There were six of us Tuesday afternoonand the marks were well and truly pulled. The marks are in the box, the blocks are nearby and the buckets are lurking in the undergrowth, The boat is in its normal winter location chained to a tree, waiting patiently for snow.
Thanks to all who came down to the cove. Rob did all the rowing, Bill Raposa did most of the heavy lifting, and Kim, Al, and Jim Kelly did everything else. Please remember to thank them next time you meet.
Thanks, everybody.
In May we’ll do it all again in reverse.
The season schedule for next year will be formulated in the near future with the major change being that the race day will be Tuesday.
The banquet took place yesterday evening and for the first time was a catered event. Everyone had a good time. I thanked Pat and Kim Hanna, Bill Raposa, and Kathy Melven for their roles in organizing the banquet. Applause. Special thanks to Pat who had the brilliant idea of using club funds to get a caterer to supply the food. Louder applause!
Venda Ravioli was the chosen caterer and they did a fine job if the reaction of the twenty-one diners was anything to go by.
We had three Soling Regattas during the season. The winners were Paul Mercer (twice) and Greg LaPlante. Runners-up were Jim Kelly, Kim Hanna, and Paul. Third place finishers were Bill Raposa (twice) and Bill Northup.
We held one DF95 Regatta which was won by Fokka de Jong with Greg LaPlante in second place and Henry DiPietro in third.
Now for the big one: The DF95 Championship held over 16 race days. The full results are attached.
Five prizes were awarded with fifth place going to Nick Bailey, fourth to Fokka de Jong, third to Paul Mercer, second to Bill David, and first to John Reilly.
Wilkie Marvel made presentations to Judy David and Connie Sampston who have been so helpful to the club this season.
Wilkie then made comments about the Corinthian Trophy which is awarded once per year to the member who is a champion of fair play and makes a significant contribution to the success of the club. The 2024 Trophy winner is Paul Mercer. A very well-deserved and popular winner. Congratulations, Paul.
So that’s the 2024 season……well, almost.
Tomorrow ( Tuesday) we’ll be lifting the marks and stowing the dinghy at 1.00 pm. Please help if you can.
Rob Hill will be leading the effort. thank you, Rob.
An early reminder that for next season racing will be on Tuesdays with Thursday as the weather day.
The temperature was nudging seventy, it was sunny, and the wind was light from a westerly direction. It was more humid than in recent days but it was the last race day of the season and seven members brought their boats for some friendly end-of-season competition. The tide was low and going out so there was lots of room on the beach.
The starting line was formed by the yellow and a throw in red (the drone buoy was on the bench). The line was parallel with the shoreline and the course was west to the red/white, taken to port, and back to the line. Sounds simple, and it was, but with this wind also slow.
Once again Judy looked after starting and scoring. Thanks, Judy, not only for today but for the whole season. Connie was there to cheer Al on and to take some pictures but, unusually, we had no other visitors today.
We had seven close races but, with four out of seven wins, Paul came out on top.
Other race winners were Kim, John, and Nick but Kimhad one second place and three third places to finish second overall.
In third place was John who added to his win with two second and one third places.
Seven slow races with sedate down-wind finishes but everyone had a good time.
The full results can be viewed on our website mhbmyc.org
We had 16 race days this season, a record. That means that there will be 7 throw outs.
Awards for the first five places will be presented at the Banquet.
The next event is the Awards Banquet which will be held at 6 pm on Sunday, September 22nd in the Great Room of the Village Clubhouse. The Club is providing food and drink so bring nothing except yourselves, your wives, your husbands, and significant others.
And after that, the final event of the season. Thursday, September 26th at 10.00 we will pull the marks and store the dinghy. Rob Hill will take charge but he will need help so get to the cove at 10 am and do your bit. Thank you all.
We have 28 people signed up for the banquet so see you there.
The weather forecast looks horrible for next Thursday so the last race day of the season will be next Tuesday, September 17th when the tide will be going out with a low at around 1.20 pm.
This means we will have raced 16 days this season and the best nine days will count towards the championship.
With awards to the top five, there’s a chance for everyone. So come down to the cove and have some fun.
Reminder: Racing will be on Tuesdays next season with Thursday being the weather day.
And don’t forget to come to the Banquet on Sunday, Sept. 22nd at 6 pm
Another very nice late summer day with temperatures in the low seventies and a gentle breeze from the southwest tempted eight members to bring boats to the cove.
Judy looked after starting and scoring once again. Thank you, Judy.
Bill Raposa, Wes, and Wilkie also paid visits and Connie was there to support Al.
The wind was up to its usual tricks and varied in strength and direction but at least we kept to the same course. The start/finish line was formed by the drone buoy and the orange/blue mark. Head south from there and round the green/white and orange/white marks, then head north to the blue mark and back to the line. All marks were taken to port. We held six races and from race five the start line was changed by replacing the drone buoy with the yellow/red mark and we raced the same course twice around.
We had some close racing, which resulted in four different winners, but John won three races and with a second and third was easily today’s champion.
The other race winners were Greg, Paul and Rob. Rob also had two second places and one third place to finish second overall
While Bill David didn’t have a win today, he was second in two very close races and third in another two races, enough to clinch third this morning
Another day of racing for fun. very enjoyable.
Don’t forget you can see all the results and other news on our website mhbmyc.org
The last DF95 race day of the season will be next Thursday, September 19th when the tide will be high at 09.30.
The Banquet will be entirely catered and paid for by the club, so bring nothing other than yourself, your wife or husband, or your significant other.
The Banquet will be held on Sunday, September 22nd at 6 pm in the Greatroom of the Village Clubhouse.
It was another beautiful late summer’s day with temperatures in the low seventies, a gentle breeze, and a receding tide from a high at 10.17.
Nine members brought their boats to race on the course set by Paul. A more unusual course this morning owing to the wind from an easterly direction, actually the wind had such fun with us on Tuesday that it decided to do it again!
The start line was formed by the drone buoy and the orange/blue mark. Out to blue, then green/white, and back to the line all taken to port. After the first race, the course was lengthened to include going west to the red/white mark after the blue and also taken to port. For race four onwards the start line was changed to the orange/white mark, as before, but with the yellow/red mark forming the other end. The drone buoy drifted off in a huff!
We held eight races today and, with these challenging conditions, had six different winners: Fokka and John won two each, and Bill David, Nick, Kim, and Henry were the other winners.
At the end of the event, Fokka emerged as today’s champion with 19 points just two ahead of our runner-up, Henry. There was a three-way tie for third place on 25 points but John prevailed over Nick and Bill through the tiebreaker.
Judy kept score and looked after the starts once again. Thank you, Judy. Connie was also there to support Al and, as usual, had her camera with her. We had a welcome visit from Jim Kelly who has recently recovered from Covid. Stay well, Jim
Well, the year has gone by quickly and we only have two more race days in the season. The next one is Thursday, September 12th when the tide will be coming in towards a high at 3.28 pm.
Now for the ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Pot-Luck Awards Banquet will be at 6 pm onSunday, September 22nd in the Great Room of the Village clubhouse.
Please let me know if you will be attending, and we hope you will.
This will help with organizing as we will ask you to bring food while wine and beer will be provided by the club.
Last week I asked who would not be attending and I only got two replies. This week, I’m asking who WILL be attending. Thank you for your cooperation.
We will pull the marks and store the rowboat on Thursday, September 26th at 10 am Rob will lead the effort, but volunteers will be needed.
So this was it. The demise of Soling racing at our club. The denouement.The end. Nostalgia reigned, thinking of those big regattas of past years.
But we’re here, now, and the weather was kind, ranging from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies and there was a gentle breeze from the north. The tide had peaked at around nine o’clock and six members had decided that this was what they wanted to do today. It really was a perfect summer day without a cloud in the sky but the gentle breeze became stronger and then weaker and was decidedly uncertain about what direction it was coming from today.
Shelley did a wonderful job of keeping score. Thank you, Shelly.
Our DF95 Regatta winner, Fokka also paid us a visit for a few races.
The course configurations were too many to mention caused by the shifting strength and direction of the wind but generally they were from the start/finish line parallel to the shore out to one, two, or three marks and back to the line. Rounding varied and, when there was enough wind, twice around.
Paul and Bill Raposa set the various courses and we managed twelve races with only two incidents. Both happened in race three when Bill Northup’s boat hatch became dislodged and water got in the boat, resulting in an inoperative servo. Exactly the same thing happened to my boat. Bill was better prepared and had a replacement servo with him and only missed two races.
Greg was in fine form and won half the races and, with one second and two third places, he became our Soling Regatta Champion.
Paul didn’t win a race today but his eight second places plus three third places meant he finished as runner-up by two points over Bill Raposa who was third overall today.
Bill had three wins, two second, and three third places
We had two other race winners namely Bill Northup and Kim.
Well done everyone. It was a very pleasant time despite the frustrations of the flukey wind.
It’s hard to say goodbye to such an elegant class of boat so maybe we could plan a “Soling Outing” sometime next June. Any comments?
The results are on our website mhbmyc.org as always.
We only have to wait until Thursday, September 5th for more racing with the DF95s. The tide will be going out from a high at 10.17
