South Bank Sailing Club Blog

– Race Officers: Sally Pearce – Safety Boat : Dan Johnson and David Joo With a very variable weather report that had been threatening gale force winds and storms not unsurprisingly we had a minimal turnout for Sundays race. So few in fact that we at one point through we were going to have double the amount of safety cover than sailors. The great stalwart Steph and all the way from China the sadly missed Tom Glockner back to brave the Putney waters. Luckily Renato and Olga turned up and Renato selflessly offered to look after the kids to let Olga have a sail. The safety team made the decision that with so few sailors all of which were experienced we could reduce the safety boats to one and Richard Graham (safety boatman 4 ) would sail as well. With 4 boats we now had a race! Then the heavens opened. Race 1: All got off to a good start, but quickly Steph pulled away from the pack creating quite a gap. Tom pulled away as well and Olga and Richard were battling it out for 3rd pl...

Race Officers: John Parke and Emma Koe Safety Boat: Peter Mack and Dom Polizic Even after a prompt briefing helms dallied about so that at the 5min bell 2/3 of them were still on the bank and of course a rowing centre pair chose that moment to go through their fiddling launch across the ramp. We could not see this behind the sails lined up in front of the office and when the 5min bell was rung Stephanie led a protest revolt, which seemed to the elderly and infirm RO to threaten defenestration, pointing out that the ramp was blocked. So a 10min postponement was grudgingly granted. With a SEer blowing straight up the river, right on the nose against the tide, it was always going to be a difficult day so a simple course had been set up and down the Fulham bank. Sure enough many helms struggled to reach the start line. Even Sara, who crossed the line at speed on the windward bank was carried back when the wind dropped and like many of the lasers had to paddle frantically to gain the start ...