Posts by Geoff Dixon

If we sometimes feel challenged by our own older wooden Victory boats, when you get to a vessel that is 186ft long, 2162 tons, that was launched in 1765 you get a very different sense of perspective!

Thanks are due for all the work from Zoe, MC and Max, outgoing Racing Secretary Sid, and Master of Ceremonies John Scammell to highlight the highs of 2023. The ‘Beazley Trophy’ for the overall Cowes Week win, the ‘Top Helms’, and no less than 14 other trophies were presented to Z74 Peregrine who had a spectacular 2023 season. Jim Downing received The ‘Captains Decanter’ for services to the class, and with Zoe Whittaker also collected 7 other trophies from another great performance on the water in Z78 Ziva, while Max and Scam won the one that every Saturday sailor wants, the ‘Presidents Shield’. The party continued after the formalities were over..

More Photos from the night can be found here…LINK

Z15 Dunlin, with Dawson Penn at the helm and a certain young Victory and Contessa 32 sailor as crew. Circa 1992

With race officer Hugh Pringle set up at PSC racing mark, Course 2 was called, with 2 beats to BT followed by two shorter beats to PSC, all with Suffolk Sails as the downwind mark. The breeze was an encouraging SW gusting to 20 knots, enough to get your teeth into.

The fleet were keen on the line, stacked up at the committee boat end with 30 seconds to go. At the last moment a dive down the short line saw them all off the outer end with no one OCS, out towards the west going tide, undoubtedly the way to go. Z54 the leeward boat just squeezing past the buoy with 80, 74 and 68 to weather and behind. As 54 squeezed up from below one by one the others tacked off for clear air, leaving 54 to take advantage of the best of the tide further out. At BT 54 had the lead with 74 and 80 rounding not far behind.

Down the run to Suffolk Sails 54 extended with Heather working the kite hard. 74 and 80 neck and neck behind. Repeat up the beat to BT again, 54 tacking too early for the buoy and allowing 74 to close a little, but 54 first round again and 74 and 80 on top of each other behind.

54 leading round SS and beat to PSC, the lead still comfortable, but you can’t make a mistake in the Victory Class and here comes the first one. 54 gybes to come down the run on port, 80 follows, but 74 holds out on starboard gybe and gets more breeze, storming up on 54, while 80 also benefits from breeze filling from astern after a lull. 54 under pressure at Suffolk Sails, but just holding the overlap inside 74 with 80 behind.

It’s often important to keep hold of the big picture when you find yourself in close quarters. Mistake no.2, 54 allows 74 and 80 to tack first and they foot off under and out into the breeze. An early tack onto Port sees them both cross 54 as PSC approaches, but they were a little early with the tacks this time, 54 holds on and takes a little benefit from a lift into the wall, lifting over 80. Not quite over 74 however, who cross on starboard 1/2 boat length ahead, to round PSC to start downwind to the line first, with 54 second and 80 third. 74 in more breeze off the wall and 54 defending against 80 sees Peregrine take the Dunlin Trophy at the line, to add to a few others waiting for collection at the prizegiving… 54, 80, 68, 73 follow with 53 retiring.

Well done to 74, but all the Cowes bound boats are no doubt happy with their performance! Thanks to Mr Pringle and team for a great race.

Now there apparently needs to be a song in here, so, with Cowes Week approaching, all together now…

“What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor, What Shall We Do……..

Z74 ‘ in the chair’ for the evening set a course from a start line at PSC…… SS - BT - Liningtons - BT - SS. At the start the fleet were keen, too keen in some cases, Z54 and 69 early and ducking back down the line, and 67, oh so close to not being OCS, but the ’X’ went up and back they went after an almost! perfect start.

Going left to the wall for too long on the first beat did not pay. Out to the right got you to the right side of the curve as the wind shifted. Z78, Z80, Z54 first around SS with barely a 1/4 of a length between them. A gaggle of boats behind. Z78 low off the mark, Z80 up the middle, Z54 high and up over Z80. Down the long run to BT the wind swung just a little to the east, allowing the windward boats to hold a good line to the buoy and make the most of the gusts. At the mark its Z54, Z80, Z78, with 77 and 69 right behind. Still nothing in it.

The east going was running. Off the buoy on Port was the way to go, racing down the tide, but 77 and 69 tacked left at the buoy for clear air back towards the wall. A bit of a header on port half way down the beat and 54 and 80 tacked left for a distance and then back on to port down the middle. The middle seemed a good place to be. Z77 and 67 hard out to the right, and 69 and 77 to the left were losing ground. 54 extending on 80, and 77, giving up early on the left hand side, closed on 80 to cause some distraction. By Liningtons 54 had half a dozen boat lengths clear, with 80 and 77 behind, and the rest of the fleet close. The gusty breeze had a surprise for 69 just after the mark, pushing her into an unexpected broach, quickly recovered.

Places basically unchanged at BT. One beat to SS to go. Most of the fleet off on Port, down the tide again, trying to judge where the corner was for a tack to SS. Z54 covering, Z80 holding second. Z54 tacks for the buoy, still some 3/4 mile away, looking good. Z69 has gone early however. Up the middle. Z54 watching closely. Are the lifts going to get him to the line first. Looking ok for 54, but 80 is a little further to windward and at risk. Z54 across the line first, the oldest boat of the night still has some legs, but Z69 is second, a great recovery, leaving Z80 with the third gun, a few seconds and 66 years behind!

Honourable mention for Z9, great to see them making progress on a breezy night (but despite the number the boat is a relative youngster), and many thanks to hardworking Mike and our third generation Victory sailor Vicky Metcalf on 54 for the effort ( I won’t mention your age!)

Photo: ©Chris Smith

Starting signals commenced and the fleet gathered at the committee boat end of the line. Z68 came in on port and tacked under Z74 and Z80 with 30 seconds to go, gathering some speed we were more than grateful when a second sound signal followed the start as both Z74 & Z80 were clearly over the line. They returned to restart and we then had clear air for the long beat to Gleeds. Concentrating on both boat speed and pointing Z68 gradually gained on those who were making a long starboard tack to the left-hand side of the track. Two boats Z75 & Z80 had gone the other way with a long port tack. On coming together at the windward mark, it was Z75 who had gained most and rounded first, followed by Z68 and then closely by Z80 (who had started last), then Z74, Z78, Z54 and Z70. Then a long run back to PSC with little if any place changes, short beat to KB and a run to the finish line. Another good win for Z75 followed by Z80, Z68 just holding off Z74, then Z78, Z70 and Z54, Z70 having sneaked past Z54 as they made a rather slow rounding of PSC. Most of us held our spinnakers along the wall and into the harbour against the ebbing tide, keen to get in out of the cold and looking forward to the warmth, beer and usual debrief in the sailing club. Many thanks to Geoff and Liz for an enjoyable race.

John

Thursday’s race took place in a very brisk North Easterly, which initially caused the first starting sequence to be aborted as the breeze shifted east with a couple of minutes to go. With the course amended to Suffolk Sails – PSC (x 4) to allow for the delay and the early sunset at 20:07, the three intrepid (or foolhardy) competitors set off up the beat to SS. It was conditions to focus the mind, especially if you were at the front catching the waves. To their surprise, Z54 seemed to pick the right lines and squeeze up on a lift to perfectly lay SS ahead of Z74 and Z69, whose earlier track inshore had not paid. Around SS some rare caution was applied on 54, with the jib goosewinged and no kite in the strong gusts on the very shy dead downwind leg to PSC. Behind, Z74 fought to get a kite up and under control, and 69 also hoisted, all be it some lengths further back. Second surprise of the night, as caution paid, and 54 was able to exercise more control to pick the line dead downwind to best advantage and with control, with enough breeze to overcome the extra sail area advantage on the boats astern. At PSC 54 still had the lead, and there was a repeat of the beat to SS, with 54 holding her position, 74 following and 69 closing the gap. At SS the breeze briefly eased, Z54 first round again ahead of 74 and 69, and this time all boats hoisted kites. The breeze returned, 54 dropped early again to exercise some control into PSC, and rounded just ahead of the chasing boats, but the gap had closed! 74 fell off into 54’s dirty breeze, and freed to start powering through her lee, while 69 held up on the windward quarter trying to gain control. The VHF delivered the shortened course call, final leg, and 74 seized a chance, tacking first for the line. 54 and 69 fatally delayed, and as the wind headed on the starboard tack to PSC Z74 powered out from under the other boats, sailing round the inside of ‘the curve’ as the wind headed, and made it to the line 7 seconds ahead of 54, with 69 a further few seconds back.

Congratulations again to Tom and the Peregrine team, a short but hard race. Thanks to Munch and Jim and Liz, a tricky OOD duty, and thanks to Z54’s crew, Mike and Vicky, who found themselves having to work rather harder then expected! As a reward, the return to the harbour came with lots of cold rain, to wash away the salt and send everyone ashore feeling fresh and happy! ☹.

The rain stopped, the gusts eased a little, and overcome with enthusiasm (or perhaps keen to get it over with) the 5 boats rushed for the line as the countdown neared zero. Rather too early in most cases, and in the melee as boats tried to slow and duck back, Z69 rather underestimated the length of Z74 and a collision occurred. With 69 shaping up for a penalty turn, and 74 OCS, the way was clear for Z54 and Z80 to make a slightly better timed crossing of the line on the gun at the committee boat end. Still quite breezy, and the extra crew weight in 54 (sorry boys) was useful in allowing her to squeeze 80 into an early tack onto port, while Z78 pushed out to leeward of the pair, and 74 followed some lengths back having restarted. Z69, probably wisely, headed back to the warm and dry.

Out into the west going tide and 54 was first around the windward mark, with 78 close behind and 80 and 74 fighting at the back. Down the run, and Z54 first around KB to port, which was a pity, as it had to be rounded to starboard. In the subsequent unwinding 54 shifted neatly from 1^st to last, leaving 78, 74 and 80 in the first 3 positions. The second beat to BT saw Z78 and Z74 fight it out, with 74 having the lead after rounding BT and holding it down the run to the finish. Z80 tacked too early for the wall, allowing 54 to grab some tidal advantage and recover one place on the beat.

At the finish, 1^st Z74, (sounds familiar) Z78, Z54, Z80. Well done to Tom, Duncan and Carole for getting the first trophy of the season, and thanks to Sid and Liz for braving the weather (although we did notice who stayed in the dry in the wheelhouse!)

No one was singing…..although there may have been a happy hum from Peregrine on the way home….

​.....only the weather had other ideas of course! We will try again on Thursday, the Victory Class are all fired up and ready to go….