Once again the East Coast Piers Race organising committee and Marconi Sailing Club put in the effort and delivered a great event.
Flawless reception when you arrive and check in with each part of the process super slick and effortless for the competitors.
The ability to camp within the club grounds is a real bonus as once set up that’s it for the weekend, and what’s not to like about the setting on the edge of the River Blackwater.
Saturday - 2x Inshore Races
While some sailors arrived throughout the afternoon and evening of Friday my Saturday started with a 3 hour drive down to the club with the aim of getting there in time to secure a spot to rig and camp.
There was a light breeze as I arrived which built through the morning giving us a good 7-10 knot breeze by the time we launched for the first of two back to back races.
Once on the water there was a lot of jostling for position and with 50+ entrants sailing all manner of boats it was going to be interesting finding a good lane off the start.
Just to add a little spice we also had large sailing barges sailing up the river at about the same time, so choosing where to be in relation to them was going to critical in what was already a busy stretch of water.
I chose to simply hold back a bit, let the faster catamarans get away and find clear air.
This proved a good option as I could also preempt any shadow caused by the large sail area on the barges as they went through the course.
The breeze was steadily building and conditions were starting to suit the Wētā. It certainly felt like the boat was coping well despite the choppy conditions in the river.
By the end of the first race the Wētā was happily dancing around the course with its bow up and planning. The fast cats were fast but the manoeuvrability of the Wētā enabled me to weave through the fleet and position myself well for approaching the marks while generally staying out of trouble.
As Race Two started the breeze had stabilised at around 12-15 knots with slightly bigger gusts.
I decided to line up the pin end and followed a large group through the start as close as possible while not getting squeezed out by boats to leeward and not getting bullied by boats trying to drop in from above.
There was a good raft of boats just in front all stalling, pinching and generally getting themselves into all sorts of bother (and the associated shouting of keep clear and other rules).
While all that was happening a small gap appeared (if you can call a gap wide enough for a Wētā small). I managed to pinch through before bearing off a little, building speed and then tacking off. This enabled me to set up the leg to the first mark and put a bit of distance between myself and a number of other boats.
The boats that had started midline or towards the Committee Boat also had a great start and were making good progress closer to the shore.
Once again I simply went for boat speed and as much clear air as I could to maintain boat speed in what was still a congested course with plenty of chop going in all directions from racers and other river traffic.
After two races and approximately 21.5 miles sailed it was back to shore, hose everything down, wash sailing kit, then relax and catch up with friends, make some new ones, and eagerly anticipate the evening BBQ which was held after the compulsory briefing for the long distance race the next day.
Sunday - It’s long distance day!!
Sunday is an early start in the club grounds as the first of the fast cats taking part in the full East Coast Piers Race make their way down to ‘The Hard’ on the edge of the river.
The sun is shining but where is the breeze?
Once the first announcement of the morning is made over the tannoy the activity increases even more. The team in the galley fresh from doing a fantastic BBQ the night before are now offering several breakfast options and there’s a Full English calling my name.
Approaching the flood gates with the Wētā I’m subjected to a thorough but friendly check by race marshalls making sure I have all required equipment on board - compass, paddle, tow rope, handheld flare, bouyancy aid, and GPS tracker for the live feed. Once given the OK you collect your tally band and find your spot on ‘The Hard’.
The start line was the same as yesterday which was directly in front of the club slipway, and with an outgoing tide and a downwind start the trick was not to break the line early - there’s no chance to return and instead a 15minute penalty is added to your overall time. Just don’t do it!!
The fast cats doing the full 40+ miles of the East Coast Piers Race got away first followed shortly after by those of us doing the Colne Point race.
While there was a bit of breeze it was not as much a the day before and this could be a long sail down the river.
As the Colne Point race got underway the dinghies and cats with asymmetric kites shot off well, but a fellow club member from Oxford sailing a Falcon F16 managed to get one hull flying and simply disappeared in the distance, eventually taking line honours.
Meanwhile the Wētā never really lit up like the previous day. There were a couple of brief moments but it never really got the bow up so it was simply a case of hoping others ahead were also struggling with the light conditions.
After an epic five and a half hours out and back sail it was time to commence packing up and getting ready for the drive home, but not before prize giving. It really was a event of two halves, with great close racing with good breeze on Saturday followed by a long not so windy day on Sunday.
With each day giving seperate results and fleets with a wide range of PY numbers how would the sole Wētā stack up against everyone else?
Saturday -
9 dinghies, classes present - Wētā, RS800, RS700, RS400, SB20, International Moth, Wasp, 505
2 races, 2x 1st place - 1st Dinghy overall
Sunday - Colne Point Race
38 Total entries (incl all classes)
18th overall
7th Dinghy
8th Single Hander Overall
2nd Single Hander Dinghy
Thanks must go to the organising committee for running a slick event again, the catering team for all the meals, the race officers and all the assistants for keeping track of everyone and finally all the other competitors for showing up and taking part.
It really is a great event and I look forward to being there again next year. Maybe we’ll even get two days of good breeze……..
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