaining separate to the end.  Unfortunately the varying wind allowed the lead GP14s to overcome the 5 minute handicap and catch the latter fleet.  The lead group was led very much from the outset by Alan and Barbara Dance.   David Beaney had vaulted from the back group to the lead group on the first run and slowly picked off the boats in the lead group, but Alan and Barbara held steady to win with David settling for second, Martin Davies 3^rd again and Megan Ferguson in 4^th place.

Race 3 went ahead after lunch with a less strong but workable wind.   Things were nicely poised with Megan Ferguson able to win the open meeting on tie break if she could get a win in the final race.    Round the first mark Megan lead closely chased by David Beaney.     No sooner had David grasped the lead than the fickle wind allowed Megan to retake it or Martin to overtake again, and half way through the race the rest of the fleet caught up with almost all boats within 50 yards at one point.  Experience did show, and with Alison focussed intently on tending the jib and David seeking everything from the wind, they secured first place, leaving Megan Ferguson 2^nd, with Martin Davies coming in 3^rd again.

Alan Dance did not enter the 3^rd race, deciding to rest on their 2^nd race win, leaving 4^th position open for home boat Nick Carr and Kaz Kawamura.

David Beaney and Alison White's speed in variable conditions gave them the Frensham Packard Cup.    On the water the racing was much closer than the final results might indicate.   Megan Ferguson was competing in her first Enterprise open meeting, having only raced an Enterprise once before and was using the Frensham club hire boat, but as a graduate of the Cadet youth squad she is no novice to competitive racing.    If there was a prize for consistency it would have gone to Martin Davies with 3^rd in each race but unfortunately that was not enough to give him 3^rd place overall.    

After the race all were happy to chat in the clubhouse over convivial tea and cakes with the prize giving by the Commodore, Colin Dutton.

2017 Frensham Pond GP14 Open Meeting Report

Frensham Pond Sailing Club

GP14 Open Meeting

Sunday 8^th October

Fifteen GPs, including four visitors, turned up at Frensham Pond Sailing Club for the final race of the GP14 Southern Travellers and were met by a pleasant day with light winds. The Race Officer, having consulted with the fleet captains (GP14 and Enterprise), switched the race format with two races back to back in the morning to take best advantage of the light and variable winds which were varying from NE to NW with a westerly making itself felt on the odd beat.

Andy Todd and John Denyer (Frensham) led up the first beat and were soon joined by Keith Street and crew (Welsh Harp), Richard Ham/Steve Browne (Tollesbury/Leigh) and Brian and Daniel Taylor (Frensham). After various position changes the Taylors took the gun from Keith Street with third going to Ham/Browne and Ward/Whitehill (Papercourt) pipping Todd/Denyer for fourth.

The second race was sailed in a slightly stronger breeze and was led up the first beat by Innes/Spillan-Orr (Frensham) closely followed by Taylor/Taylor and Ward/Whitehill. The front three got away from the fleet with Ward/Whitehill winning from Taylor/Taylor and Innes/Sillan-Orr in third.

After an excellent lunch the Race Officer changed back to the original course and got the fleet away for a slightly unexpected third race in a dying breeze. This was won by Ham/Browne but Taylor/Taylor took trophy with Ham/Browne second overall and Ward/Whitehill taking third on countback from Street in fourth.

Andy Todd (Frensham) won the Hulse Cup as the highest placed Frensham helm after Brian Taylor who won the Hook Trophy.

This Open Meeting concluded the 2017 GP14 travellers’ series which includes open meetings on the sea, estuaries, inland lakes and rivers, with events from Tollesbury on the east coast to Poole Harbour in the west. Nine travellers qualified for the series and the top results are as follows:

1^st        Richard Ham and Steve Browne          Tollesbury SC/Leigh on Sea SC

2^nd       James Ward and Richard Whitehill       Papercourt SC 

3^rd        Maciej and Joanna Matyjaszczuk         Welsh Harp SC

4^th        Roger Walton and Helen Allen            Welsh Harp SC

The Jaldi Cup was introduced some years ago to encourage new travellers and this has been won this year by Ed Coyne and Szymon Matyjaszczuk from Welsh Harp SC.

A big thank you to everyone who helped to make the day a great success, including the Enterprise fleet who always add a splash of colour to the pond.

D Innes