Medway Yacht Club

Members

Sailing News Week Commencing 4th July 2022
Dear Members,
Here is our latest sailing news.

We are still on the look out for a Trot boat driver from this Saturday onward. The service will not run between 1pm-6pm unless we are able to find someone to fill these duties. If you would like to put your name forward we would be very grateful.

As ever if you have further sailing news please let us know and we will happily post for you.

Lots of news this week.
We have a message from Brian Corbett’s family, the funeral arrangements for Brian are as follows:

Monday 1st August: 12pm at St Nicholas Church Strood, all welcome

Crematorium 1pm, family only

Following the Church Service at St Nicholas the wake is being held here at The Club, all are welcome.

The Family would like to try and get a gauge on numbers, please email Rachel at Rachel1203@live.co.uk

The Family would love to meet with you and share stories with you.
25th – 29th July
Just 2 more spaces left on this Sailing Residential for Gold Duke of Edinburgh

Are you completing your Duke of Edinburgh Award and looking for a fun residential to do?

Medway Yacht club has linked up with the company First 4 Adventure to provide this Gold Sailing Residential. It will be 5 days of dinghy sailing based at the club, with the opportunity to develop skills, gain a RYA start sailing qualification whilst having fun and making new friends. Accommodation will be camping on the club site with use of the yacht club’s changing and shower facilities. Food is provided at the club, and there will be options to buy additional snacks and treats. The evening activities will include team challenges, a local walk, sailing quizzes and opportunity to prepare towards your RYA sailing qualification.

To book this exciting residential sailing option book through the licensed Duke of Edinburgh organisation First 4 Adventure UK
https://first4adventure.co.uk/services/gold-sailing-residential/

Highlights from the Chief

If you were down at the club last weekend you would have noticed an additional positive buzz. This was due to MYC hosting the Kent Schools Sailing Association Youth Training and Regatta. 33 young sailors were developing their sail skills over the weekend. Some new to sailing or new to taking part in an event like this, right through to young sailors using the weekend to get in some dedicated practise to represent Kent in the upcoming National Schools Sailing Association Regatta.

3 of the MYC Youth joined in this training and regatta.
Kate: It was fantastic to see Kate get stuck into her first ever event of this kind. A regular to the MYC Sunday Youth, this was an admirable courageous step into furthering her sailing experiences by doing something completely different to her norm. The summary at the end of the weekend was an expressed desire to do more. Awesome.
Henry: Balancing sailing time and schoolwork for important exams is something I’m sure a few young people can relate to, but a good life skill to develop. Whilst Henry has been seen aboard his Dad’s Dragon this season, he was back sailing his Laser 4.7 and leading that dinghy category.
Millie: She makes the most of every opportunity to get sailing with much travelling to events, racing and training all over the UK and into Europe. Great to see her bossing the home club event amongst some good competition and winning the ‘all comers race’ and the regatta.
Summer sessions

Not sure what you’re doing in the summer yet? MYC training are running RYA courses and various summer sessions.
All training is open to members and guests to the club.

RYA Courses with spaces available. Book through smartclub
RYA Level 1 Dinghy Start Sailing (adults with instructor aboard), 21st-22nd August.
RYA Powerboat Level 2, 21st-22nd August.
RYA Youth Stage 1 Start Sailing, 22nd – 24th August.

Summer Sessions: Contact the club office for more information on availability and to book any of these activities.
Have a go sailing: 2-hour sail sessions with instructor aboard. Open to adults or youth aged 6+ with parent/guardian on site.
Summer sail fun: members invite your family and/or youth friends to an instructor led 3-hour sail session. Fun for all involved. Encouraging 5 years old plus to enjoy the water.
What SUP all about? Stand up paddleboarding instruction and group activity for 2 hours. Taught skills that are developed through activities or short paddle journey
Squib Race Report 25th June
The forecast was for sunny weather with a blustery 15-20 from the SE and that is exactly what we got. Unlike last week when we had 10-15 with gusts of 20, this was another click up on the weather front and proved to be an exciting and all-round excellent day to go sailing.
Four squibs took the line however unlike last week when we all crossed together, just a couple of seconds after the hooter went, this week the fleet wasn’t so hot. Bryony’s excellent on-the-line camera work showed that Black Mark made a great start but the rest of us were some way off. Monkey business were next, some 10 second behind with Legend a further 5 seconds behind them and with Sandy Cheeks bringing up the rear. In SC defense they were the only team brave enough to fly the kite on this tricky first leg down river to Wilsonians.
Here it would be kites down for the fetch up to Gillingham and then a beam reach over to 26, the first mark of the course. SC, again determined to fly her kite at every opportunity were the only team to fly their kite on this leg with mixed results, it certainly looked exciting from where we were sitting.
Not sure it was a good or bad thing to do really because although they managed to work their way into second L had pulled a bit of a lead with just two sails up and BM and MB had slowed each other up, having a race of their own, which let them slip buy.
The kite would help on the next leg of the course though, the run down to MYA1, and indeed everyone elected to fly their kites down this leg. L, BM and MB chose to sail the shortest distance down the middle with SC taking the longer route along Hoo Island but out of the tide.
At the mark the shorter distance boats came out on top although there wasn’t much in it, and from here it was the first of two beats back up to 26. On L we had the sails fully depowered but were still having to wrestle the boat in the gusts, and with plenty of spray coming over the front to keep the crew awake it was a rewarding if hard work leg of the course.
As good as the sail was however the race kind of fizzled out from this point on. L slowly increased its lead on SC, who in turn pulled clear of the battling BM and MB and although I’m sure they were having a good race of their own we couldn’t really keep track of what was going from on board L so it’s hard to report on their battle although BM came out on top were it matters most, at the line.
After the race however everyone had smiles, although they were salty and windswept, on their faces so regardless of the race itself, it had proved to be a great days sailing for all.
Well Done MYC Dragons

Dragon final results from this weekend’s South West Area Championships at Falmouth.

British Dragon Association Southwest Championship 2022 Falmouth (click here for results)

We would like to Congratulate all the MYC boats that entered and wish them every success in the Edinburgh Cup.

Great effort.
WAYFARER REPORT

(Not a race of two halves but a tale of two races)
CHAPTER ONE – 25 June 2022
Last weekend was to have been the Wilsonian River Challenge, when we forego our usual race to support the neighbours. Its cancellation allowed us to have a Saturday race after all, but not as part of our official series – a pity for those of us achieving our best result for some time! Seven boats turned out for a course in which almost every mark seemed to involve a gybe, in conditions breezy enough (roughly SSW F4 gusting 5) to provide some invigorating sailing, with one retirement and a capsize.
The flying start (downwind with a strong ebb tide) was captured on video, courtesy of Bryony, showing the newest boat in the fleet, Knot Rushin’ (11405, Philip Clarabut), first over the line despite the name, about 20 seconds ahead of the last, Black Jack, which had been grappling with some last-minute equipment issues. Only Muffin (10974, Richard Stone and Catherine Gore) attempted to fly the kite on this first leg, but evidently it was more trouble than it was worth. The course took us around buoy 30 then down to 26, doubling back to 27 and over to 24, with a spinnaker run down to MYA1. By this point the fleet had spread out somewhat, Knot Rushin’ giving way to Devil’s Advocate (10666, Roger Gibbs and Stan Benwell) and Muffin in what became a two-horse race at the front.
The return leg to buoy 24 and back again to MYA1 saw plenty of position changes in the middle of the fleet, with Wild Thing 2 (11315, Mike Pimm and Pete Dilley) hot on the heels of Loose Knots (10614, Mark Penny and Sarah Mason) for much of the time, both boats managing to overtake Quicksilver (10947, Stewart and Catriona Coltart) and Knot Rushin’. The latter then capsized but recovered without assistance to bring up the rear, Black Jack having retired. Despite the adverse current, the trip back to the line did not take long, with some exhilarating planing reaches along the shore of Hoo Island, Wild Thing 2 managing to steal a march on Loose Knots. It was then nip and tuck between them on the home stretch in a battle for 3rd and the privilege of writing this report, WT2 just hanging on for a rare place on the podium with winners Muffin and Devil’s Advocate second.
Report by Mike Pimm (11315, Wild Thing 2)
CHAPTER TWO – 2 July 2022
Last week we had a great race, so the course was repeated this Saturday, but it was much windier. At the start, Hercules Hound (10686, Brian and Liz McKenzie) took the lead, with Muffin following and that’s how it stayed at the front.
Moonshine (10618, Tony Alexander and Jon Moon) was next, and those behind watched in eager anticipation at buoy 24, as it was a spinnaker gybe on Moonshine while everyone else was two sail reaching. The gybe turned into an involuntary 360 just missing the buoy on the way back as the spinnaker wrapped itself round the mast and there was some extreme heeling, but no real shark attempt. Not so lucky was Knot Rushin’ where Philip capsized and won shark points for the second week running….and at the same buoy!
After buoy 24 I went up close to Darnet side, as whatever the tide was doing it was the best place to be, and allowed an approach to MYA1 without further gybes or running by the lee. For the beat back we wanted as few tacks as possible due to waves and our poor tacking. By the time of our return to MYA1 Moonshine had caught up using their spinnaker. Beating back to buoy 26 Iwe chose the Folly side because the water was much calmer in the lee of Hoo Island. Fewer waves allowed better speed, and we rounded 26 ahead of Moonshine once more. Thus we proceeded to the line equally spaced to give our excellent RO Jonathan an easy time at the finish.
In summary, with an average age of 70 on our boat, a podium place was a good result, but I am feeling that exertion now.
Report by Roger Gibbs (10666, Devil’s Advocate)
I just wanted to thank you for all your help and support over the last weekend for KSSA.  The event could not have gone better.   The weather was amazing and the preparation that you all put in meant that it ran like clockwork.

Thank you Ian, Neil and all the galley staff for sorting out an excellent meal package.  Neil and the galley staff were amazing and everyone commented on how good the food was.  They came with good expectations from the previous events which were exceeded.  The galley staff were so helpful and friendly and there was plenty of food for everyone and it was served really well.

Thank you to Bryony, Steve and the yard staff for making sure that all the RIBs, Saxon and the hard and campsite were all in really good condition and for helping out with the launching of the KSSA RIBs on Friday.  The on water facilities were brilliant and we had lots of positive comments.  Thank you Bryony for all your help in advance and over the weekend.  It was really good having you around.

Saxon was excellent as a committee boat.  She provides such a good working platform for running racing and is really well set up for race management.  Our race officer was very happy with the race management.

Thank you Catherine for welcoming everyone on Saturday morning and for awarding the prizes on Sunday.

I had lots of positive comments from KSSA sailors and their parents.  I saw a number of parents who were just really enjoying sitting on the terrace looking at the view down the river.  They all said what a great club we have with amazing facilities.  The camping was very successful.

To add to the success an MYC member Millie Lewis won both the All Comers Race on the Saturday and the overall racing on the Sunday.  It was great that she could find time from her busy schedule of Laser sailing nationally and internationally to join us and represent the club.

A really great weekend and thank you so much for all your support.

Best wishes

Andrew Baker
KSSA