The penultimate round of the Wee Nip Challenge took place at Hollowell SC on Saturday 17th September. Peter Shepherd set a course towards the north away from the dam, which consisted of a an upwind beat to a spreader then to a downwind buoy, and then a triangle slightly off wind back to the downwind buoy and then to the finish upwind. There was always a choice as to weather to go inside towards the shore or to go out at the start, mostly the inshore route was the best to start. We had visitors from Emberton Park and from Two Islands with a total of nine skippers taking part. Peter Shepherd had not sailed 101 for some time but was in a tight battle with Keith Bell for the lead, followed closely by Geoff Raygada. The rest of the fleet were close but not quite good enough for Keith Bell to come out the winner. Peter Jackson had a wayward boat in race 15, which he had to retrieve by Honwave . The last round of the Challenge will be at Emberton Park on Saturday 15th October.

Round Eight of the Wee Nip Challenge took place at Hollowell Sailing Club on Saturday 20th August 2016, and was hosted by Abington Park Model Yacht Club. Peter Shepherd volunteered to be the race officer and set a two sausage coarse via an downwind gate and then a triangle before crossing the finish line. The wind was westerly  and gusting strongly but with some severe lows at times, so it paid to be in the right place at the right time. Tom Steel was unfortunate to lose his rudder mid way through the event but stayed for the results. Most skippers fond the conditions somewhat tricky, but others just got on with it and made the best of it they could.

We assembled at Hollowell Sailing Club this Saturday 16th July, and we were met with a rather fickle wind direction which came from the rear of the clubhouse. So after a little time we embarked on the rowing boat to set a course, which consisted of a reaching start close to the pontoon going towards the dam and then to a gate set out roughly in the middle of the start and first buoy but towards the open water, so we had a triangle then sausage towards the gate and the finish with another buoy set parallel to the finish for final rounding. Some of the buoys decided they were going to move on their own so we had to do a bit of retrieving and repositioning. There was also a bit of boat retrieval with some skippers running out of range, but we did that with the aid of the inflatable Honwave.  The weather did start to improve during racing and we eventually
reduced our clothing as things started to warm up at last? The eventual winner was John Simmons and Peter Shepherd presented him with a small prize.

There was a very select group of six of the brethren assembled themselves on a hot overcast day with little wind to start with, but a reasonable course was set by the Race Officer Richard Dolman, aided by Peter Shepherd, and we continued with it until lunch at eight races. After lunch the wind shifted and Richard and Peter set a new course, which we kept for a few races, and then it was deemed we needed to round the final buoy before the finish to starboard. The wind strength increased a little after lunch and the clouds began to gather, but we completed our sixteen races before anyone got wet.

The eventual winner was Paul Risdale with sail 53, followed closely by both Peters with PJ coming second on count-back. Our thanks to Richard Dolman for giving up his sailing to be Race Officer.

The fifth round of the Wee Nip Medal Challenge took place at Abington Park on 21st May 2016. The lake was full, which was a bonus as the silt build up over the years is reducing the already shallow lake even more. The day was grey with shifty winds all day. Reading the shifts early was the key to success. 

We had eleven skippers turn up at the event, one notable happening was that Keith Bell had a failed rudder servo on his own boat and then borrowed a spare from Paul Risdale and proceeded to have another rudder servo failure. Jon Simmons was the eventual winner followed not too closely by Peter Jackson and Paul Risdale.

Preparations were started early on Saturday morning Keith Bell already had the rowing boat out and ready for action at 7.30am. Keith and Mike Ewart assisted PJ to lay the course, which was a short into wind triangle going up the lake from the dam port round buoy 1 and a spreader to 2, which was also taken to port. Then a downwind dash to the start, which was used as a gate and a sausage out to 1 to port and then a downwind dash to the finish.

There was a very stiff breeze blowing, mental note to measure the wind strength next time, but suffice to say the Wee Nips were planing downwind in a most spectacular fashion.

Peter Jackson had a collision with Mike Ewart, PJ's fault but Mike's Wee Nip road up and switched of the power to the works, which lead to a power boat recovery, a lesson to be learnt there! Geoff Raygada had a good day and finally won the competition, followed by Mike Ewart, but in third place doing remarkably well was Tom Steel, he just kept popping up in all the right places. There was a remarkable attrition towards the end of the sixteen races with five retirements due to broken rigs.

Just a final note of reminder that we do have to start prompt at 9.00am so briefing will always be at 8.45am in order that we do not go over our allotted finish time of 1.00pm.

The week’s preparations for this month’s Wee Nip medal race started on Thursday and Friday, with loyal EPSC members, Dave Alexander and Dave Pace performing the heroic task of goose poo shoveling to clear the wooden walkway (or, in goose dialect, public toilet) that fronts the clubhouse at Emberton. Club Commodore Luke Fisher had thoughtfully moved the ‘Green Goddess’ weed harvester to one side, on the Friday, giving Saturdays skippers a panoramic view of Heron water, the town behind and of course, the course.
Weather girl Sian Welby’s forecast had been sea miles better that of Mr Fishes 1987 faux pax, and with the predicted North Easterly fanning though the gap between two promontories, near ideal conditions prevailed for the 15 strong contingents. Ideal that is apart from the overcast sky and occasional drizzly douche. Who would have thought that in a day or two it would be Spring.Whilst the assembled group of Radio Sailors prepared their yachts, Alan Smedley and Colin Davies lay and set a course the local W.I. crochet group would have been proud of. Enter 2 enthusiastic sailors but only one boat. In the good hearted spirit that describes the Wee Nip class, a diplomatic solution was agreed that topped any made in Westminster. Luke Fisher and Rob Bell would share a borrowed Wee Nip and in return would take turn about to record the results.

You are probably reading this report to find out how great a time we all had in your absence, well, the steady onshore wind gave racing that was both close and enjoyable, and most sailors remembered that port always gives way to starboard. The keen ones among us realised early on, that by over standing the lay line and making a long approach on starboard, the top mark became a lot more manageable; and the young in mind and body even remembered the correct course.As an edition to the days event and in aid of ‘Sport Relief’, Peter Shepherd had suggested we hold a one off race at lunchtime with a mystery prize winner, ‘mystery man’ would be the finishing place that matched a number picked from a hat once the race has finished. And the mystery man was .. Peter Jackson (they seek him here they seek him there). John Simmons proved what a competitive sailor he is by winning both the charity event and by coming first overall in the heats, snapping at his heals was Keith Coxon, and then there were the rest.
I will not bore you with everyone’s placing as you can read yours below; suffice to say that a good day was had by all. True there was the occasional gear failure but tuning and fettling boats is what we do. The important thing is that you enjoyed your visit to Emberton and that collectively we were able to give £108.60 to people less fortunate than we lucky nippers.