I would like to mention our new member, Andrew. Four months ago, I was heeled over at 15 degrees, the aircon humming and the water rushing past the portholes of my cabin on the schooner Eleonora as we stormed past the volcano of Montserrat in the night when it suddenly came to my attention that my trusty room and watch mate, Andrew Morton, is a Gownboy and to his attention that I am a Pageite. He was soon signed up as an OCYC member.
It was a couple of months later, in preparation for the RYS rally, that Andrew asked an extremely good question: “What is the sailing programme for the Summer Rally?" There was no such programme! Andrew's excellent question of course immediately forced me to challenge him to a race and this later built into what was called the 'Mr Jim Miller's Western Solent Rally Pursuit' race.
The seven entered yachts were supposed to start this race in one of three places: for those arriving from Hamble, Portsmouth or Chi, a long line between Royal Southern and SE Ryde Middle; for those at Cowes, at KMS, by Egypt Point; and there was also a start at Sevenstar, just off Beaulieu. The yachts were all rated and based on that, their course length, the wind strength and their start position were allocated their start times.
Saturday morning had got off to a slightly inauspicious start when the Rustler 36, Eagle, with Jim Miller, Hon Sec, and Tim Miller aboard, was hooted five times not once but twice by one of Her Majesty's ships at anchor near Ryde. This was put down to an over-zealous hooter operator in HMS Brocklesbury's bridge since Eagle was over half a mile away even if she did look menacing in racing trim; the warship's 30mm deck-mounted cannon was not trained on Eagle and there was no exchange of fire. Nevertheless, the Honorary Secretary has since been fined one bottle of Taylors '92 to be offered up to members of OCYC.
HMS Brocklesbury: over-zealous hooter operator almost caused an exchange of fire with Eagle
With the start times and courses for the pursuit race as shown below, Roger France-Hayhurst, in the First 32, Mabel, was given what turned out to be the relatively unlucky first start time of 1058 on the long eastern start line of Royal Southern to SE Ryde Middle.
The course: a clockwise lap around the Western Solent
Start times and start positions
Roger was followed off the eastern start soon after by Andrew Morton, on the Moody 376, Balerno, then Charles Blampied, Hon. Treasurer, Louise Blampied and Peter Ashwell, on the X-40, Minx.
Just after Minx's start back at the eastern line, the Miller brothers set off from KMS, at Egypt Point, soon to be followed by David Aisher, on the Wanhill Gaffer, Thalia, some minutes later.
At the start, the whole fleet was being pushed west by the current into a westerly Force 4, providing a good amount of wind over the deck.
Eagle, the furthest-west yacht, could for some time see some of the fleet chasing her: Thalia with her elegant gaffer rig, Minx, upright, tall and slicing through the water and Balerno, trucking along at much the same speed as Eagle, although catching somewhat.
Thalia, Wanhill Cutter, with David Aisher, Rear Commodore, racing nicely on starboard
Soon after Newtown, Eagle suddenly spotted a very fast J/88, Raging Bull, with Tim & Cherry Tolcher aboard. The J/88 shot past into the lead.
Tim & Cherry Tolcher, on the J/88, Raging Bull, leading the race
At about 1330 the wind began to puff up to 30 knots over the deck. The J/88 was by now moving extremely fast and moved further ahead. Meanwhile Eagle and Minx were seen to slot in one reef each and Thalia, now against unfavourable wind and tide and indeed on an upwind leg not in her favour as a fast reacher, decided to return home to Cowes, as did Balerno.
It was at this stage that Mabel was unfortunately heard over Channel 16 to have become stuck on the North Hamstead Ledge while trying to stay in shallow water to avoid the now-adverse current. We need not dwell on this too much but it was a fine effort by RNLI Yarmouth who towed Mabel off, forcing her retirement from the race; it is safe to say that Mabel arrived quite early in Squadron Haven and her skipper was fined four bottles of Taylors '92.
RNLI Yarmouth on the way to tow off Mabel, caught while attempting ploughing of the North Hamstead Ledge
By now, Eagle was being easily caught by Minx, the overtake happening just to leeward of the windward mark, Charles Stanley, east of Yarmouth, after some dicing in which Eagle switched into a match racing mode and managed at least once to force Minx to tack.
Minx, match racing against Eagle - a short-lived battle easily won by Minx who managed to get through Eagle's shadow after being forced to tack then tack behind
Eagle: a small terrier manages to force a large greyhound first to tack, then to tack again behind off Yarmouth.
Minx flew past but was then noted to be navigating towards Lymington proper rather than the next mark Berthon, allowing Eagle to bite at her ankles for some minutes more.
Not long after Minx and then Eagle had rounded the wing mark at Berthon, Eagle were most confused to see Tim and Cherry Tolcher charging up behind them again in the J/88. It seemed it must be that Tim and Cherry had popped into Yarmouth for tea in the George. In fact, the Tolchers had not spotted the shortening of the course in the Sailing Instructions to omit Sconce; yes, they had been right out to Sconce and were now coming back for another overtake.
The downwind leg to Sevenstar, off Beaulieu, was to be frank a little tricky in the steady Force 6. Minx got in rather shallow but looked quite stable; Raging Bull and Eagle came along almost side by side most of the way, both very roly-poly, even when gybing down at about 150 degrees off the wind. Jibs were snatching, both tried goose-winging which gave the jibs even more of a caning and eventfully both boats furled their foresails in the strong wind to save them and the standing rigging from damage. Eagle trotted downwind on main alone, 25% of her normal downwind sail area, at 7 knots, raging Bull at about 7.5.
At KMS this became a relatively close run thing. The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions had required dowsing of sails and racing into Squadron Haven on engines before running to the Union Inn bar and here Eagle's 27 hp donkey was able to slot her past Raging Bull to enter the Haven first. Entering a Haven relatively full of OCYC yachts, most competitors forgot that they were still racing. When the Hon Sec entered the Union Inn, after having been diverted for half an hour to inspect the wine cellars on Jonathan Rolls's Swan 38 Xara, the clear winners of the race were found to be Peter & Katy Mills, in their three-quarter tonner Pegasus, who had shot fast cross from the Beaulieu start and had run straight into the Union Inn to seat their skipper there first, thereby winning the race in a most competitive manner.
Left to right: Thalia, Eagle, Mabel, Balerno & Magewind of Roke in Squadron Haven
Race winner, Pegasus (red), of Peter & Katy Mills, Balerno, Mabel and Raging Bull to port and Firefly to starboard
Thalia in the Haven
Jester and Xara in the Haven
We were soon all busy down below: knives chopping canapés, inverters buzzing, ice machines clinking, shower pumps gurgling, water pumps clonking, dresses, dinner jackets and mess kit applied in order to be ready for a rum tot of the Royal Naval Rum Tot Club or Antigua & Barbuda at 1800 sharp on the Haven's pontoon.
The Naval Day Book was retrieved from the Castle and the relevant notes of prior battles against the French and Americans were solemnly read out. Being a Saturday, the naval toast was "Wives & Sweethearts may they never meet, and the Queen God bless her!" and the half gill measure was downed in one. This fast start to the evening was followed up by Commodore's drinks and canapés in the traditional way.
Naval Rum tot: a triple measure of 75 ml at 54%
Soon, we were up in the Squadron's platform where the 47 assembled persons dined in fine style at two long tables looking out over the Solent. A delicious scallop starter was followed by roast beef and then cheese. At various suitable moments through the evening our Trafalgar Drummers, Tom and Richard, gave rousing drumrolls or lifting bugle fanfares.
Once the coffee was down we were fanfared into the Loyal Toast and then all rose for an excellent cruise through the shanties. In Spanish Ladies, the Honorary Secretary gave a fairly hoarse but powerful solo through the Channel landmarks from the Dodman up to the South Foreland; and, in Drunken Sailor, the Commodore performed a fine solo of "putt him in the scupper with the lee rail under", followed soon after by Rear Commodore Aisher "putting him a leaky boat and making him bale her". This was followed up at the end by several renditions of Rule, Britannia! The meal provided by the Squadron had been most excellent and the Commodore, Mike Boswell, made a splendid speech of thanks.
The Commodore and the Trafalgar Drummers lead the assembled company of 47 through Rule, Britannia!
On the morning after, those going west (Minx and Jester) made early starts to catch the tide so that they could get home before a forecast Force 9 came into the Channel, while the rest enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the Castle before setting sail off home.
Peter Munro, on Jester, leaving Squadron Haven with his crew to catch the tide home to Portland
| Yachts Attending | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Skipper | Yacht | Type | LOA/m |
| Jim Miller | Eagle | Rustler 36 | 10.7 |
| David Aisher | Thalia | Wanhill Gaffer | 17.7 |
| Peter Munro | Jester | Dufour 41 Classic | 12.5 |
| Charles Blampied | Minx | X-40 | 12.2 |
| Jonathan Rolls | Xara | Swan 38 | 11.6 |
| Andrew Morton | Balerno | Moody 376 | 11 |
| Roger France Hayhurst | Mabel | Beneteau 31 | 9.7 |
| John Skipper | Magewind of Roke | Maxi 1050 | 10.5 |
| Tim Tolcher | Raging Bull | J/88 | 8.9 |
| Stephen Carter | Firefly | First 32 | 9.5 |
| Peter Mills | Pegasus | Three-Quarter Tonner | 10.1 |
JLWM
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Saturday, 17 June 2017
