Impatience Race
Normally, we wouldn’t provide a race report, but as a long race was requested and organised, I’ve decided to add this report from the point of view of the individual boats/skippers. I’ll add the final section as soon as the skipper sends it to me. 🙂
Obsession – Lee
posted by Janet – Our Commodore
Amalia, Blue Streak and Obsession, all crewed by people with questionable sanity, took part in the slightly wet and windy Impatience race on Saturday. Ricky of GiGi joined Lee and I on Obsession as an introduction to sailing out of the river, we of course went easy on him…
The first leg past the Whittaker to the Gunfleet Sands buoy was all downwind, and thus up the kite went. Pulling ahead out of the river, we started to lose sight of the others, so we thought it would be kind to wait out by the wind farm. We took the opportunity to sort the spinnaker whilst we waited, as it had somehow got a little tangled as we washed out the cockpit. Little did we know, we should have also been drying out the ignition switch that had also taken a dunking.
With the others back in sight, we carried on. Jason at the helm of Blue Streak gave us a run for our money, but whatever Tim says, didn’t quite take the lead!
A missed tack by me just past the Rough Towers had things getting pretty close, and Amalia gaining, but Obsession pulled away again in the increasingly bumpy seas. Four incredibly wet tacks later we made it past Medusa, and Ricky sighed in relief as the sea calmed down the closer in we got. At this point we were sailing without instruments, as the ignition switch had been getting very hot despite being off, so we cut all power.
At 16.06 Ricky took us across the line, and we hove to in Pennyhole Bay to try to dry the ignition switch. Blue Streak arrived feeling a little green just before 17.00, and then quickly after, Amalia too.
Blue Streak kindly provided a tow into Hamford Water initially, and then on up the Twizzle to drop us at the fuel berth in Titchmarsh. It was too bumpy to take apart the switch at anchor, and everyone was keen to see if we could make the restaurant in time for dinner (spoiler, we didn’t). In the calm of the marina Lee successfully dismantled the switch, cleaning out a considerable quantity of rusty sea water that was causing it to arc internally. A refit without preheating finally allowed us to safely run the engine and get to our berth.
Amalia played host, and with a well-earned beer over dinner, we debriefed the day’s adventures.
The next morning, after a few necessary jobs and a hearty fry-up, we headed back out for a very chilled motor sail home. The 3 boats kept in sight throughout, arriving at North Fambridge just gone 17.00.
All in all, a cracking sail out, a leisurely one back, and a very good night’s sleep for our tired crew. Thank you to everyone who took part!
Blue Streak – Tim
Posted by Tim – Our Rear-Commodore
All the crews gathered in the yacht club Friday night for a Pizza supper. After a night on Blue Streak (BS) all up at 06:00hrs for a cuppa and wash and scrub up, At 08:00 the race started, it was not long before the boy and his toys, and Lee started to start rig his spinnaker, 10mins later the sock was pulled up spinnaker filled, and off Lee went in Obsession, mean time on BS the bacon was on the go and soon we were eating Bacon buttys.
AS we left the river and started to pass the Gunfleet wind farm Obsession had pull well ahead as BS was half way pass the wind farm we noticed the mast of Obsession had gone right over, a Broach then the mast came up right and the spinnaker was let go and flew well above the mast, we could see the crew of Obsession recover the Spinnaker and Head sail re-set.
On BS we soon noticed that BS was catching up with Obsession. Jason was doing a great Job on the helm, anticipating the yawing as we pulled up astern of Obsession, we noticed heads twitching as we passed. The next hour was spent just overtaking each other. As the Rough Tower came into sight on BS we started to rig the yacht ready to put in all the reefs.
After we had put in the reefs which was great fun doing some 360 also at this time we went a man down, Jason went down with a diabetic attack and was laid out in the cockpit under a coat and sleeping bag. We got past South Cock but had to put in one last tack to make Medusa then a run for the finish line, it was then we got a call on the VHF CH72 that Obsession had finished the race, but had found that the engine would not start and was asking for a tow. The Harwich Pilot boat called in offering assistance, which was declined as they were still underway using Sails.
Approx 1 hour later we crossed the line, started up our engine and put the sails away. Rigged an astern towing Bridle and after checking with Obsession for her position, we started to close in. We were also in company with Amalia who stood by us if needed. After a first pass we came round the 2nd time and the tow was passed, and off we went at a speed of 3.3Kts. Jenny asked, now that we are all back together, if I could ask if anybody had got an energy bar. Amalia came back to say that they had some Mini Mars bars. Some minutes later, BS & Amalia were doing a R.A.S. (Replenishment at Sea). During which I was assaulted by several low-flying Mars bars. One Mars bar was given to Jason, and within 20 minutes, he was back on his feet.
On reaching Hamford water BS brought Obsession to Anchor so the two boats could be rigged for alongside towing, but, as it was still rather bumpy, and the fenders constantly popping out, we were back to towing astern and heading for the Diesel Jetty at Titchmarsh Marina. In this exercise, I was helped by Ricky (a new member). We reached the jetty at 20:00. Obsession glided beautifully onto the Diesel Berth, a beautiful piece of seamanship by Janet, after which, off to our assigned berths went Amalia & BS. I then walked back to Obsession Via the restaurant, only to find out the service was closing at 20:30, On reaching Obsession I found Lee and Janet hard at work trying to dismantle the ignition switch, which was full of brown slime, made up from Salt water and Rust. I was then told a story about how, when they had broached, the cockpit had taken a wave full of water over the port side where the ignition switch was located.
The next morning, after a hearty Breakfast, we all went off to pay the bills and see if we could pick up a 5-pole Switch from the chandlery, all to no avail. A look on the net for the weather revealed it was going to be a tactical return trip, not racing, but missing the rain clouds. On BS we only had one small shower that lasted all of 5 mins, arriving back at the Yacht Station at 17:00
Amalia – Roger
Still waiting for this report 😉