RORC
Club page In the chocolates
The sun shone, the wind blew and the racing was close and exciting. The opening round of the RORC season could not have provided more perfect conditions for the club’s ‘training while racing’ regatta. This is by far one of my favourite events in the RORC calendar as the opportunity to receive first-class on-the-spot coaching from a group of experts is like gold dust. It was often remarked over the weekend that one of the biggest
single gains to be made in our sport is to engage a coach… and of course to do more practice. In many other recreational activities (golf and tennis to name two) coaches are often hired to raise an ordinary individual’s understanding of the game and improve their enjoyment. Sailing is such a complex sport that an experienced coach can have an immediate impact. Jim Saltonstall headed a team of coaches that included yours
truly, Mason King and a host of North Sails personnel. North’s con- tribution to this event is big; in the past they have provided two US coaches from the North U coaching business but this year invested in providing a professionally operated drone to give aerial views of starts, mark roundings and manoeuvres. The aerial view takes some getting used to but is so useful as a coaching aid that I’m sure you will see it increasingly used in serious campaigns. It does, however, require a skilled operator to get the best out of the technology. Although the coaches have a masterplan of what we are trying to
impart to teams much of the education process becomes self-evident once you come alongside a particular boat. Sail setting is an area that always needs input and, with crews ranging from top pro sailors competing on the Fast 40+ to those who are having their first outing with a new team, the spread in ability and experience is enormous. Having been a sailmaker for many years in my previous life I tend
to focus on the speed element of the boat and trying to impart what I am seeing from off the boat. Modern cruiser-racers utilise an inhaul system to narrow the sheeting angle of the jib. Many boats either don’t use, or have omitted to ink in, calibration marks on the coachroof to allow simple replication of the three-dimensional positioning of this lead position. Marking the position of halyards, jib leads and sheets is a basic part of trying to reduce the variables in what Jim Saltonstall describes as ‘the most challenging sport
in the world’. I am continually surprised that a cheap permanent marker is not among the equipment of choice of all sailors. I also noticed that many boats were sailing with the headboard
well short (10cm to 15cm) of the black band (a few, very few, were sailing with luffs above the black band – but that’s another story). They would complain loudly if their sailmaker made the mainsail luff 15cm short but as the black band position helps define a yacht’s rating it seems illogical not to use the full span allowed. Sails shrink with age with the amount of shrinkage depending
upon the material; so it is a good idea to get your mainsail and largest headsail and spinnaker re-measured (if new sails are not imminent) as any reduction in area can deliver you a corresponding reduction in rating. Finally, it was gratifying to see how many ladies were racing in
this year’s Easter Challenge. I did not notice it at first but once brought to my attention I kept noticing ladies in all positions including skipper/helm, tactician and all the way to the bow of the boat, plus a few boats with all-female crews or in the majority onboard. This is very good for our sport.
And the winner Sir Keith Mills in his Ker design Invictuswas the clear winner of the five-strong Fast 40+ class with six wins, a second and a third. She had an edge in speed and under Rob Greenhalgh’s direction was flawless in her tactics and boathandling. Michael Bartholomew’s Tokoloshe II was second and Mark Rikjse’s 42° South third. Roger Bowden’s King 40 Niftywon IRC 1 by two points from Mike
Greville’s Ker 39 Erivale, with another King 40, Stephen Beckett’s Cobra, in third. These boats had close racing and were challenged from time to time by the new M.A.T. 10.80s Tschüssand Gallivanter who had the speed but not yet the consistency. In IRC 2 with 18 entries it was a three-way fight between Ed
Fishwick’s new Sunfast 3600, David Franks’ JPK 10.10 and Andrew McIrvine’s well-tried First 40. All three had their fair share of wins but the Daniel Andrieu-designed Sunfast 3600 was the most consistent and took the top prize. Eddie Warden-Owen, CEO
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Only five of the now 15-strong Fast40+ class were ready in time to race the first big event of the Solent season, but there’s no doubt this injection of proper racing boats into the UK fleet has inspired others to up their game – as is demonstrated here with a plethora of ‘black sails’ where once this event would have been a sea of white dacron. Back on dry land (inset) and coaching legend Jim Saltonstall – the man who laid the foundations for all those Team GBR Olympic medals – finds himself in front of an unusually mature pack of ferrets…
SEAHORSE
PAUL WYETH
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