Here you will find information about Wayfarer dinghy sailing at Parkstone Yacht Club in Poole, Dorset.
Wayfarer Wareham Race
Tropical storm left-overs gave warm and strong gusts racing across the harbour, and five boats set out for an unknown race course. The fast ebb tide had to be battled as the few headed for Rebbecks mark and downwind back to Hamish mark. Another beat to Piccadilly mark, led by Bruce and Terry in the custard-coloured Watery Moments. Glynne and Pauline holding second place, with Paul and Phillipa using a crusing sail to keep a respectable third place and still planing in the gusts! Doc Powell bringing up the rear. Once round the course - an equivalent to an ‘hour in the gym’ - was the order of the day. The results are looking better for the winners today! Season nearly over!
1st Watery Moments Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett
2nd Scarlet and Green Glynne Marples and Pauline Snyder
3rd Dignity Paul and Philipa Goodwin, race report by Bruce Gridley.
With a F 4-5 SW wind, Course 11 is set, a long course with a long beat followed by two more, and a reach and run back, and a final beat to the line. Nine boats start on a badly biased line, and Marauder and Watery Moments are attempting Port Flyers. The fleet of Dolphins and others tramp along the line, timing is everything. Bruce just squeezes in behind Colin ahead of Tom, and Cath drives Marauder through the gap behind Tom. Virginia Plain lays on a long Port leg to be first at Wych mark, Pork Pie Chaser is there also.
Expeditious is not far behind as crew Mark Fisher navigates Barry closer to the front. Class Captain Glynne Marples is pushing Scarlet and Green hard and closing in but the conditions are shifty and the order keeps changing. Dignity is also going well with Paul and Philippa really going fast. Watery is now seventh. As Wych mark is approached for the last time, some good tacking puts Watery Moments in 4th Place as Virginia Plain, Marauder and Pork Pie Chaser are seen closing Morris Lane mark. Who’s gonna round first? Silver Greyhound is catching and passes Told you So in the final throws. Some confusion looms but a moving Shortened Course Boat is flying an S flag, and it’s over! What a back basher! Poole Week practice!
1st Marauder – Cath Longhurst and Tracey Newman
2nd Pork Pie Chaser - Colin May and Sarah Wallis.
3rd Virginia Plain - Tom Lock and Robert Yeomans, race report by Bruce Gridley.
After a drab morning the cloud and front cleared away and the wind cranked up to a good F 4-5 SW for the Annual Barrel “O” race. A good turnout in ideal summery conditions meant some apprehension as the kickers were tightened. The PRO had the foresight to declare a special course, as it turned out a great course! Watery Moments tacked onto port on the box and fetched Hamish Mark first, then on to a reach for Rebbecks and lead away for the long port leg to Wh4. Just a league or two from it Black Pearl chomped by to lead. After turning the Barrel “O” Mark, Watery Moments hoisted the kite first to grab some good wind and plane away back down the river. Pork Pie Chaser and Expeditious having swapped places up the beat then follows and caught up to round Wh4 in second and third to Black Pearl, The wider angles sailed by the Mk4 Wayfarers seemed to be the X factor! A superb and unforgettable two-sail plane to Chris Somner Mark will be remembered for a long time I’m sure as the custard-coloured Watery Moments boat was in the mix but unable to compete. To be surrounded by and beaten by Mk 4’s makes it seem like the Custard’s Last Stand!
1st Pork Pie Chaser - Colin May and Sue Poulson.
2nd Expeditious - Barry French and Mark Fisher.
3rd Black Pearl - Steve Haley and Sarah Wallis.
Seven boats and a Light SE breeze , the course is a figure of eight. The beat to Stakes Mark is hotly contested with Dignity crossing the fleet with Pork Pie Chaser first to set off for the reach for Drake Mark. Marauder is second. The stretch to RORO Mark and Watery Moments is gaining. The strong ebb tide shapes the race as good judgement rounding gains places. The second lap and closing on the second drag down the harbour, Watery Moments is alongside Pork Pie Chaser at RORO after taking a Brownsea Island route from Drakes. Early gybing fails to gain the inside boat as Colin luffs up to deny the rights at the mark with the strong ebb playing its part in the light airs. Marauder suffers the CONDOR Moment seeking out Drake mark. Escapade relentlessly ploughs on to collect third.
1st Pork Pie Chaser - Colin May and Sarah Wallis.
2nd Watery Moments -Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett.
3rd Escapade - Dave and Sally Bishton
In Switching Northerly winds, low cloud and Sunshine, Pork Pie Chaser rounded the Movable Mark first with Marauder and Expeditious close behind. The Silver Jubilee race was on and the furthest mark was Piccadilly due to a Poole Yacht club optimist open meeting. A fetch in variable strength wind allowed the fleet to compress. A close fetch out past Pottery Pier and spinnakers were hoisted for a run down to Glovers in an ebbing tide in the Wych Channel. Cath Longhurst had the lead but at Brownsea pier the wind caught them out sailing in too close. A fetch back out of South Deep and the fleet converged again at Brownsea and then on the beat back to the line in a stable Westerly breeze. Run time 1hr 25 minutes.
1st Pork Pie Chaser Colin May and Sarah Wallis.
2nd Expeditious – Barry French and Mark Fisher.
3rd Marauder – Cath Longhurst and Tracey Newman
The Annual Sojourn up the Viking river started with Marauder away on an excellent port flyer heading for the Movable Mark, well placed by Bob Jenning (PRO) and Ralf Chadwick our mark Layer. With the lively NE wind and bubbling cloud it was a breeze all the way. The boats were in the river Frome mouth within the hour! The quickest time ever I think! After the initial beat with Pork Pie Chaser second round, Scarlet and Green joined the leading group to gain second on approach to the quieter backwaters after some close spinnaker racing across the lakes. Steve Haley with super-crew Sarah (not so good at spotting shallow water) tripped on the mud laden shallows and capsized! Dignity helmed by Paul slid past to claim fourth place. James Wenyon and family made it and finished sixth. Swans, kayakers and canoeists were idling and eventually the finish was decided where the wind didn’t seem to blow anymore, an eerie tunnel of trees lining the river a few bends after Ridge Wharf. Redcliffe seemed miles away. The wind did switch at tea time and nearly blew the Wenyons over!
Marauder leading sailed too close to the reeds and Colin snuck past in the last slow minutes to claim another victory. Tea, coffee, cakes and doughnuts were served from the tea boat, although a few mishaps passing the tea’s along (see pictures) before the lovely reach back, which was equally enjoyed in what can only be described as a wonderful (Enid Blyton) day out for the ‘Splendid Six’. All on the Parkstone Yacht Club veranda having drinks by six!
1st Pork Pie Chaser – Colin May and Sue Poulson
2nd Marauder – Cath Longhurst and Tracey Newman
3rd Scarlet and Green – Glynne Marples and Pauline Snyder, report by Bruce Gridley.
Low Water, Spring flood and strong NW wind and seven Wayfarers, a recipe for fun? A box end start and Pork Pie Chaser is first across the line, Karena sailing low curls up as Expeditious and Scarlett and Green follow. In the switching land wind blasts, places change on approach to Stakes race mark. A fetch to RoRo mark is led by Colin , Jackie helming Karena in second place. Around Morris Lane mark and a long run down to Bell race mark in a heavy chop ensues. Colin and Sue are mastering the conditions. Expeditious takes a tumble on the way. A quick wash and a Mk4 Tumble dry and away again. A second time round and this time Karena takes to inverted flight, No tumble wash feature available. Shallow ground causes a rudder control failure on Watery Moments and a rinse cycle and pump out required as a gust hits as rear hatch covers clips are re-positioned. The reach-less course, low water and wind over tide seemed like river racing.
1st Pork Pier Chaser Colin May and Sue Poulson
2nd Expeditious Barry French and and Mark Fisher
3rd Watery Moments Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett, report by Bruce Gridley.
With the ebb tide, the Pin end of the start line proved best as Watery Moments helmed by Bruce Gridley took the lead heading out of the harbour. Off Shell Bay, Colin May in Pork Pie Chaser took the lead with Expeditious second. Turning at Bar Buoy, Colin and Bruce turn together heading for Studand in a healthy easterly breeze. Heading for home after Chalys mark, the sun was warming the crews for a run back down the Swash Channel. The Chain Ferry was just leaving Studland side as Watery Moments skipped over the chains.
At Glovers mark, Expeditious now lying second was surrounded by an X boat but freed himself with a couple of gybes and prepared for rounding Hamish race mark. Bruce dropped the kite early and headed in to round, Barry dropping kite late ( new boat problems) had to work back around, blocking Bruce and then hitting the mark. Bruce avoiding collision mid-ships had to tack around to attempt a second rounding. Both boats now heading for the finish Bruce held windward but tacked early leaving Expeditious space to close the box closely. Tacking to starboard Bruce causes a blocking move Barry has to tack and he can’t clear so both tack again and then Bruce tacks again to clear ahead and secure second place, a close thing given the long race! The Black Pearl helmed by Steve Haley managed a credible 4th Place.
1st Pork Pie Chaser Colin May and Sarah Wallis
2nd Watery Moments Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett
3rd Expeditious Barry French and Mark Fisher, report by Bruce Gridley.
Parkstone Wayfarers - Easter Trophy Series 2011
Seven boats turned out each day over Easter to race for the Easter Trophy. Steve and Peter Collins in Grey Fox from Minima sailing club joining us. Warm Sunshine and a late Easter prompting a better turnout. Race 1: Pork Pie Chaser and Watery Moments are fighting for first place in light airs. Round One and Bruce has the line first. With weed about Colin slips ahead as Bruce is over the stern clearing weed. Race 2 and Bruce has to hold off Marauder and Grey Fox and Virgina Plain. Another second place, nothing changes!
Day 2 and race three, Watery Moments on form scores the first bullet!. Colin keeps up and scores a second place. Grey Fox always ready to pounce keeps the racing hot with another couple of thirds. Colin secures another first with Bruce second. Last day and courses with spinnaker reaches! The racing form continues in medium NE winds. The last race and Tom Lock overcooks the start scoring an OCS, however ronding Wych mark a battle for third place ensues with Watery Moments. Bruce dives away low to clear Piccadilly in second place. Barry French in his new boat is in the mix and at the end with a good decision to go left on the last beat for the shortened course scores the first bullet for the new boat! Watery Moments a split second behind. Pork Pie Chaser losing the scent finishes forth with Steve Collins sailing into a sly third place.
1st Pork Pie Chaser Colin May and Sue Poulson 6 points
2nd Watery Moments Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett 9 points
3rd Grey Fox Steve and Peter Collins 16 points, report by Bruce Gridley.
