Autumn Classics 2016

Peter Dyson

HPYC Classic Regatta 2016

The Haven Ports Yacht Club / Suffolk Yacht Harbour Autumn Classic Regatta took place on the weekend of the 3rd & 4th September.

Saturday’s race saw a mixed fleet of seven classics including two Stellas line up for the start in bright and breezy conditions. Just for a change (I wish…), Centaur was a little late for the start. The line was clear and the fleet headed down river and out into Harwich Harbour in a force four, occasionally five and bright sunshine. By the time we got out to the turning mark the fleet was spread out and conditions were getting a little lumpy. It was sunny and fairly warm though, so great fun – if a little wet! Centaur, by now, lost touch with Stardust but launched the spinnaker for an exciting reach back up river to the finish line. “Halloween” a West Solent One Design took line honours, retaining first place on corrected time. “Lady of Hamford”, a Vashi Class took second and Stardust a very creditable third.

Sunday was a totally different kettle of fish. The day dawned cooler, grey and windy – five gusting seven. This reduced the fleet to three – the two Stellas and Halloween. These were, interestingly, the three smallest boats in the fleet. I’m not sure whether that had more to do with guts, foolhardiness or simply the fact that they required smaller crews! Anyway, I was very glad that there were four of us on Centaur – the extra pairs of hands and weight on the rail came in very handy. We were sensibly set a fairly short river course and we all eschewed spinnakers on the downwind leg, still managing to hit over 6 knots. All very exciting and very wet stuff! My apologies to Stardust, by the way, for nearly ramming them before the start – it just goes to show what a moment’s lapse of concentration can do in those conditions… Halloween, once again, took line honours but Stardust won on corrected time with Centaur third (or last depending how you look at it..!).

Halloween won the regatta overall with Stardust second and Centaur third. A good result for the Stellas!

 

Peter

Centaur #100

 

Mersea Week 2016

Peter Dyson

Mersea Week 2016

by Mark and Helen Montgomery-Smith

fleet-mersea-week-2016

What a memorable colourful spectacle and celebration of sailing prowess Mersea Week and part of the Stella World series this year proved to be.

The weather was glorious. Smacks, IRC, fast and slow cruisers, Sonatas, Squibs, white sail fleet and dinghies.  Over 200 boats with the proud and buoyant locals showing that this was the place where Olympic Gold medal winners come from. Saskia Clark was there at the prize giving and 1st prize for the whole week in the Classics and Gaffers B Fleet went to Tim on L’Etoile.

There was a photographic competition to capture the spirit, which really should have gone to Trevor on Stella Lyra for the picture above.

Lodestar was late for the first race on Tuesday and met up with Tim and his crew, merry on a runaway win by 8 minutes. The pretty ECOD, Wizard, was second and Stella Lyra 3rd.

 

We joined in the second day, and thought we were all set to show L’Etoile the way, squeezing Wizard out of the pin end with a perfect start, only to realize we too were squeezed out of the pin end by Aelfwyn, a Buchanan Saxon.  We both came around and crossed the line again inside the pin and had a fantastic race in the glorious sunshine trying to catch up the fleet and finished with L’Etoile first again, then Wizard, then Lodestar and Stella Lyra and then the other 6 boats in our fleet.

lodestar-mersea-week-2016

The next day was the first of the Stella Worlds and Stardust joined in so there were 4 Stellas in a 10-boat fleet.  The wind was light at the start, with Lodestar getting a good start up wind of Stardust then L’Etoile then Stella Lyra.  Halfway through the first windward leg the wind picked up and as it hit the leaders the gaps opened up in order and the order of the Stellas did not change. That evening we and the crew of L’Etoile were introduced to a new drink by Captain Stiletto ’’Dark and Stormy’’ which definitely didn’t describe the week.

letoile-and-stardust-mersea-week-2016

Friday, we woke up on Lodestar with a fickle breeze and motored out to catch a buoy before we ran aground in Mersea mud due to being berthed on the piles so we could row ashore in our dinghy.

Just after the Smacks had set off first start, the wind disappeared and they had to be called back to restart all the races to wait for the light forecast wind. We all milled about and Trevor got out his camera again.

Once we were underway, L’Etoile and Stardust were battling neck and neck for 1st all the way round, as ever Trevor captured it beautifully.  The final positions were another Stella 1,2,3 L’Etoile, Stardust, Lodestar.

 

 

On Saturday we were treated to a proper sailing wind the high end of a force 4, and an exhilarating race, which was a great finale to the week. Trevor was too busy to get a shot but an excitable fleet meant there was a general restart and L’Etoile had a good second start and got line honours, with Lodestar and Stardust getting second and third.

 

“Mystery Stella”. Mystery Solved?

Peter Dyson

Many thanks to members who responded to the appeal for information on this – it looks like we may have an answer. Unless, of course, anyone knows different…

 

Peter Haldane 

11 Sep

to me, Andrew, Philip

According to the working list of boats that I inherited from Sebastian King, # 5  Pied Piper now sadly ashore, was once called Joie De La Mer.  But I only have the list he compiled ( As ‘Boat-finder General’ ) as evidence for that.  perhaps Philip Waring can confirm from the archive file on  # 5.

Regards

Peter H

 

Andrew Gilmour

11 Sep

to Peter, me, Philip

Thanks Peter for your trouble on this

Phillip, would you know who owned Pied Piper / Joie de la Mer

Thanks guys

Andrew

Sent from my iPhone

 

 

Philip Waring 

11 Sep

to Mark, Andrew, Peter, me

Dear Andrew, Mark, Peter and Peter,

Various items in the archive regarding No. 5 Pied Piper. The last listed owner is Simon Baker, he had her at Titchmarsh in Walton Backwaters, Essex. There is a broker’s sale specification dated 6.10.96. Before that Sir Michael Hopkins based her at Aldeburgh, there is a Stella database update for him dated 10.12.86. He probably bought her that year because there is quite a bit of correspondence, the latest item dated 27.5.86. Her owner then was Bruce Westbury, who lived then at Manchester, but before that at Cambridge. There is some correspondence about his entering Burnham Week in 1986, but interestingly, there is an account of his sailing her, with three others, from the Deben to Poland in 1984.  This is a photocopy of a hand written account, not a log but written after the voyage, I’ll scan it in and circulate it in the next day or two.

Kind regards,

Philip Waring

Stella 89 Stardust

 

 

Peter Haldane 

12 Sep

to Philip, Andrew, me, Mark

Has anyone asked Simon Baker the current owner of # 5 Pied Piper ?

Although he was very upset when she went down last November in Titchmarsh Marina, I’m sure that he wouldn’t mind a gentle enquiry about her previous life.

Peter H

HPYC Autumn Series

Peter Dyson

Dear All,

A few of us who keep our boats in Suffolk Yacht Harbour are members of Haven Ports Yacht Club. Each year HPYC runs an Autumn Series on a handicap basis. It’s great fun, not terribly formal “round the cans” stuff and takes place on Sunday mornings throughout October.

In an effort to make it attractive to SCA members who’s boats aren’t based there, Mike Perkins, HPYC Vice Commodore has informed me that the marina are prepared to offer a concessionary berthing rate for the series. This will be negotiated on an individual basis and members need to contact Jonathan Dyke, Suffolk Yacht Harbour’s MD to discuss.

It would be brilliant to see a few more Stellas there for the series or just odd races. The dates are: October 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 plus November 6. All starts are 10.00 from the Club Line.

All the Best,

Peter

Friends Reunited

Peter Dyson

stardust-enroute

I thought I’d share the following exchange of emails with members. Stellas are always warmly regarded…

Philip Waring
30 Aug (11 days ago)
to me

Dear Peter,

 

I haven’t seen Adrian for decades but I remember him, his sister their parents and Antares very well. Please make use of the email in whatever way you wish, I’ll email Adrian now.

 

All the best,

Philip
On 29 Aug 2016, at 22:10, Peter Dyson wrote:

Evening Philip,

 

I’ve just this minute received the following. Any objections to me forwarding your email address to Adrian and/or posting the email on the website?

 

Best,

Peter

 

 

Sent from my Samsung device

——– Original message ——–
From: Adrian Savage
Date: 29/08/2016 22:02 (GMT+00:00)
To: Peter Dyson
Subject: Stardust

So, there we were on our way up the Wallet when a very recognisable transom was spotted.  Back in the day (1970s and 1980s) I sailed a Stella that my Father has owned, No 110, Antares.  In those days when racing, a view of Stardust’s stern was the best we could achieve.  I have to say that I was and am more a cruising than racing sailor of keelboats but the sight of this exceptionally pretty Stella brought back memories of sailing off the East Coast, the races to Ostend and Calais on the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekends and the channel cruising to the Scilly Isles, Channel Isles and Brittany.

 

Unheard of in the 1970s, I was able to Google Stardust from a mile offshore and find that she is owned by Philip Waring who was, back in the day and hopefully still, married to Tessa.  It was, as it turned out, Philip’s son who was at the helm when this photo was taken off Clacton, so the tradition of Fathers entrusting their precious boats to their children would seem to be alive.

 

If you have PW’s email address, perhaps you could forward this for me.

 

Best wishes

 

Adrian Savage

 

Mystery Stella??

Peter Dyson

Mystery Stella??

Andrew Gilmour sent me the following email recently. Can anyone shed any light on the identity of the Stella concerned?

 

Hi Peter,

Here is the picture taken by my father in 1977. There is no Stella named Joie de la mere so I wonder if anyone can shed any light on it.

I assume my father must have known those involved

All the best,
Andrew

Unknown Stella

How Timoa Got Her Name…

Peter Dyson

How Timoa Got Her Name

Andrew Gilmour emailed me recently with the following rather amusing story:

 

Hi Peter

I thought you might be interested in this story.

Timoa was originally named Timov by her first owner. As you can see from the photo, the name is seen in reverse on the Dodgers when viewed from inside the cockpit.

The new owner must have been shocked to see that Timov became Vomit when he sat in the cockpit. As you can see from the photo he cut out the “v” and stitched in an A so that Timov became Timoa!!!!

Seeing the picture I thought I would share the story

All the best,
Andrew

Vomit