Frensham Squadron Update
FPSC News July 2023
This month we would like to share some home news. Every year FPSC hosts the 10 Hour Race to raise money for a charity. This year the charity was Kidney Research UK.
The 10 Hour Race is a whole club team relay event where class teams sail for 10 hours straight from 0900 to 1900h. Each boat sails round a set course for 50 minutes then, on the sound of a horn, speeds back to the pontoon to swap helm and crew for the next slot. The winning team is the one that has completed the most race circuits after 10 hours.
Two of the 18 teams in this years 10 Hour Race, sailed on Saturday 8th July, were cadet teams: Team Brixham captained by Monty with Sophia, Amelia, Olivia, Charlotte, Maxwell, Penelope, Sebastian and Tom; and Team Torquay captained by Mia with Mimi, Isabelle D, Ava, Rose, Finn, Lilia, Holly and Isobel S.
Over to Dom for the event report: The 2023 FPSC 10 hour race was packed full of fun and excitement with 2 cadet Teams entered in a fleet of 17 competing in a "round-the-cans" handicap style event.
A clean start saw the fleet get out the blocks in a light 5knot breeze. Team Brixham, captained by Monty and crewed by Penelope, got off to a flying start closely followed by Team Brixham, which was Captained by Mia crewed by Isobel. Two slow and steady laps were complete before the first hooter signalled for teams to complete their lap and change over.
Olivia and Sophie were first to jump into Team Brixham while Mimi and Rose were off and away with a big push from the pit crew. Breeze stayed light with the typical Frensham shifts keeping the sailors on their toes. The third change over saw the baton handed over to Tom and Amelia for Team Brixham and Ava and Isabelle who did a sterling job closing the gap for Team Torquay. Then out of nowhere, the heavens opened and an ominous rumble of thunder with some impressive streaks of lightning forced a postponed and a rush to get boats and sailors off the water to seek shelter and grab some lunch and hot chocolate in the club house.
The rain was biblical and unfortunately killed off any remnants of wind leaving the lake looking like a perfect mirror forcing the hand of the race officer to delay the re-start for two hours. Finally, a few ripples of wind got racing underway with Charlotte and Penelope taking on their first stint for Team Brixham alongside Holly and Finn for Team Torquay. The wind stayed light with a shifty 5-8 knots. While sailors were waiting for their turn, they kept warmed up and ready with some serious onshore water fights and Frisbee contests. Once the sun came out, the parents emerged from the clubhouse to take up prime viewing along the shore with camping chairs and blankets.
The conditions continued to stay light with top speed often reached during the mega-push off from the jetty. It was great seeing some young future crews getting involved with Penelope and Lilia performing well in one of their first outings.
As the sailors approached the last few stints they were entertained by the soothing sounds of a Jazz band that accompanied the sailors on the final few laps. Music along with the pavlovian wafts of a hog roast gave the final cadet Teams the motivation to inch across the line in a dyeing breeze.
Congrats to all the cadets, in the end Team Brixham pipped Team Torquay by one lap, but overallsailing was yet again the winner on a thundery day at the pond!
