​A truly difficult day of sailing today. Initially, we ahd a delay waiting on some wind - although Windy was suggesting 6 knots all day.....

A late start, but the eight skipprs got under way. Seemed like most of the day rewarded the one/s that managed that early break out. The fickle light airs did not help anyone who was mixed up in someone elses air, often becoming very difficult to pickt he wind with those finding their boats in irons punished very badly.

After an initial hiccup early on, Ray Joyce became the one to set the pace, and with a scorecard full of podium finishes, it was no surprise to see him easily take out the regatta on just 12 points.

Doing just as well, with multiple wins and second places was Stuart dawes, a deserved second place with 17 points.

Taking third today - also sailing very well in the difficult conditions - was John Cole-Cook on 21 points.

Big thanks to les for doing the Pro duties today. It's really appreciated.

Coming up

Wednesday is  Mid Week IOM Handicap at the Dam, button press at 11am

Next Sunday is IOM Scratch, at the dam, button press at 10am

Kyle

A Northerly forecast usually means good sailing conditions for Risdon Brook Dam but the wind today was confused and messy. 0 – 15 knots, gusty, swirling, and it took both skill and luck to get the better of it.
 
Before the start we tried to set buoy 8 back in its rightful position but found that it was only just hanging together by a couple of strands of rope and so we had to pull the buoy out and devise suitable courses without it.
 
Some skippers started the day with B-rigs but quickly realised that they were under-powered and so A-rigs were universal after the second race..
 
The wind died gradually throughout the morning and it looked like we might even be going home after lunch but it returned as unpredictable as it was before. At least we were able to finish our race program.
 
Only 4 points separating the top four today. Ricky Price continued his rich vein of form by taking third spot today.  It was great to see Rob Cooney back in some form too.  Rob took second place with four podium finishes in his mix today. It was Lisa Blackwood who stole overall honours and was easily the most consistently good skipper today. Congratulations Lisa, Rob and Ricky.
 
Coming up:
 
Sunday: RM State Regatta. Late entry can be made on-line. (10:30 button-press)
 
Next Wednesday: More IOM handicap sailing at Risdon Brook Dam. (11:00 button-press)
 
Shorty

​A cool, but windy morning greeted us today. So much so, that C rigs were set up on the boats for the start of the day. Unfortunately, I didn't get to participate early with a self imposed winch failure, but soon returned to get stuck in on race 6.

By then though, the wind had dropped right off, and everyone was on A Rigs.

Starts were super important from there, and the first around the windward mark held a massive advantage over the field for much of the race, with the exception of the last race of the day - where some left-field thinking took a significant advantage, and last around the last mark ended up winning the race - and first place at the mark finished last......

The day was enjoyed by everyone though, and great to see simple things like penalty turns all done without any need to call them out - the example we strive to set consistently.

Today, Stuart was the winner, taking out 5 races in a great show of consistency. Finishing the day (10 races) on 15 points.

Second place was on countback with third. John Cole Cok managed to scrape in the second on account of his two race wins with 18 points.

Third place, with one race win - also on 18 points, was John Hall.

Thanks to Les, for coming along to carry out the PRO duties for the day.

Coming up

Wednesday is IOM Mid Week Handicap, button press at 11am. 

Next Sunday is the RM State Regatta, briefing at 1015 and button press at 1030. Please get your entries in as soon as possible.

Kyle

Things didn’t look too hopeful for sailing when we arrived for today’s IOM racing at Risdon Brook Dam today. It was glassy smooth with mirror reflections. But right on our 11:00 start time a light North-Wester (0-5 knots) appeared and it held pretty well throughout the day. There were some giant shifts with a South-Wester trying to establish itself and some considerable voids between the competing winds as well. An ounce of luck was a valuable thing today but a bucket of it would have been really useful. Frequently a skipper would establish a good lead on the fleet only to be robbed by a cruel wind change.
 
Being the first IOM sail of the month today’s event contributed towards the Handicap Sheild.
 
Fifteen starters is a really good fleet and I think that it will build too over the following weeks as the weather improves and some of our regulars return from their mainland trips.
 
It was difficult to identify a stand-out winner today and the close points table showed that many of the skippers had a good share of the podium. It was John Cole-Cook who secured the overall honors and well done too as two race wins and a second place early in the race program meant that he was battling an inflated handicap for the rest of the day.
 
Ricky Price took second place with some good consistent sailing. Peter Sylvester, back today from a break in Queensland, took third with two race wins in his tally. Congratulations and well sailed Pete, Ricky and John.
 
COMING UP:
Sunday: Marblehead scratch racing at Risdon Brook Dam (10:00 button-press)
Next Wednesday: More IOM handicap racing at Risdon Brook Dam. (11:00 button-press)

​A mild day at the dam today, with some frustrating wind, coming from most directions at certain stages. 

The six skippers started on A Rigs and kept to them for much of the day, with the exception of a race towards the end of the day in B Rig, but we quckly changed back to the A as the wind was very fickle, inconsistent and hard to read.

We got nine races in, with four skippers taking a win. Interestingly, on three occasions, we had a skipper place last in one race, then winning the very next one. Shows that the racing was quite close and the results depended on where the boat was sailed, and the performance/tune  was in fact quite close between yachts.

In the end, Lisa Blackwood was just too consistent for the rest of us. Worst counted result being a 3rd place - a well deserved round winner on 11 points.
Second place was Kyle Stewart, seven behind on 18 points. Looks like the rig pull down and re-setting of everything has corrected the issues over the last 3 or so rounds.
Taking third place was John Hall, on 22 points, finishing the day very strong with some seconds and thirds.

In the Silver Fleet, John took the day out on 8 points, with Phil Turnbull 3 behind on 11 points.

On an aside, we have some of our skippers returning home at the moment from the recently completed RM National Championships at Grahamstown Dam, NSW. Our four sailors performed quite well with some great results. Kyle Stewart finished in 8th position, John Cole-Cook in 11th, Ray Joyce 12th and Rod Marshall 13th in a field of 25. Well done guys on representing the club and state so very well.

Coming Up

IOM Handicap Racing on Wedesday at the Dam, button press at 11am

RM Scratch Racing next Sunday at the dam, button press at 10am

Kyle

A blustery North Westerly of about 15 knots greeted us at Risdon Brook Dam for today’s DF95 handicap sailing. Quite a bit of rig choice discussion resulted in the whole fleet opting for B-rigs for the morning’s session. It was a good choice too as some of the gusts were quite weighty. The wind did moderate during the lunch break and most of the fleet re-suited with the A-rig for the afternoon.
 
Thanks as usual to our DF95 PRO Andrew Wardrop who set good courses and kept things moving nicely throughout the day.
 
My brother Alan Short only started radio sailing three weeks ago and has now bought himself  five boats! (three DF95’s, a DF65 and a IOM). Al’s scorecard included a creditable second place and a third place today. He always wanted to own a 49er and now he does. – Number #49 that is!
 
Third place overall went to Stuart Dawes who showed superior skills in the heavy conditions at the start of the day. Second place went to Phil Turnbull with lots of second places on his scorecard. And, I don’t really want to blow my own trumpet or anything but, ‘Toot – ta – toot – toot –toot!’ I managed to win the day after finishing strongly in the afternoon session. I think that I may have been assisted by a generous start of day handicap – dashed for next week though.
 
COMING UP!
 
Saturday: The Forcett Lakes group are hosting an IOM Woodies regatta. 10:30 button-press.
Sunday: More DF95 sailing. Scratch Racing at Risdon Brook Dam. 10:00 button press.
Next Wednesday: IOM handicap sailing at Risdon Brook dam 11:00 button-press
 
Shorty