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August 2004

The Newsletter of Spinnaker Club, Ringwood

www.spinnakerclub.co.uk

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Oppy Week

At the end of July Spinnaker held the annual Oppy Week for 68 children under the watchful eyes of 24 instructors and helpers. Despite the general lack of wind, with just the occasional puff, the fair weather allowed all participants to make good advances in their sailing and have great fun. By the end of the week most had earned their IOCA levels 1, 2 or 3 certificates or had moved up to their next level. Following some reshuffling at the end of Day 1 essentially there were 8 groups: 4 Beginners, 3 Intermediates and 1 Racing. The biggest group, the racers were able to benefit from coaching by Andy Hemmings, ex Olympic sailor and current international yachtsman.

Day 3 was Regatta Day when the instructors and helpers all competed in a chaotic race in Oppies begged or borrowed. Somehow the over-heavy helms all managed to get round the course in very light airs, but not without getting (each other) very wet to the delight of the youngsters watching the mayhem. Tim Evans won to rapturous applause from the thronged bank. John Clarke’s NASA inspired Oppy propulsion system was still suffering a few minor design niggles, like not obeying Newton’s Law, so he was obliged to make do with an outboard motor.

For the Oppy Regatta Race there were three separate starts for the different categories of the 68 sailors taking part. Even though there was no wind to speak of all made it round the course, itself featuring a figure of eight crossing point to help with port/starboard awareness.

Frustratingly it blew a useful force 2 on Day 4, traditionally the fun day, not for sailing. Leaders devise water-based games such as the popular “Pirates” involving one team firing tennis ball “broadsides” at the enemy. In the ‘Bin Bag’ race the Oppy lacks its rig and while one person helms the other stands holding up a bin bag on two sticks to propel the boat. These activities are designed to sharpen helms’ boat handling skills.

The Oppy Challenge in the afternoon is a Royal Tournament style competition with teams vying to ship a rigged Oppy from one pontoon to another and rerig it without it or any team members touching the water. Pressured by time and the cheers and jeers of the onlookers Oppy youngsters and leaders alike excel or fail miserably in knot tying and calculating just the right length of rope to haul their craft across. The ultimate excitement comes in the water polo match when everyone enjoys a noisy but refreshing dunking.

At Presentation time each sailor received his or her certificate. This year the John Plumley Memorial Trophy went to Scott Wallis as the participant who had not only shown great improvement personally but also contributed the most to the events by a positive and helpful attitude to sailing.

Prizes for Oppy Week this year included hiking pants, buoyancy aids and drinking bottles kindly provided by sponsors LDC.

The fact that Dr Ian Downey was called away from instructing only three times to attend to some – as it turned out – minor bumps, is a tribute to the standard of instructors’ vigilance and young sailors’ own attentiveness. Looking after body and soul ashore with added smiles and encouragement were Karen and Mandy tirelessly running the ever-popular Tuck Shop.

Alan Copestake

Southern Team are ET Winners

Optimist, Topper, Cadet and The Eric Twiname Championships is a National team event between the different RYA regions for Junior (under 15) sailors in the Mirror classes.

The South Zone of which we are part won the event overall, and won in the Optimist fleet, where Joshua Irons was 2nd place overall.
The event was held at Rutland Water Sailing Club on 8/9 May and over 250 boats took part.
Paul Irons

Message from Chris Atherton to Southern ET competitors:
“Congratulations. You all sailed exceptionally well, and this showed with the team taking the overall team prize.
The overall standard of sailing in all the fleets was very high, and in all the dinghy classes the Southern Zone was winning each fleet at some point over the weekend.
The conditions on Sunday proved to be difficult and as a result I know that some of you where disappointed with your results compared to Saturday. However, you should credit for your results on Saturday because you have shown that you can get yourselves to the top of the leader board.”
Chris is the RYA’s High Performance Manager South & South West Zones.

Very well done Josh: undoubtedly among the Club’s best results this year. Ed.