5th & 6th May 2007

The Dart 16 class has grown at Eastbourne over the last couple of years, we now have at least 10 boats on the beach. However, this has not been reflected in the numbers participating in regular Wednesday and Sunday racing. Usually it is just Jacky and Claire and Mark and Helen pitted against one another.

Last year I suggested we Dart 16 sailors may like to get some coaching at the club. I contacted Fluid boats to see if I could find a coach. I subsequently had contact from Marcus Lynch who it turned out, comes from Eastbourne!

Marcus sails a Tornado Sport, the Olympic Catamaran as part of Skandia Team GBR. He is also involved in coaching the Hobie Junior and Youth Catamaran Squads for the RYA. Marcus has been coaching the RYA's National Junior & Youth squads for the last 5 years, as well as private coaching for individuals in a wide range of catamarans.

We got 8 boats (including one of the new Dart 16 X) assembled for the Saturday and nine boats for Sunday. The group included a few Dart sailors from Hastings sailing club (one of whom we had met at the Inlands at Grafham in October ’06). We had all been given the opportunity to mail Marcus in advance of the weekend to tell him what we were especially hoping to improve upon during the two days.

The session started in earnest at 10 am with a theory session on starting, rules around the start, finding the bias and all about the ‘safe bubble’ Then it was out to practice starts and sailing to the windward mark. Wind was light variable north easterly with gusts, just right for this practical. After lunch the wind had dropped a bit and the tide had increased, we practiced laying a good course, all about wind, tide and kite flying whilst rounding windward and leeward marks in a seaman like manner. We had a final theory session reviewing and reflecting on what we had learnt. The session ended having set out a plan for the Sunday (the forecast was for strong and building wind).

Sunday morning delivered a gusty 25-30 mph westerly wind and all bar one took to the water for an upwind downwind practice which included five tacks up and three gybes downwind. New member Rob and novice crew Mandy enjoyed the session and could be seen regularly flying the genneker and rearing up on one hull! Norman, who is very new to sailing capsized soon after the launch with his new crew Lucy. It took a while but Norman got the boat up and sailed for home and hoping not to have put off his new crew! Norman said ..‘As for capsizing this was the most important lesson of the day for me just for the experience‘
Last two boats out were Jacky and Claire and Helen and Graham (who was kindly standing in for Mark who somehow managed to double book himself and then amazingly took the other booking and not the sailing??!!! A note from the stand in (an experienced Dart and Spitfire sailor) “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Darty group thanks to the 'Senior Moment' young (!) Mark had. Watch out Mark, your cake-eating crew is likely to be telling you how to helm from now on. Best fill her gob with more cake if you don't wish her to be barking insults at you”!
I guess you all know who the nutter is amongst you. No, no, it’s not forgetful Mark but Rob in the yellow peril who totally ignores the rules and had his kite going up and down throughout the session today. All I would say is well done Mandy for carrying out his instructions and who still managed a huge grin at the end of it all.
Well done chaps and chapesses, you all proved that you can handle your craft so lets see you out regularly on the race course.’ And from another participant:
“Thanks for organising a great weekend. I really enjoyed it, and got quite a lot out of it. Great club, great coaching and good company”.

The overall view was this was a really worthwhile event and everyone learnt a lot. Hopefully we’ll see more Darts out for club racing.

written by Jacky Thomas, Dart 16 Helm, with editorial by Graham Tomlin, ‘stand in crew’ –experienced Cat sailor.

 

Dates for your diary:

16th & 17th June

Dart 16 National Open Meeting Thames Estuary
 

Saturday 30th June to Sunday 1st July
Eastbourne Multihull Gala

21st & 22nd July

Hastings, Dart 16 and Shearwater Open meeting