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A chilly one – Sunday racing 28 November

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When getting the boat ready involves firstly cracking a half inch of ice off the frozen pools of water on the cover, you know that Jack Frost has already signed his name on the race sheet.

So it was on Sunday when OOD Joe Mclaughlin, forewarned all competitors that the effective wind-chill would be below zero and claimed regret that he would be stuck inside the warm starting box, wearing a thick mountaineering coat, rather than dicing with the playful north westerly!

And playful it was too, with some proper puffs taking a run up along the river via the Lensbury club and then seeking to scatter the Tamesis Club fleets which either had to work hard to windward, or enjoy a swift ride downhill as a result.

The Lasers were again joined by Jon Redding who was one for whom the downhill ride was a little too much and he sportingly put his boat in the tide just in front of the Smithy, thereby allowing Kaan Yargici to take the lead.  However, Jon was indefatigable and relentlessly clawed his way way back to the front by the gun. Tim Medcalf came in a distant third with the rest of the fleet glad to make it back mostly unscathed.

Once again, the Merlin Rocket race was dominated by the ‘wide’ boat of Andy Harris and Matty key who got stuck in and powered away from Richard Harris and Emma McDonald in second, and Matt P-J and Leela Siebert-Patel in third.

The N18s decided that the weather looked a bit too spicy and consigned themselves to the spectator benches for some vicarious action.

Many thanks to Joe and Sean Roberts in the box, Geoff Malseed and Holly Roseveer in the patrol boat and Yann for running the bar.  Also to Jonathan Key and Carolyne Vines for the pictures.

 

 

Tammy Matters

by

Welcome to any new readers of Tammy Matters

Scroll to the end of this e-mail to see the News articles

 

Eddy Simmonds

Eddy Simmonds funeral will be at 1:15 pm on Wednesday 8th December at Randalls Park Crematorium, Randalls Rd, Leatherhead KT22 0AG.  You are warmly invited to join the family at the service and also at Tamesis afterwards.  If you are planning to go to the Crematorium, they have asked that everyone wears a mask.

If you wish to make a donation in Eddy’s memory, please send to Kingston Hospital Charity:

https://www.khc.org.uk/support-us/donate/

A fuller Obituary will be posted on the Club website.

Membership Survey.

The survey has now closed and the results will be reviewed by a number of Members and Flag Officers. We will then present the findings to Club Members, most probably in a weekday Club Zoom session hosted by Kaan Yargici (who is also keen to show some stats from the website and Tammy Matters).

Last Week,  23rd to 29th November

Sunday 28th November. There was a river closure to accommodate a Royal Canoe Club event which was scheduled to be finished by 11:30.  In the event, from the communication established with their Race Officer, their finishing their race by 11:10 allowed our boats to launch in good time for an 11:30 Merlin start followed by the Laser start 5 minutes later.

There was a good Northerly wind with some gusts which gave challenging conditions from time to time.  Seven Merlins started and the race developed in a remarkably similar way to last week’s with Andy Harris, crewed by Matty Key, winning, having steadily increased his lead over Richard Harris, crewed by Emma McDonald, with Matt P-J, crewed by Leela Siebert-Patel, third.  Nine Lasers raced with Jon Redding coming first, despite capsizing in front of the box and being temporarily passed by Kaan, who finished second with Tim Medcalf third.

See the report by Tim Medcalf and pictures by Jonathan Key, in News.

My thanks to Joe McLaughlin as OOD assisted by Richard Mason in the Box and to Geoff Malseed and Holly Rosevear for manning the Patrol Boat.  Thanks also to Yann who ran Phil’s Bar.

This Week

On Sunday 5th December, at 9:30 am, there will be Santa SUP, a Paddleboard event run by Leah, our Paddleboard Captain.  A festive social paddle for all members & non-members alike. Details to follow but expect mince pies.  Christmas outfits or accessories onboard and a nice gentle group paddle trip from the Club. Dig out some tinsel, dust off the SUPs & put it in your diaries.

Also on Sunday 5th December, Alaphia will be cooking a mildly spiced Christmas chicken curry with coconut and coriander, served with a spinach and red lentil dhal, tamarind spiced aubergine, cauliflower, sweet potato and basmati rice.  This will be served with a cucumber and mint raita, mango chutney and poppadoms, followed by vanilla ice cream and a homemade chocolate sauce.  £12.50 pp.

Next Week

On Sunday 12th December there will be a festive glass of fizz and nibbles at lunchtime.  This will be preceded by the traditional Christmas Pudding races.  All Club Members are welcome to participate in what is to be our alternative to the Christmas Lunch for this year.  See the poster on the website which details the conditions.

As it is essential that we have a measure of how many people wish to come, booking must be done by clicking on the Eventbrite booking link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/212741404267 .  We also need to ask people to pay at the bar before the event and, whilst doing so, to advise how many children under 16 will accompany them.  There will be a visit for the children from Santa!! This means it is essential that we know how many children there will be!  We need to ask people to book by midnight on 4th December so that you can pay on Sunday 5th December.  Sadly there will be no Christmas Carol singing because of Covid.

Future Events

Our Winter Series will continue until the end of March.

Sunday Lunches. – 5th & 19th December 2021

We are trialling another new caterer and have arranged for these two Sunday lunches.

Vegetarian option can be available on request.

Booking will be essential by email to nickyjohnsontamesis@gmail.com

All feedback would be very gratefully received.

Officer of the Day and Race Management Training – Saturday 11th December

Jim Green and David Baker will be running another morning training course for those who would like to learn how to open up the Club for the arrival of Members and to prepare for and manage the racing programme for the day.  Having more people confident to take on Race Management eases the burden on those already competent and enables them to miss fewer races.  I encourage any member, sailing or non-sailing, to do this course as the outcome is of great assistance to the Club.  To get further details and apply to do the course contact Jim Green at jimgreenhcr@gmail.com.

Dutyman and Club Volunteer Duties

It is most important for Members who are allocated Duties by Dutyman to confirm their availability to attend in Dutyman (in the dropdown list under ‘Sailing’ on the website) well in advance of their Duty.  If this is not done we will have uncertainties and someone might have to stand-in for an absentee at short notice, as has happened in the past.  If a Member knows they cannot perform an allocated Duty it is their responsibility to request and establish a swap using the Dutyman swap facility.  Please remember to check the Club’s Dutyman system to see if you are rostered for a Duty.

Patrol Boat Training

I am very grateful to Simon Thompson who has been running Patrol Boat driving and crewing courses which have been very much appreciated.  This has provided the Club with an enhanced group of those capable of supporting our racing programme.

Paddleboarding

If anyone would like to join the Tamesis SUP WhatsApp group who hasn’t done so already here is the link:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/EVUYTsqSkGe0ioAyvgtXXF

Please do feel free to let other paddlers know when planning a SUP trip from the Club if you would like some paddling companions. It is always safest to paddle with someone else, particularly in winter, and it’s a wonderful season to get out and enjoy the quieter waterways.

Paddleboarders, please do not leave the Boatshed door open while you are out on the water.  It leaves the Boatshed insecure and there has been a spate of thefts from riverside locations recently.

Leah Fraser is running Paddleboarding Instruction and Paddleboard Yoga from the Club as a Club activity.

Works

The enclosure of the Gents undercroft is complete and the interior decoration and fitting-out is under way.  The intention is that we will install more racking for paddleboards in it and for the canoes which are currently in the main Boatshed.  It will also serve as a winter store for the Optimists.

There will be repairs to the campshedding in front of the Clubhouse where it is rotted and has been damaged.

Charles has made good the roof of the Starters Box above the Clubhouse roof.

Boat Park Clutter Reduction

The Club has separated those trailers which have been matched with owners.  There are still several unidentified ones.  Members MUST identify and mark up their trailers – otherwise they will be removed and either sold or scrapped.  There are also some unoccupied launching trolleys which may meet the same fate or be repurposed.  There are still some which are not identified.

Pilates on Monday mornings

On the first Monday of each month, Joanne Zorian-Lynn will be holding a Pilates class in the Clubhouse between 10:30 and 11:30.  This Pilates class is suitable for all ages and abilities as each exercise is offered and demonstrated for all levels.

To book a place contact Joanne on -Tel: 07754 686378

Noticeboard

Information on the following topics has been placed on the Noticeboard.

Resumption of Sailing and Use of Club Facilities, Car Parking, Club Boats, Boat Licences.

Advice on Casual Sailing, for those who wish to go on the river when there is no organised racing, is also on the Tamesis Noticeboard.

Chris Pollard

Commodore

Fun Sunday Racing in an Autumnal Northerly

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They say ‘it’s an ill wind that blows no good’ and while the general population of Teddington Reach may not welcome a lively northerly,  Tamesis Club sailors are delighted to have one come and visit.

It was an easy course selection for the Box team of Peter and Richard Mason, a windward-leeward sausage with the wind providing enough shifts and twists to penalise the inattentive and benefit those who had their eyes out of the boat.

While the course was familiar, the club would like to recognise a couple of firsts.  Leela Siebert-Patel stepping up to crew in a Merlin Rocket under the skilled eye of helm Matt P-J, and also Matthew Valentine who raced his new Laser for the first time.  Well done to both these enthusiastic Juniors, we look forward to seeing you out racing in the coming weeks.

Seven Lasers opened proceedings and they were soon aware of the presence of Jon Redding, but only briefly, as his transom disappeared ahead.  Behind Jon, your correspondent took the opportunity to check his wetsuit still worked just before the first windward mark, had a prolonged swimming lesson, and then remounted at the back of the fleet.  All helms had their moment of needing to ease early, ease less as well as balancing on a swaying hull having been caught by a gust that forced them by-the-lee.  In the end, Jon Redding had a comfortable win from Tim Medcalf who managed to keep ahead of the charging Brendan Hills.

Two N18s took to the water with the Commodore remaining with the landlubbers having decided to let others have all the fun.  Henry Defries romped home with a healthy on-water margin over Charles Fox, but only the handicapper’s slide rule knows who claimed the chocolates on adjusted time.

The wide style Merlin Rockets love some breeze and so it proved as Andy Harris and Matty Key took the line honours from Richard Harris and guest crew Chris Martin, with Matt P-J and Leela in third.  The fleet put on quite a show with spinnakers being de rigueur and some fine seamanship skills being displayed as a couple of crews avoided an early bath.

Definitely a day for blowing away any cobwebs and many contented sailors assembled in the bar afterwards for a well-deserved drink or two.

Thanks again to the Masons in the Box, to Alexey Anatskiy and James Berry in the patrol boat, to the young lads serving the drinks, and to Jonathan Key for the excellent pictures.

 

Tammy Matters

by

Welcome to any new readers of Tammy Matters

Scroll to the end of this e-mail to see the News articles

 

Eddie Simmonds

I am very sad to have to report that Eddie Simmonds, who collapsed while visiting the Club on Sunday 3rd October, died peacefully on Monday 15th November.  He had been undergoing tests in Kingston Hospital over the intervening weeks.  Eddy was a long-time member and remained a regular at the Club after retiring from the National 18 Class.  His funeral will be at 1:15 pm on Wednesday 8th December at Randalls Park Crematorium, Randalls Rd, Leatherhead KT22 0AG.  You are warmly invited to join the family at the service and also at Tamesis afterwards.

If you wish to make a donation in Eddy’s memory, please send to Kingston Hospital Charity:

https://www.khc.org.uk/support-us/donate/

A fuller Obituary will be posted on the Club website.

Membership Survey,  a reminder!

Kaan sent out the link to the survey to Members via email and WhatsApp groups just after 10:50 on Friday 12th November. You have until mid-day on Sunday 28th November to complete it.  If you wish to say what you would like from the Club, this is your opportunity.

Remember, there are two £50 voucher prizes, one for the best survey response, i.e. with the best ideas and most thoughtful answers, etc. and the other prize will be drawn from a hat.

Please complete the survey as fully as you can, as the information gained from it could significantly influence what we, as a Club, concentrate our attention on in the future.

Once the survey has closed, the results will be reviewed by a number of Members and Flag Officers. We will then present the findings to Club Members, most probably in a weekday Club Zoom session hosted by Kaan Yargici (who is also keen to show some stats from the website and Tammy Matters).

Last Week,  16th to 22nd November

Saturday 20th November. Tim Medcalf took his son Henry and a Laser to Broadwater SC’s 2021 Laser Super Cup.  In a fleet of 18 which considers itself pretty hot, he came seventh.  The conditions were light and twitchy which probably meant that some of his Tamesis experience was useful!  He was also given the ‘Rising Star’ trophy and an open invitation was extended to other Tamesis Laser sailors who might like to come and race at BSC next year.  It’s good to see Tamesis Junior Sailors being exposed to racing elsewhere.  Many thanks to Stewart Colley for the loan of his Laser combi trailer which made the trip there and back so much easier.

Sunday 21st November. The day came with a gusty and swirling wind.  Seven Lasers raced with Jon Redding coming first, Tim Medcalf second and Brendan Hills third.  Two N18s started and Henry Defries, crewed by Ron Wilkinson, came first with Charles Fox second.  Five Merlins started and Andy Harris, crewed by Matty Key, won having steadily increased his lead over Richard Harris, crewed by Chris Martin, with Matt P-J, crewed by Leela, third.  See the report by Tim Medcalf and pictures by Jonathan Key, in News.

My thanks to Peter Mason as OOD assisted by Richard Mason in the Box and to Alexey Anatskiy and James Berry for manning the Patrol Boat.  Thanks also to David and Yann who ran Phil’s Bar.

This Week

Sunday 28th November. There is another River Closure for the Canoe Club’s 10 @ 10 race.  This Closure is effective up to 11:30 and it is hoped that all canoes will have finished by then.  Our race programme will be notified on the WhatsApp Groups nearer the day.

Next Week

Our Winter Series will continue until the end of March.

Future Events

On Sunday 5th December at 9:30 am, there will be Santa Sup, a Paddleboard event run by Leah, our Paddleboard Captain.  A festive social paddle for all members & non-members alike. Details to follow but expect mince pies.  Christmas outfits or accessories onboard and a nice gentle group paddle trip from the Club. Dig out some tinsel, dust off the sups & put it in your diaries.

On Sunday 12th December there will be a festive glass of fizz and nibbles at lunchtime.  This will be preceded by the traditional Christmas Pudding races.  All Club Members are welcome to participate in what is to be our alternative to the Christmas Lunch for this year.  See the poster on the website which details the conditions.

As it is essential that we have a measure of how many people wish to come, booking must be done by clicking on the Eventbrite booking link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/212741404267 .  We also need to ask people to pay at the bar before the event and, whilst doing so, to advise how many children under 16 will accompany them.  There will be a visit for the children from Santa!! Which means it is essential that we know how many children there will be!  We need to ask people to book by midnight on 4th December so that you can pay on Sunday 5th December.  Sadly there will be no Christmas Carol singing because of Covid.

Sunday Lunches. – 5th & 19th December 2021

We are trialling another new caterer and have arranged for these two Sunday lunches .

On Sunday 5th December, Alaphia will be cooking a mildly spiced Christmas chicken curry with coconut and coriander, served with a spinach and red lentil dhal, tamarind spiced aubergine, cauliflower and sweet potato, basmati rice.  This will be served with a cucumber and mint raita, mango chutney and poppadoms, followed by vanilla ice cream and a homemade chocolate sauce.  £12.50 pp.

Vegetarian option can be available on request.

Booking will be essential by email to nickyjohnsontamesis@gmail.com

All feedback would be very gratefully received.

Patrol Boat Training

I am very grateful to Simon Thompson who has been running Patrol Boat driving and crewing courses which have been very much appreciated.  This has provided the Club with an enhanced group of those capable of supporting our racing programme.  He will be running the final Patrol Boat training session of this current series on 27th November and, at the moment, some places on this course remain available.

Dutyman and Club Volunteer Duties

It is most important for Members who are allocated Duties by Dutyman to confirm their availability to attend in Dutyman (in the dropdown list under ‘Sailing’ on the website) well in advance of their Duty.  If this is not done we will have uncertainties and someone might have to stand-in for an absentee at short notice, as has happened in the past.  If a Member knows they cannot perform an allocated Duty it is their responsibility to request and establish a swap using the Dutyman swap facility.  Please remember to check the Club’s Dutyman system to see if you are rostered for a Duty.

Paddleboarding

If anyone would like to join the Tamesis Sup WhatsApp group who hasn’t done so already here is the link to do so:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/EVUYTsqSkGe0ioAyvgtXXF

Please do feel free to let other paddlers know when planning a Sup trip from the Club if you fancy some paddling companions. It is always safest to paddle with someone else in winter and it’s a wonderful season to get out and enjoy the quieter waterways.

Paddleboarders, please do not leave the Boatshed door open while you are out on the water.  It leaves the Boatshed insecure and there has been a spate of thefts from riverside locations recently.

Leah Fraser is running Paddleboarding Instruction and Paddleboard Yoga from the Club as a Club activity.

Works

The boatshed lighting has been upgraded and PIR switches installed to reduce the incidence of lights being left on inadvertently.  The result of this is that the new LED lights all come on when you walk into the Boatshed (it’s much brighter than before) and will go out automatically some time after the last person leaves.

The enclosure of the Gents undercroft is complete and the interior fitting-out is due to be started this week.

There will be repairs to the campshedding in front of the Clubhouse where it is rotted and has been damaged.

The roof of the Starters Box above the Clubhouse roof is being repaired.

Boat Park Clutter Reduction

The Club has separated those trailers which have been matched with owners.  There are still several unidentified ones.  Members MUST identify and mark up their trailers – otherwise they will be removed and either sold or scrapped.  There are also some unoccupied launching trolleys which may meet the same fate or be repurposed.  There are still some which are not identified.

Pilates on Monday mornings

On the first Monday of each month, Joanne Zorian-Lynn will be holding a Pilates class in the Clubhouse between 10:30 and 11:30.  This Pilates class is suitable for all ages and abilities as each exercise is offered and demonstrated for all levels.

To book a place contact Joanne on -Tel: 07754 686378

Noticeboard

Information on the following topics has been placed on the Noticeboard.

Resumption of Sailing and Use of Club Facilities, Car Parking, Club Boats, Boat Licences.

Advice on Casual Sailing, for those who wish to go on the river when there is no organised racing, is also on the Tamesis Noticeboard.

Chris Pollard

Commodore

Racing Sunday 14th November

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The turn out was good this morning despite the low cloud and gentle breeze northerly breeze. The course was set in front of the club.

Nine Lasers crossed the line at the usual start time of 1030.  Matty Valentine led in the first round, to be overhauled by Stewart Colley and then Henry Medcalf.  Stewart won convincingly with Matty chasing Henry.

The Laser fleet led by Stewart Colley

The two minutes silence was observed at 11am, and the Ensign was lowered to half mast.  The Lasers stopped where they were and held station for the two minutes.

The two 18′ Nationals started at 1115.  Charles Fox and Robert Blakebrough  in Genevieve led from the start.  Unfortunately Mal Warner and Beatrice Russ in Orion had to retire.

The merlin start was nail biting – all seven right on the line, but no one over.  Big sigh of relief all round.  Joe McLaughlin and Sean Roberts in Lady Anne led from the start, Richard Harris and Emma Macdonald in Passing Cloud only nearly overtaking them at the end.  Andrew Harris and Chris Martin in Point Break came an easy third.

Joe and Sean led all the way

 

Richard and Emma creeping up behind Joe and Sean on the last run upriver

 

My thanks to my helpers – Henry Defries in the box and Florian Krueger and Jennifer Falconer Hall in the Patrol Boat.  Thanks also to David, Yann and Jack in the bar.

Photos by the author.

Please also scroll down to the end of the website and look at Chris Wade’s fantastic pictures on the Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

Tammy Matters

by

Welcome to any new readers of Tammy Matters

Scroll to the end of this e-mail to see the News articles

 

Membership Survey,

Kaan sent out the link to the survey to Members via email and WhatsApp groups just after 10:50 on Friday 12th November. You have just less than 2 weeks to complete the survey, with the closing time being mid-day on Sunday 28th November.

Although the survey is long, none of the questions are mandatory and you can just answer those you wish to. The survey should take less than 30 minutes to complete.

Remember, there are two £50 voucher prizes, one for the best survey response, i.e. with the best ideas and most thoughtful answers etc. and the other prize will be drawn from a hat.

Please complete the survey as fully as you can, as the information gained from it could significantly influence what we, as a Club, concentrate our attention on in the future.

Once the survey has closed the results will be reviewed by a number of Members and Flag Officers. We will then present the findings to Club Members, most probably in a weekday Club Zoom session hosted by Kaan Yargici (who is also keen to show some stats from the website and Tammy Matters).

Last Week,  9th to 15th November

Sunday 14th November. The Remembrance Day racing took place in a light North-North-Easterly breeze.  The N18 start was delayed to allow a 2 minute silence to be observed at 11:00.  Nine Lasers raced with Stewart Colley coming first, pursued by Henry Medcalf, second, and Matty Valentine third.  It is good to see the young ones making their mark.  Two N18s started but Mal Warner had to retire as his crew, Beatrice Russ, became unwell, leaving Charles Fox, crewed by Robert Blakebrough, to finish as winners.  Seven Merlins started and Joe McLaughlin, crewed by Sean Roberts, won relatively narrowly from Richard Harris, crewed by Emma McDonald, with Andrew Harris, crewed by Chris Martin, third.  See the report and pictures from Carolyne Vines and Chris Wade, in News.

My thanks to Carolyne Vines as OOD assisted by Henry Defries in the Box and to Florian Krueger assisted by Jennifer Falconer-Hall for manning the Patrol Boat.  Thanks also to David, Yann and Jack who ran Phil’s Bar.

This Week

Saturday 20th November. There is another River Closure for the Teddington Head and our Car Park and frontage are, again, being managed by Walbrook to accommodate visiting Rowing Clubs’ equipment and to enable them to boat.  Although our boatshed will be accessible, casual sailing will not be possible as our section of the Reach is part of the Closure.

Next Week

Sunday 28th November. There is another River Closure for the Canoe Club’s 10 @ 10 race.  This Closure is effective up to 11:30 and it is hoped that all canoes will have finished by then.  Our race programme will be notified on the WhatsApp Groups nearer the day.

Future Events

Our Winter Series will continue until the end of March.

Patrol Boat Training

I am very grateful to Simon Thompson who has been running Patrol Boat driving and crewing courses which have been very much appreciated.  This has provided the Club with an enhanced group of those capable of supporting our racing programme.  He will be running the final Patrol Boat training session of this current series on 27th November and, at the moment, three places on this course remain available.

Dutyman and Club Volunteer Duties

It is most important for Members who are allocated Duties by Dutyman to confirm their availability to attend in Dutyman (in the dropdown list under ‘Sailing’ on the website) well in advance of their Duty.  If this is not done we will have uncertainties and someone might have to stand-in for an absentee at short notice, as has happened in the past.  If a Member knows they cannot perform an allocated Duty it is their responsibility to request and establish a swap using the Dutyman swap facility.  Please remember to check the Club’s Dutyman system to see if you are rostered for a Duty.

Paddleboarding

It has been noted that some Paddleboarders are leaving the Boatshed door open while they are out on the water.  Please do not do this.  It leaves the Boatshed insecure and there has been a spate of thefts from riverside locations recently.

Leah Fraser is running Paddleboarding Instruction and Paddleboard Yoga from the Club as a Club activity.

Works

The boatshed lighting has been upgraded and PIR switches installed to reduce the incidence of lights being left on inadvertently.  The result of this is that the new LED lights all come on when you walk into the Boatshed (it’s much brighter than before) and will go out automatically some time after the last person leaves.

The enclosure of the Gents undercroft is complete and the interior fitting out is due to be started this week.

There will be repairs to the campshedding in front of the Clubhouse where it is rotted and has been damaged.

The gales 10 days ago have caused damage to the roof of the Starters Box above the Clubhouse roof.  This will be repaired urgently.

Boat Park Clutter Reduction

The Club has separated those trailers which have been matched with owners.  There are still several unidentified ones.  Members MUST identify and mark up their trailers – otherwise they will be removed and either sold or scrapped.  There are also some unoccupied launching trolleys which may meet the same fate or be repurposed.  There are still some which are not identified.

Pilates on Monday mornings

On the first Monday of each month, Joanne Zorian-Lynn will be holding a Pilates class in the Clubhouse between 10:30 and 11:30.  This Pilates class is suitable for all ages and abilities as each exercise is offered and demonstrated for all levels.

To book a place contact Joanne on -Tel: 07754 686378

Noticeboard

Information on the following topics has been placed on the Noticeboard.

Resumption of Sailing and Use of Club Facilities, Car Parking, Club Boats, Boat Licences.

Advice on Casual Sailing, for those who wish to go on the river when there is no organised racing, is also on the Tamesis Noticeboard.

Chris Pollard

Commodore

Silver Tiller – Gold Target – Bronze Taken

by

Here follows part three of the very informal ‘Tammy Travels’ series.

The Merlin Rocket class’s Silver Tiller series has long been one of the pre-eminent dinghy racing competitions in the country.  The trophy itself was presented by J Duncan-Ferguson in 1950.

Comprising about 20 race days in a ‘normal’ year, they are categorised as being either sea, open water, or restricted events.  Tamesis Club is selected to host an event on alternate years – not surprisingly, our event falls in to the ‘restricted’ category.

In order to qualify for the final prizes, crews need to complete races at each type of venue which means that the Silver Tiller is an award that recognises the best all-rounder across all disciplines.

There are also prizes for ‘classic’ (registered before 2000) and ‘vintage’ (registered before 1985) boats as well as the Topmast trophy which is awarded to the club with the best-placed three sailors across the season.

Each event also awards prizes for the winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets; this racing is open to MROA members and is determined by level of previous Silver Tiller experience.

So, plenty for everyone to shoot for, regardless of age of boat.

The 2021 Silver Tiller calendar has been back-weighted due to the threat of COVID cancelling events earlier in the year; a sensible move.

Handily, there are several events within a reasonably short drive of Tamesis Club and so Team Seveneye decided to go and have a look.

The first event saw Tim and Flora Laidlow take part at Wembley SC which was the scene of Tim’s last involvement in the Silver Tiller 35 years ago; there were a few flashbacks to a day when the wind boxed the compass and confusion reigned both on the course and in the front end of the boat.

Wembley Sailing Club Merlin Rocket Open 2021. . 24.10.2021 Photographer Sam Pearce

The second outing was to Chichester Yacht Club where Tim and Matty Key gave the racing a go.

Both venues provided the opportunity to really get Seveneye up and moving with three sail reaching/downwinds being the order of the day.  Wembley was breezy, Chichester was just plain windy!

The dinghy racing hardware on display in the boatpark before each event was both intimidating and impressive but this slightly daunting first impression was softened by the warmth of the welcome from members of a high class fleet and home clubs for a crew who were clearly new to the circuit.

There were also a few former Tammy members on hand to provide a tip here and there, thank you Caroline Croft and Mary Henderson.

The racing followed a similar pattern with Team Seveneye making good starts but then being left trailing in the wake of the hotshots to battle with the other less quick crews.  As the old saying goes ‘two boats is a race’ and so it proved with some tight manoeuvring and competition even at the back of the fleet.

Racing three hour-long races back-to-back is a proper outing, especially if one is used to a relatively short, sedate weekly jaunt on the river; taking a bag of snacks was a life-saver.  The Wembley event saw the patrol boat provide each competitor with chocolate and bottles of water between races, most welcome!

What of the results?  Well, Team Seveneye didn’t come last, beat a few boats, learnt a lot, managed some testing conditions which saw more experienced crews retire, collected the Bronze Fleet win at CYC, and had a lot of fun.  Matty discovered the challenge of doing ‘proper’ hiking and is currently building himself a hiking bench so he can practise while doing his homework.  Flora discovered that chocolate cake is the ideal post-sailing recovery food.

The point of recounting this tale is actually to encourage more Tamesis Club racers to have a go at competing ‘abroad’ – we are spoilt for choice in terms of events within our region for all classes of boat and it would be great to see more members taking up the challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 Trowlock Trophy Thriller

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Early risers gathered at the river’s edge and wondered where the forecast wind was.  Not a sign was to be seen……

……..until the Trowlock Trophy handicap pursuit’s start sequence got under way.  And then there was plenty, coming from all directions!

Four visiting Enterprises lead the way and established an early cadence lapping the windward-leeward course with a frequency that was not anticipated only 30 minutes previously.

Next came a brigade of home and visiting Lasers, some of whom started gamely only to be overwhelmed by the conditions, a few taking early baths, and others hanging it up after some wobbly laps to join the spectators on the shore.

The N18s rigged and then thought better of the idea leaving it to the Merlin Rocket representatives to try and chase down the fast disappearing Enterprises.  Joe and Sean in Lady Anne had bought new sails especially for the event and were soon finding an extra gear and they made up for a tardy start and sliced their way to the head their fleet.

However the Enterprises continued their relentless progress and were not to be denied either by the wise heads in the Merlin Rockets or by the young (and not so young) pretenders in the Lasers.

When the hooter blew and the on-water tally was completed, it showed three visiting Enterprises taking the podium places.  Congratulations to Paul Engelmann and his daughter Katie from QMSC on winning, Chris Rowsell and crew from Lensbury SC for placing second, and Robin Broomfield and Paul Bloomfield from Minima YC for taking third.  Their battle made for super viewing for the land lubber and highlighted the appeal of one design racing.

Other honourable mentions must go to some of the Tamesis Club Juniors, notably Lyra Wade who crewed for Matt P-J in his Merlin Rocket and made it to the finish, also to Matty Key (who took the Tamesis Club Junior Trowlock Trophy) and Matthew Valentine for continuing to showcase the skills of ‘The Young Guns’.

Thanks to Mal Warner and Simon Thompson for running the racing, Johannes Wagner and Beatrice Russ for being busy in the patrol boat, Nicky Johnson for running the bar, Carolyne Vines and Jonathan Key for the photos.

Tammy Matters

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Welcome to any new readers of Tammy Matters

Scroll to the end of this e-mail to see the News articles

 

Membership Survey,  We are finally ready to send out the Club survey which was promised earlier this year. Many thanks for your patience on this matter.

The link to the survey will be sent to members via email and WhatsApp later this week, with reminders sent via the WhatsApp groups. You will have around 2 weeks to complete the survey, with the last day being Sunday 28th November.

Although the survey is long, none of the questions are mandatory so you can just complete the questions you wish to answer. Given this, the survey should take between 2 minutes and 30 minutes to complete.

As an incentive for everyone, there are two £50 voucher prizes, one for the best survey response, e.g. has best idea, most thoughtful answers etc. and the other will be drawn from a hat. However, the main incentive to fill in the survey is, of course, to help us all make the best of the Club and to develop it for the benefit of all members, visitors, and users alike. Any and all responses to the survey will be welcome and most helpful.

Once the survey closes the results will be reviewed by a number of Members and Flag Officers. We will then present the findings back, mos probably in a weekday club Zoom session hosted by Kaan Yargici (who is also keen to show some stats from the website and Tammy Matters).

Again, many thanks for your patience and please look out for the survey email later this week.

Last Week,  26th October to 1st November

Saturday 6th November. Tim Medcalf, with Matty Key as crew, took Seveneye (3520) to Chichester and raced against several of the top helms in the Merlin Silver Tiller races.  He took first place in the Bronze fleet after a fairly wild day out. See his full report in News.

Sunday 7th November. The weather forecast for the Trowlock Trophy pursuit handicap race indicated that there was likely to be heavy gusting winds and so it proved.  The three N18s which had rigged, intending to compete, thought better of it and did not regret their decision.  There was a good turn-out with 17 boats starting, battling the conditions.  There were visiting Enterprises and Lasers from Queen Mary, Lensbury and Minima – the Enterprises proved too difficult to catch although Joe Mclaughlin, crewed by Sean Roberts, did their best with some spectacular spinnaker runs.  See the Report by Tim Medcalf, with a lot of excellent pictures from Carolyne Vines and Jonathan Key, in News.

My thanks to Simon Thompson as OOD assisted by Mal Warner in the Box and to Johannes Wagner assisted by Beatrice Russ who had a busy day in the Patrol Boat.  Thanks also to Nicky Johnson who ran Phil’s Bar.

This Week

Sunday 14th November. Winter Series 4.

Next Week

Saturday 20th November. There is another River Closure for the Teddington Head and our Car Park and frontage are, again, being managed by Walbrook to accommodate visiting Rowing Clubs’ equipment and to enable them to boat.  Although our boatshed will be accessible, casual sailing will not be possible as our section of the Reach is part of the Closure.

Sunday 28th November. There is another River Closure for the Canoe Club’s 10 @ 10 race.  I am currently finding out how much this will delay our race starts and will let you know in next week’s Tammy Matters.

Future Events

Our Winter Series will continue until the end of March.

Patrol Boat Training

Simon Thompson will be running the second Patrol Boat training session on Saturday, 13th November and there is the intention to run more courses.  Information on the final Patrol Boat training session on 27th November will be disseminated via the Tamesis Sailing WhatsApp Group.  At the moment, one place on the 27th November course is taken and three remain open.

Dutyman and Club Volunteer Duties

It is most important for Members who are allocated Duties by Dutyman to confirm their availability to attend in Dutyman (in the dropdown list under ‘Sailing’ on the website) well in advance of their Duty.  If this is not done we will have uncertainties and someone might have to stand-in for an absentee at short notice, as has happened in the past.  If a Member knows they cannot perform an allocated Duty it is their responsibility to request and establish a swap using the Dutyman swap facility.  Please remember to check the Club’s Dutyman system to see if you are rostered for a Duty.

Paddleboarding

It has been noted that some Paddleboarders are leaving the Boatshed door open and leaving the lights on while they are out on the water.  Please do not do this.  It leaves the Boatshed insecure and there has been a spate of thefts from riverside locations recently.

Leah Fraser is running Paddleboarding Instruction and Paddleboard Yoga from the Club as a Club activity.

Works

The enclosure of the Gents undercroft is complete and the interior fitting out will be done soon.

There will be repairs to the campshedding in front of the Clubhouse where it is rotted and has been damaged.

The boatshed lighting is being upgraded and PIR switches installed to reduce the incidence of lights being left on inadvertently.

Boat Park Clutter Reduction

The Club has separated those trailers which have been matched with owners.  There are still several unidentified ones.  Members MUST identify and mark up their trailers – otherwise they will be removed and either sold or scrapped!!!   There are also some unoccupied launching trolleys which may meet the same fate.  There are still some which are not identified.

Pilates on Monday mornings

On the first Monday of each month, Joanne Zorian-Lynn will be holding a Pilates class in the Clubhouse between 10:30 and 11:30.  This Pilates class is suitable for all ages and abilities as each exercise is offered and demonstrated for all levels.

To book a place contact Joanne on -Tel: 07754 686378

Noticeboard

Information on the following topics has been placed on the Noticeboard.

Resumption of Sailing and Use of Club Facilities, Car Parking, Club Boats, Boat Licences.

Advice on Casual Sailing, for those who wish to go on the river when there is no organised racing, is also on the Tamesis Noticeboard.

Chris Pollard

Commodore

Sunday 31st October

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Photo Jonathan Key
Photo Jonathan Key
Photo Jonathan Key

The weather forecast indicated that there would be little chance of racing even though an agreement had been forged with the Outrigger Canoes to allow us across their Half River Closure.  At 10:00 it looked like the forecasters were right, with driving rain and monster gusts.  We almost abandoned at that point but the arrival of intrepid sailors and a distinct improvement in the weather allowed a combined Merlin and Laser start.  Two of the Lasers had exciting starts but the race was completed and the Canoes were happy with the way we avoided them.  Andrew Harris, crewed by Matty Key, brought their Merlin home first with Matty Valentine being first of the Lasers, followed closely by Alexey Anatskiy and not so closely by Nev Upton and Peter Impey.  But well done to all for braving the elements, which actually calmed down considerably during the race.  I should like to thank Joe Woods as OOD, assisted by Ken Duffell in the Box, with thanks also to Mark Gardner for running the Patrol Boat.

Outrigger Canoes. Photo Carolyne Vines

This was the day the RNLI Christmas stand was at the Club and despite the weather there was a good turn-out by Club Members and hopefully they made plenty out of us.  The hoped-for appearance by the Teddington Lifeboat, unsurprisingly, did not materialise.  There was a Fish Pie lunch from Nicky Johnson which was well received and thank you also to David and Yann who, again, ran Phil’s Bar.

Cover photo Jonathan Key