The Buccaneer Trophy
(want to read it at your leisure? Click here to download the report as a pdf file)
A seductive lift on port soon after the Rookwood start encouraged all but four of the fleet to head over the Stocker sands to Mill Rythe. The gang of four, lead by Cockersootie with Mike E-S guesting, took their freedom passes to the East Head eddy and were gone, collecting a mega shift near M for get measure. Darter, Buccaneer and Skua were next up with Marengo the best of the Stocker groupies in 5th.
The first of the two back to back race days. For R2 the light winds and strong tide made the pin the only place to be - and Swift got the best of it. Straight to the beach for the 3 short windward/leeward laps and then on to an inflatable near H. Swift withstood Marengo’s challenges despite some concern about their kite. Such happiness on Elizabeth’s face - and the end of the myth about Swift’s vulnerability in light winds. More breeze for the second race and after two false starts out came the black flag. Dart ducked a few transoms on port to gain max tide on the beat to Dunes. Cockersootie, Skua, Migrant and Darter were round next - and no sin bin candidates. Rounding Thorney for the final run home Cockersootie still lead but with Migrant only just behind and Darter in touch. These two battled all the way back to the Itchenor (9) finish but when they sailed into a hole Darter broke for the line early and crossed first – to a stunning silence. BFD! Two days gone and Cockersootie now had two victories under her distinctive spinnaker.
The fleet split equally from the Park start and at Dunes there was nothing in it, save for Marengo’s decisive starboard approach. On the next beat the Newnes family team in Curlew got into gear and ground down Marengo to lead by 15 metres at Calvert. Downwind to the Itchenor finish the girls came back and despite a plea from Simon to be allowed a maiden win on his honeymoon, Marengo squeaked ahead.
NNW is an unusual wind direction, and so too is a total absence of moored boats at East Head in August (well there was one – who oberved in anguish and delight as 21 Swallows passed very close by). For his final day PRO Roger Wickens started the fleet very close to East Head for a three lap windward/leeward with cross-tide legs to the new hi-viz inflatables near Pivot and back to another near the start. The high-pointing boats made the most of the first part of the beat – both to get into the eddy and to get the max benefit from the leebow in the channel. Migrant was leading until the core and the outer of her spectra halyard parted company and Marengo took over, followed by Skua.
The second race of the day was a nice harbour tour – first to an inflatable and then a tight reach to Dunes before a beat to Mill Rythe. The first boats to have to make the 2 or 3 sail decision on that reach were Cockersootie and Archon – they hoisted and could not make the course. Dart, Skua, Darter and Marengo 2-sailed it and got ahead. It was a lumpy beat to M and those who made the right rig and helming adjustments gained – Solitude (under the command of the Prof for the week) and Blue Tit joining the front group. Skua (Lavinia hiking hard to windward) was in go-fast mode and cantered home first.
Marengo had now closed the gap on Cockersootie to 5 points after the single discard.
Light winds, a strong tide and a beat along the Itchenor shore to Ellanore from the Park start. Buccaneer got the desired pin end position but the Prof had not suffered unduly from a mid-line start and when Buccaneer over indulged in the tide after 5 or so tacks, Solitude was through. However there had been two guns, yet no-one had returned – drama ahead? The now almost routine bumping that accompanies boats dipping from above the line just prior to the start believing in a divine right to take pride of place did not produce any protests either. Marengo miraculously (but not untypically) extracted themselves from being impeded in this way and rounded 2nd. They were flying in their optimum conditions and Solitude surrendered their lead whilst crossing the Thorney channel on the way to Dunes. Cockersootie having made a brave decision to go solo up the Itchenor shore from Wear and, well actually no and, because it was they who were OCS.
- It’s not over until the …. Marengo wins
- The Cockersootie potential was there for all to see – another year of grasping harbour quirks and foibles and they will be unstoppable?
- There is little doubt that the bar has gone up this year and all the more remarkable that Marengo has stayed ahead. Some say that the gap has narrowed…
- Roger and Jackie Wickens, Lynda Newnes and Jane Neall were an exceptional RO team. Thanks too to John Ford for taking over for the final day. Many other members assisted on the water – amongst them Peter and Janie Clementson who did 4 days on Dolphin – Peter reckoned he laid and lifted a total of 50 marks! Thank you very much to you all.
- Although the intensity of the racing might suggest otherwise, PW is also about … cricket, theatre, tennis (champs Peter Snell and Jackie Morris), croquet, the Swallow Olympics (how much Pimms did the green team give the scorer?), and fine meals - but not without a lot of organisation and hospitality and with grateful thanks to all concerned.
- Harry and team Skua did a reprise of his Norman Moore East Head/Dunes/Winner blinder to not only be the first Swallow home in the Haines Cup but also win the Cup itself on Itchenor Regatta day
- Marengo (with David Sloper wearing the third skirt) reversed the morning order to take home the coveted Shippam Trophy
- After having suffered from Marengo coming from behind more than once during the week Malcolm (now back in Archon) stayed ahead to win the Bosham Regatta race after Marengo was obliged to do penalty turns for not giving way whilst short tacking near East Head.
- Nigel Olive-Jones brought the beautiful-looking ‘new’ wooden boat Bellerophon out to play for the BSC Regatta. Several gear failures contrived to make this first sail a tad more complicated than expected but a discreet downwind trial alongside the leading boats suggests that menacing all black spinnaker could be up there too.
- So back to work for a well-earned rest?
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