SYH Regatta was held on a very windy weekend. To remind you, it was the same weekend as the Round The Island Race, which had hugely reduced numbers because of the conditions.

Three Stellas took part. Persephone * 6, Acamar *19, Lodestar *64

On friday evening, Acamar, Lodestar and a 24 ft sloop called Samphire were the only takers for a blustery evening bonus warm up race. Lodestar were doing very well, with a sensible reduced rig, and almost through it away completely by hoisting the spinnaker. We all went to the bar afterwards and had a good laugh. Lodestar got line honours- by 4 seconds over Acamar! but Samphire won on handicap.

On Saturday all three stellas came out. It was pretty windy still. We did one quite long race, down river from the HPYC start line, up the Stour, back up the Orwell to Pin Mill, then back to the club start line. Persephone had to retire fairly early on with some gear failure. Acamar did well and finished well up the fleet. Lodestar was doing really well, but within sight of the finish line, got involved in an involuntary mid river raft up which resulted in the starboard spreader hanging from the loose cap shroud and the mainsheet post dangling in the water from the end of the boom.

Lodestar had her mast lowering A frame on board. So Saturday afternoon and evening was spent lowering the mast and re-attaching the spreader, and replacing the mainsheet post with one repurposed from a Stella waiting for restoration in SYH.

On Sunday all three stellas were out again. This time Lodestar and Persephone both managed to finish, well up the fleet. Acamar was doing well but unfortunately left one mark to the wrong side. Not making a significant difference to their time but getting a DNF.

Lodestar squeaked the first place Stella, and was awarded the ‘Persephone’ prize, in recognition of the effort put into repairing the rig on Saturday evening.

And a jolly good time was had by all. The band on Saturday was really good, and the presence of the motor boat fleet added to the party atmosphere overall at the regatta.

The SYH organisers did really well, hosting a very fun regatta in difficult conditions- big thanks to everyone concerned.

Hi Everyone.

The Social:

23 Stellar Stella enthusiasts met up in The Lightship , headquarters of the Haven Ports YC, on Friday 8th March.  We gathered near the bar, and spent an hour or so getting drinks and saying hi to faces both familiar and new. The food came out from 19.30 and we retired to the stern of the lightship and ate and mingled , to the backdrop of a widescreen tv showing slides of the recently digitised Stella photo archives.

West Buxey Trophy:  The only races with 2 or more Stellas during 2023 to our knowledge were the 4 races of the SYH Classics including the friday evening race.  The clear winner, with 4 first places out of 4 races was Andrew Gilmour and Timoa *91. 

Andrew Gilmour was presented with the West Buxey Trophy.

Racing programme 2024: The room was sounded out and it was felt that in 2024 there was a likelihood that the racing may well end up being the 4 races of the SYH Classic Regatta. However it was left that any regatta in which 2 or more Stellas were competing would be added to the Stella Worlds.

Rescuing Stellas:  The last year has been extraordinarily successful in terms of rescuing old Stellas that would otherwise have been chopped up or left to deteriorate.

2 stand out successes are Stella Munter * 65, which we the association brought to SYH to save from being chopped up for the space she was on, now being lovingly restored at SYH under new ownership, and Star Shell *2, which was Kim Holman’s own boat, now taken on by Jonathan and Scilla Dyke.  
Additionally there are several other Stellas, including Celeste *101 and Peacock *3, both in half decent condition.  Also Caravelle *83, also in half decent shape, and Torrington *80, in poor shape .They are available free to good homes on the understanding that they will be put back into use. 

Happy New Year everyone and hoping that you had an enjoyable Christmas Break.We have been out there winter sailing on Lodestar which has mostly been up and down the Thames and on the Medway. Taking her up to Eel Pie Boatyard for works, and then to the Medway to test them out.  Blustery winds and making full use all our sails, using 3 reefs and our no 6 storm jib, tacking along Sea Reach and into the Medway.  One broken anchor shaft! An old Sowester plough anchor.

Looking forward to the up and coming Spring season and meeting up with other Stellas, swapping stories and sailing together.Stella Worlds 2023- results  At the 2022 AGM we decided that the worlds would be made up from any race in SYH Regatta, Mersea Week, Aldeburgh Week, or West Mersea  Town Regatta which resulted in two or more Stellas competing. In the event, this only occurred at the Suffolk Yacht Harbour Regatta. And the Friday Night Race the day before. Four Stellas entered the SYH Regatta:  Acamar *19, Lodestar *64, Persephone *6, and Timoa *91. Three Stellas entered the Friday Night Before. Acamar *19, Lodestar *64 and Timoa *91 The resulting Stella Worlds table is: Timoa is the winner of the Buxey Trophy. At SYH, an extra prize is awarded to the Stella Class. The ‘Persephone Prize’  This year it was awarded to Lodestar. Stella Rescues During 2023 more Stellas have been rescued. Due to SYH generous offer to provide space it is possible that the fleet might start to grow rather than shrinking.  Stella Munter, * 65, was going to be chopped up because the space it was on was required. She was sold for £1 to the Stella Association and transported by Keith Ballantyne and Mark Montgomery-Smith to SYH, where work has started on her restoration. Starshell, * 2, which originally belonged to Kim Holman, was given to the association, and collected by Andrew and Ann Gilmour.  I understand that there is strong interest in Starshell already. Celeste * 101 has been offered to the association by Weymouth Harbour, and Andrew Gilmour is making arrangements to collect this in 2024. Massive thanks to all concerned.2024 Annual Gathering for Stella Owners and Friends.An opportunity for Stella owners, crew and friends to meet and discuss maintenance, cruising and racing plans for 2024 as well as a short AGM for Association matters. A meal in the Lightship at Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Levington. Friday 8th March 7pm Best Wishes from Mark and Helen, Lodestar *64

SYH Classics 11th and 12th June
There were thirty boats in the regatta. three Stellas.
Persephone, Stardust and Timoa.
Timoa came 5th overall, Persephone came 12th overall, and Stardust under new ownership came 23rd overall.
Lodestar had entered but on the way to Levington found a leak coming through a hood end that seemed too bad to continue with and she returned to Eel Pie Boatyard for repairs.

West Mersea Town Regatta, August 13th
Three Stellas entered WMTR. Scorpio, L’Etoile, and Stardust.
They raced in a fleet of 12.
L’Etoille came 2nd in the fleet, Scorpio came 3rd in the fleet, and Stardust came 9th in the fleet.

Mersea Week, August 15th, 16th 18th, 19th, 20th
three Stellas raced in a fleet of 12. Scorpio, L’Etoile, and Stardust.
Overall Scorpio came second in the fleet, L’Etoile came 6th in the fleet, and Stardust came 11th in the fleet.

I will do a proper spreadsheet and work out the placings but I think we can say that by winning 5 races at Mersea Week Scorpio has won the 2022 Stella Worlds! Well done Richard Matthews and team.

Also, how lovely to have L’Etoille return to the fray, and I am pleased to point out, show a return to form by being first Stella in West Mersea Town Regatta.

Other Events.

Round The Island Race
Two Stellas entered in IRC group 3, a group of 124 boats
Timoa had a good race in fairly heavy conditions and placed 7th in the fleet. Lodestar had an entertaining race, somewhat over an hour aground on Ryde Sands almost within sight of the finish line, and coming 115th in the fleet.

Classic Channel Regatta
Lodestar entered the Grande Regatta Classique Manche Atlantique, an event comprising the Classic Channel Regatta from Dartmouth to Paimpol,and supplementary races from Paimpol to Camuret sur Mer, and the Camuret sur Mer to La Rochelle. In perfect for a Stella light airs most of the time, Lodestar managed the highest score overall of all boats in the regatta in all classes, and won her class of small boats.

Rescuing Stellas

So far two Stellas have been brought back to SYH for safekeeping. Do contact us if you want to take one on!

Facebook. There is a Stella Facebook Group, which has been running this year. It is gently gathering new members. Please have a look and join in.

News from facebook

Moonspinner *105 has been bought and photos uploaded on facebook, in the Orkneys! Check out the facebook group for more details.  Moonspinner is the featured image above this news item.

Fibreglassed Stellas

We have two sheathed Stellas regularly sailing now. Timoa and Acamar.

 

Timoa is nearing completion, epoxy sheathed to enable her to be trailed to different regattas.  She is looking super.

Lodestar demonstrating 2 reefs and a number 5 jib at Queenborough in Feb 22

 

STEORRA, Stella no 26, unfinished project, is looking for a good home.   She is in Brixham. She was taken out of the water in sept 2019. She had some planking done. The interior was taken out, and kept. We are told she has been sprayed with water every month inside and out.  As far as we know she is complete minus an engine, but needs re-assembling. But anyone with any hands on wooden boat experience knows there will be more.  The space where she is stored is needed this summer.

Any interest? Please contact the Stella Sec Mark Montgomery-Smith in the first instance.

What a gas and a great opportunity for Stella‘s to shine!
The team at Suffolk always put on a great event.
4 races planned for the weekend!

Six Stellas were present, : Persephone *6, Acamar *19, Rollicker *42, Lodestar *64, Stardust *89, Timoa *91.  There were 28 classics in all. 

Friday evening was a stand alone race for those who could make it. Stardust and Timoa both made it and had great fun. They got soaked in a downpour but enjoyed the delights of a stunning double rainbow setting the scene for the first event for many since lockdown. Both were seen hanging their spinnakers up to dry on  the beautiful sunny Saturday morning.

Saturday morning, fickle light wind, flood tide, an upwind uptide start at Beacon Hill.

The wind was so light and holey that many boats in the previous start were still trying to cross the line when we started. But we mostly made it across the start line! and two of us, Stardust and Lodestar, made it past the Harwich breakwater, sneaking along out of the tide and popping past the swirly whirlpool just off the end, when the race was cancelled! Simply too many boats in the following start could not even make the start line.

The race was then restarted an hour or so later at Pye End Buoy, with a reasonable steady F2 breeze, and we all 6 had a great two laps a round a course which lasted nearly three hours and all six of us finished with 20 minutes of each other, and all in the top half of the Regatta Fleet as a whole, So Well Done Everybody! 

This in the end was the only race of the weekend that counted!

Saturday evening in SYH was a triumph of organisation beating the Covid rules by having boxes of beer and gin and tonic widely distributed by the organisers around the boats, music playing over a tannoy, and Pizzas being cooked to order , so we had a really nice party on our boats without breaking any rules.

Sundays race was very different. It was an almost dead downwind start in a fresh F4 which grew into a F5, veering to a reach, for the first mark, Penny Hole.
Rollicker found their bilge pump unequal to the day, and retired before the start.  Stellas are great but they can be rather leaky when worked other then gently.
Timoa shot across the start line with the Spinniker up, milliseconds  after the gun, the rest of us followed very close behind and hoisted our kites in short order, and had a wonderful chase . Then it got more interesting as the wind picked up and veered! We saw a kite ahead from the previous start, blow to shreds, and took that as a cue to hoist the No 3 and drop the kite while still somewhat under control. Everybody managed to get their kites down one way or the other.  Timoa was first around Pennyhole for a beat to Outer Ridge, then Acamar, then I can’t remember the order!   On Lodestar we were very happy to have chosen a small headsail and had a wonderful time , initially chasing after Timoa, then tacking towards the windward mark, successfully crossing the bows of the rest of the fleet, feeling very pleased with ourselves,  completely oblivious to the news that the race was abandoned at some point !  We finally took notice of the squawking radio once we had rounded Outer Ridge and made our way back to harbour with everyone else. 

Despite there only actually being one completed race on Saturday and Sunday it felt like a very successful Classics and it was really nice to see Acamar and Rollicker join in the racing, it feels like there is a rolling programme of Stellas being restored and raced over the years since we bought Lodestar in 2011.

Actual Results, in order from 1st to 6th, Timoa, Stardust, Lodestar, Persephone, Rollicker, Acamar.

Dates for Stella Events so far this year

Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classics

Friday 25th to Sunday 27th June

Mersea Week

Sunday 8th to Friday 13th August

Some fun fit out pictures: