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Home > News > BSC Mirror Fleet Newsletter - November 2020
Home > News > BSC Mirror Fleet Newsletter - November 2020

BSC Mirror Fleet Newsletter - November 2020

Published 21:00 on 24 Nov 2020

What a resourceful and energetic club we have. Since writing in June, when it was unclear what would be possible, the web-cam has been ever more alive with activity, both sailing and racing.

On at least ten occasions our younger sailors were to be seen zipping around triangular practice courses in everything from Oppies upward, and I could see their ability and confidence growing even from the web-cam! Profound thanks and respect to everyone who organised, regulated and supported sailing through this unprecedented time.

And our Mirror fleet is still growing. The Club Mirror has been sailed and raced since July, partly by Finn and Emma Appleton and we welcome them with their new "Winder" boat which they managed to collect just before the present lockdown. Mirrors were well in evidence at Craig's Supported Sailing sessions, including one or two I couldn't recognise. And if the fleet racing was somewhat select, it was by multiple account very competitive.

As a fleet, and from almost a standing start eighteen months ago, we are now poised with around 20 boats including 9 "Winders" and three or four of our crews are booked in for the Nationals in Restronguet next June.

2021 Programme

Next June.... speak it softly! and I know the Club has plans for all eventualities however dire. But there is a chink of light now and if things continue to resolve, and assuming workable regulations, we have an excellent Club Programme in store.

Our Vice Commodore Sailing, Alec Mumford, has included our usual format of Mirror Sundays and was kind enough to ask for comments. We shifted one date to avoid the Mirror Nationals, added a practice race and "re-branded" a Committee Boat practice race. The six other races including the Final Fling will count for points, and here are the dates:-

25 Apr - Mirror Practice Race

9 May - Sailing/Coaching AM and Racing PM

13 Jun - Sailing/Coaching AM and Racing PM

4 Jul - Sailing/Coaching AM and Racing PM

1 Aug - Mirror Committee Boat Practice Race(s)

8-13 Aug - Pyefleet Week

29 Aug - Sailing/Coaching AM and Racing PM

19 Sep - Sailing/Coaching AM and Racing PM

10 Oct - Final Fling Race followed by Tea & Prizes at 4.30pm

Sailing & Training Sessions

We are very fortunate to have sponsorship for coaching on the five dates as you see them above, they are free and there is no need to book. As was arranged for 2020, Dan Willett of Geedon Construction Services Ltd has very kindly agreed to sponsor two coaches for each one hour session. Through Craig we hope to recruit these from the ranks of our own Club where we have some fine well qualified sailors. And they need not miss their own racing because the day programme always allows a full hour between the end of coaching and Club racing. Mirror fleet starts, similar to 2019, are also programmed at a standard time, some one and a half hours after coaching ends.

All this has back-up. I will continue maintaining the Club Mirror, which as well as Cadet Nights, will be available for both the Sunday coaching sessions, and the racing. Also on those Sundays there will be one space for a cadet in my own Mirror which I will then crew or helm as appropriate. And I can often make another boat available for families or cadets.

So do come along and join in whether you have a boat or not - lots of fun and everyone is welcome.

Windward-Leeward Race Course Options

Steve Cross has formulated, for trial and Sailing Committee approval, a series of sixteen short windward-leeward courses of about 1/2 hour per lap. They involved two beats and runs each lap, plus an appropriate reaching/spinnaker content of linking and creek legs. Steve's data and presentation is very thorough - these courses offer an important missing element for junior and Club racing in general and we look forward to giving them a try.

Perspective

This summer, despite reduced numbers of available sailors, the "rationed" sailing and racing which the Club somehow managed to put on attracted very good turnouts.

Perhaps not too much of a stretch then, to guess that when everyone properly emerges from Covid, that enthusiasm could be rather strong.

So be ready! There is lots to look forward to. Confirmation of our Programme and any more news will follow in March. In the meantime, keep safe and have a Happy Christmas.

Malcolm Goodwin
BSC/Mirror Newsletter Editor/Coordinator

All by email and on BSC website this time. Please tell your friends and if they would like to be added to the distribution list for future editions please ask them to contact Fiona Brown on president@sailbrightlingsea.com who will add them to the list.

Last updated 12:28 on 4 March 2024

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