• Record Grassholme Cup Attendance
Autumn Issue 2021
• Toby Selected for Irish Nationals • Hugely Successful Onboard Club • Triumphant Return for NEYYTS
Club Report
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Back on the Water!
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t has been great to welcome sailors back to the club in circumstances which resemble normality. The summer has also seen the return of the Onboard Club with many new junior sailors but encouragingly, some older participants trying out sailing as well. We are all enjoying the benefits of the new boat park with much easier access to the club’s dedicated slipway. Whilst we no longer have to heave boats up the hill, we do still have low water levels. Due to works at Selset it is not topping up Grassholme. Given the dry summer, water levels have been down again. However, Northumbrian Water are on track to have Selset operational for the 2022 season.
This year we have been enjoying the new storage shed which provides a more accessible facility from which to service the fleet of club boats. We also have a new base for the Officer of the Day at the top of the slipway, which completes the waterside development, and means that we are offering far better facilities at the end of the pandemic than we did when it hit us. The club has invested in a major improvement to it’s fleet with the purchase of six Optibat dinghies, giving new junior sailors an excellent experience on the water. The rest of the fleet continues to provide low cost access to a broad mix of dinghies. If you are interested in trying one out, these can be booked on line and experienced
members will be more than happy to advise and crew/ helm so don’t feel daunted by a new boat. The club has welcomed Wilderness Outdoor Education and the CCF to Grassholme this year, increasing the use of the reservoir and the diversity of activities taking place with more paddle craft taking to the water than ever before. Whilst the summer is behind us, October can provide fantastic sailing with good winds and warm water so we hope that all members will continue to visit the club to improve newly acquired skills, enjoy a potter, or take part in the friendly racing. Calum Gillhespy
Toby’s Travels
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Selected for UK Team
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n May, Toby travelled to Grafham for the International Optimist Class Association’s Early Summers, where he finished 14th Junior. This earned him an invitation to join the IOCA GBR Junior Irish National’s Team. Unfortunately due to COVID the team where unable to travel to Ireland in the summer. However, just being invited is a huge achievement which Toby can be justifiably proud of. In lieu of the Irish trip was a team building training weekend in Lymington where the youngsters got to sail across the Solent towards the Isle of Wight. The sunny weekend was a great learning curve for Toby as all the training was at sea.
The conditions were mainly light winds but some big seas. The instructors had the children out at sea for two long days but Toby came back smiling, even though he lost the game of ‘who can get closest to the Isle of Wight ferry’! At the end of July the Optimist Nationals took place at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Toby was in awe of the venue and the facilities on offer. Five successful days of mainly light wind sailing earned Toby a midfield placing. Toby was joined at Weymouth by Imogen who was on the committee boat and looked like she was having a thoroughly enjoyable time!
The latest event, Poole on 11th/12th September, was a mixed bag. Friday saw an IOCA North East training day in which Toby sailed across to one of the islands in Poole Harbour, docked on the beach and had lunch. Toby and his friends played in the warm sea, and had an amazing Swallows and Amazons style adventure. Racing on Saturday started slowly for Toby who struggled to find his place in the large fleet but improved as the day went on, until he capsized! Sunday saw no racing due to light winds. However, glorious sunshine meant the fleet still went out in the afternoon in anticipation and ended up diving into the sea, swimming and generally having a huge amount of fun. Toby came home with a big smile and lots of fantastic memories. Through the travelling Toby has made firm friends from many other sailing clubs – Derwent, Draycote, Glossop, Leigh & Lowton, West Kirby, South Staffs and Burghfield. These will hopefully be lifelong friends! Next for Toby the End of Seasons on the 16th/17th October at Torbay. The club wishes him the very best of luck! Deborah Waggett
The Grassholme Cup
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he club has had a difficult two years with low water levels and Covid-19, but the August Bank Holiday weekend saw the club at it’s best and resurgent once again. The Grassholme Cup saw a total of 25 competing boats with one race having 20 crews contesting the places. It was also the first time in a number of years that the event was spread over two days: with two races scheduled for the Saturday and then three on the Sunday. In addition to the racing there were also some
boats out cruising, visiting canoeists, and stand up paddle boarders from Wilderness Outdoor. Grassholme has never looked busier. The sun came along on the first day and even the somewhat duller conditions on the second did not spoil the fun which concluded with an excellent BBQ. The club opened up early on Saturday morning for members to get out on the water and practice their techniques and skills. Dave T and Paul B were quick to take up the chance, whilst
Wilderness Outdoor were enjoying the very light wind conditions on their SUPs. As the morning progressed the wind filled in and suddenly just before the first race of the afternoon competitors arrived in numbers and the start was heaving with boats. Fortunately the start line had been widened recently so apart from the rustiness of a few competitors the first race got off cleanly. On day one the wind was light and flukey and set the competitors an interesting challenge. Reading the shifts
5 and puffs could result in huge gains, not reading them could equally lead to large losses. It was sailing at its most tactical. Race 1 was finished successfully but as the wind died Race 2 had to be abandoned. The Sunday had a much more consistent breeze and, whilst less challenging to read, it kept the boats moving at a brisk pace and produced some thrilling racing all across the fleet. The Lasers in particular had a battle royal at the front and the Optimists and Oppies contesting the tail. In the middle a mix of boats battled to establish supremacy. The large number of boats ensured that crews had to think carefully about the rules when approaching marks and there were many happy shouts
of 'starboard' and 'water'. Huge credit to must go to Paul D for suggesting an excellent race course for the day. It was fantastic to see a good number of juniors out on the water, all of whom have come through the club's 'Onboard Club' over the past few years. As well as the Grassholme Cup itself they were competing for the 'Regatta' prize, for juniors in their first or second year of sailing, and for the 'Skylark Cup' for the best junior donated by James H. The other end of the age range was not forgotten and Richard H donated the 'Lunedale Trophy' for the over 50s. In the final reckoning Toby W won the overall prize and the Skylark Cup, with Peter Wilcox taking the Lunedale
Trophy. Sophie M put in fantastic performance for a sailor who only started this year and won the Regatta Fleet prize. It was also wonderful to see Finn G moving into a Laser - the first of our Onboard Club sailors to do so. Covid-19 regulations mean that it is two years since the club has had a social event so the barbecue at the end of the competition was a welcome return to more normal times, which together with the racing everyone seemed to enjoy. Thanks go to those people who made the event work; the race officer of the day, the safety boat crews, the BBQ chef, and others who helped in any way. Richard Hewitt
2021 Club Racing
his year has seen several innovations to the club’s racing. Including new events, trophies, and other advances.
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new trophy for the competition, which has been assembled by Richard H, for what we hope will become a well attended annual event.
Changes were made to the Occasional Series to open up space in the racing calendar. This has allowed two new one-day competitions to be introduced. The first, the Round the Lake, took place on 18th July. The challenge posed by racing round the whole lake, with long upwind and downwind legs, produced some fantastic racing. The club has also purchased a
The second competition, the Kirkcarrion Cup occurred on 12th September after being delayed from earlier in the year due to low water levels. Just for double-handers, the race proved a fantastic way to introduce some of our new OnBoard Club sailors to bigger boats. Unfortunately the reintroduction of the Pursuit Series has been blighted by
light winds and low water levels. However, the final day of the Pursuit Series is coming up on 3rd October. With only one race having happened so far anyone could win! Another change is that each race’s details are now recorded on the new website, with a set earliest start time for each race. Competitors can now plan when to arrive with confidence about when the racing will be taking place. All results are then posted on the website after the event as normal. However, you can now also
7 see where you stand in a series as it progresses due to the new features available through Sailing Club Manager.
The Grassholme Cup 2021 1
T. Waggett
Optimist
Club race results are now being reported to the RYA to be included in next years handicap calculations. Doing this allows the club to see how various boats are performing compared to their handicaps, and the RYA suggests local alterations to ensure fair racing.
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S. McGill
Optimist
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J. Hewitt
ILCA 7
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P. Wilcox
ILCA 6
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R. Hewitt
ILCA 7
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I. Yeowart
Laser Pico Race
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F. Goodman
ILCA 6
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K. Martin & J. Whitehouse Miracle
This year also saw an expanded two-day Grassholme Cup, with two new additional prizes donated by the Hewitt Family, and subsequent BBQ. The event was a huge success, which we hope to build on next year.
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P. Davison
ILCA 7
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A. Tubbs
Phantom
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D. Thwaite & F. Swan
Enterprise
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P. Barkley
Supernova
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C. Gillhespy
ILCA 7
14
H. Butler
Topaz WWS
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R. Gillhespy
RS Tera Sport
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I. Butler
Topaz WWS
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R. Lundie
Laser 3000
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J. McGill
Laser Pico
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P. Wilcox
ILCA 7
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M. Meadows
Supernova
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L. Machan
Laser Pico
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C. & R. Gillhespy
RS Feva S
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W. Pallister
Solo
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C. Barraclough
RS Vareo
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F. Swan
Laser Pico
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I. Machan
Topaz WWS
The club’s other big competition - The Regatta was shifted this year to 20th June, as close to the Summer Solstice as possible, instead of taking place on the Spring Bank Holiday, to reduce the chance of it being disrupted by Covid19. Given the success of the Grassholme Cup, the committee will be considering the future set-up of the Regatta. So if you have any ideas on how to improve the event please catch or email the committee to let us know. James Hewitt
The Kirkcarrion Cup What’s in a Name?
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he Kirkcarrion Cup is the name of the club’s newest trophy. But why did we choose such a strange name? Kirkcarrion is the knot of trees on the hill across the water from the club. It stands out on the skyline and is a pleasant vista for those not too concerned with sorting out the tangle of ropes in the bottom of their boat. Kirkcarrion is said to have originally been ‘Carraig's Cairn’, where Carraig, possibly a Bronze Age chieftain, was buried. Over time the name changed to Kirk Arran, as shown on early Ordnance Survey maps. Today we call it Kirkcarrion. In 1804 the great round barrow on top of Kirkcarrion was opened. In it was found a chamber, formed by four flat stones, inside which there was a small urn and fragments of bone. Local tradition states that upon the discovery of the
chamber one of the men present threw himself across the entrance declaring, 'Tis' all mine my friends'. He clearly expected there to be treasure in the burial chamber! The stones from the round barrow were carted away to build the enclosure wall of Crossthwaites pastures. Lord Strathmore‘s Bailiff, Mr C. Raine of Lonton, sent the urn to Streatlam Castle where it remained until lost. Mr C.
Raine also planted the trees that are at the summit today. It's also worth noting that in the early 19th century at Bail Hill directly behind Mickleton, a farmer ploughed up another burial urn. A number of Iron Age artefacts have also surfaced out of the banks of the River Tees around Eggleston. Along with the former stone circle at Eggleston this would suggest that the area was a 'sacred place' of some description. Kirkcarrion is also said to be haunted and no matter how wild the wind around the mound of Kirk Carrion, the summit remains still and calm. Perhaps this explains the frequent lack of wind in the corner of the reservoir closest to Kirkcarrion. Whether this is the restless spirit of the disturbed buried chief is open to opinions. Richard Hewitt
Sourced from: Barnard Castle & Surrounding Environs; Tales, History, Old Photos Facebook Group. Gary Marshall.
OnBoard Club Smiling Junior Sailors
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his year we re-branded our junior ‘F3 Club’ as the ‘OnBoard Club’ to tie into the national RYA OnBoard Scheme. We also increased the places available from 12 to 36. This resulted in two busy sessions every Saturday for 12 weeks, with instructors arriving early in the morning to begin setting up. New sailors learnt lots, from how to rig, steer, tack, gybe, all the way to how to race in the NEYYTS. Starting in May, earlier in the year than ever before, meant the juniors could use their skills over the summer. Plenty of fun and games was thrown in. Although the instructors were very dissapointed when, during one session, no one fell in from trying to walk around the front of their mast! As a result of all the volunteers who gave their time to run the OnBoard Club, the club now has 36 junior members ! We hope this will continue to grow next year. As an example of how far they could go,
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it has also been wonderful to see how our graduates from previous years have been getting on. On the 25-26th September, Toby was racing in the North East Regional Junior Championship finishing 5th in the Optimist Fleet, meanwhile Finn Goodman was competing at the East Regional Junior Championship sailing a Laser 4.7! James Hewitt
The NEYYTS at Teesdale Home Sailors Sweep to Success
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fter a break of two years due to low water levels and Covid-19 restrictions the North East and Yorkshire Youth Travellers Series returned to Teesdale on 3rd July. As the name suggests sailors from all over the North East and Yorkshire travelled to Grassholme Reservoir for the fifth event in the series of races. Some came from as far afield
as Filey and Huddersfield and Sunderland. Waiting for them was an eager bunch of home sailors keen to show what they could do on the water. Many of the Teesdale sailors are new to the sport having cut their teeth in the last couple of months as part of the Teesdale's OnBoard Club which uses recently purchased boats courtesy of a Teesdale Area Action
Partnership grant. Great things were expected of Toby (10) who just a week before had won the IOCA North East Championship, and he did not disappoint showing everyone how to sail an Optimist dinghy by recording four victories out of four races, and in so doing winning the event outright. Perhaps the most remarkable showing however came from one
10 of the new OnBoard Club sailors, Sophie (12), who finished eleventh overall, and finished third in the 'Regatta Fleet' prize for the best youngster in their first two years of sailing. Sophie was pushed all the way by Isabella (10) who had her own private battle with her brother Henry (8). Isabella came out on top in the final race, but it was a close call. "We are very proud of all our young sailors", said Club Commodore
Anthony, "particularly those who have just started the sport. Entering a first regatta can be daunting, but dare I say it; they took to it like ducks to water". Club secretary Deborah said, "We had 24 boats on the water, which is the biggest turn out that we have ever had for this event. It was good to see the club pull together and the whole event went off without a hitch. A big thank you to all those volunteers and parents
who helped it run so smoothly" Despite the rather wet weather and low water levels (resulting from the recent lack of rain) which turned the beach into a mud bath the visitors enjoyed their day and expressed surprise and admiration at the new facilities at the club has since the last event was hosted two years ago. Many left with a promise to return in a year's time. Richard Hewitt
Officer of the Day
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s the wind increases and temperatures fall those people who have an officer of the day duty coming up before the end of the season will be pleased to hear that the new safety office is now operational. There are a few small jobs to finish the works, but the OOD can now shelter from the wind and rain. An excellent view of the lake, a couple of stools and a desk for race sheets and computer mean that a comfortable day can be had. Chris B is organising a two way switch for the horn so that it can be operated from inside or out, and a solar panel and battery with USB socket, so that there is power available. Sailors have already found the office a convenient place to leave their car keys whilst on the water.
The race board is now located on the door (when open) so that it is visible to sailors heading down the slip, and the signals mast is attached to the front of the deck. The flag halyards are labelled to help the OOD display the flags clearly. Ideally the class flag (H) should be flown from the left hand halyard and the preparatory flag (P) from the right hand halyard. This means that they are clearly separate when seen from the water. We have moved the green locker to the rear of the office. It is to be used for the yellow safety boat bags, the tender oars and anything to do with the racing and safety. It would also be nice if a few fold up garden chairs could be stored in there for the use of spectators. Any donations gladly received.
12 When to Stop?
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bandoning sailing due to the weather conditions can seem a scary decision as OOD. It feels like you are spoiling the fun - but it is really important to do so. Better safe than sorry. There are essentially three weather related situations when sailing should be abandoned.
If you are on duty please sweep out at the end of the day, put everything away, and leave nothing of any value in the office. The local fly population also seems to like the new office so please give a quick squirt of fly spray before closing up. Grateful thanks to those who gave up their time to build the decking, construct the shed and paint it, namely: Chris B, Keith M, James B, James H, William H, Peter W, Anthony T, John P, William P, Paul D, and of course Deborah W for arranging the materials. It has been quite an effort but one that I am sure will prove it’s worth over the coming years. Richard Hewitt
First, when the Safety Officer (SO) is unable to perform a rescue. This is the SO’s decision. All the OOD has to do is let everyone know. If anyone mentions carrying on buddy sailing then the answer is no. If the powerboat can’t perform a rescue then there is little chance two dinghies could rescue each other. Therefore there can be no buddy sailing and everyone should come off the water. In the other two situations when sailing is abandoned the OOD makes the call. However, these situations are clear cut and easy. Sailing should be abandoned immediately if thunder is heard. You don’t need to be able to see the thunderstorm. While almost all lightning will occur within 10 miles of its parent thunderstorm, it CAN strike much further away than that. Given we have tall metal poles sticking into the air; its best to get everyone ashore and inside. Finally, the third situation is when it is foggy. If the OOD and Safety Officer can’t see the boats they are supervising then sailing should not be happening.
Getting Wild!
Successful First Year for WOE
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ur first season at Grassholme Reservoir has been a great success with many family couples, friends, hen and stag events and local Scout groups joining us for activities on the water. Demand far outstripped our expectations over the summer and we ended up having almost every session fully booked. Apart from a few teething issues regarding access to changing rooms and parking we are thrilled of how well the season has gone. We would like to draw special attention to how wonderful the sailing club have been in supporting us and accepting us onto the water. Prior to the season starting our primary anxiety was interfering with the sailing activities up at the club, those anxieties were soon put the bed when we realised how supportive the sailing club members are. Lessons have been learnt this season and we are all excited to put things into place for what we hope will be a boom next summer. We’d also like to take this opportunity to personally thank the members that have made us feel so welcome and we wish you all a lovely autumn/winter and hopefully see you in the spring. Rob and Abi Atkinson, Wilderness Outdoor Educa�on.
GP14 Returns
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Road Trip for the Jeep
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he club GP14, nicknamed the ‘Jeep’ has returned after repair at MSDS of Killinghall, Harrogate.
The GP14 suffered a shroud anchor failure during a blustery RYA Level 2 training course in July. Thankfully damage was restricted to only local moulding in the cockpit. Following the repair the only visible evidence of her adventure is a small patch on the outside of the hull. Now back at the club, and having been given a through wash following her offroad adventure, the GP14 is now available for use again if you have paid your annual or daily boat hire fee. Mark Meadows
Social Media Keeping an eye on social media, particularly Facebook, is a great way to keep up to date with what’s going on at Teesdale SWC. If you have a social media account check out the links below: https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/teesdalesc/
https:// www.youtube.com/ channel/UCp-aDIbhO1kb5yaquFJz4g
https:// www.instagram.com/ teesdaleswc/
https://twitter.com/ Teesdaleswc