Zen master says “Practice, Practice, Practice”

Was it Scott or John or Matt or Luka who said it’s quite mystical reaching downwind and so easy to spend time in the joy of it all - not practising. So the theme must be to train.

Back in the mistress days I dreaded the time to gybe, when I would go in with nerves, hit the sea and come out with bruises. No foiling gybes then. In fact I did wonder if I’d ever crack it, and if I didn’t then that would be the end of racing in the close company of my mates. (I got lapped at the 08 Poole Moth Open.)

But the gybes did come and thanks to Cookie for that Axbridge training, and whoever it was who said – get your weight on the inside of the turn… Credit to the Prowler, she’s a joy and held my hand through it all.

So after Hayling, the beer and black pudding I resolved to practise. Get out there and gybe… Gybe, get breathing back to normal, and gybe, gybe again. It was easier when the breeze was solid with lots of time to go deep and calm, but it took work and more time to nail the lighter stuff when I would come out too low or too high and fall off the foils. The little orange windex really helped out there. Top toy.

And then I saw the video of Dave Lister. And the gybes and the tacks are suddenly an Artform. Inspired, I went out to practise; I picked a couple of channel marks and did figure of eights, trying to tighten the line of the gybe and get the pressure back on quicker and quicker. - Lets put this into context – tighten the line less than a great circle and get the pressure back on before I’m at the next mark again…or in the yacht club bar….(fortunately Parkstone Yacht Club doesn’t sell black pudding)

Before I first got the foiling moth I did wonder if once I’d been foiling for a bit, whether the novelty would wear off. Not only did the novelty not wear off the sailing has just got richer and richer, and deeper and fuller. And now everyone's aiming at foiling tacks, and foiling tacks and gybes strung together with only an inch of foil in the water…. Suddenly attempting this stuff feels like freestyle and not a means to an end but a great end in itself.

So next time I’m going to add more wand height, and try and move my game on some more. Can’t wait…

Best

Rod

The Hayling Open - Return of the Black Pudding

We have a little bit of history, Hayling and I.

1980 something - Blowing a force 5-6 and heading for home the wind over tide had built big breaking waves over the bar. I kept stacking it till I was exhausted. Struggling to get the boat upright the tide tried to push the moth onto the bar platform. Matchwood would have been the result. I've only been rescued twice in my sailing career and this was the first. That was in a Magnum 6 ...

2007 .. My shin bone carries a scar. A Hayling scar. A big nose dive in my mistress at Hayling threw me at the shroud plate and my leg took the blow. I should have had it stitched. A fond visual memory though, as I really enjoyed the event!.

2008 and the Tide Ride. Hayling really took it out of me. Mainly my stomach lining and the black pudding.

So Hayling and I had unfinished business. Till this year, and the open.

Arriving in the car park I met "new" mothies Phil and Johnnie. Great to see such enthusiasm, boat building talent and focused spirit. Cheers for the comment Phil - but I only unlock my joviality at moth events! My default setting is usually pretty downbeat.

Rigging up I was unusually nervous. We headed out and had a great downwind blast to the line. And then the breeze went patchy as an apache patchwork quilt with patches on. F1-4 all played out over a swell left from the night before. My new wand was a ventilating beast so i was running an experimental one - which seemed to work in a f3 on flat poole harbour water. But this was different and all the races on day one were screwed as a result. Porpoising upwind i was cursing as i got hammered down the pan. These boats are so so sensitive to wands and the sublest of changes. It can all go it a bit Jekyll and Hyde with just the odd little alterations in set up.

So a tad upset after such a weak performance I headed for the bar.... and no one was there! The club that was a pumping night club at the tide ride was now a museum - all it needed was a ball of tumbleweed blowing through. So no Gary and no Booner to help me get wasted. And the tiller of doom was safely back in Poole. And that saved me. I turned in early....

and was woken at the crack of dawn by a howling breeze.

And then we went in for breakfast. And there it was, and I swear it was staring back at me....

The Black Pudding. I said I wouldnt do it again... I didnt need it... but of course .... I did. And it was bad, and so good.

In the dinghy park I swopped out that devil of a wand and back in went my old faithful. I was still missing the old wand plate that was better than this new one - but hey ho, we can live with it. For the first time at an event I was first on the the beach and maybe first to launch. The ride to the line was great with a big breeze and big waves - working the boat and hearing Rohans Garda advice - keep on the crests... It was a great days racing - hard physical stuff with big speeds and then big lulls to deal with.

My gybing was ragged as I mistimed the waves, gybed into holes and screwed the laylines. But blimey, I was downwind duelling with Mike Lennon and was a few hundred metres after Si P at one finish... a buzz after getting lapped by these guys at Parkstone only a year ago. I had lent James Roche my spare foil and now he was well back on form, and giving me a right old fight round the course. Clearly he forgot my words "you can borrow the foil as long as you keep behind me" as overtake me upwind he did, working his boat like he was on a third date with no time to waste! Johnny H was quick and impressive given such short time in a moth, and we had a close big speed l'ward mark water call event, and after cutting through him I then skidded offwind after the mark towards him. (Apols for that one Johnny!).

Si P was blistering in the Mach2, and Mikes experience and coolness keeping us whipper snappers at bay. And the quick quiet one - Andrew Friend. Hats off to you, seemed like you floated silently round the course so fast while we made such a noisy drama of it all. And someone else was also on big form, giving me a headache upwind with his dogged high and fast pointing. Way to go Jase.. good on you cobber or whatever they say in NZ (but you were probably getting tips from the invisible "Jiff").

And there were almost photo finishes on the line. And Booner got air just as he crossed and treated us to a killer whale of a launch and crash. Great racing, great company.

And the black pudding never saw the light of day. Which was nice.

So its never over till the fat lady is ready to sing. I was down on day one, but back in the saddle and up and flying again on day two.

And heres to the next one -

It just gets better and better, and richer and richer.

A Winters tale of Captain Sensible and his trapped Moth

There was snow on the hills under a silver grey sky, and I was on my own in the harbour it seemed.
Its unsurprising given I’ve just lifted sheet of ice off my boat that could’ve housed a small colony of seals. But this is fantastic, with a high spring tide and Poole Harbour suddenly becoming the largest natural harbour in the world.

I’m caning downwind at 20kts towards the open ocean and then a flash in front of the boat and deceleration like an f16 catching the landing wire. Except it was a submerged mooring line, but it did the trick just as well. In that half a second my ears waited for the crack of carbon. And joy of joys… silence, except for me splashing around for my beanie. All intact. Thank you God… and John.

But then I found that the fast tide was pinning against the wing with the mooring line underwater, hooked through the wingbar, tight as hell. I dived down a couple of times to try and release it – and it was cold cold cold. I half expected to doff my cap to a polar bear on each dive. This wouldn’t be a great place to spend time waiting for help. One last dive and I finally got the line free.

Up to that point I wasn’t unduly worried – Even in mid winter I’m always happy venturing out alone with no boats around, and no rescue cover. I have two emergency water bottles in cages on the wing bars. Bottle one holds: a “pay as you go” mobile with all my mates numbers who have access to a rib, a twenty pound note if I get becalmed and need a cab home, a leatherman, some gorilla tape, line, block and cable ties. Bottle two holds a really small waterproof vhf radio – if the shit really hits the fan. And I keep a rescue knife in my buoyancy aid. (people have drowned under a dinghies for want of a knife). I’d recommend this kit for sailing solo midwinter on the sea – it gives you loads of confidence so you can really concentrate on the sailing.

And what a great days sailing it was. The sky turned ice blue and the breeze steadied and the harbour was my playground.

Joy
Joy
Joy.

The Black Pudding. The Beer & The Hayling Tide Ride (08)

This is a black pudding....




So I seem to be jumping back in time a little here to the Tide Ride open at Hayling Island last autumn. I never did blog it and Si Proppers remark about warm sick made me think of it again, in a new light….

The forecast was dire and in fact all racing was cancelled from the Solent down to Weymouth, an invigorating 30 odd + knots being the cause. Saturdays racing was wisely binned by the race officer, probably not wanting to make the front page of the Hayling Herald, or equivalent, with a story of destruction and doom. But a rare appearance by Sam Pascoe who ventured out for a little recreational jaunt in the 30kt breeze kept us all amused from our stalls on the beach where we watched with crossed arms, sucking of teeth and appreciative “blimeys”. But his steel nerve held longer than the creaking carbon and after a great show he returned to cheery applause.

That evening the band played on. And they were great.

But here I made my first tactical error of the event, near the bar.

Gary “Feltman” Ireson offered me that third pint. “No tah mate.” But he didn’t take no for an answer, the first time, or the second, or the third. And after a while we were pogoing in front of the lead singer like there was no tomorrow.
And of course there was a tomorrow and The Wise Ones were wisely tucked up in bed. But we continued the evening till morning when life support finally shut down the show.

Sunday morning and I didn’t feel too rough. Which was strange. And of ominous portent. We headed for the café for some pre-race carbo-packing.

My second tactical error was upon me. I love black pudding but it was, with hindsight, not the most clever of selections. All washed down with OJ and ibuprofen. Glory glory.
It might get gory.

Here is the recipe for a lovely black pudding in case you are interested…

1 quart pig's blood
1 quart milk
three quarters pound bread crumbs
1 cup cooked barley
a half pound suet
1 cup dry oatmeal
salt and pepper to taste
1 ounce powdered mint

And this is the Moth...



The RO called it a go and out we went into a brisk f4-6. So it seemed. Up the first beat the excesses of the night, and the beer and the black pudding caught up with, and overtook me. A moth isn’t a J24 where you can hide a hangover behind a still and studious tactical frown. The stiff Hayling chop and some hard hiking were taking their toll.

I’d heard stories of how they calm the waves by laying down a slick of oil.
And by jove its true.
I said my fond farewells and let my lovely black pudding and OJ go,
and lo, I saw the waters calmed.
Feeling lighter I’m certain I went faster. The wrong way up every beat.

My third tactical error was not to gybe-set and my confidence in my new found foiling gybes was quickly undone. With the tight little courses I found a string of 20kt moths on starboard in my sights/crumple zone and though I fired through a hole in the line once, I didn’t risk it again. Unfortunately I had learnt to gybe in a “resthome chequered rug” sort of way, and not with the appropriate “when I hit the dashboard with the vengeance of thor” urgency. And so I swam, again, and again.
Luckily though, the water was smoother.....

It was great adrenaline fuelled racing and we all returned in one piece, in fact the highest finished percentage of all the high performance classes there. A real testament to our tough and well put rocket ships.

I got off the water feeling a little disappointed with my performance but a look at the results board gave me a glimmer of hope. The reward for Norman like (terrier) persistence, 10% capability mixed with 90% bloody mindedness sometimes pays. So I left the Tide Ride heartened and with huge enthusiasm for the coming year. I vowed to learn to gybe quicker, and on demand, as some other mad bugger screams into view.

And…

To cut down on the pies and attempt to get fitter.

Above all,
after drinking, before racing,
not to eat black pudding ….

The Parkstone Poole Moth Open - the official line

The Parkstone Yacht Club Poole Moth spring open was graced with a great turnout of boats and a depth of talent to match. Saturdays forecast of 16-20kts was delivered in gusty, challenging conditions. And as the wind boomed, questions over who’d been winter sailing and who’d held their fitness brewed a tense anticipation prior to launch. Many questions lay unanswered. The Mach2 had its UK open debut and had a reputation to prove. Would the latest generation Prowler foils deliver performance gains atop bullet proof reliability? The Carbon Footprint was ready to fly, complete with mini rig for days just like these. Skilled helms had changed designs over the winter, and renowned talent had joined the fray after only a brief acclimatisation. Over the last few months some would have been training, some sailing, and some plain hoping. The stage was set.

The Mach 2 was first and fast out to the course. And then it was FIFO. First in , first out. The forestay plate had let go. The boats speed was undeniable in Oz and we’ll be hoping the vaunted reliability comes through.

Race one on and two boats only hit the line at full chat as far as I could see from my vantage point back in the war room. Clearly I have some work to do. It’s interesting to note how ones approach and tactics are shaped by the ride. But the early guns were indeed top guns and they locked into clean air and were taking no prisoners. Mike Lennon seemed to carry less ride height than you’d expect, but he and Adam had more speed than the rest of the fleet could hold. Mike and Adam swapped the lead a number of times, with Adam leading round the last leeward mark, but Mike managed to get through on the last leg as they looked for a photo finish. Some helms were being conservative even though the boats had moved on and overstanding showed a lack of understanding.

.

Rod and Paul were swopping and crossing around the course, but Paul fought through and deservedly claimed 3rd, pushing Rod into 4th. The whole game has jumped forward; the skills have built through the fleet and foiling gybes are now performed for speed, safety and even style, rather than on hope, a prayer, and a lung full of air.

Race two and Mike was away, then Adam came back, but not quite enough. Rod had a late but high start and perched his way into 3^nd, with Paul pushing on downwind and taking 4^th with Geoff 5^th. Bladerider, Raptor, Prowler, Bladerider, Bladerider. Skill, practise, set up, fitness, then gear sets the order it seems.

Race three and the physical pressure was taking its toll. Mike in the lead, but Adams quick dunking reminded us this isn’t a walk in the park, and Rod was second to the windward mark. Rod held Adam off upwind with good pace till Rod cut in to the island, lost power, and the place. Too safe, too slow, too deep. So Mike got the bullet. Adam was fast downhill and got 2^nd , Rod 3^rd and Jason 4^th.

Race four. Adam with a broken wand nipple, headed home. In keenness and haste Mike and Paul hit the line early and scored OCS. No such fate for Rod who went for a dip in the last minute letting Geoff take the lead never to be caught. Tom had blistering if sporadic, upwind speed. But many an arm was turning to stone, and as the fleet battled on the tide was fast departing and so the race was brief. Geoff 1^st, Rod 2^nd , Jason 3^rd and Doug 4^th.

The racing was tight and everyone on the course showed a real ramping up of skill. A few suffered gear failure or were hobbled by set up. The cold water was intolerant - James Roche ventilated his way round the course like the devil had hold of his foils. Consistency was king and the rewards were there.

There was supposed to be a Sunday, but the wind stayed in bed and although we had a laugh and performed some spinning tricks the racing was done and the positions were fixed as they sat.

The form for the season has been glimpsed and we can’t wait to get out there again. A very big thanks to Mike Pascall RO, and all the rescue and support team along with Parkstone YC for hosting a great event.

1^st Mike Lennon. 2^nd Adam May. 3^rd Rod Harris. 4^th Geoff Carveth. 5^th= Paul Hayden 5^th= Jason Russell

Rock on the Parkstone Open

Okay so this blog has been a Tad quiet and certainly hasn't reflected the massive activity that has been going on with the Poole Moth flying squad. Mr Propper has kindly offered to modify his "wakey wakey - as warm as fresh sick" blog label . Some of us have been out sailing and concentrating on foiling gybes rather than the desk bound computer variety! We know you mean well Mr P... Finally I feel like I am now doing this incredible flying machine some justice. High wind foiling gybes are now getting neat, even if the racing line isnt as tight as it might be. Very light wind gybes are a little more tricky and I have been struggling to get the angles right to keep on the foils at the exits. But that little mast bound windex has helped lots and consistency if not smoothness is now the order of the day. As to the foiling tacks... they were progressing well but i seem to have lost a bit of the feel recently - still work in progress. Its now less than a week to the PARKSTONE MOTH OPEN, and it looks like attendence will be great. The harbour at this time of year is delivering some of the best sailing you can find; it seems vast and is so empty of boats. What a playground!


So we look forward to the event with great enthusiasm and I only hope that the practice and fitness training on the bike pays off. At the end of the day I just want to be sailing in proximity of my mates; an overly competitive attitude (as we have in the j24 at times), can leach some of the fun from the sailing. Moths though are just a pure adrenaline laced joy to sail, racing or no racing. It justs get better and better. It has been a little cold though recently, what with the blizzards. But the technology of the wetsuits etc is so good I always seem to be warm as toast; Norman however has stayed at home and will only be resuming his foiling once the sun can push temps into the teens.
We don't care about the white stuff - we're going foiling !





Once we get the solid water off the boat !




Our garaged Mothies - Richard and Dinger have now been joined by Edd who aims to get Spitfire 3 from their mold. Spitfire 1 is coming on really well and I'm so impressed by their skill and aptitude. I can't wait till the first boat is finished and they get out there and share the buzz.




Adios

Rod

Sorry - normal service will shortly be resumed - GONE SAILING

Hey how about looking at some nice fonts while I'm out sailing?


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