Ups and downs

Thursday
Not good. I turned up and nobody to play with! Apparently the new Osprey did a turn round the bay. but that was after I went home in disgust (Another round of redundancies today in the offing)

Friday YoBs
Great turn out ! Lots of wind (too much) but we all knew it would drop. Michelle was just back from holiday and a little worse for ware. But we waited and then the wind dropped and we were off. I took a lad out and we had a great time. I got pulled out of the boat and the kids did the rest. Its good to see so many of the older kids instinctively training the new guys.
Makes you proud to have guided them to this point in their sailing career. But as they are teenagers it will all be forgotten instantly but I don't expect thanks that's OK.
Afterwards I had a grumble to Tom R and Tom L about Thursday and they bit my arm off for a sail in my Merlin. OH YES crew !

Saturday
Tom L turned up on time and we prepped the boat. I had a quick half in the bar and a chat with Lyn M About the Squibb Nationals coming up. I stocked up on Mars bars and got changed.

I sailed off the slip on a run down the river.
Tom was given the helm ASAP but as this was his first Merlin experience he was not too happy. He sat in the middle of the boat holding the tiller and the mail sheet right by the jammer. The jammer is a pig as it releases in the down direction ! Well after a bit I said sit on the windward side and I'll Balance the boat.
It was a gusty 15 knots so he had to flick the jammer all the time BUT he very soon got the hang of it. We sailed about trying tacks. jibes and spinnaker runs. We even jibed the the spinnaker. Well Tom's confidence was on the up. The cock sure little scab. Fed him the Mars bars and told him to stop scooping the water as I didn't want to right the boat.
Our race start was knobbled by the rudder down-haul coming off just before the start (gun/horn). We started late (1 minute) but we started the race.
On the windward leg Tom decided we had had enough serious stuff and we quit. He wanted to play so we had a few planning reaches and then headed to home.
I would have liked to have finished a race but Tom was on the helm. Maybe next Saturday.

Sunday
No sailing but it was my mother's Birthday party. We drove up to Portishead and I then eat and drank too much. FAB. We went for a walk and watched the local sailing club race. I am in awe of these guys. I only have to deal with 2 knots of current the have much more all of the time. Guys come and sail in a tranquil bay !

Monday
Nat didn't want to crew so I went for the "learn to sail a Laser" option. BUT we had a new classic International 14 so even though I had rigged the club Laser Tim B asked me to crew his Osprey again. Didn't he learn from last time ?
Well the conditions were flat and the 14's (2 off) walked it. I only bothered the wire on one tack!
All in all it was more fun than screwing around on a Laser. (I only say that because I have never sailed one)

BTW the Laser interest is because I want/need to finish my RYA DI training.

Odd week

Monday
Dinghies were canceled much to my disgust. Lets not get into club politics and the them and us stuff.

Wednesday
Took the kids from Portland and Weymouth Housing Association for the last sail that was agreed to take place after they bought us a training dinghy.
I took Jack for a plod around the bay. We played with the spinnaker nad had a good race home.

Thursday
More wind than Monday but not cancelled :+)
I rigged a Feva for a single handed race. I was a bit daunted at the conditions but I was up for a sail. (New bloke) Simon brought his dinghy to the club this week so when Tim saw a new Osprey he wanted to race it with his one.

Well I gave the rigged Feva to Martin and his son James (or Tom, old joke) and I crewed for Tim. Now I have never trapezed before and it was a gusty old night. OK a steady run down the river with Tim doing an information over load on what to do.... We got to the start with 2 minutes to spare, Just like Tim !

Well I didn't do too badly thanks to Tim's expert boat handling. We had a few moments mostly due to me. But I thoroughly enjoyed it 18 gusting to 24 knots with huge hole in the wind in and out on the wire. My instinctive reactions to boat movements working to our advantage. Tim was pleased that I didn't do too badly and we won the race.

It was a great sail. Thanks Tim !

Tana's First sail of the year and YoBs

Thursday
Sunny day, forecast wind to drop away and a day off. Go sailing early and stuff the race in the evening when it would be formation bobbing.
Tanja and I took one of the club RS Fevas for a spin.

Forgot my gloves and T got wet and cold jumping out as we sailed back for them. BUT with in 5 mins she was warm again in the sun no probs ! Had a lovely sail in 6-8 knots of wind for 1 and a half hours. Then we headed home to tack up the river. Now the dropping wind was a pain.

On the good side we had a lovely sail and this has built Tanja's confidance. On the bad side we struggled up the rivr, I could have headed home earlier (But it was fun with Tanja in a small boat tucked up to geather for trim)



Friday YoBs
Biggest turn out so far I think. 23 Kids plus some big kids wanting to play with their toys.

I rigged a few of the kids boats and eventually I got to my boat. Bit of a rush but was rigged and ready in time. I launched with Martin, a MR sailor of old ! He took over to demonstrate roll tacking and then he went on to coach his son James who was sailing an Opi'. After a while I took over and I was shown a way to pop the battern.
We talked at leangth about the rig and sails. I think I need to change the main sheet jammer and play the main more.

A great sail. Thanks Martin.