Erith Yacht Club

The finest sailing water on the tidal Thames

Bill Smart Trophy

A splendid entry of 19 boats entered 2009 Bill Smart Trophy the coures as usual was down to the Ovens buoy and back. There was a fairly light westerly breeze making a down wind leg to the buoy. Rounding the buoy the wind increased meaning quite a hard beat back up with some yachts overpressed with the sails they had up. Greenwich Yacht Club were also racing to the Ovens Buoy so there were numerous yachts beating up Gravesend reach with lots of calls of "Starboard" Grand Panjandrum from a late start sailed through the fleet to take line honours but Bolero (Rustler 31 - Sara Taylor) sailed splendidly to take the trophy on handicap

Coronation Cup and the Graham Taylor Trophy

The Coronation Cup, or the Hamble Star Class Championship had been scheduled for Saturday the 3rd of October but due to high winds
it had to be postponed to the following Sunday. On Sunday however the Graham Taylor Trophy was already scheduled. A fairly early HW meant there was not tome to run two races so the Trophies were combined into one race. Hamble Stars were racing for the Coronation Cup. The Graham Taylor Trophy is for dinghies sailed single handed so other classes, sailed single handed were racing for the Graham Taylor Trophy. Those Hamble Star's that were being sailed single handed were eligible for both trophies.

The wind was light and fluky from a westerly quarter. The Thames Barrier had been closed for testing so the normally strong flood tide was confused about where it was to go and was flowing much slower than usual. Rather surprisingly the downriver eddy on the Kent shore was still fairly strong. For once the Club line gave an upwind start though the line length was limited to a fairly be fairly short between two buoys. Mirror (Jeremy Michell) got the best start with Star 115 Richard Banner almost alongside closely followed by the Bosun (Paul Reynolds) and the Dart (John Haile) Star's 111 (Bob Saunders), 100 (Nigel Field) and 106 (Eve Peyto) came through next.

The Finn pulled out a lead beating up to the first mark the buoy off Erith Town Causeway the Dart was not far behind with the Bosun keeping up well. Star 106 dropped well back her rudder having come adrift. Across the river to a buoy on the Essex shore the Mirror, flying her spinnaker did well to catch the leading Star. Round a mark below the Club moorings followed by a beat up the outside of the moorings to the barge mooring above them, a run back down then a beat up the inside against the eddy to the finish. The Finn finished first a couple of minutes ahead of the Dart but the Bosun was close enough behind to take the Graham Taylor Trophy on handicap. Star 115 had just managed to get back ahead of the Mirror so finished as first Star to take the Coronation Cup. Star 111 was not far behind followed by Star 106 which had done well to come back from her initial rudder problems after the start. Star 84 (Jim Dolan) came in next followed by Star 98 (Adrian Reeves) 98 had done well as she was leaking due to not being in the water for some while and completed the course thanks to the help of two car batteries and an electric pump. Star 112 sadly had to retire a loose shackle meant the mast had gone over the side.

Windmill Cup -Sunday 27th September

The Windmill cup had not been sailed over the August Bank Holiday weekend so was rescheduled to September 27th. The course was from the EYC line down to the Stoneness buoy off Greenhithe then back to EYC. An morning SGM aboard Folgefonn meant a rush to make the start line but 8 yachts were there more or less on time. A very light breeze from the NE meant a run down long reach. Act (Intro) and Cassie (Feeling) set their spinnakers and pulled ahead of the other boats which all bunched very close together chopping and changing places all the way down long reach. Act rounded the mark first and set back up ther reach hard on the wind. Cassie was next round the mark but was unable to catch Act which finihed well clear taking both line honours and the race on handicap. Misty (Halycon 23) had reached the turning mark well ahead of some of the faster boats and sailed well back up long reach taking second place on handicap with Snuggles (Pegasus 700) in third place.

Final Race in the Foot Mitchell Series

The final race in the Fooot Mitchell Series took place on Sunday 6th September with two yachts still in with a chance for the Cup, Snuggles and Bolero.The course was a beat, with the tide, up to the ship Swallow anchored off Erith town, a run back down to the lower barge mooring above the YC moorings. Then up Erith Reach to the Jenningtree buoy and back to the club. Quintet made the best start closely followed by Marlin. Marlin was first round the Swallow, a number of the other yachts in the middle of the fleet overstood the Swallow allowing the slowest boat in the race Crystal Wave to close up. Marlin was first round the next mark but now with Fairtrade and Bolero closing from astern. On the quartering run up Erith reach the 3 leading boats pulled out a gap on the pack of Snuggles, Act and Quintet with Crystal Wave hanging on behind. Marlin held her lead to the Jenningtree but Fairtrade powered past on the way back down Erith reach. Bolero and Marlin raced side by side and coming into the Rands managed to pull alongside Fairtrade to have three boats racing for the finish line abreast. This didn't last long with Fairtrade soon pulling away to take line honours leaving Marlin and Bolero locked in mortal combat side by side. Despite Marlin's best efforts Bolero used her extra length to good effect to slip past just before the line. Not far behind Quintet Act and Snuggles all crossed the line close together but only a few minutes behind them was Crystal Wave so she took the race on handicap. For the series however, Bolero's second place meant she had just pipped Snuggles for the Trophy

Conclusion of the Diamond Evening Series Thursday Sept 3rd 2009

The final Diamond Evening race was set for a nail biting conclusion to the series. When discards were considered 2 boats had a chance of taking the trophy Snuggles (Robert Hall) or Cassie (Malcolm Tuck). The course was up round the ship Swallow off of Erith Town pier, round the Jenningtree buoy and back to the Club line. There was a strong west wind which meant a hard beat over the tide to the first mark so most yachts needed reefed mains and small or heavily rolled headsails. Fairtrade and Snuggles got the best start with Fairtrade showing her ocean crossing pedigree and powering away upwind. Cassie struggling with a heavily rolled headsail closed on her rival Snuggles and the two crossed tacks a few times on the first leg. Fairtrade rounded the mark first well in the lead. Snuggles was next just ahead of Cassie, Snuggles creeping round the bow of the Swallow with her mast inches clear as she struggled to keep her advantage. Slightly off the wind, which was now easing Cassie was able to roll out more headsail and shake out her reef and start to pull away. Not to be outdone Snuggles performed a very smart change to a larger headsail. On the way back Act took the very brave choice to fly her spinnaker to pass Snuggles before the line. Fairtrade took line honours and the race on handicap. Crystal Wave had kept up with the faster boats very well and came in second on handicap. Cassie came in third on handicap just ahead of Snuggles which when the points were totted up was enough to give her the Diamond Trophy for the series with Snuggles a very close second.

August Bank Holiday Racing

August Bank Holiday weekend saw the annual Tongue race. This is a muchc longer race then usual, the course being from EYC, down and round the ruins of the Tongue Sand Tower about 6miles North of Margate then back to finish at Queenborough in the Medway. The race is usually too long to carry the tide all the way and will finish in the hours of darkness meaning racing against the tide and navigating back at night. Four EYC boats entered and this year the race was thrown open to other London River Clubs and Sarah a Trapper from Thurrock Y C joined us. There had been gales on the Friday so the race looked in doubt but in fact there was a moderate breeze fron the West for the 8:00am start on Saturday morning. This gave a spinnaker run pretty well all the way down river. Grand Panjandrum took an early lead with C-Harp, Sarah and Cassie all close together a little way behind Marlin bringing up the rear. GP (I'm not typing it all again!) was first round the mark for a beat back up the estuary reaching Queenborough around 8pm just at the top of the tide. The following boats had to beat over the ebb up in to the Medway, Cassie and Sarah called it a day, C-Harp finished soon after 11pm and Marlin strugged in just before 1 on Sunday morning. GP took a well deserverd victory on handicap.

Sunday was a much needed rest day with socialising ashore in Queenborough or onboard boats. On Monday 3 boats (GP, Marlin and Cassie) turned out early (06:00am) to race the Commodores Cup back to Erith. It was a fresh SW wind so hard on the wind all the way up the river. GP took line honors but Marlin took revenge for her pasting of the day before by taking the race on handicap

Ladies weekend at EYC

Saturday the 22nd August saw the rescheduled Saunders Trophy for Lady Helms in dinghies. We had five entries which meant the Club Bosun's were able to be used, one design racing, the purest form. There was a light, but flukey Southerly breeze, a triangular course was set with buoys above and below the moorings and a buoy on the Essex shore. This gave a reaching start accross the Club line down to the bottom mark a gybe round to port there followed by a broad reach accross the river, picking the correct transits on the shore to avoid being carried up past the mark by the tide was crucial here. A beat back across the river with the difficult choice of short tacks in the middle of the river, to let the tide carry the boat up the river but risk bein carried past the buoy or a long tack across to the Kent shore and risk having to make the last few tacks to the buoy against the eddy. Round to starboard then down inshore to the bottom mark, three times round.
Racing was close with gaps between boats opening up then closing down again and positions changing through out the race.

Saunders Trophy Final Result was

1st Eve Peyto crewed by Richard Banner
2nd Rachel Sheridan crewed by Jeremy Michell
3rd Sam crewed by Peter Reeves
4th Sara Taylor crewed by Adrian Reeves
RET Rhianna crewed by

Sunday 23rd August was the Persil Trophy for Ladies Helms in cruisers. There were 9 entries. Course was upriver to the buoy in Barking Reach off Thamesmead and back. The southerly wind from Saturday had strengthened to about a F5 and most yacht' needed a reef. We got an exciting reach up the river with Schulp pulling out a slight lead and rounding the buoy first. Creeping inshore against the tide paid on the reach back along Halfway Reach. Into Erith Reach and it was hard on the wind against the tide, good windward work paid here and the leading group of boats pulled away from the rest of the fleet. Schulp (Sheila Hamilton) took line honours nearly six minutes ahead followed by a group of yachts all very close together, Fairtrade (Kat), C-Harp (Linda Downing), Bolero (Sara Taylor) and Marlin (Eve Peyto). On handicap Bolero had done enough to take the trophy by a couple of minutes. Thistle (Tina Fury), Farfallina, Quintet (Jackie Daghini) and Marlin (Eve Peyto) chase the leaders in 2009 Persil Trophy >>>

Persil Trophy Full Results

Diamond Race 6 attracted an entry of 10 boats. Race Office Bas Elmes set an unusual course. From EYC line up to the two ships anchred off Erith Town round to port, back down to the first barge above the EYC moorings round to port, across the river to the ships anchored off the Essex shore, round to port and back to the ships of Erith leave to port. Competitors were heard to mutter "everything you can find in the river, go round it to port.." In fact the course gave a good race. We were racing on the last of the flood so it paid to short tack up the Essex shore to keep in the last of the flood. Marlin and Grand Panjandrum crossed tacks Marlin not giving GP enough room so GP was smugly (and correctly) able to demand a 720 degree penalty from Marlin. Gran Panjandrum and Cassie were first round the mark followed by Rochelle Snuggles Act and Eastern Promise all racing line abreast. It was slow progress up the Essex shore against the first of the ebb but all yachts completed the course, Grand Panjandrum taking line honors and Snuggles the race on handicap. On the overall results, when discards are taken in to account only6 points seperates the top four boats so everything to sail for in the remaining races.

Diamond Race Number 5 Was an upriver start to the barges off Erith, across to the barges of the Essex shore of Erith Reach, round the Jenningtree and back to the Club. There was an advantage to starting on the far side of the river to get the best tide and Schulp took advantage of that being first round the first mark. The wind was falling light so the course was shortened to omit the Jenningtree buoy. The last of the flood was dying away so many yachts set spinnakers to try and coax enough speed to make the next mark. Schulp and Cassie were first round and headed back to the Club where Schulp took line honours. Act carried her spinnaker well up the centre of the river to round next closely followed by Cassie. Bolero and Marlin got involved in a private battle with Bolero keeping all the wind for herself and refusing to share any with Marlin, both however drifted in towards the Essex shore where the tide was less favorable and dropped back because of it. Mystic, Farfallina and Hot Pursuit (from a late start) all did well to round the mark before the tide turned and complete the course.

The fourth race in the Diamond series brought 9 yachts to the start line in a moderate easterly breeze. It was a downwind start to to the Jenningtree buoy left to starboard as the first mark. A large ship steamed through the Rands just before the five minute signal forcing half the fleet over to the Essex shore where they were too far away to see the flags and hear the sound signals. Snuggles had no such problems and was first across the line and away up the Rands with the rest of the fleet following. The choice on turning into Erith reach was to cut the corner sail the shorter course but go through the lee of the Cleanaway building or stand out into the centre of the river for clearer wind but sail further. In the end the middle course seemed to pay the most. Cassie and Rochelle had moved past Snuggles and were first round the Jenningtree wich Act coming through the fleet with some smart spinnaker work. Crowding at the buoy allowed Snuggles to slip in close and overtake Marlin and Farfallina. Next mark was the barge mooring on the Essex shore. Short tacking close inshore out of the tide paid and those crews who could tack smartly gained an advantage. The wind was quite flukey with a number of yachts in close proximity and there were a number of starboard calls. Cassie meanwhile had got clear wind and was able to pull away to take line honours. There were some hard fought battles amongst the middle of the fleet as they beat towards the line. Comiserations to the slower boats Bewtched and Kanska who made a valint effort but were unable to complete the course as the wind died away as the sun went down.

The Bryan Waite Cup, raced for on Monday was another challenging race with hardly any wind. The course was set to make use of local eddies and keep the fleet moving with the tide throughout the race. An almost flat calm meant the boats had to use the tide wind to work slowly across the river looking for the best current. Initially the Albacore and Solo looked to have made the best choice working out into the main flood and being carried upstream past the buoy while the other boats, closer inshore and nearer the buoy were unable to make any progress towards it against the downstream eddy. However a light breeze eventually came in which allowed the Snipe (Peter Reeves) to slip round the buoy and take the trophy closely followed by the GP14 (Rachel and Steve)

The weekend was also enhanced by a evenings in the the Clubship bar, on Saturday with an impromptu showing of some of the Clubs archive film and on Sunday with visitors from Queenborough, Hoo and Upnor Yacht Clubs.

Piper Cup Results

Bryan Waite Cup Results