Saturday 4 July
Osborne Bay on a beautiful sunny day with a light SSW wind. The 2009 rally contenders were cruising the start line. Ariam, Blue Lady, Sea Dream of Hamble, Spirit of Fairfax and Wylde Oyster were all there. Celestra, Glissando and Ulysses we missed having you with us this year. 
5 minutes to go, 2 minutes to go. A blast of the start horn from FastnetPhil aboard Blue Lady. Sea Dream of Hamble and Wylde Oyster timed their start to perfection, Ariam and Spirit of Fairfax’s watches were obviously incorrect and were far enough over the line to deserve a ‘penalty 360 degree turn’!
Sailing Captain Gill, along with FastnetPhil, aboard the deliberately over-rated and aptly named Blue Lady, were not surprisingly lagging behind – SC Gill was to be seen heading away from the line during the crucial pre-start 2 minutes, pour encourager les autres of course!
FastnetPhil is definitely in RORC races/Fastnet mode. For a start all that fastnet gear adorning Phil looks just great, the hat, the knuckle duster gloves – in particular Gill is madly envious of his chic black racing knee pads! Then out comes the handheld GPS with the extra large digital read-out facia. Target, to catch the fleet by the first mark. Strategy – ah ha! Trust me, says FastnetPhil.This is music to SC Gill’s ears. VMG is the word.
The diminutive hssc fleet closes up together at the first mark (at this year’s Round the Island Race the wind shut down at Bembridge with an overwhelming concertina effect on the 1700 yacht fleet). Spirit of Fairax has a problem – her preventer is preventing her progressing through to the next leg. Wylde Oyster employs a more starboard route, whilst Blue Lady leads Ariam and Sea Dream towards the second mark. Fun and games whilst all participants negotiate a path through two dinghy races to round the mark. Dr. Bryan Sheinman is ahead, off and away around the mark as befits Wylde Oyster’s superior size and water length, creaming it along. No need this year for BSh to round the buoy, sails flapping wildly, whilst pinching Blue Lady’s water on the inside of the tack.Also definitely no need for him to be heard crying Winch, Winch to his crewman, as this year he has been blessed (thru intro of SC) with the superlatively calm skills of Tank Commander Gilad Shub as chief and only crewman.
Ariam appears to be making excellent work shadowing Blue Lady’s every move and using to advantage Phil, Gill and Neil TN’s constant VMG (Velocity Made Good) trimming. Past Bob Kemp buoy off Ryde pier and on to a long westerly leg in fluky winds which sees the demise of Blue Lady as Ariam, skippered by Robert Falk, overtakes (Suzie Gorney is luxuriating in Ariam’s cockpit corner as they pass – see you’re working hard Suzie, calls FastnetPhil!). And then coming from behind, Commodore Sandy and Avi’s Sea Dream see their sea dream come true as they stomp past both Blue Lady and Ariam. Way ahead Bryan Sheinman gets the shock of his life when he turns to see Sea Dream piling down upon him.
On to the homeward straight and at last the Doctor can claim those line honours he has always craved – his beautiful Wylde Oyster has at last completed a course without her skipper having to claim misinformation by those in charge. Sea Dream crosses the line to potential handicap glory followed by Ariam, Blue Lady and Spirit of Fairfax.
Next on the agenda are drinks at Cowes Yacht Haven in Sea Dream’s capacious cockpit, followed by a quick dash to the Royal London Yacht Club for more drinks and an excellent dinner. Entertainment is well provided for by Commodore Sandy’s welcome, Dr. Bryan Sheinman’s Irish (great accent, Bryan) first joke of the evening, SC Gill’s narration of Steve and Louise’s recent epic two and a half days alone aboard Yamma, in a 65 knot storm off the Florida and South Carolina coasts, FastnetPhil’s briefing on his forthcoming Fastnet skipper role, a toast to the four Commodores present, Richard Sotnick’s toast to the SC’s organisation with kind promotion of her daughter’s operatic excellence followed by his denouncement of the SC’s start tactics two years ago, and then yet another Pig joke from Bryan Sheinman. Victor is sure BSh told this joke last year. Anniversary good wishes are given to our new members Mike and Nicole Potter with special congratulations to Nicole for agreeing to spend their 25th anniversary afloat.
And then THE RESULTS.
On Handicap:
lst The winner of the Cadbury HEROES chockys Challenge is:
Sea Dream of Hamble (Sandy and Avi Riegler, Val and Steve Bourne)
2nd and Line Honours:
Wylde Oyster (Brian Sheinman is awarded a l50 sprays Candy Spray pen named MEGA MOUTH, Gilad Shub a chocolate pirate pig lollipop)
Also sailed:
Ariam receives Starbursts (Robert Falk, Victor Newton, Suzie Gorney, Mike and Nicole Potter)
Blue Lady receives Fruit and Nut choc (Gill Woodbridge, Phil Sugarman, Neil Turner Nash)
Spirit of Fairfax receives StarMix (Adair and Janet Butchins, Diana Abramova, Richard Sotnick)
Sunday 5 July
18-22 knots of wind. Smashing sail had by all.
SC’s Verdict
Please, just leave me here. Out.
Gill Woodbridge, Sailing Captain, (SC)