Mount Hope Bay Model Yacht Club

DF95 #8 July 25, 2024

This morning was misty and muggy, with temperatures in the mid-seventies, winds vaguely from the southwest, and a high tide at noon. With the club meeting being held this afternoon, I hoped for a good turnout and I wasn’t disappointed as eleven members brought their boats determined to race. We held seven races over a course that took the boats south to the red mark, then north to the other red mark, and back to the line with all the marks left to port.

The first variation was to run this course twice around. The next variation was to lengthen the course to substitute the red northern mark with the blue northern mark. This variation was run once and twice around. The result was some very close racing.

It was good to see Jim Pascalides making a rare appearance and good to meet Wes who had come to observe activities and left probably wanting to build a boat. Jim Pascalides will send him some information.

Bill Raposa and Wilkie came to lend support and Judy, Connie, and Shelley not only cheered their husbands on but took charge of scoring. Thank you all very much.

Kim had news of our starter which spent some time on Tuesday in the rain. It didn’t work!

Luckily Paul had a small portable starter with him. Thanks for the rescue, Paul.

In race one, John’s boat suffered from a flat battery and he had to row out and rescue it.

Bill David’s boat succumbed to the same fate in the last two races but without the rescue.

Jim Kelly decided to sit out the final four races. Those were the only “incidents” today with the bulk of the fleet remaining in good shape.

Jim Pascalides won the first race and two more and these wins added to two second places and one third place was just enough to beat Fokka, who had two wins, three second places, and one third place, by just one point

Rob Hill also won a race today and, with two second and two third places, finished third overall. 

The only other winner was Paul who was fourth today followed by Nick and Kim.

Al and Bill Northup were not among the winners today, but they had a lot of fun like everybody else.

The full results are on our website, mhbmyc.org

DF95s race again next Thursday, August 1st when the tide will be the opposite of today, reaching a low at 11.23.

Notes from today’s meeting will be sent out later today.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, have fun,

Derek

Soling Regatta, July 23, 2024

The early morning rain stopped around 7.30 but it remained cloudy and cooler than recent days. There was drizzle in the air but it progressed to rain later in the morning. By the time we had finished the first six races and were having lunch, it started raining again, this time heavily and we abandoned the event at this point.

The wind was from the northeast and was light but adequate. The course was relatively short: NW to the red mark, NE to the blue mark, both taken to starboard, then south downwind to the line.

As you know the Soling fleet has been depleted in recent years but six members made it down to the waterfront today. Al Sampson doesn’t have a Soling but he volunteered to help and did a sterling job starting the races and keeping score. Many thanks, Al. 

Ross Hudson put in an appearance to practice with the DF95 that is on loan from Paul.

Kim’s boat tried to escape during the pre-start practice session and sailed away rapidly off-shore. Kim rowed out quite a long distance to rescue it. Very impressive, Kim!  With the aid of a new battery and a temporary repair to the vang, Kim was ready for the first race. I also had a problem when water got in my boat and everything stopped working. I transferred the rig to a spare boat, but by this time the sixth race was underway, and that turned out to be the final race.

Paul won three races and was second in two more to become today’s champion.

Jim Kelly, sailing Sizzlin’ borrowed from Dick Mahoney. and formerly owned by Ed Haddad, won two races and was second in one.

Bill Raposa was the only other race winner today. He also had one second and three third places to tie with Jim on points. Jim gets second place with the most wins in the tiebreak

Kim, with his slightly wounded boat, had two second and two third places.

At lunch, we got into discussing the good old Soling days when we regularly got 12 to 14 participants. Bill had a list of names of members who sailed Solings in 2019. A long list. How times have changed

The full results can be found on our website mhbmyc.org along with all the other club news.

DF95 racing resumes next Thursdaywhen the tide will be at noon.

Next Thursday is also the date of our club meeting.

1.15 pm at the Sakonnet River Grille on Main Road, Tiverton.

I’ll send an agenda tomorrow 

They are sorry but they can’t do separate checks so please bring cash for your lunch. Kim has kindly agreed to co-ordinate the money side.

See you Thursday,

Derek

DF95 #7 July 18, 2024

A partly sunny morning with a light breeze from the WNW greeted eight members with their boats. It was still hot, in the eighties, and still humid but the breeze helped. Regular sailors, Kim and Paul, weren’t there so Nick rowed out and positioned the starting line parallel to the beach and a new red mark to the west. Many thanks, Nick. The course was to sail west from the line, round the new red mark, taking it to port, then back through the line and round either starting mark and head back to the new red mark once more, and then finish downwind.

We welcomed a new member, Fokka de Jong, sail number 93, and were thankful that, once again, Judy kept score for us. Thank you, Judy.  Wilkie was one of the eight who came to race today but didn’t manage to get the boat working and retired for the day. As he didn’t race today, he’s absent from the score sheet but it was good to see him. Better luck next Thursday, Wilkie.

We held nine races and John Reilly won five of them and was our champion today.

With two wins, two seconds, and four thirds, Bill David was second overall this morning.

Fokka had four second place finishes and finally had a win in the final race, enough to give him third place today but he was only one point ahead of Henry who had one win and three second places.

Rich had a problem with a loose keel and water in the boat so he retired for the day after the third race. Al Sampson was sixth after Nick. I think both had fun but it just wasn’t quite their day.

Some sad news about Betty the dog who usually came down to the beach while we were racing and was a sort of club mascot, died on June 24th. Her owner, Jake came down to the beach today and introduced his new dog, Birdie who, I’m sure, we’ll all get to know.

It was an unusual wind direction and an unusual course, but we had some close racing and it was fun. Well done, everyone.

The full results may be found on our website mhbmyc.org

More DF95 racing next Thursday, July 25th when the tide will be high at noon.

Following racing we will hold a club meeting at The Sakonnet Grille Restaurant, 524 Main Road, Tiverton at1.15 pm for lunch and discussion.

But before that, on Tuesday, July 23rd we will hold the first Soling Regatta of the season.

Let’s have a great turnout!  Remember to bring chairs and lunch.

If you are not racing, please consider coming along to help run the races and keep score

In the meantime have a great weekend, see you Tuesday to race, or help.

Derek

DF95 Racing 7/11/2024

The early morning weather was dull and dismal, humid and horrible, and continued the same way most of the morning. Paul had suggested that we shouldn’t use the drone buoy owing to high winds so he arrived early to make other start-line arrangements. Kim and I joined him but he already had a starting mark in the water. Thanks and well done, Paul.

The weather dissuaded some members and only five turned up to race and so they did for six races.

 With a SSW wind, the course was south to the green mark, north to the blue, and back to the line. From the second race, the upwind leg was shortened to the orange mark, but twice around. All marks were taken to port. 

Henry won the first five races and was only prevented from having a clean sweep by John Reilly who won the final race and gathered enough points (three second places) to finish second overall today.

Kim was in third place after a tie-breaker with Paul despite having a DNF when his boat and Paul’s got tangled in the fifth race and then he couldn’t start the sixth. Paul rowed out to the rescue. The final place went to Nick who had borrowed his son’s boat, and ran into a problem in the second race. He had to row out to rescue the boat and couldn’t get it repaired until the fourth race.

Before racing started we welcomed new member Ross Hudson who will be using Paul’s boat, sail number 316, on loan. Welcome, Ross.

All the news and the full results may be seen on our website mhbmyc.org

The next opportunity to race DF95s will be next Thursday, July 18th when the tide will be at a low at 11.15

Have a great weekend,

Derek

DF95 racing June 27, 2024

The overnight rainstorm had cleared by 07.00 and was replaced by a mixture of sun and clouds with temperatures in the seventies and still quite humid. The wind was from the southwest and the tide was coming in towards a high shortly after 1 pm.

There were 10 boats in the water ready for this morning’s contest and Judy looked after starting and scoring. Thank you for another excellent job, Judy. Connie and Shelley were on the shore to support Al and Bill N.and Connie took some pictures.

The course was from the Drone Buoy and brown mark starting line, south to the green, then north to the blue, once around for the first race and twice around thereafter. All marks taken to port.

Nick won the first race but it was not his lucky day. He didn’t start the third race as his jib was hitting his mask, then, in the fourth race, his boat got tangled with Bill Northup’s and he had to row out to rescue them.

Kim won the next two races and had one third place to finish fourth overall. 

Races 4 and 5 were both won by John Reilly and that together with a second place and two third places was enough for him to become today’s champion, The sixth and final race was won by Jim Kelly who was also second in race five but missed the first two races. Good to see you back, Jim.

Unusually, Bill David didn’t win a race today but he did score enough points with two seconds and two thirds to finish second in today’s standings. In third place was Rich with one second and a third.

Paul did not have his winning ways today and neither did Henry, but well done to everyone for some close competitive racing and a lot of fun.

 As always, the full results are on our website mhbmyc.org

There will be no racing next Thursday as it happens to be July 4th.🇺🇸

The next racing will take place on Thursday, July 11th when the high tide will, once again be close to 1 pm.

And remember, the first of our three Soling Regattas is planned for July 16th.

Enjoy the coming weekend and the July 4th holiday,
Derek

DF95 #4. June 20, 2024

It was hot. It was humid. It was breezy. It was a day to get some cooling water in contact with feet.

Nine members agreed and brought boats to the cove. In addition, Connie was there to support Al. Judy supported Bill, started the races, and kept score—a big thank you. Paul’s wife, Laura was also there to cheer Paul on, but mainly to supervise two grandchildren, who seemed to be having a great time.

With the wind from the SSW, the course was set: From the east-west starting line, formed by the red mark and the drone buoy, head south and round the green mark to port, head north to take the blue mark to port and back to the line, twice around.

The tide was going out towards a low at around 12.30 which necessitated a move of the drone buoy, executed faultlessly by Paul after the second race.

With an important appointment to see the England vs. Denmark game in the Euro 24 soccer tournament, I left after the third race but Nick was in fine form having won those first three races. 

In the first race, Rob and Henry got tangled together and Rob had to get some rowing exercise to rescue them. Nick won that race with Paul and Bill second and third. The second race finished in the same order and Rob recovered from the first race setback to finish fourth. Al had finished fourth in the first race. Bill was second to Nick in the third race, with John third and Rob again fourth.

I wasn’t there for the fourth race but I have the scoresheet and see that Nick won again. This was his fourth and last win in the eight races run today. The other race winners were Bill, Rob, John, and Henry.  Overall the top four were Nick, Rob, Bill, and Paul.

Kim and David had some issues today but look for them to come back stronger next week. 

Well done, everyone. Lots of fun this morning.

The full results can be found on our website mhbmyc.org

DF95s race again next Thursday, June 27th when the tide will be coming in with the high at 1.18 pm

In the meantime, enjoy the weekend,

Derek

DF95 Racing – June 24, 2024

A gentle breeze, a sunny sky, and boats in the water. A recipe for competitive fun.

The beach was shrinking with the tide approaching a high at 12.47.

Paul, Rob, and Bill David couldn’t make it today so it was a chance to rack up some points over them. Henry DiPietro did arrive at the cove but decided the wind wouldn’t be favorable this morning so he left but the wind had increased enough to start racing at 11.00. We welcomed a new member, John Reilly to the club with his boat, sail number 56…..Remember that number!    Four other members brought boats to the cove this morning and enjoyed nine races on smooth water. Shelly and I were also there to deal with the starting and scoring. Only three boats finished the first race with Wilkie having some problems before the start and Bill Northup having issues during the race. John, sail number 56, won the first race and another six and was today’s champion. How’s that for a great introduction to the club? The only other winner this morning was Kim who won two and finished second overall. Al Sampson was third with Wilkie and Bill N following on as a result of their early troubles. 

A very enjoyable morning in the sun. Well done, everyone. Let’s hope we get back to a more normal competitive field on Thursday.

The full results can be found on our website mhbmyc.org

DF95s race again in just two days, on Thursday, June 13th when the tide will be midway with the high at around 2.25 pm and the weather forecast is just about perfect.

See you then,

Derek

Sunset for the Solings?

Say it ain’t so!

Only three members today so no sailing.

We had a nice chat though. We think we might pick two or three days when we would hold a day-long Soling Regatta, open to all, and abandon Tuesday Soling sailing unless we get sufficient demand from our members.

A sad time in the club’s history.

Comments, please.

Next Thursday we’ll try again with the DF95s. At the moment the weather is questionable, but we live in hope. Watch out for alerts nearer the time.

On Thursday the tide will be approaching a high at 2.32 pm.

Derek

DF95 Racing Today …..didn’t take place

The final score was: Weather Pessimists 1, Weather Optimists 0

The Weather Optimists team members were: Nick Bailey, Bill and Judy David, Henry Di Pietro. Kim Hanna, Wilkie Marvel, Paul Mercer, David Vigeant, and me.

It was good to see everyone and we did have a moment of triumph when Paul put the club’s Drone Buoy in the water and positioned it controlled by his phone. It held station through this morning’s thunderstorm.

As the sky darkened and the thunder and lightning arrived we broke up before we had a chance to discuss a date and time for a club meeting…..next time.

Next Tuesday, May 28th we’ll try again with the Solings. The tide will be coming in with a high at 12.39 pm. I won’t even look at a weather forecast.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, have fun and enjoy it.

Derek

DF95 Kick-off and Other News

The DF95 fleet will take to the water for the first time this season on Thursday at 11 am. The weather should be on our side with winds from the SSW at 9 mph and a temperature around 70 degrees. The tide will be going out to a low at 1.39 pm. Let’s have a great turnout.

In other news, the club has purchased a Drone Buoy for the starting line. Paul has been putting it through its paces and there have been some teething problems. We hope to see it in the cove soon.

On Thursday I hope we have sufficient members present to discuss some immediate issues and to set a date, place, and time for a club meeting.

As you might have seen, Bill David offered his Soling for sale and I’m pleased to announce that it was bought by Bill Northup and so will stay in the club.

See you Thursday,

Derek