Minnis Bay Sailing Club - 75th Anniversary regatta
Published 10:37 on 8 Jun 2025
Trip to Minnis Bay Sailing Club 75th Anniversary Regatta
Four intrepid sailors packed up two Ospreys in the MYC yard and set off for the long journey to Minnis Bay Sailing Club, ready to take part in their 75th Anniversary Regatta. Upon arrival, we rigged the boats in preparation for the racing scheduled the next day.
Saturday kicked off with a 10am briefing and a 12:30pm start. Racing was to be held offshore with a committee boat start and an upwind/downwind course. Around 15 boats participated, including entries from the home club, MYC, and Broadstairs, featuring a mix of single-handers, double-handers, and catamarans. The forecast was for strong winds, ranging from 20 to 25 mph.
Richard and Antony launched alongside Graham and James, both crews setting their rigs tight for the conditions.
Race 1:
Both boats got off to a strong start, with some tight competition at the windward mark where Graham just edged ahead of Richard. A long spinnaker run followed always a thrilling but unpredictable part of the race. Antony's spinnaker decided to throw in a twistliterallywith the halyard knotting just before the bottom mark. This slowed their rounding, allowing James to slip ahead. The chase continued, with Richard and Antony gradually reeling in Graham and James. Despite a few tactical tacks, Graham and James crossed the line just ahead.
Race 2:
Another solid start for both crews, while a Nacra 18 surged off into the lead. Richard and Antony rounded the windward mark just ahead of Graham and James and began to extend their leaduntil their spinnaker pole started misbehaving. Eventually, the uphaul fitting vanished into the sea. Still, they pressed on. At the bottom mark, a slip by R & A gave G & J hope, but more spinnaker troubles followed. Their pole dropped into the water, acting like a brake, and a poorly timed gybe nearly resulted in a capsize. They recovered well, though not without some equipment damage, and finished further back but proud of their perseverance.
Day 1 Results:
- Richard & Antony: 7th and 4th
- Graham & James: 6th and 8th
Day 2 Sunday
Sunday brought even stronger windsand reinforcements. Lawrence and his daughter Lola arrived with their Laser 2, ready for action. The briefing confirmed another upwind/downwind course with three races planned. High tide and big surf added to the challenge as the fleet launched.
Richard and Antony set off for the start line, while Graham and James, already uneasy with the conditions, reached out before turning downwind. The sea was rough and the wind intense. "James," I said, "I am not happy out here in this windI think we should head in." James agreed. As we made our way back to shore, we noticed most of the fleet following us, except for R & A, Lawrence and Lola, and Andy from Minnis in his Dart 18.
These three boats courageously continued around the course for two laps, facing gusts reportedly in the high 30s. Richard later described sailing upwind on jib alone, with the mainsail flogging, and spray flying downwind. They had two capsizesone nearly on top of the start boatbut recovered quickly and still managed a 3rd place finish.
Lawrence and Lola had a wild but impressive outing. At one point, they overtook the Osprey, with Lola screaming on the trapeze. After a dramatic capsize that briefly left Lola adrift, they recovered and sailed on to a well-earned 2nd place.
With the wind still howling, the sailors made the callno more racing. Everyone dashed back to the beach, exhilarated but exhausted.
A Great Weekend
Saturday evening brought a barbecue with nearly 100 people attending. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, filled with friendly faces and great stories. A big thank you goes out to our MYC support team who helped de-rig, launch, and trolley-push throughout the weekend. Your support was invaluable, and we truly appreciate it.
Here's to the spirit of adventure, camaraderie, and good sailing!
Last updated 10:46 on 8 June 2025