HOME > SNOWFLAKE 2008 INCLUDING 2007 info.
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HOME > SNOWFLAKE 2008 INCLUDING 2007 info. |
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Barnt Green Sailing Club - Snowflake Page Final results (posted on 4th March) Kelsey Suggitt crewed by Josh Stuart (Lark) win the senior trophy and William Lockett (Optimist) the junior trophy! Well done, another great snowflake series comes to an end. A report and pictures will follow soon, in the meantime, take a look at the Snowflake Results 2008 (New page) The 2008 Snowflake series starts on Sunday 6th January, running on the same basis as last year. Reports and results will be posted as they come in. NEW Snowflake Series Sailing Instructions with tips from Rob Lennox, (New page opens) The Duty Rota can be seen here Snowflake Results 2008 (Opens a new page) The top three results will be posted here (These results stopped after first few races) The remainder of this page is an archive of the 2007 series. Visit the Snowflake Gallery here
Bob Suggitt sent the following after the 25th February penultimate race day :- Just one more day to go in what has been an outstanding snowflake series. The weather has been exceptionally kind as can be seen from the photographs and the sailing has been both enjoyable and competitive. For the second week running over twenty boats were on the water and a first place each for Rob Lennox and Kelsey Suggitt has left the final result to be decided on the last day. Rob is the leader by one point, but he is race officer on Sunday, so Kelsey must win at least one more race to take the series. Bob Suggitt can equal Rob if he wins both races, but will still lose out to Rob on the tie-break. The junior trophy is also well balanced with Rachel Lennox, Hannah Lennox and Emma Best still in contention for first place. (Bob) Now, here's what they are striving to win, the Snowflake Trophies presented last year by Merlyn Wilcox and Stuart+Christine Howe, these beautiful crystal glass and silver "icebergs" were hand crafted by club member Paul Hawkley as Junior and Senior annual prizes.
Snowflake Series Sailing Instructions with tips from Rob Lennox, (New page opens) Snowflake Race Officers Hints,Tips and Stories Chapter One Your scribe (Webmaster) was race officer on Sunday 28th Jan. Here are a few observations to help or hinder those who will follow. To set the scene, before I started to set up I was joined by Gordon Padmore, destined to be race officer in a couple of weeks and expressing some nervousness about running this type of race. He was expecting Merlyn to be there and hoped to pick up some tips, however, we had swapped and he had to put up with me instead. Neither of us had run this handicap type of race before, it is after all, new to us as previously we have run the snowflake as a pursuit race. Russell sends out his instruction sheet and page 24 of the handbook describes briefly how to run the race. So far so good, but, it's different, a massed start, well, that is easier surely. It is, I confirm it, even with 20 boats on the start line the fleet got away cleanly although I did set the inner distance 2 - 3 metres behind the transit. I was lucky with setting a course for the first race, it was already on the board from the week before and seemed perfect. I would observe though, that it is important that the fleet pass through your finish line only once per lap. I had two beats and the windward mark of the second beat was behind my start/finish line. You have to concentrate quite hard to record every boat passing through the line as number of laps sailed by each boat is crucial. By now it was becoming obvious that if I had been alone in the OOD box I would be dreading the finish. Only one Officer is scheduled for duty, the other two officers are safety boat crew, fine if the weather is kind, they can help in the box, flags at the start, only two of them, Z as class flag and Prep. as usual. Lap recording you could cope with alone but as the finish approaches you realise that is it not so easy. Alone it would be difficult to say the least. I was lucky, the wind was kind, my safety crew, Chris Pack and Simon Woods were there and my apprentice, Gordon (determined to learn how to make all the same mistakes as I was) So, the finish approaches, 45 minutes almost up. Whoever is approaching the line prior to 45 minutes will get the gun so sound your shorten course 15 to 20 seconds before the 45 minutes. Then, wait for whichever boat will be the next to cross your finish line. This could be your start line or could be another line from OOD to a mark. The important thing is to set on the board what your finish line will be and that is it, you don't change it under any circumstances. My leading boat was a Laser from somewhere in the middle of the fleet, it crossed the line at about 46 minutes 25 seconds. That's OK, it could be 48 minutes, doesn't matter. Record the elapsed time from the start to the finish time of this boat. (Or, from the warning gun or real time, whichever you prefer so long as you make it clear what you have done for the results officer) I did elapsed time from the start, it worked well. Then every boat has to come through your line and has its elapsed time recorded and the sail number. The elapsed time is the most important thing, the results can only be worked out properly from the handicap formula if the times are right. Better to mess up a sail number or two than the times, you can always question the sailors afterwards to sort out order of finishers but you are the only one to record the times. It's at this time that to be doing alone if your rescue crew were busy on the water would be pretty hard. I was very grateful to have some help. In my second race Gordon had left and the crew had to attend a capsized boat, I still had half the fleet to finish, I was saved by Dick Main having turned up to watch ! Thanks Dick for helping. I would observe that with this type of race an assistant race officer at the finish is important. Try to find someone to help if the weather suggests you may not have the help of your rescue crew. In the 45 minutes my fastest boats sailed 5 laps, the slowest 3 and the finish was spread over about 10 minutes. I hope that next year with so many taking part in the Snowflake series, if this handicap race format is kept, that the race officer gets an assistant as in all the other race series we run. Good luck to all the race officers yet to do it, it's good fun, the lake is almost full, the regulars are all pretty competent and I hope my story has helped you a little. RB. Chapter Two by Gordon Padmore, Race Officer on 11th February.
Having thought all my prayers had been answered on Friday afternoon as the snow fell, it all went pear-shaped when it took me 5 hours to get home that night and the following day the whole lot had melted. Not to be put off, on Sunday morning I went on the Club website and printed off both the weather forecast for the day, and a copy of the webmaster’s experience of running two previous snowflake races. Having witnessed the day’ racing first hand, I read these, knowing the blind panic the OD was having and decided to disregard them. (Cheeky Monkey ! Ed.) On arrival at the Club, the team were met with blue skies, a full glistening reservoir and approximately 10mph of wind from the South West – perfect! The preliminary setting up preparations of launching the rescue boat, signing on sheets, flags and setting the course etc. were completed by 10.45, providing us with the opportunity to have a read of the papers, coffee and listen to the wickets at the cricket fall. A total of 9 boats entered the first race and at the correct appointed time, they all went through the line without a problem and towards the first mark. This must have been a good course for a Laser because to my horror, having asked Rob Lennox to approve the course I had set, it was he that was now streaking ahead of the fleet and opening up a substantial lead. Although the wind increased slighting for a brief section of the race, each lap was averaging 10 minutes which resulted in Rob Lennox, Bob and Mandy Suggitt and Russell Lewis all going through the line for another lap at 43+ minutes. Yes, I did feel a heel sending them round again, however, Rules are Rules and Kelsey certainly didn’t object having gone through the finishing line at 45.16. Unfortunately, to add insult to injury, the wind dropped and the three boats that had been forced into an extra lap, produced a slower lap time and reduced their overall average time for the race. On completion of the sustenance break at midday, the 1st gun for the second race was sounded at 12.30 and with an additional 4 boats entered, swelling the fleet to a total of 13, they all set off successfully through the line on the same course as previous sailed. The wind had strengthened slightly and it wasn’t long before we had our first casualty, a broken mast on Hamish Lindsay’s Laser, forcing him to retire from the race. A few strong gusts of wind hit the water during the race which generated in two capsize drills having to be performed, though from where I was standing, the water looked warm and inviting ! The fleet appeared to be more spread out at the end of this race and to my relief, Hannah Lennox kindly stayed the correct side of the line until after the 45 minute gun was sounded, as I had seconded her mother to be my assistant with the recording of sail numbers and times as the boats finished. I would concur, subject to the angle of the start line and the size of the fleet, it is essential to have an assistant to help with the finishing of the race. On conclusion to closing up the sheds etc. running the bar until those who lived close enough to the Club made a dash home to see the start of the rugby, I finally retreated at 3.00pm on what had been an enjoyable day. GP.
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