Greetings members,

Yesterdays conditions were a race officers challenge, but our two handled it just fine. The wind kept shifting mainly from south to east and everywhere in between, but the course Bob and Peter set was able to be sailed in either direction, which happened often. I think several of us suffered brain depletion trying to keep up with the multitude of wind shifts, in fact, on seeing the results, Glen Church was surprised to be second placed cJ. His comment was that some of the other J’s must have had some bad placings…….true words Glen.

Cliff Bishop sailed his first club race in his recently acquired EC12 152, and as can be seen is on the podium, Roy’s EC12 suffered a magnanimous defeat when the jib fastening at the head broke and it descended with regal majesty. So congratulations those on the podium for excelling in those testing conditions. Commiserations to the rest of us for falling short.

I should mention we had a mass start……….which included a GENERAL RECALL…naughty sailors tsk tsk, but the behaviour was good so we have had numerous weeks without unseemly argument.

Now onto other subjects… the most important, prestigious, glorious regatta in the world is to be conducted on our fair shores on Sunday April 3. This is the much vaunted regatta when the EC12’s suffer humiliation, degradation and realisation of their true lowly status in the world of yachting classes. On this date, the patient cJ’s will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes and strike the mortal blow which claims their rightful inheritance as supreme yacht class in the universe. Sailors, read the relevant documents, NoR and SI’s, for the structure of this regatta but do not be concerned at the multitude of RRS deletions and changes, they are irrelevant to radio sailing boats so, what is expected of you will be explained at the briefing. By the way, this is a CJCOA event not a CMYC one.

If one class has an excess of boats over the other class, nobody will be left out, all boats will match race throughout the event as shown in the documents.

Cheers Tom Arthur……Sailing Master