Race Report : Race 5 Hextall Trophy

By Edward Bonham Carter

Saturday 3rd August 2024 Course Wp Bp NBs Cs Finish at Gins RSYC. Westerly 12-15 k

The start was delayed by 15 minutes as the Rigiflex safety boat was taking on quite a lot of water and needed frantic bailing. Sam Van Holthe, keen to get going, promptly capsized in the shallows which at least allowed him to stand in the water and right his boat. Blustery conditions induced some nerves on the shore. Sophia Moore and Karen Rogers reassessed the gusts and wisely packed up their sails. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Gedge frustratingly found herself on a lee shore and after much ‘trying’ agreed to have a tow back to the club house and retired before the start. This left 7 boats on the water. I had the pleasure of crewing for Miranda Knowles in Ratty, in one of Miranda’s first outings for a while.

Another challenge, this time on the Platform, as the starting equipment, exhausted by Junior Week, packed up and Gerry Marling-Roberts had to compete against the wind to have her voice heard across the river and get the fleet on it’s way. We then heard that Withies had disappeared having only been checked last week by our boatswain James Gedge. Rumour has it that all the buoys had been checked for drugs by the marine ‘boys in blue’ and this may have unsettled Withies. Who knows?

Miranda and I were fortunate enough to have a good start and led the fleet up river, searching for Withies. We chased Oli Stanley and Victoria Bonham Carter in the safety boat up the river to what turned out to be Gins, not Withies. Sadly we mucked up our mark rounding and slipped a few places. The fleet then made its way over to Blackwater and enjoyed a long run down to North Bank with Tim Robinson, Red and Cleo Johnson leading the way. Coming up to North Bank 4 boats rounded the mark as a group and there was much calling for ‘room at the mark’ – Karl Liebat, Mike Doherty , Sam and ourselves.

At this point, the fleet fractured as everyone made different choices for the ‘course made good’ to the next mark, Club House. Sam made the best approach, tacking along the west shore and rounded the mark first followed by ourselves, hotly perused by Red and Andrew Duncan. Mike had a malfunction with his sail and gallantly limped slowly up wind to Gins.

Then it was an exciting and tense run to the finishing line and like the Olympic Men’s 100 Meters it was almost a photo finish with Sam winning Gold by a short nose over Miranda and myself. The Dutch National anthem must have been playing in Sam’s head.

Some of us then repaired for a well earned drink at the RSYC and chewed the cud over what had been an incident filled race.

Saturday 10th August, Needs Ore 15.00. BBQ 17.30

Point to Point Pimms Potter to celebrate the RNLI’s 200th Anniversary and fundraiser. BBQ 1730hrs You’re invited to ‘dress your boats all over’ and celebrate on the river with us. Click here for full details https://brsc.site/pimms-point-to-point-saturday-10th-august/

Sunday 18th August 1030. Hextall Trophy Race 6 (Traveller’s Trophy Keyhaven)

STARTING PLATFORM Ginna Gayner RACE OFFICER Gerard Downes SAFETY BOAT TEAM Nick Bentley-Buckle *** slot to fill *** TEA Post race refreshments kindly hosted by Holly & Julian Chichester at Gins Old Farmhouse RSVP: holly@short-films.com

Friday 23rd August Long distance Potter from Keyhaven to Needs Ore

Details from Nick Griffin at nc.griffin@btinternet.com

Fancy a Potter? Monday 19th – 22 August *** The Beach House BBQ on Thursday 22nd August. 18.00 courtesy of Karl and Lila Liebat. RSVP : kliebat@gmail.com

The Pottering Season is upon us and Lizzie and I look forward to welcoming you to Needs Ore Point for informal sailing and picnics together. This year we will not be providing instruction or safety boat cover and will be sailing within our known capabilities.

Saturday 24th – Sunday 25th August R E G A T T A

Click here for the Regatta program:

Saturday https://brsc.site/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sat_Reg.pdf.

Sunday. https://brsc.site/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sun_reg.pdf

Looking forward to seeing you on the water,

Yours aye,

Victoria