RNLI Boat Jumble

The boat Jumble yesterday, was very successful with our stallholders being happy with their takings, and some good bargains to be had. The day was probably helped by the weather. I would welcome feedback whether to run a similar event next year. Thanks to Jenny, Clou and Clare and everyone who provided the cakes. The Club made just under…

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2017 Smack and Classic Race

A discouraging forecast meant that numbers were down for the Tollesbury Smack and Classic Race, sailed in winds gusting from Force 5 to 7. Two Classic yachts came to the line and at the finish only a few seconds separated them on corrected time. TSC’s ‘Cygnet of Arden’ took Line Honours but the race was won by ‘Framat’, I…

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Round the Island Race and Mersea Week

Tollesbury has done its bit to support Mersea Week this year, with three boats in the medium handicap series racing: Andy & Ian Beharrell, George Rogers & Dan Spindler and Rob & Annabel Laurie, all in GP14s. Greg Dunn leads the Classics and Gaffers in Black Diamond. Sunbeam and Charlotte Ellen fly the flag for Tollesbury in the Smacks…

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Dinghy news

The current dinghy race series is for three trophies: Russell memorial trophy (overall handicap winner, PY basis) Laser Shield (highest placed single hander, PY basis) Mirror Shield (personal handicap winner) It’s a series of sixteen races, with the usual discards. Only six have been scheduled so far and races 3 & 4 were abandoned due to insufficient support. This…

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More fooling around

We have two new times for sailing this year: Friday evenings and Sunday mornings. This Friday’s races were perhaps a touch early with a 5 pm start; I should have taken advantage of the hour’s later tide on Saturday evening as cadets haven’t started sailing yet. I made another cock-up on Sunday, having set the start time for Saturday…

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April Fools kick off the Sunrise Series

It was a gloomy and cold start to the 2012 Sunrise Series. Only three crews were April Foolish enough to brave the frosty conditions, drift off the hard and slowly inch their way up Tollesbury creek in very light airs. The support boat crew were either snuggled up in bed or unexpectedly working, so Rik and John Bellman did…

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History of the Catamaran

The Catamaran inception was by the Prout Brothers on Canvey Island in Essex and the early experimental craft were literally 2 kayaks straped together. The video that follows has some early footage of these craft and some great modern day cat sailing clips. See the video for more early facts such as: Concept was by the 1952 Olympian Prout Brothers…

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Boat Yard

Ron Laurie (thanks!) has had a tidy up in the boat yard, now that Stag 2 has left for her winter home and freed up some space. This involves mainly the cadet boats, Optimists and Toppers, also the Lasers. Please remember to let me know if you plan to sail over the winter (or are certain you won’t). Please…

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GP14 Open Meeting 2011 – report

The forecast F6 and heavy rain depleted the fleet for the 2011 Tollesbury GP14 Open, on Saturday 17 September. Visitors were just outnumbered eight to six by locals. The challenging conditions – a blustery force 3 to 4 south westerly with occasional gusts at 5 – were evident when Parsons & Parsons managed to go over before the first…

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