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Club News - June

Report on the Wanderer Open at WYC

Posted: Tuesday, 29 June , 2021

The Wanderer Open was sailed at WYC on Saturday 26th June, with 8 boats competing for the Gavin Barr Trophy. A day forecast for a gentle breeze gave us more than three hours of 10-15 knots, higher than expected with wind against tide. By the time of the first race at 2 pm the morning’s gentle breeze had freshened to a north-easterly F4 gusting F5. It stayed that way for much of the afternoon. Races were a blast around the buoys, pretty well on the brink of sailing, though helped by surfing the rollers downwind and by the flow of the outgoing tide for the beats. The morning’s calm did not return until the boats came ashore.
On the water the Wanderers were honoured by the club’s award of first race signal to the W class flag. Just a shame, as Race Officer John Boorman later commented, that no photos could be taken to show some impressive fleet starts. The strengthening wind did not deter use of spinnakers by the leading boats, others sailing the run as two broad reaches. Fast recovery from capsize was also demonstrated sequentially by each of the front three boats, while just two boats managed all three races without a swim. Conditions certainly made the Whitstable Open a challenge, quite exhausting by the finish, but also an experience that was enjoyed. Not least by a gallant Chipstead SC WCOA member on first visit to Whitstable who had never encountered f5 conditions on the lake let alone at sea before. A big “Well done” to Maria, WCOA membership secretary. Six of the eight Wanderers powered through all races.
Prizegiving by WYC Commodore Kelvin Tolson was followed by a perfect evening’s entertainment. Nicky of Keith’s café provided a fabulous barbecue, which really did the event and the club proud, not only in sheer quality of the food, but also in presentational style. The wonderful music by WYC fleet captain Jeremy Scott and his accompanist, played with a mandolin, guitar and violin, was pure jouissance for the (socially distanced) Wanderer gathering of 29, and hugely appreciated. This year’s winners Tim Barr and Mark Skipper (W 1282) and runners-up Stephen Nation and Liz North (W1626) sailed Gavin Barr’s old boats “Thistle” and “Surprise”. As the evening sun descended across the Swale we could all sense the smile on Gavin’s face.
Many thanks to Safety Boat drivers Neil and Jo and their crews, who were also busy on stand-by for the diminishing number of club racers, to recorders, Sarah and Michelle, and to Committee Boat skipper Andy Clark. And thank you to Richard Maltby for coordinating the organisation of the event and for this report!
See wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/results for the results.

Team of Kent!

Posted: Tuesday, 15 June , 2021

Thank you to Tankerton Bay Sailing Club for hosting the Man of Kent Regatta on Saturday. Thirty WYC boats sailed down to the course laid off Tankerton for the afternoon, and Whitstable Yacht Club came away with the Team of Kent trophy thanks to the skilled sailing by Harry Newton and Charlie Campion in their Lasers and Phil Emery & Phoebe Payne in their Merlin Rocket! Harry Newton also tool the Youth of Kent prize, with WYC's Thomas Oliver nipping at his heels in second. Charlie Campion took Second Master of Kent and WYC's Jack Quinney-Martin was Third Rookie of Kent! Thanks also to the WYC members who supported the event, manning two Support Boats and the WYC Committee Boat which we leant to TBSC for the day... all three came in handy towing WYC sailors back after the wind died away! For the full results, see https://www.halsail.com/Result/Public/54646.

Reports from the weekend’s sailing events

Posted: Tuesday, 08 June , 2021

The reports from last weekend's sailing events are now up on Yachts&Yachting. The report on the Tasar UK National Championships is at https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/238370/Tasar-UK-Nationals-at-Whitstable, and the report on the Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Round 1 is at https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/238349/Merlin-Rockets-at-Whitstable.

Slotty is back!

Posted: Friday, 04 June , 2021

It’s great to see the WYC Committee Boat, Slotty, back on the mooring in front of the club. Thanks to the team who brought her down from her winter berth this morning. We look forward to making use of her this weekend, providing the support to the Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Open Event and Taser National Championships, and next next weekend we'll will be taking her to support Tankerton Bay Sailing Club in hosting the Man of Kent.