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What a difference a year makes! Last year we had to cancel our Bart’s Bash races due to strong winds. This year, on Sunday 15^th September, 104 boats from the joint Blackwater Clubs raced under clear blue skies and the only thing lacking was…wind! Bart’s Bash is largest sailing race in the world and was started in memory of Olympic Gold medallist Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson MBE, who passionately believed that everyone should have the chance to try sailing and enjoy the many benefits that it brings. Money raised by our Clubs goes to the Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF) whose mission is to “inspire the next generation” by using sailing to improve the lives of young people across the world.

The day before the race, our Cadets enjoyed a Bart’s Bash training day. As they did in 2018, they donated all the training entry fees to the ASF. Blackwater Sailing Club ran the short course from a committee boat east of Northey Island. The gentle F2-3 westerly breeze was battling with a developing sea breeze resulting in large shifts in the wind which varied from force 0-2. This caused challenges to PRO Margaret Norman who was faced with a 50 degree shift in the wind just before the start requiring relaying of the start line. The fleet of 36 boats got away first time with the solo of Nigel Butler starting at the committee boat end. This allowed him to break away from the fleet with the laser radials of Aimee Taylor and Andrew Field in hot pursuit. Conditions were challenging and competitors faced attack by large swarms of flies as they gently drifted around the triangular course under the beating sun and 27 degree temperatures. At times even the jellyfish were moving faster than the boats! Despite the conditions, the leading 5 boats managed 3 laps with only 27 seconds separating the top three finishers on corrected time. 

Short Course Results:

1^st        Nigel Butler     Solo - 5716

2^nd        Aimee Taylor   Laser Radial - 189660

3^rd        Andrew Field   Laser Radial - 44

The Long Course was run by Stone Sailing Club with PRO Wendy Robinson setting a committee boat start south of Osea Island. The fleet of 68 boats made reasonable progress to the west helped by the end of the flood tide. As they passed to the north of Osea, the tide changed which, although initially helpful, made progress painful slow once they passed to the east of the island and tried to stem the tide back to the finish. 48 of the starters finished with the remainder having to retire. The RIBs were kept busy towing members back to the Club. The Commodore, Steve Jarred, said after the race “that was the slowest circumnavigation of Osea I have ever done taking four hours from departing the club to returning.”

Long Course Results:

1^st        Dave Wood                 2000 - 21647

2^nd        Charlotte Videlo           420 - 54997

3^rd        Karl Terkelsen             RS400 - 570

The full results are on the BSC website:  Short Course   Long Course

Or the Bart’s Bash website where the results are slightly different due to the method of calculation used:  Short Course   Long Course 

Photos © Zoe Nelson

Blackwater Sailing Club is happy to recommend RYA Training at Maldon Little Ships Club. During 2019-2020 they are running the following courses:

• Day Skipper Theory - 26 week and 8 week concentrated course
• Yacht Master Theory - 8 week concentrated course
• Short Range Radio Course
• First Aid Course

Please click the following link for more information regarding these courses MLSC RYA Courses 2019-20.pdf

This meeting will be held at the Club on Wednesday 25th September 2019 at 19.30 hrs, and the Agenda can be downloaded  HERE

Partrac Ltd. is scheduled to install marine sensors in the Blackwater Estuary, Essex, at five sites from 16th to 19th September 2019, weather permitting.

Each of the sites will be accessed using two Coastal-Pro MACV light hovercraft operated by Coastal Transit Services (Figure 1). Permission to operate the hovercraft within prescribed environmental conditions was granted by Natural England on 14th December 2018.

Full details are on the Notice to Mariners which you can find HERE 

Please find attached a Notice to Mariners for the deployment of marine sensors in the Blackwater Estuary.  Installation is scheduled to be carried out over 3 days and will take place between 3^rd and 13^th September 2019, weather permitting.

Full details are on the Noticeboard in the foyer or a pdf can be downloaded HERE

For those members who wish that Cadet week lasted forever and for all those potential members who would love to join the Yachts and Yachting RYA East Club of the Year 2019, have a look at the pictures on our  BSC Facebook  page to remind yourself what fun we had during Cadet week and what fun you could have as a member of Blackwater Sailing Club. Friday 2nd August 2019 will surely go down in history as the day we sent a fleet of over 120 boats and 180 people to Maldon. This is the largest invasion fleet since the Vikings invaded Maldon in 991 AD! Once the beachhead had been established at Promenade Park, our Cadets showed no mercy to the locals as they swarmed ashore and stripped the local kiosks of every available ice cream and box of chips. Once the job was done, the fleet withdrew to the safety of the Club to continue the remorseless hunt for food, now in the form of cake which was hungrily consumed down to the last crumb. 
Pictures (c) Nicky Johnson who is now featured photographer on the home page of the website.
Have a look at the Album Cadet Week 2019 on Facebook for even more fantastic photos from our official photographer. 
 Bring on Cadet Week 2020   Registration 1st August 2020, Cadet Week 2nd to 6th August 2020. DON'T MISS IT - Put it in your diary NOW 

Over 140 cadets, their families and numerous Club volunteers enjoyed a great cadet week at Blackwater Sailing Club while raising money for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously during the week which meant that we raised an amazing £1072, which will enable two young people recovering from cancer to go on their first sailing trip with the charity. Thank you to Derrick Louis and his son Rafe who gave such dignified and personal presentations at the beginning and end of Cadet week. This helps remind us all that while you may take your health and that of your loved ones for granted, it is the most important thing in life. It is fabulous to be able to help young people who have suffered so much due to cancer, while enjoying the sport we all love - sailing. 

On Sunday 21^st July 84 boats set out from Blackwater Sailing Club on a warm afternoon to take part in the annual Round the Islands races. 54 entered the main dinghy race around Osea and Northey and 22 the short course around Northey. 8 cruisers joined in and raced around Osea. The entry fee was a donation to the RNLI and much to the delight of local Vice Chairman, Ken Harrison, we raised a fantastic £447.04 for our local lifeboat stations.

The 37 medium handicap boats started first in a gentle force 3-4 westerly breeze with a short port tack down wind leg to Ballast Hole which was very congested with the boats 10 deep. The fleet gybed onto starboard to a broad reach which gradually became a run as they passed south of Osea. Another gybe at the eastern end of Osea then a fetch becoming a beat around the north of Osea. The wind gradually backed to south westerly and freshened as the fleet passed through the gate over the Osea causeway. The shifty gusty wind freshened to force 4-5 at times as boats raced to the south of Northey.

The fast handicap started 20 minutes after the medium but some managed to hunt down and pass most of the medium fleet. It was great to see such a large fleet of boats out on the river and bodes well for our upcoming Cadet and Club week.

Results:

Round the Islands - dinghies:

1^st Mark Maskell and Nigel Sheppard - Fireball – Jubilee Goblet

2^nd Andy McIvor and Tracy Haigh – Laser 2000 - Vincett Wings trophy

3^rd Guy and Alison Welch - Snipe

Round Northey:

1^st Jamie Norman – Laser Radial

2^nd Kane Gooch – Laser Radial

3^rd Julie Nelson and Harrison Gooch – Mirror – Round Northey Spoon

For the full results click RTI Results

Photos © Zoe Nelson and Rob Haigh

The survey vessel PROTEUS will commence surveying operations on 15th July for approx 13 days in 6 areas of the Blackwater.

For full details see the Notice in full  HERE

On Sunday 30^th June, over 100 members came along to our mid summer BBQ and new members day in brilliant sunshine. Many had taken the opportunity for sailing in perfect conditions in the 9:45 race and then took advantage of the weather to sit on the patio for a drink while the food cooked. In a break from tradition, the new members who came along were treated to a taster sail on the river in one of the Club RS Quests, a Dragonfly trimaran or a Beneteau First cruiser. Extreme wind during our Open Day meant we hadn’t been able to offer taster sails then, so our new members appreciated the chance to get out of the water.

Many thanks to Alan Hoy and Sheena Berney for organising the event and to Mike Taylor and his team of master chefs and helpers for arranging and cooking a delicious BBQ followed by strawberries and cream.

Photos © Kate Stewart