South Bank Sailing Club Blog

Inspired by those who went before them, five intrepid sailors from South Bank booked a weekend on Hunter’s Yard’s beautiful gaff-rigged vintage mahogany sloops. Here’s what we saw and what we learned! Consider making it a Friday-Monday trip Unless you live in Norfolk, Hunter’s Yard is pretty remote, and you will want to arrive at 9 or 10am, for 2-3 hours of signing in, unpacking your gear, being briefed, uncovering your boat, finalising your plans and rigging for the first time. The price of each day of cabin boat hire includes the whole night, so if your professional and domestic arrangements permit it, spending Sunday night aboard and travelling home on a Monday is an option to avoid a tired, nocturnal drive through the worst rush hour the UK has to offer. Take the opportunity to learn! This is not a perfect learning environment; a shallow keel and a heavy wooden boom mean that tacks need to be assertive, and gybes need to be careful; but cruising on a reach is a great time for a nov...

Sunday 5 th September 2021 Bernard Driver Cup Race Officers – Jane SH & Ben Ridgwell SB1 – Eric Morgan & Karin Andreasson The Bernard Driver Cup is a local race with a longer and more challenging course, depending on wind strength and direction. Unfortunately on the day the wind was less than an already light forecast NW Wind of 6 – 9 knots and the Thames barrier was closed resulting in no tide. Nevertheless 6 lasers and 3 solos launched with a reduced course of 4 laps with 3 marks, 1 west of the club house and 2 just west of the Crabtree pub. The already light wind dropped as the race started followed shortly afterwards by a prolonged period of rain although this did not prevent Renato taking an early lead. Despite significantly reducing the course again to 1 lap and valiant efforts from everyone the conditions eventually led to 5 retirements and Renato first past the flagpole followed by Jakob, Allan and James. A challenging day for all brightened up by the constant encourag...

Sunday 29th August 2021. Bevington trophy Downriver race. Race Officer & SB 1  – Jane SH and Henry Koe. SB 2 – Eric and Anoushka. Two legs were raced for the last of the Bevington Downriver Series, and Summer races, to Battersea pagoda and back. The wind initially gusting stronger than forecast the NE wind made for challenging launch conditions for three Lasers, Solo, and Seb in the Xenon, plus guests not racing. The wind reduced significantly after launch before picking up again fairly consistently to the forecast 8-10 gusting 16 knots, allowing a fairly close formation, with no capsizes, and Renato over the line first on Leg one around the buoy placed a bit short of the pagoda. Leg two was also started closer to home at Battersea Rail bridge to compensate for change of tidal flow. Renato then came from some way back to be first past the flag-pole, followed in close formation by Sara, Amaury, and Karin. Safety and R.O. boats were expertly driven by Anoushka and Henry re...