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Wet and Windy
Over the past few weeks Steve Lloyd and I have been working hard to fix repair and maintain the
dinghies owned by the sailing club.
As Many who have sailed the club boats previously will know, the clubs 420 has always been
notoriously wet to sail with water coming in through the transom flaps and then finding its way into
the hull. We have fixed the boat up and now it doesn’t leak. This was proved on Sunday the 4th of
July when my brother and I took the boat out for the first time since it was patched up.
As we rolled up to the car park on the day we could see that the wind was quite strong force 4
gusting at 5, and only Simon Everett was out on his laser. We took the 420 round and as we were
rigging got some very funny looks from some of the members along the lines of “your mad” with
suggestions that we take Picos out for a blast instead. However we continued and were glad we did.
Anyone who knows both me and my brother know that we don’t really get on, to the point where
sailing together is really just going to end in an argument (at the very calm end of the spectrum),
Judy Templeman had us sussed and only let us sail together once before one dark Wednesday in the
middle of a storm force five gusting six in a laser 2. A similar sort of situation arrived on this Sunday
there was too much wind to argue we either got on or got wet.
To everyone including myself surprise we didn’t actually capsize the first few times we went out and
we didn’t argue since we were so busy desperately trying to keep the boat flat. Coming in My arms
were about dead due to the amount of weather helm and playing the mainsheet required to keep
Andrew on the trapeze without falling on the sail. At one point we were still going over and we were
only sailing on the Jib, good times. There was very little time when the boat wasn’t planning.
After a bit of a break, the commodore himself very bravely stepped up to the plate for a go! With, it
must be said a few more capsizes and tea bagging of the crew to my shame. Richard was one of my
teachers while at secondary school (shame he never gave me a detention otherwise I could of
considered it a spot of revenge).
The 420 sailed beautifully and really did itself proud, the time and effort Steve has put into fixing this
and other boats has really been worth it, they are now a pleasure to sail. The club has a great variety
of boats to choose from which can be rented for a very reasonable price they are not new boats but
are in a very good condition, recent acquisitions include the Sport 14, Pegasus and a Laser to go
along side the 420, Albacore, ISO, Mirrors, Toppers and of course the always popular Picos.
Now no-one has an excuse for not going out whatever the conditions.
Simon Thompson