Round the Cans "Fun" Race
Published 16:10 on 24 Sep 2025
The run up to this last race weekend of the 2025 Season was marked by concerns over wind, weather & tidal conditions! Also, the fact that James Connell was not on hand to provide his habitual excellent organisation. After about five years of not doing it, I was desperately trying to remember what was needed.
Once upon a time, we could only refer to the Met Office for advance weather forecasts. Now, there are just so many computer models, telling all sorts of stories but three days before the weekend only two were making any predictions at all: one of 4 kt winds; & the other (the Met Office) of 24 kt winds. Which to choose?
But it did seem pretty certain that there was going to be a storm overnight, & light winds on Sunday. That, combined with a very early start to catch the tide back to Chi, prompted the decision to cancel the Pursuit Race on Sunday. However, to rescue something of the weekend, I modified the planned Round-the-Cans course to end up back in Chi at the end of the day. Of necessity it had to be a rather short course (12.5 NMs) to allow the fleet to get back to their home berths/marinas before running out of water.
Conditions looked pretty good as eight CYC boats (Blaze Away, Crayzee Feeling, Flyer, Hermit 2, Kerry Dancer, Sea Bear, Tern IV, & Windreaver) gathered around Chi Buoy at 11 am for the start. Unfortunately, Bosham SC/CCRC had got there first, but delayed their start until 10.50 am. So, we gave them an extra 5 minutes to get clear.
It was a good clean start, with many of us reaching the first mark almost together, which made for some interesting jockeying for position around the mark. Only Tern IV had got clear by that stage.
A long leg to the next mark followed, & the fleet quickly dispersed as boats adopted different strategies for dealing with heading almost due S, across the outgoing tide. The risk of being swept past the mark was real. And then the wind petered out for a critical amount of time. Some skippers were exceptionally skilful at judging the tidal effect, & others (me, plus ***) were just unlucky.
Even before Tern IV had made the 2nd mark, I could see we were running out of time, so shortened the course again (to just under 10 NMs).
The only interest then, was to see if everyone could actually find the last mark of the course before the finish back at Chi Buoy. I was relieved when Crayzee Feeling announced on the radio that it actually existed (if almost impossible to spot); a buoy the size of a Sputnik, with an aerial sticking out of the top was the description.
We all safely battled back into the Harbour against the outgoing tide; & most made it to their home berths & on to the drinks & prize-giving in the bar at CYC. Windreaver made to the end of the Premier waiting pontoon, minutes before the wind suddenly almost tripled in strength! A sign of the night to come…
It was a very unusual occurrence to have a post-race gathering at CYC, but about 25 fun-racing sailors crammed ourselves into the Conservatory; & the kitchen valiantly found enough food for all of us, at pretty short notice (& no advance ordering). A very convivial gathering!
Final results (courtesy of James Connell in NYC) attached; & photos on Yogile.
John Lake Windreaver (Committee Boat & OOD)
