Beaver SC regular RS300 sailor Richard Hanby has won the Rutland RS300 Sprints, a series of short sharp races over two day’s designed to test event the most hardy of us.
Read the official report HERE
Sail | Learn | Win
by Dave Nicklin
Beaver SC regular RS300 sailor Richard Hanby has won the Rutland RS300 Sprints, a series of short sharp races over two day’s designed to test event the most hardy of us.
Read the official report HERE
by Dave Nicklin
Beaver SC sailor Richard Hanby has wont the 2 day event at Bowmoor Sailing Club amongst some stiff competition with some very convincing results, well done.
Read the official report HERE
by Dave Nicklin
Hi Everyone
As you all know we had a great season last year and to kick this year off with a bang we have decided to run a number of events at the Club. The new calendar is HERE, have a look and save the dates.
To kick the year off we have the ROD boat familiarisation day and membership Q&A session in the club house on 2nd March from 12:00, anyone who needs help signing up for this years membership is welcome to attend and we can help you through the process.
For all of you who raced last year the calendar includes the racing days and series, you will need to sign up to a minimum of 2 race officer duties on a Sunday and if you sailed the winter series or Wednesday night series you will need to sign up for at least one of each before 1st of March.
The calendar will be displayed in the Club house on the racing board, all you need to do is fill in your preferred dates and turn up on the days you sign up for, if you can’t get to the Club to sign up please email [email protected] with your preferred dates and we will put you on the list if those dates are still available. We will get back to you if your preferred dates are not available.
Many thanks to those of you who have already signed up or are going to sign up, your Club appreciates you and the help you give us to run a successful racing calendar.
Anyone who raced last year and who does not sign up for a race officer duty will be allocated days instead and notified via email. Remember it is vitally important to all of us who race that everybody takes their turn in the ROD role, without your support the racing will not be possible. If you didn’t race last year but still feel like helping out you will be more than welcome to assist the Race Officer on the day.
As promised the sailing lessons for adults and juniors (8 years and older), power boat (12 years and older) lessons and paddle board lessons (8 years and older) are now available to book online via the web collect page, HERE. Please book early to avoid disappointment as we anticipate a very high demand.
Following last years success there is the much anticipated return of the family days, with Paddle Fest and Paddle board Yoga in June and Dragon Board racing (teams of 4, best team name wins a prize) and Wing Surfing in August, again these can be booked on the web collect page HERE.
We also have a number of new events this year, with the postponed Windsurfer improver session now happening in May, bookable Swedish and Reiki massage sessions in June, and Wellness Days throughout the year.
On the racing front we have the brilliant end of season Streaker Open meeting in October and the all new RS300 Open meeting in July.
Cheers
Beaver Sailing Club
by Dave Nicklin
Some of our more hardy souls taking to the water over the Christmas period
by Dave Nicklin
Beaver sailors did well recently at the Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club Brass Monkey event which forms part of the Selden Sail Juice Winter series
RS400 duo Ollie Groves and crew Tom Parkhurst taking a credible 4th overall with Laser ace Archie Burton grabbing a smashing 15th following a rudder failure in the punishing conditions among a healthy 49 boat fleet.
by Dave Nicklin
Well done to Richard Hanby who finished second overall at the RS300 Nationals this year, frustratingly tied on points with first placed competitor Harry McVicar, it was all down to the last race. Read the full report HERE
by Dave Nicklin
Well done to Ollie Groves & Esther Parkhurst who finished a well deserved 2nd overall at the RS400 Nationals in a 69 boat fleet, the competition is always fierce and this year was no different. Click HERE for the full report and results
by Dave Nicklin
Sun, wind, rain and pizza!
The day was a ‘breeze’ with winds (gusting up to 32mph) that matched the high spirits of all who attended. Although the rain was torrential at points in the day, it did not dampen the mood of more than 90 of our members and guests. The Club house, front lawn and lake were buzzing.
Inside, the tombola, lolly stick game and raffle provided entertainment and rewards for the lucky winners, who kept coming back for more.
Volunteers in the galley helped to keep everyone’s energy up with tasty treats and snacks.
Outside was a hive of activity. Not only the 65ft inflatable assault course proving a big hit for young and old alike but also the oppies and boards enticing our youngsters (and those young at heart) out onto the water.
Whilst Dave and Tom provided on water entertainment for those kitted up, Mike, our lifeguard for the event, kept a close eye on all involved. The lake was definitely used to its full potential. In addition to the orgainsed games, there were families going out for a brisk sail and, across the lake, our windsurfing members took full advantage of the high winds, going out for a blast on windsurfers and wing foils.
After fun in the sun, wind and rain, the day was rounded off with The Beverley Pizza Company cooking up a storm, hand making 90 delicious pizzas in their pop up wood fired pizzeria.
Our thanks go out to all our members for your help preparing and joining in with such a successful event. It couldn’t have happened without you!
We can’t wait to see what antics Paddle Board Mania will bring. Get your tickets HERE
by Dave Nicklin
Four Beaver sailors finished in the top 10 at the Streaker Nationals last weekend, with our commodore Martin Penty taking the top spot for the second time in as many years.
Martin Penty National Champion
The racing was typically tight for this event and the places were hard fought, well done to all Beaver sailors, everyone else who took part in the event, and everyone behind the scenes without which this event wouldn’t have been possible
Steve (fast) Hanby 5th overall
Ollie Groves 6th overall
Richard Hanby 7th Overall
Other Beaver finishers were:
Dave Borrett 7th
John Aldhous 16th
Richard Brameld 23rd
Neil Parkhurst 24th
Tim Bell 32nd
Stuart Burnett 36th
Ian Parkhurst 37th
Bob Towler 46th
by Dave Nicklin
61st Birkett Memorial Trophy Event
Report by Paul Cox
Solution dinghy no. 426
The weekend of 1st and 2nd July 2023 saw the illustrious Ullswater Yacht Club hosting the ever popular Birkett regatta, with 208 boats on the entry sheet. The regatta is truly a festival of small boat sailing at its best and is listed by Yachts and Yachting as one of the top ‘must do’ sailing events.
Typically the fleet comprises the widest imaginable range of monohull craft with only the minimum yardstick value of 1340 limiting the slowest boats to those just a little faster than the venerable Mirror. At the other end of the scale, a handful of 49er and Musto Skiffs were sure to impress on the water even if their handicaps make winning overall a big challenge for the crews. Equally impressive speed machines, the VX One fleet dominated the line-up amongst the 3 person keel boats mainly made up of local entries. RS400 and RS200 fleets put up by far the biggest numbers and past performance of these classes ensured a highly competitive event. Most travelled entries included boats from northern Scotland, the south coast of England and even a few from the Isle of Mann.
Early in the week ahead of the regatta, race communications excitedly declared a forecast anticipating plenty of wind for racing on each of the two scheduled races, Saturday and Sunday. The event has a somewhat chequered history of unpredictable weather with events spoiled by both calms and more commonly by gale force winds, rarely with two days the same. The scene was set for a boisterous weekend.
Saturday morning got off to a blustery start and by late morning the gusts were already making their presence felt. The 11:30am Race Officer briefing declared the event well and truly on and warnings were issued about safety with wind strength considerably higher in the notorious narrows known as Howtown Gap. Nevertheless, the Race Officer set the usual course to Norfolk Island and back to Pooley Bridge before returning to the finish line opposite the Clubhouse – some 13-15 miles before allowing for the beat. Not for the faint-hearted.
As boats started to launch at about 12:15 for the 1pm scheduled start, conditions ramped up considerably and the noise of rigging and thrashing sails was deafening. Within moments of launching, significant numbers of boats capsized with some incurring breakages or sail damage. It was not easy decision for those boats still preparing to launch. Not surprisingly, many remembered that ‘discretion be the better part of valour’ and remained on shore. I was one of them.
Saturday’s race featured just 105 finishers of the 208 boats entered, 50 boats retired from the race and the balance were DNS. Local sailors Matty and James Lyons gave a very impressive performance in their 49er, finishing in a remarkably quick 1 hour and 9 minutes (surely a record for the event?). Next boat home finished some 18 minutes later; the 505 of Nathan Batchelor narrowly beating the Lyons boys into second place. Third overall was a timeless classic, the Fireball of Grahame Newton. Beaver’s James Penty and crew Eddi Grayson achieved a creditable 51st place overall in the RS800. Special mention must go to Filey SC juniors Tom and Daniel Whitehead in their RS Feva XL finishing in 18th place overall aged just 14 and 11 respectively. Definitely a case of watch this space.
Speculation was rife for Sunday’s changing weather conditions. The closer we got to the 11:00 start the more likely it seemed that we were not in for the pummelling experienced by so many valiant competitors the day before. However, this being Ullswater, conditions were capable of rapid change and with very different conditions around the vast area of the lake. Sure enough, Sunday’s start did offer the opportunity for many who opted out of Saturday to give it a go. Unfortunately a sizeable contingent didn’t take up the baton, either due to breakages in race one or due to the much anticipated deterioration in wind conditions expected as the fleet progress westwards towards Norfolk Island for the second time.
After the usual two failed starts for general recall followed by a third start under black flag rules, the fleet made a very presentable sight in what appeared to be relatively benign sailing conditions. Conditions were even good enough to tempt me to join the start in my Solution dinghy and I enjoyed a very pleasant sail as one of a contingent of smaller single-handers, mainly Laser Radials, with the occasional Streaker, and Lightning 368 for good measure. The favourable conditions lasted only as long as it took to make the approach to the narrows at Howtown by which point the wind speed increased dramatically with punishing gusts and surprisingly large waves through the gap. I fought hard to make it through but on seeing the conditions further down the lake and the vast majority of the fleet ahead clearly struggling, I started to consider abandoning. The decision was made for me when after a capsize I found that my top two batons refused to play and nothing I could do would stop them inverting. Forward progress into the strong westerly was no longer possible so I did the most spectacular bear away and headed back at full speed, barely able to keep the bow from submerging.
The downwind return was almost enjoyable in the end and I was soon joined by a good number of other boats who had made it further west but were also retiring from race two. The attrition in Sunday’s race ended up being similar to Saturday with just 90 boats achieving a finishing place and 36 retiring. So that leaves a whopping 82 DNS from the original 208 boat entry list.
Matty and James Lyons gave another masterclass in their 49er winning both on the water and on handicap only 3 minutes behind their Saturday elapsed time. On corrected time the next boats were Musto Skiff, RS400 and Fireball and a brace of VX Ones. A notable retirement came from Saturdays first place overall helm, Nathan Batchelor in the 505 following a mast breakage. This left him a disappointing 75th place overall. The Whitehead juniors achieved a very impressive 25th overall. After retiring in Sunday’s race, James Penty’s RS800 achieved 90th overall out of 121 boats who sailed and achieved a finish in either or both races. That just leaves me in 122nd place, sharing equal last place with 87 other disappointed entrants.
Winners Matty & James Lyons
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