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Freds Big Toephy
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History
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The warm winter sunshine bathed the Abbey Meads lake, glistening off the surface of the water. Gradually, the strange beings gathered, clad in woolly jumpers, warm top coats and the obligatory silly hat. Slowly they assembled, their breath condensing in the air like so many steam trains getting ready for the morning run.
The officers of the day duely asembled the paraphernalia requird to run an event, even if it is for the few friends who gathered here. Once again the combatants of the day came from afar, the car sharers from the Midlands, the old man of the South West and an escapee from over the Birmingham wall, eventually even Rob Vice graced us with his presence, always last to arrive first to finish.
The race crew made an excellant decision to set a simple upwind, downwind course given that the wind conditions in themselves were variable enough with shifts of wind, lasting but a brief moment, happening all over the course.
The officers of the day duely asembled the paraphernalia requird to run an event, even if it is for the few friends who gathered here. Once again the combatants of the day came from afar, the car sharers from the Midlands, the old man of the South West and an escapee from over the Birmingham wall, eventually even Rob Vice graced us with his presence, always last to arrive first to finish.
The race crew made an excellant decision to set a simple upwind, downwind course given that the wind conditions in themselves were variable enough with shifts of wind, lasting but a brief moment, happening all over the course.
The "ICE Man" Cometh
The Fat Boys on ICE road show resumed, and it was nip and tuck all the way to race 10 and lunchtime, between "Fat Boy " 65 Peter Shepherd and the "ICE Man" 41 Rob Vice.
Whatever the ICE Man takes in his sandwiches, the current rumour is liquid nitrogen, it surely works as his super powers came to the fore after lunch, which left the rest of us in no doubt as to who the main man was, maybe he just remembered how to do it, only those of us who were there can really know.
The blustery tricky conditions left the rest of the fleet manfully continuing racing behind these two Mike Ewart 36 ICE coping the best although but for a couple of races out due to an orange reciever failure for Roger "the hat" Stollery, 117 Supabug things might have been tougher for Mike.
Whatever the ICE Man takes in his sandwiches, the current rumour is liquid nitrogen, it surely works as his super powers came to the fore after lunch, which left the rest of us in no doubt as to who the main man was, maybe he just remembered how to do it, only those of us who were there can really know.
The blustery tricky conditions left the rest of the fleet manfully continuing racing behind these two Mike Ewart 36 ICE coping the best although but for a couple of races out due to an orange reciever failure for Roger "the hat" Stollery, 117 Supabug things might have been tougher for Mike.
You could have thrown a "C" Rig over the next three skippers, Peter Jackson, 30 F Plan, John Burgoine 350, ICE and David Wilkinson 46, now sailing ICE! Two more skippers graced us with their presence Keith Parrott 31, ICE and Peter Dunne 77, ICE. Shame there wasn't more local presence to make up a bigger fleet for these guys to play in but they enjoyed themselves just the same.
Despite the lengthened course after lunch, or in Rob's case "nitro sarnies", we completed the event in a very timely manner and the skippers with a long way to go appreciated the early start for home.
This event has shaken things up already in the Footy Champions League with John Burgoine winning the Novice Trophy for this event and taking a lead in that competition.
Despite the lengthened course after lunch, or in Rob's case "nitro sarnies", we completed the event in a very timely manner and the skippers with a long way to go appreciated the early start for home.
This event has shaken things up already in the Footy Champions League with John Burgoine winning the Novice Trophy for this event and taking a lead in that competition.
Next event is the Mad March Hare 13th March, Portishead Marine Lake.
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Any truth in the Rumour? or what really happened...... only you can decide
Hi guys,
Once again a swift post onto the website makes for fun reading midweek!
As for Nitro sandwiches I like the idea but I didn't see any on the garage's chilled shelf.
However I can share my thoughts during the day some of which I said to a couple of folks but if it's useful to share wider then feel free..
The disadvantage of being late to the event is that you have less options if things go wrong. Having not sailed my ICE for a long while, I notice that the mast on the rig I wanted to use was split (lack of prior preparation!) so a rushed swap from a spare rig during the briefing meant it was working but not optimal as the donor mast was too long and hence when sheeting in, it pulled the rig forwards not just in. Never mind I'll have to survive the first race and tweak as I go.. Note to all footy swing riggers this is a common thing I see on other's boats so check yours! Does the top of the mast move forwards when you sheet hard in? It shouldn't.
The first race I recall folks were questioning which rig to go into but I stuck with the conservative rig choice rather than push with too much area, my mantra is taken from an old Pirelli advert ; "Power is nothing without control".
While starting averagely I went backwards making way too many tacks and making silly decisions and not pointing due to mast height. So after the race I trimmed 5mm off the base of the mast, but why change the boat for race 2 when it was the skipper errors that placed me where I did.
Race 2 was better for me as I remembered how to sail these tricky little boats, I still needed a lower mast so I made another tweak and I softened the rig a tiny amount with the breeze easing slightly.
Race 3 Still not a great start from the line so that has to go down as skipper error, boat wasn't fast so I made another very subtle softening of the rig. And flattened the main slightly to gain a better balance to the rig.
Race 4 another poor start and terrible first beat but she was sailing faster now.
Race 5 everything clicked and won comfortably.
Race 6 tangle on the start line saw me last away and still at the back at the first mark because I went the wrong side of the beat. Wind was getting up again and gusts merging to give longer spells of high winds so the rig was too soft. Recovered to 5th mainly on run and last beat.
Race 7 tightened rig again and tightened main foot a smidge seems to handle being over powered down wind better this way.
Race 8 happy
Race 9 could not catch Peter who got a great start. Peter was in smaller rig so I considered and trimmed the smaller rig ready but didn't swap.
Race 10 maybe I should have gone down as another poor start and I seemed to be on the wrong side of every shift.
Lunch! Time to reflect, reviewing my morning I decided to tack less and bear away on anything but the major shifts in the afternoon. Focus on clearer air off the start line.
This was the secret of my 'nitro-sandwich' afternoon! Starting mid line and knowing I was fast I could sail the first tack until I was clear and tack when able to. Then the boat speed works and everything becomes easy.
I figured by the last race that I had it in the bag so leant my hull to John Burgoine who was suffering radio issues so put his ICE rig into my hull and off he went. His rigs looked better than mine! Hence my retirement from race 16.
So there you have it, my thought processes through the day. It's great to have been out there again sailing these little delights. They really remind you of how diverse our radio sailing sport is.
"ICE Man" Rob Vice
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