Down River Race – The Phipps Oar  25th May 2024

View from the front by Henry Nurton

The down-river race of Saturday was an engaging, tactical event, where a moment’s lapse of concentration could lose several places. The swirling but gentle winds that make Beaulieu such an enjoyable place to sail were up to their mischief, and spotting these shifts first was what won the race. The day was warm and sunny, and the twenty or so boats that raced certainly enjoyed it.

Within three tacks of the start, Mary Montagu-Scott was leading the race, but with raft-ups involving most of the fleet at Bailey’s and Buckler’s hards, it was Lizzie Anders, having spotted the wind, who escaped the rafts first, and subsequently sailed to victory by a fair margin, followed by Simon Shaw, copying America’s cup trends with his dual port/starboard tacticians. The lightweight team of Ned Nicholson and myself, in a boat kindly lent by Charles Nicholson (who didn’t do so well, 7th) came in 3rd with the Johnsons 4th and Mary Montagu-Scott rounding off the top five.

View from the middle by Andrew Duncan

I managed to start in the first three or four but quickly slipped back to seven or eight. Yes, irritating. I then closed with the first three just after Brickyards. Might have been in the lead for 50 seconds but then slipped back to eight or nine. Frustrating.

I then closed again with the leaders at Bucklers Hard and believed I could cruise into say a respectable third or fourth even if Lizzie was going to be hard to pass. But no, back I slipped to position nine or ten where I unwillingly had to slog it out with Sam Van Holthe. I really wanted him to come in ahead of me but couldn’t even manage that. Useless.

View from the back by Fiona Duncan

In my customary position to the rear of the fleet I began the race ahead of a small group that included Rupert, Tim, Christian and Erica and Karen and Sophia. However,  approaching the narrow channel at Buckler’s Hard marina, they all caught up, overtook and left me far behind. Peter H-B, from the safety boat, said it would help if I stopped steering into the wind all the time. 

The swiftness or otherwise of my scow is nothing to do with me. I merely sit there; sometimes I go fast, other times slow – I know not why. Just beyond Buckler’s Hard, for some unaccountable reason I started going fast. “Yoo hoo” I said to Rupert as I swept past first Tim and then him. “Nice to see you” said Rupert with his customary politeness “ but I have to say, that it’s also incredibly irritating”. Somehow, just, I managed to stay ahead of all my rivals as we tacked home: my finest hour. 

1.   550 Lizzie Anders
2.  320 Simon, Barbar and Mimi Shaw
3.  585 Ned Nicholson and Henry Nurton
4.  589 Red and Cleo Johnson
5.  600 Mary Montagu-Scott
6.  421 Karl and Zoey Leibat
7.  493 Coco and Charles Nicholson
8.  454 Al Fothergill
9.  561 Pippa and Camilla Sellars
10. 152 Lucy Markby
11. 414 Andrew Duncan
12. 499 Sam van Holthe
13. 358 Fiona Duncan
14. 530 Tim Robinson
15. 464 Sophia Moore and Karen Rogers
16. 457 Rupert Scott
17. 595 Erica Neve and  Kristen Brandford

Retired:
205 Darren Firth
66 Trend Souter & G Fairweather

Many thanks to our big team of helpers: Ginna Gayner, Frank McGinn and Gerry Marling-Roberts on the platform. The Safety Team – Angela and Peter Hayward-Broomfield, Ian Strathcarron & Bill Vance, Vova Karavan & Simon Gibbs, (trollies too!), and shore support from the Bettridges. Last but by no means least, our thanks to the refreshment team, Hicky Gibbs & Frances Robinson and to all those who made cakes.

RACE 2    Saturday 8th June    1200    HW 1300 

STARTING PLATFORM                         Miranda Knowles

RACE OFFICER                                     Frank McGinn

SAFETY BOAT TEAM                            Bill Vance & Keith Hutton

BBQ                                                         Kindly hosted by Benji and Christian Scrimgeour.  Please arrive by foot, boat or bicycle! RSVP

RACE 3      Saturday 22nd June     1100     HW  1200                                                     

STARTING PLATFORM                           Gerry Marling-Roberts                                                  

RACE OFFICER                                       Oli Stanley                                                                

SAFETY BOAT TEAM                              Sophie Stanley & Lizzie Anders                                        

TEA                                                           **** slot to fill ****                                 

FUTURE DATES

Saturday 1st June          BRSC SUMMER PARTY  kindly hosted by Amanda and Nick Bentley-Buckle at Gardiners Ground gathering at 15:00 – 20:00. RSVP social@brsc.org 

Please bring picnic rugs, drink &food and enjoy one of the best views on the river. 

Monday 24th June         The Keyhaven-Beaulieu-Keyhaven Potter. All details from Nick Griffin : nc.griffin@btinternet.com  . Keyhaven are happy to take you as crew in their boats should you prefer. Or trail your scow to Keyhaven and sail there and back.

Sunday 7th July              **** new date **** The Junior Spring Regatta   details from June Kirkman : kirkmanjune@gmail.com 

Yours aye,

Victoria

Race Officer: Frank McGinn. Starting Platform: Ginna Gayner & Gerry Marling-Roberts. Safety Boats: Simon Gibb & Vova Karavan, Peter & Angela Hayward-Broomfield, Ian Strathcarron & Bill Vance.

Course: Straight down the River

1. 550 – Lizzie Anders
2. 320 – Simon, Babar & Mimi Shaw
3. 585 – Ned Nicholson & Henry Nurton
4. 589 – Red & Cleo Johnson
5. 600 – Mary Montagu-Scott
6. 421 – Karl & Zoey Liebat
7. 493 – Coco & Charles Nicholson
8. 454 – Al Fothergill
9. 561 – Pippa & Camilla Sellars
10. 152 – Lucy Markby
11. 414 – Andrew Duncan
12. 499 – Sam Van Holthe
13. 358 – Fiona Duncan
14. 530 – Tim Robinson
15. 464 – Sophia Moore & Karen Rogers
16. 457 – Rupert Scott
17. 595 – Kristen Brandford & Erica Neve

Retired: 205 – Darrren Firth, 66 – Trend Souter & G Fairweather

Laser: Beatty Markby Brans. Toppers: Poppy Markby Brans (Retired), 1. Arthur Souter, 2. Bert Souter

RACE REPORT RACE 1  HEXTALL TROPHY  COURSE: Fs Bp Os to Brickyards

By Symon Stratton

It was absolutely glorious looking out across the river at lunch time on Sunday, the sun was glistening across the water, we finally had some warmth, almost perfect sailing conditions, apart from one missing ingredient…wind!  I was pretty much convinced that Race 1 of the Hextall trophy would amount to nothing more than a slow drift down to the Brickyards, it was sure to be cancelled.  Fast forward an hour or so and close to 10 minutes prior to the start, a 2^nd glance at the river revealed a gentle south-westerly and more alarmingly about 13 boats out on the water.  Panic stations …the race was on!  There was no time to spare, no time to bail out a month’s worth of April showers that had seeped in since our last outing and certainly not enough time to remove any resident slugs & earwigs, they were joining me for the ride!

Out in a flash, I just managed to catch the tail of the fleet as they crossed the start line. I had not seen the course set by Ginna, as I was still rigging my mainsheet, but out in front were the likes of Ned & Charles Nicolson and Mary & Claudia, seemingly heading down towards F by the creek.  It was a decent beat, with plenty of wind shifts and I found myself hugging the west shore, which initially allowed me to pass a few boats.  I then made the mistake of going in too close under the trees and ended up rounding F right back where I had started …2^nd last.  For the downwind leg, we returned back up to B, just beyond the start line.  There was quite a lot of ground to make up to catch the likes of Elizabeth Gedge, Victoria and Ed bonham Carter, Lizzie Anders and several others but the wind gradually filled in behind, allowing me to reach B on their tails.  At this point all the boats ahead tacked off and headed towards the centre of the river, I decided to carry on towards the west shore and lucked in with a decent lift, circumnavigating 6 or 7 boats at once, including Mary & Claudia.  The next mark was O off Oxleys, the Nicholsons were a long way ahead having managed to get past the fluky conditions around Dock Head’s jetty before the rest of us could catch them.  Once past this point and clear of the trees there was a decent breeze for the fetch across to Oxleys where poor Sophia Moore seemed to be stuck in irons, having retired from the race and was just heading for tea.  After rounding O, Victoria was on my tail and helped by her chief tactician Ed, managed to get ahead, with Lizzie also hot on my heels.  The Nicolsons with Ned at the helm, although now a little closer were still a few too many tacks ahead and comfortably crossed the line at the Brickyards to take a very well deserved win.  Next up should’ve been the BC’s but they very kindly overstood the last tack (perhaps another tactical call by Ed in avoiding the write up!) and let me back through again.  We were closely followed by Lizzie and Karl and Zoey Liebat.

A special thank you to Ginna and Gerry for their race officer duties and to Ian Strathcarron and Bill Vance in the rescue boat who were kept on their toes late on when Peter MB decided to go for a swim, caught out by a sudden strong gust. Most importantly a huge thank you to Christoph & Sarah for so kindly providing refreshments and hosting the fleet at the beautiful Brickworks, which sadly I could not stick around for, but at least I had a few slugs and earwigs to keep me company for the lonesome sail back home.  

Peter Marling-Roberts recounts his experience of capsizing 

Sunday afternoon on a warm spring day with little wind sailing or drifting down river what on earth could go wrong. Well it happened to me after a gentle tack I lost control of the tiller and in slow motion my scow capsized slipping me backwards into the river. Two safety boats were quickly to my rescue, firstly righting my scow and then hauling a 13 stone wet me into one of their boats.This all took place in minutes and my huge thanks and praise for the BRSC for all the training of the volunteer safety boat team. So thank you to Bill Vance, Ian Strathcarron and Robert Gayner but not forgetting Christoph Brooke who lent me a shirt and a gave me a large glass of rosé on dry land to warm up! 

1.    585 Ned Nicholson with crew Charles Nicholson 

2.   273 Symon Stratton
3.   510 Victoria and Ed Bonham Carter 
4.   550 Lizzie Anders
5.   421 Karl and Zoey Liebat
6.    589 Red and Cleo Johnson
7.    352 Iain Rawlingson
8.    600 Mary Scott and Claudia Downes
9.    152 Lucy Markby and Simons Gibbs
10.   263 Nick Burge
11.    443 Elizabeth Gedge
12.   464 Fiona and Alexander Duncan

        358 Sophia Moore retired 
        414 Peter Marling Roberts retired 

DOWN RIVER RACE for the Phipps Oar       Saturday 25th May  1300     HW 1300

STARTING PLATFORM                         Ginna Gayner  

RACE OFFICER                                     Frank McGinn 

SAFETY BOAT TEAMS                         Peter & Angela Hayward-Broomfield      Ian Strathcarron & Bill Vance      Vova Karavan & Simon Gibbs 

TEA                                                         Hicky Gibbs – all contributions to the tea table gratefully received!

SHORE TEAM                                        Peter Bettridge 

Vova Karavan has very kindly offered to deliver our trollies to Needs Ore so if you would like to take advantage of this please have your boats off their trollies an hour before the race. Kindly ensure your trolley, cover and ‘drainpipe’ are clearly marked. Land lubbers are welcome to join us at Needs Ore for a post race picnic. All contributions to the refreshment table welcome. Thank you. Please be aware that there are rare birds nesting around the club house so tread carefully and please proceed at a snail’s pace past the Needs Ore cottages.  Thank you.

RACE 2    Saturday 8th June   1200.  HW 1300 

STARTING PLATFORM                         Miranda Knowles

RACE OFFICER                                     Frank McGinn

SAFETY BOAT TEAM                            Bill Vance & Keith Hutton

BBQ                                                         Kindly hosted by Benji and Christian Scrimgeour.  Please arrive by foot, boat or bicycle! 

FUTURE DATES

Monday 24th June The Keyhaven-Beaulieu-Keyhaven Potter. All details from Nick Griffin : nc.griffin@btinternet.com  . Keyhaven are happy to take you as crew in their boats should you prefer. Or trail your scow to Keyhaven and sail there and back.   

Saturday 1st June  BRSC SUMMER PARTY  kindly hosted by Amanda and Nick Bentley-Buckle at Gardiners Ground gathering at 15:00 – 20:00. RSVP social@brsc.org  

Please bring picnic rugs, drink &food and enjoy one of the best views on the river.

Sunday 9th June  The Junior Spring Regatta  details from June Kirkman : kirkmanjune@gmail.com 

Very disappointed to be missing the Down River Race this year – but hope you have a wonderful race and look forward to hearing all about it. 

Yours aye,  

Victoria 

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