Day Four

More great sailing today. While the main fleet go their boats out and away, we examined some of the finer points of the Racing Rules. Just the basics, Port and Starboard, Windward and Leeward, and Water around marks and hazards. Hopefully, this will mean less carnage today! The wind kindly blew from the same direction as yesterday and we meant everyone woud remember which way the course went, but the difference today was that buoys had to be rounded in the prescribed direction.

It was a bit windy for some so Robin and Alex joined the racing in the Club Mirror (which really needs a proper name) and Lemon Curry. Charles and Jacob took Bramble and Belle arrived today with Olivia and Victoria, taking the Mirror fleet up to four.

Poor Casey & George got into a spot of bother early on and had to be rescued by Granny rescue, but a little bit of chocolate sorted them out and they were soon back on the water in one boat or other.

William and Toby took the racing honours today which puts the races series on a knife edge going into day 5; just like the Olympics really.

With boats away, this evenings entertainments were a treasure hunt and fish & chip supper at Birch Hall Farm. Six families made it along and we had a great evening!

Day Three

Hooray, back to sailing again. The wind was not so strong today so we all managed to get on the water, even a couple of us adults; Robin in the laser, which was a new addition to the fleet, and Alex in Bramble, who was showing off her new sails today. In all we had more boat spaces than cadets and a good number started (and mostly finished) the two races that have begun our cadet week series.

Race start are still not particularly effective; in fact the whole concept is still eluding some cadets. Rogan managed to sail down to the leeward mark before the race began and several others meandered around on the wrong side of the start line. Hoping that no-one would spot them perhaps? The racing was closely fought at the front with Charles and Jacob in the Pico pushing for top honours in both races.

Plenty more to come tomorrow, when we introduce the concept of RULES.

Day Two

A second successful day, albeit without any sailing... Well as all good sailors know everyone needs to know how to row. So with the wind too strong for sailing and five rowing boats all ready for paddling it was all hands to the rollocks, oars, blades, bows, sterns, thwarts and all. At first some gentle rowing around the clubhouse, but even in rowing boats, you quickly learn that a strong gust can push you about quite easily. Slowly the number of crabs caught diminished and everyone learned how to cope with the difficult conditions. Perfect, just ready then for a race. Three widths of the channel, changing oarman each time. With boats beautifully spaced out the wind soon put pay to any order and it became a fight of Waterloo proportions as each boat jostled for space and struggled with the wind as they made their forays back and forth.

A more serene activity next with a wonderfully constructed word-search-treasure-hunt type rowing thing game. Each boats needed to row to various points around the channel visiting and collecting inscribed rocks from a number of different buckets. The rocks spelled out a word and the first team to collect their rocks and spell the word would be the winner; today that was Abby, Casey and William.

As we all know, sailors like to get wet, and they weren't wet enough yet so time for something a little more damp. Raft racing 'Le Mans' style; "Cadets start your engines" brmm brmm. A run to the rafts which then had to be launched and rowed around a buoy and back again. Some rode on the rafts others swam with both rafts getting back at roughly the same time but a win for the January to July birthdays... just.

Finally in tribute to our Olympic divers and other aquanauts we thought a little bit of Olympic Bombing would be in order. Marks were given for Style, Distance and Splash (how else do you mark a bomb?!). Winner Rogan, well done, Top Bombing.

Day One

We're off. Some hiccups at the start mainly on my part, and a few more bodies than had been expected, but so what the more the merrier! Having worked out who would sail with who and in what boats we finally made our start. Well nearly, because just as we were ready the main fleet decided to return and hog the slipway. Finally with some shoving and pushing we got away!

Firstly we had some free sailing, to shake out some cobwebs and to get used to the wind and the boats. The optimist found the conditions toughest as it was pretty breezy; Toby managed to capsize, but was rescued by Nicola in the rowing boat. Ben went to have a look and got stuck on the lee shore, Will went to help Ben and also found it difficult to get off.

Everything else went well and we came in for a short briefing before trying our hands at racing. A short windward/leeward course was the aim but the starting was pretty ropey with only one boat being close to the line at the off - some work needed on starts later!!

The first race was cut short but the second start more successfully, followed by a third which was abandoned with several of the boats capsizing before the start and time and tide running out.

With all the boats in a quick debrief followed: prizes were awarded to Hester for most helpful sailor, Maria for best rigging, Will A for best seamanship and Ben for most improved.

Conditions still look tough for tomorrow, but we'll still be going with rowing, swimming and raftings all to look forwards to.

Cadet Week Timetable

Cadet week starts tomorrow. Already a few more people have shown an interest and numbers for the week are up to about 12, which should make for some fun and exciting racing as the week progresses.

Start times for this week are as follows:

Monday - 12:00
Tuesday - 12:30
Wednesday - 13:00
Thursday - 13:30
Friday - 14:00

Each session will last about 2 hours. Currently the winds are predicted to be strong for Tuesday which may mean an alternative activity to sailing may be devised.

Cadet Week Starts Monday

Monday is when it all gets started. At present there should be 10 cadets ready to get racing and so far the weather looks good. We have a mixed fleet of boats which will give everyone the chance to try out something different.