Latest News at IOSSC

Sunday 15th September

Sunday started out as a cool September day with little wind and no sun. As the day progressed and the sun came out, things warmed up and members arrived to make the most of the sunshine The water was clear and flat and the wind increased to 10mph but, it dropped again to 3mph gusting 15 SW-W. George, Connor and Frankie sailed a Feva coached by Ian and Mark in the safety boat, and Alex launched his Miracle. Chas made a welcome return to the club, sailing Roger Baker's Dart 15, Chris and Paul, and Rob and Caroline were in their Dart 18s. James Bell made a last minute appearance with his Laser while  Jeff  sailed his  Solo. Russell and Lee were at Grafham Water with their Scorpion attracting entrants for our Scorpion Open Meeting in October.

Derek Darley and Tim Bell were Race Officers for the races 4,5 and 6. Results to follow.

Sunday 8th September

After the calm day on Saturday, SW 8mph gusting 25mph winds were forecast for Sunday. This turned out to be an overestimate as the morning was as calm as the previous day. 4 boats took to the water in the afternoon but all races were cancelled because of the lack of wind.  James Oakley and Connor had a play on a Dart 18 with Dave, and Merlin and Ken Sykes took out some prospective Juniors for next year. Ken also took Nicola a crew in training for a sail. The day ended when the thunder started and everybody came ashore quickly, thanks  to the safety boat crew Jeff Barber and Ken Shepherd.  Russell was at the Osprey Nationals at Poole and many other members were catching up on tasks which they had put off for the Island Race.

Combined Sea Cadets and IOS Training Day

Saturday 7th September   The club anemometer registered 0 mph, yet we had arranged tor  the  Sheppey Sea Cadets  to join us at IOS Sailing Club for a combined day of sailing. As we could not provide our waters for good sailing they provided theirs for some fun. So we all walked round, set up using their boats and the last day of IOSSC training was not wasted, all of our  cadets got on well.

Racing is still on for anyone who wants it, and on Friday 25th October at 7pm Lee Marriott will be giving a presentation on Race Rules and Tactics. Everyone is welcome,  adults and Juniors, members and non members, the bar will be open. Find out how to be the winner.

Island Race 24

3 Sept 2024 17:28

Island Race 24 started with a blow. The Saturday racing round the cans was cancelled due to strong onshore  winds, gusts of 35mph were recorded. The committee boat had to be beached for some emergency repairs on Saturday evening. Thanks must go to Joe Baker for his expertise at short notice and Chris Goymer who put the boat back on the mooring in the dark.. The quiz with Bob Oakley was very well received with a packed clubhouse of members, guests and  volunteers.  Sunday morning dawned with a better forecast ENE force 4-5, the slow handicap and the lone windsurfer had a hard beat on the first leg but every boat made it into the Swale. The cats had a roaring start with the F18s rapidly overhauling the Dart and themselves blasted by the Nacra 20. At Sheerness after the start there was time for the Junior members to organise some trolleys, when they were called  to help boats under the bridge. The bridge party arrived just in time to meet the cats, first the Nacra and then the F18s. The dinghies were next ,with the Blazes chasing the cats, followed by the slower boats. Back at the club the windsurfer was first over the line followed by the Nacra who very nearly beat the course record. The Island Race is the last in the Allen Endurance Series and prizes were donated by Allen Brothers  Next Year's Island Race will be on 7th September 2025

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Island Race Quiz and Barbecue Night this Saturday

Burgers and sausages from 5pm, Quiz by Bob Oakley at 7pm

Everyone welcome, bring your friends

Bank Holiday Monday 26th August

An unplanned day of fun on the water just happened on Monday with Merlin and James Brown providing safety  cover for the fleet. With a South Westerly wind Force 4 gusting Force 6, James O and Connor changed from a racing to a training sail on their Feva, but they still had plenty of capsize practise. George was out in his Topper proving that his holiday sailing in Wales was not wasted, and being dwarfed by the Nacra whizzing past. Mr Goymer was out on his Blaze for a blast before returning to the club to launch the Committee boat. The Sea Cadets rigged their Vago supervised by Scott, and then sailed 3 up.. Ken Sykes after a morning working on the club and committee boat, managed to launch in the afternoon and gave joyrides to no less than 4 people.

Upgrades to the Kitchen are always welcome

Ken Sykes has been hard at work providing better cooking facilities in the Kitchen over the winter. Now the summer is in full swing, had had to revisit the kitchen to put a blind up. This now provides the club with a first class kitchen which can be enjoyed by all. This is going to be put to the test for the Island Race this coming weekend.

Racing results from 25th August

With a spare race in the morning, with it blowing a South Westerly F4-5 but with no water, it was decided by the race officer that a postponement was in order. 

The boats got away using an extended line, the Dart 18 of Chris Goymer and Paul Wiseman, clocked up an impressive six laps in a mere 33 minutes, they lead the way with Mick Greenland deciding to take on crewing duties for Derek Darley.

Six boats finished, with Chris Brunger showing everyone that capsizing could well be available to all if not careful.

Results can be seen here: https://www.sailwave.com/results/iossc/Spare_25_08_2024.htm

 

The afternoon brought a little more wind and a lot more water. Racing to the Horse Buoy and back, for those not knowing where this is located, it is past Queenborough and near the old coal washer at Rushenden.

First to get off the line were Kevin Dutch and Scott Atkinson in Roger Baker's Dart 18. Some explaining would have to take place after they managed to split the mainsail in two, through wind alone.

Chris and Paul in their Dart 18 promptly took the lead with the two Dart 15's of Derek and Mick sailing two up, against Ken Shepherd alone following hot on their heels. Strangely, the configurations have the same handicap allocated to them. 

Russ Wheeler in the Blaze and the Wayfarers of Merlin/Connor & George followed by Ken Sykes and Elaine Turner close behind.

After rounding the Horse Buoy in what seemed like very sheltered and calm conditions led Russ in the Blaze to head for the safety of Queenborough slipway, Merlin/Connor & George managed a capsize in the Wayfarer and were seen bailing out at a rapid rate. Ken and Elaine decided to head for home after coming all the way to the buoy, didn't go round it.

First home and first on handicap were Chris and Paul, with Ken just managing to sneak past Derek & Mick and come second by a mere 6 seconds. 

Merlin, Connor and George did exceptionally well by completing the whole course under what seemed like windy and rough day out by the docks.

Full results are here: https://www.sailwave.com/results/iossc/Horse_Buoy_Race_2024.htm

 

All buoyed up for the committee boat - August 23rd

With an extremely low tide, a big south westerly wind, this proved a great opportunity to reattach the committee boats mooring which broke last year. What could go wrong? Well, the fact it was pitch black didn't help !

Chris Goymer with able bucket carrying assistant ventured out into the dark to search for the mooring base. After a few false alarms, including finding Joe Baker's jib tackle (which he didn't even know he lost) and a possible bomb, the mooring was successfully reattached and ready for the committee boat. 

Below are some photos of the night and also a gauge for fellow sailors to know how deep it is when you can see the fat part of the base of the outer pole (think lamp post design). Remember though, Chris isn't six foot tall !

Racing Results from 18th August

With the final four races to be held to complete the August Series, was there anyone that could stop James Bell from winning it? Well, it turned out the only person that could stop him, would be James himself, if he didn't turn up!

Morning races were run in a North Westerly breeze which ranged from F2-4 which meant plenty of holes to fall in. First out of the blocks was Russ Wheeler sailing his Solo (for sale if anyone wants to buy it) which went well and took James at least a lap before being caught on the water. With the three Dart 15's having their own race and Jeff Barber in his Solo never far behind. 

Once the results were done, James and Russ had tied 1st place with exactly the same time, both now thinking, if only I had put that little bit more effort in.

Race 2 was a different story, Derek Darley in the Dart 15 got away early and won with convincing ease, leaving James in second place.

After lunch, it was noted that the breeze was somewhat losing its power and the fleet. James managed to win this one, with the Wayfarer of Ken Sykes and Connor Fray in second place.

Finally , the last race of the series, was run in what was left of the breeze, with James winning this it meant that the August Race Series was awarded to him. Well done for a consistent series with 8 out of the 10 races managing to post either a win or a second place.

Full results for the series are linked below.

https://www.sailwave.com/results/iossc/August_Series_2024.htm

 

Verandah roof completed - 18th August

Earlier in the year a work party lead by Matt and Dave Oakley removed the old Verandah from in front of the lounge bar and replaced the joists. More recently, Ken Sykes, Mark Seager and Ian Brunger have installed the UPVC clear roof on the joists. Plans to tidy the brickwork and install some lighting are afoot. Watch this space

18th August - New CCTV camera installed

After recent vandalism to the outside seating area, a new CCTV camera has been installed to help monitor this area. This now means we have a total of nine CCTV cameras located around the clubhouse which record 24/7. Only our Welfare Officer has access to these cameras and the recordings. Attached is the view to the seating area, which has now been aligned so that the horizon is now horizontal!

12th and 13th August at IOSSC

Monday 12th August began quietly with an ebb tide,  and a gentle South Westerly wind rising  through the day. Gusty conditions made life interesting for the 14 sailors and the hot and humid day made it pleasant to be on, or in some cases in, the water. At lunch time Lee gave lectures on tides and the racing rules to a rapt audience of adults and children, I think it was the hula hoops that did it. A few competitions and of course the mandatory capsize practice ended in some smart tacking to get back to shore in the dying breeze.

Tuesday 13th August With low tide at  12-17  the rocks were showing on the beach making it a challenge to launch the Safety boats.  The wind started out WSW but later backed to S and finally to SE which caused confusion to some. Connor and James were determined to get to grips with launching the spinnaker on the Feva, and they managed it rather well. The the last game of the day was the ice cream game which involved transporting ice cream from the safety boat to shore in 4 runs by teams of 3, i ashore and 2 on the boat..  The 15 sailors included juniors, adults and Sea Cadets had a wonderful 2 days on the water in glorious sunshine. Some of our Juniors will be attending fun and games with the Sea Cadets on Wednesday evening.

Thanks go to all of those who made it possible, Instructors, Welfare and Safety boat crews

14th August

Rumours are rife that the kitchen may well be getting a coffee machine, maybe even ready for the weekend. 

11th August - Racing Results

Sunday was a beautiful day to go sailing. Plenty of sun and an Easterly breeze that built throughout the day. 

The morning race was counted as a Spare as low water was bang on the start time of 11am. With 13 boats racing and plenty of others just sailing around for fun, this was going to be a great day. Great to see Dean back in his Challenger, informing the race officer that he wasn't racing, just going for some fun.

Lee Marriott in the Blaze made the best start on the extended line, but was soon over taken by Chris Goymer and Paul Wiseman in the Dart 18. Mick Greenland sailing his newly acquired 30 year old Solo, probably the best looking wooden Solo ever was also showing great pace. 

With Lee making a wise decision to give up the race and check on Dean (Dean was fine), this meant that Chris & Paul won, with Chris Brunger in the Laser placed 2nd and Mick 3rd.

Full results here:

https://www.sailwave.com/results/iossc/Spare_11_08_2024.htm

 

By the time everyone had lunch and was ready to go again, the wind had picked up and the tide was incoming. This meant there was going to be some fun with waves if you like that kind of stuff. Chris Brunger managed a full capsize of his Laser on the beach even before launching, impressive stuff.

August races 5 & 6 were set to ensure some fun reaches. Throughout the racing, the safety boat was kept busy, James Oakley in the Topper was showing impressive speed, but succumbed to lack of weight against wind. Alex and Imogen in the Miracle showed how to capsize and video it for everyone's enjoyment. However, top marks for capsizing goes to Ian Brunger who showed first how to capsize a Dart 15, then float past the clubhouse with the tide, in full view of onlookers, then to bring it upright as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile racing was tight, but the wind and course favoured the Dart18 of Chris and Paul this week and won both races. Mick seemed at home in the Solo and posted good results, Lee mastered his gybing technique and Merlin, William and Connor in the 420 trucked round the course to make it look effortless out there.

Full results of the August series and races 5 & 6 can be found here;

https://www.sailwave.com/results/iossc/August_Series_2024.htm

 

4th August - Racing Results

On Sunday the 4th August we were greeted with some lovely warm weather but alas, not much wind. August race series kicked off, with races 1-4

Ian Brunger stepped in as Race Officer and ran all four races from the safety boat.

With a somewhat large course to begin with as the what wind there was, dropped just prior to the first race. James Bell showed a clean pair of heels in all races winning by quite some margin

George Brown in the Topper showed great skill and speed by coming second in both the morning races.

A couple of boats sailed were not identified on the signing on sheet, if anyone knows who was sailing them, please let me know using treasurer.iossc@outlook.com

Below is the link to the results for the series so far;

https://www.sailwave.com/results/iossc/August_Series_2024.htm

 

28th July at IOSSC

31 Jul 2024 13:55

On Sunday July 28th there was no racing because no one had volunteered to be Race Officer. However with an early morning high tide and 2 mph Easterly wind the Junior members were keen to have a go at paddleboarding before their sailing.  We were visited by a contingent from Alexandra Yacht Club and Thames Estuary Yacht Club who spent an enjoyable few hours at the bar with Ken Sykes. With the bright sun bringing a sea breeze, 16 people signed up to go on the water as the wind increased to 12mph  for a fun sail, including the foiling Nacra 20 ,with Kevin and Dave. Derek also had a fast cat experience with Scott on a Dart 18. Sunday was the second day of the .Powerboat 2 course for Paul, Gina and Darren instructed by Mark and Lincoln. A Safety Boat course will take place on 17th and 18th August and has one place left for £150. Thanks go to Ken, Sarah and Ethan who made all of this possible.

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July20/21st at IOSSC

Saturday morning started with 4 adults learning the ropes with Scott Atkinson  and the Instructors. The afternoon brought the Junior members on the water and the adults sailing with an instructor. Sunday started with rain and a sailable wind but although the rain died away, so did the wind. Races 7 & 8 went ahead but the afternoon races were cancelled due to the calm conditions which resulted in a Pico paddling session. Many families chose to watch the sailing  in the sunshine on Sunday afternoon, as the Level 1 learners sailed a triangle course alone for the first time. This was quite an achievement with the  lack of wind and an ebbing tide. Thanks to all who helped with both adults and Juniors.

13th/14th July at IOSSC

15 Jul 2024 10:26

 

Saturday at IOS Sailing Club  was a great day for the Juniors after the bad weather of the previous week. They finally got to go sailing. Next Saturday is the last of the Junior Sailing sessions and the first day of the Adult Level 1 course.                                                   Sunday 14th July started with low wind speed and low water. Russell Wheeler as  Race officer set a triangle and sausage course, for the two Spare races in the morning. In the afternoon increasing wind and a rising tide brought  more interesting conditions for Lee Marriott as Race Officer. Thanks to Mark Seagar and Abbie Williams for safety boat