The first picture is of some of the helpers at the Woolverstone Project who make it possible for disabled folks to go sailing. The second picture is of me and my crew, Judy. The next two pictures are of the boat on my van waiting to leave for Ringwood in Hampshire. We are guaranteed help and assistance on the Access Dinghy Traveller Circuit as all competitors are disabled and have to be helped to load and unload their boats. The first Access Dinghy Traveller race we entered was at Alton Water the Woolverstone Project's home inland water as they also use Woolverstone sailing on the River Orwell. We came 2nd then which was a fluke and at Rutland Water we came 4th and in the pursuit race we came 1st in our class. Here are the results,
http://rutlandsc.co.uk/results/2009/20090816_Multi-Class%20Regatta%20Fleet%20Races.htm
And the Pursuit race,
http://rutlandsc.co.uk/results/2009/20090816_Multi-Class%20Regatta-Pursuit%20Race.htm
We are the 4th 303 wide in the Pursuit Race but we were the first Crewed 303 Wide
We leave Ipswich on Tuesday night, race on Wednesday and should be home on Thursday. We have to take our time as we are not strong enough to do it all in one shot like we would have done once. Our van has a full width bed and a diesel heater which runs off the leisure battery when the engine isn't running. That was very helpful at Rutland as we had frequent changes of clothing and the heater dried us off and kept us warm. Soon we hope to have a motorhome which will have more room in it. We left Ipswich at 8pm Tuesday for what should have been a four hour ride, some hope. It was raining and windy when we left town and it stayed wet and windy all the night. Unbelievably we seemed to be in coned off lanes or subject to temporary speed limits for at least 30% of our journey. At one point the diversion away from the motorway seemed to last for ever and what should have been a 380 mile return journey turned out to be 420 miles. Eventually we pulled over 6 hours later and slept on the side of the road in a layby. We slept soundly until 7am when the alarm woke us to a wet and windy morning. We had tea and Judy had breakfast then we hit the road again and arrived at the Spinaker Club an hour later. We rigged the boat in the rain and then attended the race briefing where we were surprisingly told we could alter the Outhaul setting during the race but not the reefing. (I was struck by the fact all the other competitors were still dry as they had helpers to rig their boats.) We never reef and subsequently we get knocked over occasionally but after Rutland I felt we could handle anything. The first race was a disaster as we could not see the shorebased flags but that was the same for everyone else. I noticed the field ahead of me missed a yellow buoy and so I done a 360 and went around it and then checked with the safety boat that they had seen me. I was then informed it was not a mark and I didn't need to round it yet alone do a 360. That was when the mutiny erupted and the rest of the morning races were spent warding off flailing elbows etc. The afternoon started better as the wind was even stronger and as we sail on tidal waters we thought a little rough weather may help us. The mutiny had subsided somewhat but again we made a bad start and I was thankful Sam Honour MIOS FIOS, Racing Secretary, East Anglian Sailing Trust as well as our instructor at the Woolverstone Trust was not present to witness the very ragged start we made. Johnty Dickerson of the Woolverstone Project was thankfully out of the country so he never saw the awful start either but we were in luck as I took a different tack to the rest of the field and soon we were in a position to challenge when another boat hit us hard and knocked us off the wind. The particular Access Liberty hit us twice that day. We got home well up the fleet and then went straight into race 4 and the wind was really blowing and it was exceptionally gusty too. We hit the start line well ahead of the fleet and as we rounded the first mark I could see we were way ahead. The crew was in a much better mood as we swept around the first lap well clear of the second boat. We were hit by a very heavy gust and I let the mainsheet out quickly but the crew was asleep and the jib line was stuck in the jammer and over we went with many gallons of water coming over the side and into my lap. The mutiny re-started but I recognised it as a sham attempt to divert attention away from the boats still sitting on top of the water sailing gracefully past us while we wallowed, bailing as hard as the mutinous crew would manage. We limped over the finishing line and were drained out of our boat by helpers on the pontoon. It was still raining as the mutinous crew took cover while yours truly arranged to have the boat taken out of the water. I was wet and cold, the crew was wet and cold and violent so I went to have a cup of tea and loaded the boat later when I managed to find a couple of chaps to help with the keel. We had a meal and the crew appeared more reasonable so we bashed straight through to Ipswich afterwards. I have now obtained an old Hymer Motorhome so the crew can sulk in a seperate room in future. The next Access TT is on 23rd September in Surrey and that will be the last one this year. I have since learned we came 4th at Ringwood. Today,Sunday Sam Honour and both of his parents have given their time to instruct some of us who want to race Squibs on the River Orwell. The crew behaved today and we came in first. We pulled away from a the second place team on a run by taking notice of what we had been taught. They was sitting on the same side while my crew was on the opposite side to me thereby balancing our boat and making us faster.
pete
