Tidal Diamond No. 389

Saturday 17th May is the RYA Push the Boat Out Day

The RYA has nominated May as National Watersports month – RYA PTBO – and this weekend sees the RYA encouraging people to try sailing in all its various formats. With our proximity to the Outdoor Centre we have always been at a disadvantage should the club look to teach/offer try sailing etc. So rather than directly compete we felt it was a great opportunity to encourage all our dinghy sailors, the skilled, the not so skilled, the reluctant and just the plain have I got time for this to make one effort to all get on the water at once.

Saturday has been planned as the club’s LV SEE Pursuit Race and the intent is that as many club dinghies – and we have a lot – are taken out on the water to take part in one of the most benign races that we have on the calendar. For those of you that have feared taking a dip in the racing water this is a great one to try your skills. If you’re not keen on the racing aspect but want to see a wider side of the harbour this will surely be for you. If you want a first sail of the season accompanied by a patrol craft, again this is for you.

The clue is in the title; the slowest boats set off first followed, in Portsmouth Yardstick handicap number, by other classes until the fastest boat sets off last. If the handicaps are correct and we are a club of budding [Ed: Sir] Ben Ainslie’s then we would all finish at the start line at the same time.

I’m well known as not being a budding Olympian, far from it, but I do believe this would be a great opportunity to cast the covers off some of the lesser used dinghies and meet other more active sailors. For those concerned of the start line rough and tumble, it’s unlikely to match that of the LHRW and should be a far more positive area for novice sailors. Perhaps the Laser start may be the biggest followed by the Wayfarer fleet.

The start is due for 1300 and the High Water should be 1415 and a high spring tide (5.00m). Finally the weather forecast looks set fair for the next five days so bring your sun tan lotion…

I look forward to seeing you there.

Phil Bryant
TSC Dinghy Captain.
dinghies

Sunday 18th May is the first Dinghy Cruise of the Season (High Water Cruise)

As well as the above LV SEE Pursuit Race the club also has its first dinghy cruise of the year. For our new members and their families this is a cruise in company around the harbour and is led from a dinghy with Patrol Boat support (somewhere for the Laser sailors to stow their sandwiches!) which can provide that wider cover when the cruise encompasses many dinghies single-handers and our younger members. There will be a lunch stop so some method of mooring may well be advisable although most dinghies can be safely beached an anchor and warp is advisable. If you have a VHF handset then I would recommend taking it along, it’s certainly not a requirement but I’ve found it’s handy if the cruise gets spread out.

The High Water cruise is a gentle familiarisation of the harbour layout and in tandem with the Pursuit race is an ideal opportunity to get your bearings and shake off the wet winter and spring lethargy. Brian McGill has kindly agreed to lead the cruise from his Laser, with a start time of 1300 in the Calendar I would suggest that everyone is ready, rigged and prepared to go for 1230 so that Brian can give a short safety brief and an outline of where he will be taking you.

Let’s take full advantage of the good sailing conditions.

Phil Bryant
TSC Dinghy Captain.
dinghies