Free Sailing

at Gosport Model Yacht & Boat Club

Graceful match racing after taking particular
c
are about boat set up and especially
setting the Vane correctly!  
That's what Free sailing is about

Our Free Sailing Class Captain is 


Mervyn Cook










Latest news from Mervyn Cook, your class captain, click HERE
 !   News



The organisation of our club racing and open meetings has been made so much easier by the introduction of our home designed scoring system.  This is a real tour de force. 

It is so user friendly that even your class captain can use it, and so comprehensive that it will give any combination of results.  Best upwind boat, best downwind boat, points and overall scores.  It even prints out the race-cards. 

It makes the task of the race officer so much easier, so there's no excuse for any of you to not volunteer as race officer for at least one 
race-day next year!

 

Events during 2011 which will be of interest to the Free Sailing skipper
Click on the event to see Race Report and Results

Club Championship Table

Gosport Model Yacht & Boat Club
Programme 2011
      Nationals District Club Venue
January  Sun 2nd       Sail In All Classes  
Sat 8th       Vane 36  
February Sat  5th    
Vane 36 (1)
March  Sat  5th      M&S Open Event 36R Vane 36 (2)  Gosport
Sun 20th       Club Workshop Day  
April   Sat 2nd       Vane 36 (3)  
Sun 17th       Vane A(1)
Mon 25th Easter Monday     BAYATADC  
May  Sat 7th      M&S Open Event 36R Vane 36 (4)  Gosport
Sun 29th
M&S Open event VA Vane A (2)  Gosport
Mon 30th Bank Holiday   6M Vintage
June  Sat 4th       Vane 36 (5)  
Sun 12th     M&S Vane A District Championships Vane (A) (3)  Gosport
July    Sun 3rd       Vane A (4)  
Sun 17th     M&S 36 Vane Vane 36 (6)  Gosport
Sat 30th   MYA VA Championships   Fleetwood
Sun 31st   MYA VA Championships   BAYATAC Fleetwood
 August     Mon 1st   MYA VA Championships     Fleetwood
Tue 2nd   MYA VA Championships(YM Cup)     Fleetwood
Wed 3rd   MYA VA Championships(ATW)     Fleetwood
Thu 4th   MYA VA Championships  
Fleetwood
Sat 20th       Vane 36(7)  
September    Sat 3rd       Vane 36 (8)  
Sat10th   MYA Nationals Vane 36 MYA Nationals Vane 36 MYA Nationals Vane 36 Gosport
Sun 11th   MYA Nationals Vane 36 MYA Nationals Vane 36 MYA Nationals Vane 36 Gosport
Sun 25th     M&S Open Event Vane A (6) Gosport
 October  Sat 15th       Special Vane 36  
Sun 16th       BAYATADC  
 November Sat 12th       Vane 36 (9)  
December Sun 4th       AGM  

Sadly I have to start by remembering Mick Thomas, who died last weekend after a long illness. Mick sailed his vane 36 with us in the Friday group. His was an elderly yacht, but he often sailed it so well that he won boards against much more advanced outfits. He was always a gentleman, and it was a pleasure to have sailed with him. We will all miss him.
You will know from Gary Cooper's recent email that your committee continue to negotiate with Natural England over the use of vegetable dye to prevent the weed growing. The latest is that the club has commissioned a proposal from an independent company of marine biologists for the monitoring process which EN require. Once agreed it will be put to Gosport Council and to EN for their approval. When their formal approval is awarded we will need to have a further full weed cut before using the dye. Club sailing will not be possible again until later in the summer at the earliest, but you will be kept informed about progress and we all hope to get back to normal sailing just as soon as possible.
Due to the weed, the Metropolitan and Southern championships for A's and 36's due to be held at Gosport in the nest few weeks have had to be cancelled. However the vane 36 Midland Championship has just taken place at Bourneville. There were nine boats competing, and Max Buttimer flew the flag for Gosport. Winds were a decent southerly, and the racing was so close that by the end only five points separated first to fourth place. The winner was Mike Harris, second Peter Hopkins, in third place Chris Harris, sailing a new Mk2 Sybora design, and Max's Mk1 Sybora came in a close fourth, an excellent performance against all the big names and on a challenging lake.
The Friday 36 group have tried an experimental morning's vane sailing on the small lake. Sadly this was not a success, with very unstable wind patterns, difficulty getting at the boats if they did come in to the railings side, and pretty unpleasant water. But it was worth a try, and anyone wanting to get afloat is welcome to sail if the radio fleets are not using the lake. Organised Friday sailing will be put on hold until such time as we can get back into our proper waters.
The next major event will be the Vane A National Championship at Fleetwood. We hope to have four Gosport boats sailing; Shaun's 'Razor', Anthony's 'Shield', Mervyn and Peter's 'N-Lightened', and a fourth mystery yacht and crew. Fleetwood is quite a demanding place to sail, and anyone else who might consider sailing with the Gosport team, either with another yacht or as a mate, would be very welcome indeed.
I'm sorry we won't be meeting up at the lake for sailing in the near future, but I'll keep you all informed regarding progress. Jacque and I will however be down on Friday mornings for chat, coffee and lunch - whatever takes your fancy!
Mervyn











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Vane 36 club Championship series, day one.
 
Well for once, actuality exceeded the awful forecast!  The day was wet and dark, and the wind was squalling to nearly 40 mph.  Four boats braved the conditions, a courageous decision so early in the year.
But for once there were plenty of mates available, so major damage was avoided.  The other bonus was that there were some real beats, with tacking required!
 
There were some very close races, particularly the beats, where races were won or lost by inches.  An individually targeted squall just before the finish line was often enough to change the result of the race, and lady luck had simply deserted some skippers completely!  However the boats were mostly well balanced and trimmed, and coped with the extreme conditions remarkably well.
At the end of a rather exhausting morning, particularly so early in the season, Jacque and Eric won by a single point from Mike and Katie.  
 
Thanks must go to race officers were Pete and Julie Lawley, who braved the elements to make sure of a successful day's racing. 
 
The second race day in the series is on Saturday the 5th of March, and the results will also count towards the MYA National Vane League.  I look forward to seeing you all there, and as it is an MYA open event, don't forget your certificates.        
 
Saturday 5th February, Vane 36 series, first event.
 
1st        Jacque Cook and Eric Meighen        12 points
2nd       Mike Dann and Katie Hadlowe         11 points
3rd        John Smith and Andy Fernie               7 points
4th        Peter Fothergill and Mervyn Cook      0 points

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Vane 36 series, Saturday March 5th.
 
10 boats signed on for the second vane 36 club series racing, which was also an open MYA League event.  We were very pleased to welcome Richard Merrills-Browne and mate John Price from Reading.
Roy Scott sailed his unusual and very effective 'Lintel' design for the first time, and scored points in his very first heats.  It was also good to see Russell and Lewis Wyeth sailing with their father and grand-father, making the fourth generation of Wyeths to race at Gosport.
   
The forecast was for a fairly steady 10 knot north-east breeze, but the reality was that the wind was extremely un-predictable, even changing from a run from the west to a beat from the south-east in a single board.  Challenging conditions, which skippers responded to with the usual good humour which is a feature of Gosport's vane fleets.
 
The early racing was held in stronger winds, although top rigs were the unanimous choice.  Race officer Anthony Warren arranged for boats to be covered by 'borrowed' mates where necessary, and there were remarkably few re-sails.  One boat was raced with exceptional skill, reading the shifts to perfection.  And at the end of the day, Shaun and Russell won by four points from Graham and Lewis.
Top boat on the windward legs was Shaun and Russell, with Mervyn and Andy tying with John Smith in second.  And downwind Graham and Lewis tied for first place with Roy Scott.   
 
The next 36 racing is scheduled for Saturday April 2nd.  We'll look forward to seeing you there!  And those of you who might feel the need for a little on the water practice are welcome to join the 36 sailing every Friday morning.
 
1st                Shaun and Russell Wyeth                                        21 points
2nd               Graham and Lewis Wyeth                                        17 points
3rd  equal     John Smith,                                                                16 points
                     Mervyn Cook and Andy Fernie                                  16 points
5th equal     Jacque Cook and Eric Meighen                                   13 points
                     Mike Dann and Katie Howden                                   13 points
7th                Roy Scott                                                                    11 points
8th                Peter Fothergill                                                            9 points
9th                Richard Merrills-Browne and John Price                     5 points
10th              Max Buttimer                                                               4 points      

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Vane 36 Club Series, April 2nd.
 
Nine boats entered for this the 3rd event in the club series, the fleet including Diversion, Sybora and Lintel designs.  Race officers Pete and Julie Lawley ensured that those on a bye were available to help out the skippers without mates.  The weather forecast was for stronger breezes in the early morning, dying away as the day wore on.  Most skippers opted initially for full rigs, although these were at the limit during the early boards.  However the wind did indeed seem to be reducing for a while, until late morning when it started to blow again at some 12 to 15 knots.  By lunchtime half the fleet had reduced sail, however the ability of the modern 36 to carry sail showed that full sail was perhaps the better choice. 
 
The oscillating breeze led to quite a few re-sails during the day, and the full round wasn't completed until after 4.00 in the afternoon.  Mervyn had a lucky streak of nine wins in a row, which clinched the win.  Mike and Katie were back on form, sailing their diversion to second place, and scoring best boat in the windward legs.  Peter Fothergill's Sybora came in a close third, and Shaun and Max tied for fourth place but Shaun took the position by virtue of his own result against Max.  And Roy and Helen Scott, as newcomers to the fleet, scored second boat in the down-wind legs with their exciting new Lintel design.
 
The next race-day in the series is also an MYA Vane League open event, on the 7th of May.  Crews are always welcome in this fast and exciting fleet, so even if you haven't got a boat you will be very welcome to come along and sail with us.  There's very nearly as much fun as a crew as there is as a skipper!
 
    1        30 points        Mervyn Cook   
    2        25 points        Mike Dann and Katie Hadlowe
    3        23 points        Peter Fothergill
    4        20 points        Shaun Wyeth
    5        20 points        Max Buttimer
    6        17 points        Lewis and Graham Wyeth
    7        16 points        Roy and Helen Scott
    8        15 points        John Smith
    9        14 points        Jacque Cook and Eric Meighen         

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GOSPORT VANE 36 SPECIAL TROPHY EVENT, Saturday October 16th
 
Ten boats entered for the inaugural club 36 Special Trophy event.  The trophy is a superb carved oak shield, the Gosport 36 Shield, beautifully carved by club member Ray Hersee.   The racing was in the format of the A classes Yachting Monthly Cup.  The fleet was split into two by draw, and each skipper raced each other twice, on windward boards only, in each sub-fleet.  Ties were decided by a run.  The top two boats from each sub-fleet went forward to race in the semi-finals, and then the nail-biting finals.
 
On the day, the wind did not produce the beats hoped for, blowing at top of No 1 suit strength from a very turbulent northerly direction.  However, race officers Pete and Julie Lawley made the difficult decision to declare that the beat was to east to west, and the heats began.  Initially, they were closely fought, several going on to deciding ties.  There was a short mid morning break during which coffee and cake were consumed.  A heat after a rather late lunch finalised the results. Graham Wyeth had sailed superbly to win the first fleet with 23 points, Peter Fothergill had won the second fleet with 22 points, and Eric Thomas and Jacque Cook also went on to the semi-finals with 15 and 17 points respectively.
 
In the semi-finals Graham's very lightweight planked boat raced against Jacque's brand new pink 'Diversion' design, and Peter's 'Sybora' sailed Eric's 'Diversion'.  Peter and Jacque went through to the final.  Peter won the first beat, and Jacque the second, necessitating a nail-biting final run.  Just like the A boats YM cup in August, this was sailed to the dramatic back-ground of heavy storm-clouds massing to the east, but the rain more or less held off allowing Jacque to win the run, and become the first winner of the Gosport 36 Shield.    
 
While the variable wind conditions made the racing frustrating at times, it was a most enjoyable day's sailing, which will be definitely be repeated next season.