The International Canoe

The first open of 2010 is rapidly approaching with 2 weeks to go - just wondering how many visitors to expect and whether camping is required for anyone saturday evening?

Just also like to mention that I managed to smuggle my first sail of the year yesterday and it was just great to have Steve Bowen join me for a quick session round the cans after his recent injury.
Just can't keep that man down, he said he was just seeing how his leg faired, but he's certainly not lost any speed.....

Good luck Steve...

Hi Dave. Hope all is good with you. I am planning to come on down weather permitting. What are the plans for the evening? Last time we went to a nice pub in a nearby village which had some B & B accommodation. That would be handy. Tents and April don't really go to well! or is that just an age thing.

Tony

We've no plans for the evening yet Tony but thats partly down to numbers and feedback...
I'm sure we'll sort something out to make us think Sunday

The nearest basic but warm and dry accomadation is probably either the Travelodge or Premier Inn on the A4042 @ Pontypool.

Details of the event can be found here: http://www.llandegfedd.org.uk/index.asp

I would be very interested to know which ICs rather than ACs are intending to attend as it could be a long drive to race on my own! Assuming I can get the cooking facilities fixed in my motor caravan before next week end, my plan would be to stop off Friday night and Saturday at the pub up the hill near the club. I assume there will be no problems like last year where those first to arrive at the pub asking to camp were turned away. By the time I arrived 'the computer said 'yes'! The water board staff at the gate queried my arrival on Friday night. What time does the gate close?

I shall watch the forecast before committing to come as last year Saturday was too much wind and like sailing in a spin dryer, then Sunday was a drifter. So a decent wind forecast and the promise of some competition, plus the gas working again in my motor caravan could tempt me out! Which other ICs are going?

Cheers Colin

257 if I finish installing my "new" plank in time.

I was speaking with Clarkey in the week, he's struggling to finish Jet ready for the event but is toying with the idea of launching her as an IC for this event to see how she goes.....
Could all end in tears... memories of Andy Powell limping home at the Nationals on his maiden voyage...

I shall be there with 271.

If it's blowing, I might sail it as an IC, as I'm still falling over too much on the kite drops.

Hi Dave, what time are the first races Sat and Sun? Cheers mate

Hi Charlie
Registration is from 11am, first race Saturday 13:00 - Sunday 10:30.

Dave us correct it will be a bit tight getting Jet finished - spinnaker isn't the problem the new rudder mechanism is taking longer than hoped so I can't steer. It looks like Saturday may be the first sail so I expect a good turnout for the launch with some Champers on ice!

Lots of new stuff to try out so I may air on the side of caution and sail as an IC if the numbers are low in that fleet on the Saturday at least.

Let's hope the wind comes in from the SW as forecast to blow some of this crap away which is now falling out of the sky. I think the Icelanders misunderstood the message ...... that after the bank crisis we wanted to be showered with CASH

257 v unlikley to make it now. I had to work most of last weekend, the new plank isn't ready, the old one is in bits, the trailer is broken and I don't fancy trying to get the boat on a roofrack singlehanded.

That's a defeatist attitude Jim. Get that glue out

Thanks Jim for keeping me informed. So it seems no other ICs apart from me are thinking of making it to the open? A couple of ACs may sail as ICs but with quite light winds forecast on both days they may be tempted to fly their kites after all? I will have to make a final decision early tomorrow if I am to pick up the IC from Draycote and come, but on present numbers I will probably get better racing staying at Draycote where Mike Shreeve tells me he may be out in his IC as he has no crew for his Fireball, or I will definitely have competition if I take out the Solution (mini-Phantom-like dinghy) I bought mid way through last year racing round the cans with the other Solution, the Supernovas and Lasers, all with similar PYs.

As from April this year, Draycote has also at last introduced windward/leeward racing on the same race area as the round the cans course. We now have four Moths in the club with two more getting foilers so, when there is sufficient wind I now get good W/L competition in the Moth, though it is quite scary working out a safe course downwind past the sixty or so boats doing the round the cans course. I would hate to try it in an AC with a kite up blocking the view ahead, at least in a Moth doing 20 knots you have a perfect view through a transparent sail! Wind is not promising for Moth sailing this Sunday. Draycote has a big 29er fleet with some top juniors in the class.

I did my third Solution event last weekend and by finishing third it fell to me to write the report in 'Yachts and Yachting', if you are interested. Only seven of us turned up but I beat those who were first and second in the Nationals last year when I was sixth and first Master (over 55). It seems the state of the economy is holding people back from travelling. It is a shame all classes are struggling to get folk to turn out at opens, but that's life in hard times. Yesterday I spent £78 filling up the motor caravan with diesel! I could still come but you will see how my thinking is going. Are any other ICs going?

Cheers, Colin

I defiantly wont be there, The boat is still in the shed void of fittings and the fuel pump on my car is leaving a trail of diesel in its wake! With things as they are I will prob only do the nationals this year.

Chris

IC 238

Hi Colin
I will not be able to make it to opens this year, will be at the Nats and will definatly be training for the worlds in the first half of next year. For me to go to wales its a long way for a weekend and lots of other things on at the moment.
I now have 2 cnc moulds for daggerboards and a mould for a dagger board style transom hung rudder, so some progress on boat bit building if some what slow!
Alistair