Rooster National Tour, Dabchicks

Back on the schedule for 2025 the large home fleet looked forward to welcoming visitors to their magical sailing facilities.  With some visitors arriving in advance on Friday night, our hosts were ready to receive and ready to open the club bar.   

Saturday kicked off with the remainder of the travellers arriving and getting set up for what looked like a punchy forecast, but with wind and tide flowing together there were promises of it being sailable.   Our race team briefed us on the conditions, the course and most importantly, that if you wanted to make it out through the moorings, you’d best follow a local. 

The race team had been busy laying course marks as we weaved our way out to the open water of the race area, avoiding the moored boats, whilst keeping out of the shallows. On the way out the Blackwater claimed its first victim, Sam Caslin dipped his stick in the mud and snapped the tip off in the process, back to shore he went.    

The first race starting just after the scheduled midday, with the race team kindly waiting for the fleet to assemble.  Wind in the high teens, gusting up a bit further.   As the countdown approached, it was busy at the committee boat end, Mike Banks decided to bail around the front of the committee and dip back across the line before the gun, but instead binned it in front of the fleet, giving a few boats the challenge of getting around his rig.   Fast off the blocks were Robbie Bell, Jack Grogan and Matt Conner.  That was the order at the windward mark, with Colin Dacey and then Mike Banks, recovering ground having tacked off inshore.   By the leeward mark Jack had gone missing in action, dropping back a couple of places.   The race was Robbie’s for the taking, with Colin powering through for second and Jack coming back up through on lap two, to recover a third.  

 
The Race team kept their promise of turning things around quickly and had the prep flag flying as the last boat crossed the line.  The breeze had built further to gusting mid 20’s and the sea-state had become a little lumpy.   A clean start for all and a consensus to head left, out for the deeper water, rather than risk the shallows inshore.   It was tight all the way, with all the fleet footing-off to keep speed through the chop.  Jack led around the top, with Robbie Bell and Matt Conner keeping things consistent. The downwind leg claimed some casualties in the following fleet.  By the leeward mark it was goodbye Mr Bell, as Robbie succumbed to broken rudder blade, leaving Grogan and Conner to sail off to a significant lead from the chasing pack.  At the final lap Jack secured the win, followed by Matt and then Colin.   Fleet newcomer Harry Gozzet took fourth, and with just two weeks in the boat is already making his mark.  
As the last boat came through the finish, the race team popped up the AP/P and the fleet headed back to shore as the breeze continued to build. 
Saturday night started early evening, supporting the club bar, as well as other local venues.   Lots of excitement over the day two forecast, which promised four races in 12-16 knots. 
 
Overnight the forecast gremlins swept in, and the fleet awoke to a less promising prediction. 5-8 knots and thunderstorms.   More positive news was that Sam had fixed his mast, and Robbie had been lent a rudder, so the fleet was back to a full 15 sailors. 
Keen to make the most of what we had, the Race Team, set us off on schedule and once again did an excellent job of having the course laid out in preparation.  No waiting around and a start signal dead on 11am.   The fleet spread evenly along the line with one boat crossing too early for a recall, and correctly addressed by going back to re-cross.  Breeze was around 7 knots initially, with an adverse tide.   As the beat progressed the choice between inshore and offshore was starting to split the fleet.  Will Head, Harry Gozzet, Colin Dacey and Robbie Bell went right, tacking on frequent shifts.  

Harry seemed to find a private conveyor belt to take him higher and fast than anyone around him and took a good lead to the windward mark, which Oli Grogan parked up on as he rounded behind.  Harry kept the lead through the second lap.  There were plenty of place changes throughout the fleet behind as shifts, gusts and holes created opportunity for all.  During the second lap the wind had failed across the middle of the course, so the race was abandoned, and Harry’s crowning moment was not to be. 

 
The fleet was gathered from across the course and waited upstream whilst the race team repositioned for the predicted wind to fill in.   With the forecasters getting it right, black skies approached from all directions, thunder rumbled, rain fell hard and the sailors fled back to base in squalls of 20knots, making navigating the low tide channel through the moorings both excellent tacking practice and a highly amusing sight for those ashore as several sailors found the banks.  
 
So that was a wrap, positions remained from day one, with Jack taking the win, Colin in second and Matt taking the short straw honour of third place and report writing duties.   
 
Whilst the results would only show two races sailed, it was a weekend full of adventures, both on and off the water. The race team were excellent, the support crews attentive and the shore team kept us well catered for. 
 
Big thanks to Dabchicks for being such fantastic hosts and to Rooster for their continued support for the National tour, which is now being led by Colin Dacey. 
 
Next up is the Nationals from 11th to 14th September, hosted by Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club. 

Matt Conner