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Frampton on Severn Sailing Club

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Located at one end of the longest village green in England, the sailing club is idyllically set. The lake is an old gravel pit with 40 acres of available sailing area.

Regular club racing is organised on most Sundays throughout the year, offering a mixture of general handicap, pursuit and class racing. Class racing is takes place for Mirrors, Solos, Enterprises, Toppers, Lasers and Optimists.

Several race series are run throughout the year offering an easy qualification route for the end of year prize giving. Roughly one Sunday per month from March to October a round of the Club Championship is held from which the overall club champion is crowned.

Frampton on Severn Sailing Club is a registered RYA Sail Training and Sailability club.

Discount Sail Numbers

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Sail numbers for dinghies generally come in two sizes 300mm or 230mm. The 230mm sail numbers are suitable for small dinghies under 3.5 metres and the 300mm sail numbers for dinghies above 3.5 metres.

When changing sails, i.e. buying a second hand sail, it will be necessary to change your sail numbers if you are going to race. With some classes like lasers there are so many, you may never see the boat with teh same numbers, but other classes where there are less boats like Merlin Rockets or Solo, you will need to change them.

Changing sail numbers isn’t that difficult, but you may need some adhesive remover.

You can get quality yet cheap sail numbers from SailSport.

Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller – Wembley Sailing Club

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Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Report- Wembley Sailing Club 23/09/12

Sunday 23rd September saw 21 Merlin Rockets assemble at Wembley Sailing Club for the 2012 Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Open Meeting sponsored by Craftinsure. It has been fifty years since Wembley Sailing Club (situated on the Welsh Harp Reservoir) hosted its first Silver Tiller Open and this particular event proved to be quite a memorable anniversary!

Race 1 began in a gusty F2 as the skies opened and the rain poured, which built up to F3 gusts that caught some out and caused a few capsizes! Dave Winder & Pippa Taylor made the early running opening up a lead from John Turner & Richard Parslow in second and this is how it remained to the finish with Matt Biggs & John Hackett finishing third.

Race 2 was away at the second attempt but now under black flag and Dave Winder and Pippa Taylor immediately led. The wind had died by now to a F1 and with the accompanying heavy showers it seemed unlikely that the forecast F3 with F6 gusts was going to materialise. The race for second was much closer with any one of Matt Biggs & John Hackett, Paul Hollis & Ben Hendon, Duncan & Harriet Salmon and John Turner & Richard Parslow being in contention the whole way round the course. Towards the end of the race and with the wind starting to build, Winder & Taylor consolidated their lead to take the win with Hollis & Hendon second, Biggs & Hackett third, Turner & Parslow fourth, and Duncan & Harriet Salmon finishing fifth.

During the gap to the start of the third race, the wind continued to increase and the fleet were now presented with a F3 gusting up to F6 and yet more rain. These conditions were going to cause even the very best to go for a swim and so it proved! Andy Davis & Tom Pygall revelling in the extreme conditions led all the way from just after the start. Matt Biggs & Ben Hendon were an early capsize casualty on lap 1, but then managed to recover and sail through the fleet to take a fine second place whilst avoiding the many capsized boats caught out by the sledgehammer like gusts. Jon Gorringe & Nicki Bass also enjoyed the trickier conditions to finish third. Jon Turner & Richard Parslow meanwhile had succumbed to a huge gust and wind shift at the gybe mark and wiped out at very high speed! Duncan & Harriet Salmon arriving shortly afterwards and finding Turner & Parslow capsized right in their path had nowhere to go and heroically pressed the capsize button in an effort to save both boats from destruction. Now with yet another boat joining the mix, a three way raft ensured some unfortunate rigging damage and three inevitable retirements. Elsewhere in the fleet a broken mast and a full on pitch pole were the casualties as the gusts became ever stronger right up until the final lap when a passing squall made it supremely difficult for those stalwart crews still sailing.

The fleet tired but in true Merlin rocket tradition – unbeaten – then retired to the clubhouse for a very welcome meal of hot chilli & potatoes followed by prize giving, with prizes generously donated by Rooster Sailing. Dave Winder & Pippa Taylor won overall honours from Matt Biggs and John Hackett second, Paul Hollis and Ben Hendon were third, Jon Turner & Richard Parslow finished fourth and retained the Century Cup trophy for the first helm and crew with a combined age of over 100 years old! Elsewhere, Alan & Alice Markham won the prize for the first boat over 10 years old.

Report & Results by Paul Dean

WEMBLEY SC Silver Tiller results 23 09 12

Photographs by kind permission of John McKelvie

The Merlin Rocket Inland Championship 2012

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The Merlin Rocket Inland Championships, sponsored by Nautilus Yachting, descended upon Blithfield SC over the 15th/16th September. 56 boats attended making the trip to the large Staffordshire water.

As is often the case when big events come round it was very much a “It’s not normally like this here” weekend, and while the weather in general was very nice the breeze was fickle in direction and while never a drifter variable in strength. It was certainly not a good weekend to be in the committee boat!

The first start of race 1 was a taste of things to come, a 30 degree shift to the left made the pin end unlayable with 30 seconds to go and led inevitably to a general recall. The restart under black flag claimed a number of victims, some prominent home club sailors finding membership was no guarantee of diplomatic immunity! Richard Whitworth and Sarah Bines led at the windward mark and built up a large lead taking the bullet, Jon Gorringe and Toby Lewis came in second with home couple Steve and Gill “We always do rubbish at Blithfield” Leney taking third.

The second race was started under black flag, with a slight pin bias to tempt the fleet away from the committee boat. This race was serious snakes and ladders, with massive gains to be made if you found the right patch of breeze and just as easily lost if you were a few feet outside the gust. Rich Adams and Chris Gould from Midland SC took the bullet in this race, Jon and Toby proving consistant with another second and Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis third.

By race three, the wind had built slightly to about force three with the odd lump in it, but any thought of this being a steadying influence was put to bed 30 seconds before the start when a huge shift, this time right, really set the cat amongst the pigeons on the line. Chris Martin and Tom Dunne made a perfect, if somewhat fortuitous, start right on the committee boat and led at the first mark where knot failure set in. In the process of sorting things out a small group of following boats assumed they were sailing the course – oops! Matt Biggs and Ben Hollis took over the lead at the second mark but had to settle for second as the charging Richard/Sarah took their third win placing one hand on the trophy overnight. Dave Hayes and Johnny Ratcliffe came in third.

It’s well known that the Merlin fraternity like a good party, and the state of the clubs bar stock on Sunday morning was testament too this with two empty lager barrels and three empty casks of real ale. a pig roast, jazz band and bar diving kept the fleet entertained until the early hours and Steve Leney’s morning hoovering of the clubhouse floor must have seemed like a very early start to those asleep on it!

The breeze was slightly stronger than the previous day but though things looked promising at first, it turned out to be no steadier. Richard and Sarah were again flying and took the bullet with Andy Davies and Tom Pygall coming in close behind and Nick Craig and James Stewart third.

Their win in the previous race ended the rush for first place, but there were four boats in with a shout at second. Nick Craig and James Stewart led the fourth race from start to finish, the consistent team of Jon and Toby came in second taking second place  overall and Taxi and Tom coming in third placing them third overall.

Thanks go to everyone who helped organise the event, Nautilus for sponsoring the prizes, and especially PRO Jim Woodward and his team for an excellent job in very trying conditions.


Merlin Rocket Inland Chamoionship 2012
15-16th September

Pos Sail Club Helm Crew R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Pts  
1 3703 Parkstone Richard Whitworth Sarah Bines 1.0 4.0 1.0 1.0 14.0 7.0
2 3712 Parkstone Jon Gorringe Toby Lewis 2.0 2.0 7.0 2.0 22.0 13.0
3 3684 Blithfield Andy Davis Tom Pygall 4.0 5.0 2.0 3.0 24.0 14.0
4 3722 Blithfield Matt Biggs Ben Hollis 3.0 2.0 5.0 8.0 75.0 18.0
5 3734 Hayling Island David Hayes Johnny Ratcliffe 8.0 12.0 3.0 5.0 43.0 28.0
6 3675 Frensham Pond Nick Craig James Stewart 10.0 16.0 3.0 1.0 50.0 30.0
7 3716 Blithfield Steve Leney Gill Leney 3.0 6.0 7.0 14.0 46.0 30.0
8 3735 Hollingworth David Winder Pippa Taylor 13.0 5.0 8.0 4.0 47.0 30.0
9 3676 Ranelagh Frances Gifford Chrsi Downham 9.0 16.0 4.0 6.0 53.0 35.0
10 3658 Burghfield Chris Jennings Chris Martin 10.0 17.0 4.0 6.0 61.0 37.0
11 3708 Notts County Tom Jeffcote Penny Jeffcoate 5.0 8.0 16.0 10.0 59.0 39.0
12 3732 Northampton David Wade Ben Rayner 15.0 11.0 9.0 9.0 63.0 44.0
13 3733 Ranelagh Jon Ibbotson Oli Wells 7.0 13.0 17.0 14.0 77.0 51.0
14 3656 Starcross Olly Turner Alex Warren 6.0 19.0 20.0 13.0 79.0 58.0
15 3702 Wembley Duncan Salmon Harriet Salmon 17.0 14.0 6.0 22.0 83.0 59.0
16 3740 Cookham Reach Pat Blake Jill Blake 12.0 9.0 24.0 18.0 90.0 63.0
17 3688 Lyme Regis Dan Alsop Sophie Mackley 23.0 13.0 12.0 15.0 120.0 63.0
18 3729 Lyme Regis Jon Turner Richard Parslow 18.0 27.0 11.0 12.0 125.0 68.0
19 3685 Shoreham William Warren Chris Robinson 21.0 15.0 10.0 25.0 96.0 71.0
20 3627 Brightlingsea Dan Willett Pete Nicholson 19.0 33.0 14.0 13.0 113.0 79.0
21 3696 Shoreham Alan Warren William Carroll 8.0 20.0 24.0 28.0 110.0 80.0
22 3671 Brightlingsea Piers Lambert Andy Bines 29.0 18.0 23.0 11.0 117.0 81.0
23 3659 Hollingworth Julian Parry Ben Hendon 16.0 25.0 22.0 19.0 139.0 82.0
24 3690 H.S.C. Andy Dalby Andrea Ralph 26.0 7.0 25.0 30.0 119.0 88.0
25 3730 Blithfield Paul Hollis James Dawes 28.0 22.0 21.0 17.0 145.0 88.0
26 3731 Parkstone Andy Jones Maddie Jones 23.0 21.0 23.0 21.0 120.0 88.0
27 3650 Midland Rich Adams Chris Gould 18.0 1.0 15.0 57.0 DNC 148.0 91.0
28 3583 Blithfield Chris Martin Tom Dunne 32.0 11.0 28.0 26.0 154.0 97.0
29 3339 Blithfield Tim Male Rebecca Male 11.0 27.0 30.0 37.0 145.0 105.0
30 3641 Parkstone Mark Waterhouse Nicki Bass 14.0 30.0 35.0 32.0 156.0 111.0
31 3573   Simon Bond Anna Bond 29.0 38.0 26.0 19.0 154.0 112.0
32 3618 Bewl Valley Andy Kerr Gareth Hall 34.0 28.0 33.0 20.0 153.0 115.0
33 3643 Hampton Tim Harridge Bug Harridge 37.0 33.0 27.0 23.0 165.0 120.0
34 3663 Blackpool and Fleetwood Chris Haworth Jo Harvey 22.0 32.0 36.0 31.0 157.0 121.0
35 3683 Lymington Tony Johnson Louise Johnson 35.0 35.0 31.0 22.0 166.0 123.0
36 3705 Blithfield Geoff Wright Katie Wright 24.0 36.0 29.0 35.0 163.0 124.0
37 3510 Rudyard Lake Mike Raine Janey Hill 25.0 31.0 34.0 35.0 182.0 125.0
38 3710 Hayling Island John Rees Mari Shepherd 39.0 26.0 34.0 29.0 170.0 128.0
39 3644 Blithfield Steve Hendon Lizzie Hendon 31.0 38.0 12.0 57.0 DNC 195.0 138.0
40 3442 Ranelagh Mark Stockbridge Matt Greenfield 44.0 37.0 30.0 33.0 191.0 144.0
41 3634 Parkstone Ben Archer Hugo Pullen 33.0 41.0 37.0 36.0 188.0 147.0
42 3547 Blithfield Peter Male Christine Male 27.0 40.0 43.0 38.0 195.0 148.0
43 3402 Midland Rob Kennaugh Abi Spurr 37.0 28.0 29.0 57.0 DNC 208.0 151.0
44 3508 Redditch Colin Anderson Sean Anderson 34.0 40.0 39.0 41.0 199.0 154.0
45 3674 Midland Mike Anslow Jayden Wood 32.0 47.0 45.0 38.0 219.0 162.0
46 2997 Fishers Green Richard Coulter Christian Hill 46.0 43.0 41.0 39.0 217.0 169.0
47 3662 Chelmarsh Mike Whitehouse Karen Whitehouse 40.0 50.0 39.0 44.0 230.0 173.0
48 3597 Blackpool and Fleetwood Peter Jackson Andy 43.0 46.0 46.0 40.0 232.0 175.0
49 3567 Blithfield Martin Smith Karen Beston 44.0 49.0 42.0 42.0 226.0 177.0
50 3582 Midland Malcolm Hyams Yasmin Ghani 42.0 48.0 50.0 46.0 243.0 186.0
51 3610 Midland Ian Smith Matt Smith 41.0 51.0 44.0 57.0 DNC 250.0 193.0
52 3541 Blithfield Norman Price Mat Hartley 50.0 52.0 48.0 43.0 246.0 193.0
53 3548 Blithfield Kieron Mason George Mason 49.0 57.0 DNC 50.0 44.0 257.0 200.0
54 3555 Blithfield Ian MacKenzie Angela MacKenzie 48.0 53.0 52.0 47.0 257.0 200.0
55 3680 Midland Steve Watson Luke Tucker 57.0 DNC 51.0 49.0 57.0 DNC 271.0 214.0
56 3565 Blithfield Paul Keeling Michelle Keeling 57.0 DNF 57.0 DNC 57.0 DNC 57.0 DNC 285.0 228.0

5 races, 4 to count.

 

Why Phuket is the Next Big Yachting Destination

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Perhaps the single most idyllic holiday destination on planet earth, the Thai island of Phuket is one of Asia’s most captivating destinations. Amongst Phuket’s considerable charms are the peace and quiet of island life, the tropical rainforests that hug gravity defying mountains, the golden beaches that stretch to infinity, the warm waters that maintain a crystal clear clarity, the aromas of wonderful street food that can be found in every town, and the sheer warmth of the friendly locals who always go out of their way to make sure your stay at their piece of paradise is as magical as possible. And the latest attraction to add to the list is that Phuket is quickly becoming a major international centre for yachting, rivalling Florida, Monte Carlo and the Amalfi Coast. Here is a look at why Phuket is the world’s next big yachting destination.

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Asian Boat Buying

While the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Baltic seas currently lead the world for boat ownership, Asia’s rapidly growing economies are busy buying up boats. No more are super yachts solely to be found in exclusive marinas in Europe and America, instead you are just as likely to find luxury vessels in Singapore, Hong Kong and Hainan. And this burgeoning class of wealthy boat owners in the far-east are increasingly turning to Phuket for the most luxurious yachting holidays available. Mooring their yachts in shallow, azure waters and feeling the tropical ocean breeze on their skin, it is not difficult to see why Phuket is becoming so popular. And the options for luxury boat charters here is also increasing, meaning you too can sample a bit of the high life when visiting this astounding destination.

Incredible Scenery

Phuket really exemplifies the idealised image of a tropical Asian retreat better than anywhere else on the continent. Pillars of rock rise abruptly from the turquoise waters, thickets of jungle perched on their top, all overlooking a hidden beach of almost impossible beauty. Swaying palm trees provide shade as you rest in your hammock, coconuts falling from heavy branches to provide hydration with their fresh, delicious milk. Every now and then a colourful parrot swoops overhead as the blood red sun sets, casting lurid rays across the cloudless sky and onto the jagged forms of hills and mountains. After a couple of days here, visitors all agree that Phuket really is paradise.

Value for Money

Despite its immense popularity Phuket never really feels over-crowded, perhaps because it is so isolated, and as a result it is still relatively inexpensive. Your money goes a long way here, whether eating at great restaurants or shelling out for a bareboat charter to take you out into the calm waters of the sea. Whereas many of the world’s top marinas are achingly expensive, a week or two with your vessel moored at one of Phuket’s well maintained ports will prove surprisingly affordable.

A Tropical Climate

Of course it helps that Phuket’s weather is nigh on perfect, with hot mornings ideal for walks on the beach, light rains cooling the air at lunch-time, and sultry evenings where one can linger lazily deep into the night. Whether you want to relax on deck, on the beach or in a beer garden, the weather here is guaranteed to be great. And with seas shielded from much of the worst weather that the rest of South-East Asia experienced, especially on Phuket’s mild east coast, you do not have to be an experienced sailor to navigate these waters.

John is a travel writer with articles published in dozens of online magazines who has travelled the world in order to locate the finest luxury boat charters around.

Finding the right destination to suit your level of sailing

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There’s never been a better time to get into sailing and if you get the chance to go on your sailing vacations with friends or rent a yacht charter for your family then jump at the opportunity because, before you know it, you’ll be hooked.

Like anything, practice makes perfect and sailing presents many challenges for both crew and skipper. Obviously, one of the first challenges is knowing where to start and with this in mind I’ve highlighted a few locations that I feel will take you from landlubber to skipper in the space of a few hundred nautical miles.

So, set your captain’s hat at a jaunty angle, pump your bilges and find out what it takes to become a Level 3 sailor and what you’ll have to do to achieve success.

Level: Novice

To reach the heady heights of novice you’ll be a newbie to sailing or only undertaken a couple of voyages where you basically hung on for dear life or sunned yourself whilst the rest of the crew worked their barnacles off.

Ideal location: Greece

A great location for novices to learn to sail is the southern Ionian Sea around Greece where conditions are ideal for families and flotillas. Beach clubs such as Vounaki offer excellent facilities and with the summer breeze ranging from 0 – 15 knots, getting to grips with line-of-sight navigation, a basic knowledge of charts and understanding more about where to anchor are all achievable for the uninitiated on their sailing vacations.

Level: One

So, you’ve been on at least one or two flotilla training courses and you’ve skippered a yacht for over 100 nautical miles. You’re now classed as a Level 1 sailor, congratulations. No doubt you’ll be chomping at the main sails and ready to develop your strengths and learn new disciplines.

Ideal location: Croatia

As one of Europe’s ‘must sail’ regions, Croatia is regarded as the perfect place to practice coastal cruising and easy island hopping. The Dalmatian coast is as good as it gets and with crystal clear waters and a warm breeze, reaching up to 20 knots, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to really take control. Thanks to a rich and varied heritage, Croatia is an excellent option for lazy days at sea interspersed with cultural sightseeing on land.

Level: Two

As a Level 2 sailor you’ll be well-versed with naval experiences and will have at least 10 days at sea under your belt and a couple of qualifications, namely the RYA day skipper and the ICC qualification. You’re almost at the top of your game but there’s always more to learn where yacht charters are concerned.

Ideal location: Caribbean

St Vincent’s, Grenada, St Lucia, these spice islands slide off the tongue quicker than honey off melon and if you’re a Level 2 sailor then you’re bound to view the tidal variations and strong currents as a challenge far too great to ignore. These sumptuous warm waters are ideal for understanding tidal flow, learning the significance of protected anchorages and navigating open waters in some simply stunning locations.

Level: Three

There’s no need to explain to you the jargon and the nuances of sailing as you’ll have over 400 nautical miles experience as well as qualifications such as the higher level RYA day skipper, the RYA coastal skipper and the higher level ICC qualification in your arsenal. Where’s left to sail that you haven’t already experienced?

Ideal location: UK

Good old Blighty with its ever changing weather, strong currents and large tidal variations. Regions such as the Solent, in the south coast of England, provide some exceptional challenges for Level 3 sailors as well as historic ports of call where maritime history buffs will be in their absolute element. With wind speeds reaching upwards of 25 knots and plenty of poor anchor holding grounds to test your grit, making a passage plan and taking part in racing around the Isle of Wight will be what you dream of.

Biog: Chris is the father of two teenage boys and through a combination of common sense and sheer bloody mindedness he’s managed to make sailors of the pair of them.

 

The photo was used under the Creative Commons license curtsey of Flickr.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nuttinbutlove/5892333256/