Overy Staithe Report…
Overy Staithe Sailing Club – By Rodney Tidd
OK Open Meeting July 7th 2019.
The date above is a little misleading as this annual event, now in it’s 48th year, kicked off with the customary BBQ and evening entertainment the night before. Those of you with a taste for social media may have noticed the starring role played by Rodney ‘Jimmy Chan’ Thorne in demonstrating his new cutting (h)edge cordless technology. Burgers, sausages, minted lamb and chicken was washed down with a few beers and vintage wines before Carol Pike’s chocolate cake was devoured with gusto. The evening was closed out at the Hero public house.
The day of the main event dawned with bright sunshine but only a little breeze from the north. A quick count revealed Nine OKs had arrived for what was hoped to be a pleasant morning of sailing at sea. Unfortunately the spring tide was running so strongly at the harbour mouth that even the committee boat could make no headway through it. Sailing out in a force 1 breeze was never going to be successful so a harbour course was set.
After a short delay to reset the start line line the fleet got away first time and split to both sides of the creake. The locals thought they had it made after choosing the marsh side but a small increase in pressure on the right side evened things up at the windward mark. A broad reach to the next mark with the tide taking the boats low caught out a few and Alex Scoles and Tim O’Leary were seen to round first. The next leg was a beat to a mark set just inside the harbour channel and it was vital to get your angles correct if you were to round it quickly and avoid being penalised. Tim slightly misread the tide and Alex found that beating close into the mark was not the correct option. This allowed Richard Burton, Rodney Tidd and Duncan Ellis to catch and pass. A further lap left matters much as before. On the final run Burt and Rodney sailed high, Duncan took the lower option and kept his air clean. He arrived at the finishing line area first but sailed the wrong side of the finishing mark handing a race win to Burt.
The wind strengthened slightly for the second race. Much less drama this time due to a standard triangle course having been set. The beats decided matters and both sides paid at one time or another. Burts decision to avoid the worst of the tide by ‘hiding’ under the East point paid handsomely when he caught good pressure and he rounded well ahead. He was chased by Alex and Rodney who had taken a more conventional route. This order was maintained to the finish.
In the third race Alex Scoles pulled out a good lead with Simon, Burt and Rodney dicing with each other all the way round the first lap. Rodney’s endeavours came to an early end when forced into an involuntary gybe close to the leeward mark by the sight of Blue Eric’s unprotected starboard side down to leeward. Unsure if he had touched the mark and the need to get home early made the decision to retire an easy one. Peter Turner and Duncan forced themselves into the mix as the race proceeded.
Special thanks to the wonderful collection of visitors who made the event as special as ever. Sailing at Overy Staithe is often not straightforward and racing can be downright difficult at times.
Overall Results
1st Richard Burton West Oxfordshire 1 1 2 2pts
2nd Alex Scoles Overy Staithe 3 2 1 3pts
3rd Rodney Tidd Overy Staithe 2 3 dnf 5pts
4th Simon Cowood Rutland 6 5 3 8pts
5th Duncan Ellis Overy Staithe 4 4 5 8pts
6th Peter Turner Overy Staithe 8 6 4 10pts
7th Tim O’Leary Felixstowe Ferry 5 8 8 13pts
8th Deryck Lovegrove Burghfield 9 7 6 13pts
9th Paul Pike Covenham 7 9 7 14pts
