Message from the Hon. SecretaryMany thanks to the Crabb family in Looe for the report from the 'big fleet' and home of the Redwing. Ben and John were also the winners of the 'Wordsearch' competition (remember that) in the last Newsletter, well done all. Also in this issue is an interesting account from a long-standing Redwing sailor Nicko Franks about the once very competitive Redwing fleet at Dartmouth and how a bit of it still lives on�. Best wishes and happy sailing. Bill Redwing Fleet News LOOE REDWINGS BACK ON THE WATER
After the short winter break our boats are returning to the seafront to join in the competitive local racing. The first race started on the 10th of March with 6 redwings on the line, there was little wind but the fleet managed to complete the course and find its way back to the bar. The initial fleet of R242, 224, 245, 226, 166 and 183 have now been joined by R243, 200, 212, 240, 220, 246 with R241, 214, 198, 189, 10,and 201 still anticipated, giving the potential for 18 Redwings to race at Looe. Enterprises Sold The fleet are looking forward to having a good breeze as conditions to-date have been under force three and less favourable to the fuller bodied crews! However, I think the current points leaders of Ben & Jo and Bud & Dave will take some beating in any condition but we will keep trying. The less informed members of our club fleet have now sold their Enterprises and bought.., NO, not a Redwing but,an R.S 400, perhaps one day they too will realise the error of their ways and invest in a real wooden boat rather than Tupperware! In the interim period we look forward to a good blow, which should prove to be entertaining. R10 returns After spending many years in an old barn at St.Keyne, number 10 has now been restored by James Chudleigh. The initial removal of a large amount of pigeons s**t revealed a well preserved hull without one cracked rib or plank, just waiting for another enthusiastic Redwinger to give her a lick of varnish to allow her to return to the water. James and his crew Olly hope to be out by the 27th of April to join in the fun . A busy race programme has been organised through to the end of October with Thursday evening racing starting on 25th April. Despite early dominance in the first few races the racing has been close with results, outside the first two, changing on a regular basis. This has got to be good news and can only result in a healthy future for the Redwing fleet and hopefully an increase in championship numbers. Jubilee celebrations For those of you interested in the Jubilee celebrations, the club will be hosting a fun race day with the gig club and R.N.L.I , so why not come along and join in. Perhaps you could sail the Gig, an R.S, Mirror, Red, or just enjoy the sight and share in the bar-b-que strawberries and cream organised for after. The "Festival of the Sea" town celebrations are scheduled to commence on Friday 21/06/02 with H.R.H. Duke of York opening the event and on Saturday the 22/06/02 our annual round the Island race will take place with visiting dinghies and yachts welcome to join in. So if you have a free weekend why not come down and enjoy the sun and sailing, we would love to see you and ensure you have a good time. Ruth and Alex were spotted in town a couple of weeks ago and were reporting positive Redwing activity in Tenby, with increased boat numbers and keen competition. Please tell us more! 18th Birthday celebrations 18th Birthday celebrations at the club for John Crabb provided him with an equal share in R245 Shytalk so our youth policy continues, especially after the arrival of David & Kate's new baby, Joe. Desmond's return from the mud slides of Tenerife, to the sun and sand of Looe, is not due until August 2003 but we are certain he will return to the fleet, but in what boat? Visitors from Fishguard Maurice, Rita, Terry and Sylvia from Fishguard visited the town last weekend to view the Redwing in their normal environment, concluding that there is little difference home or away. Time has now come to rig the boat and go, so good sailing to you all, see you soon. Regards R245 & 224. John, Ben and Colin Crabb
TENBY
The Redwing fleet at Tenby that had been R244, R195, R202, R221, R178 and R228 has been added to this year by the much welcome return of Alex and Ruth with Rossie R219. Alex's first outing of the season was with Dai Thomas crewing for the May holiday regatta. Dai has also returned to the town and is a familiar sight around the sailing club, even though he sometimes forgets himself and can be seen at the sharp end of an Enterprise!
May Bank Holiday Regatta The three-day regatta over the Bank Holiday weekend was a real grueller I'm told (I was away at the time) and not much has been said about it except that Rolly Squibbs did not win. R187 returns to Pembrokeshire News hot of the press is that R187 Jinx has been seen in Tenby. I am reliably informed that she has been bought by Charles Birt one time owner of the late R89 Stormy Petrel. At the moment we do not know who will be sailing her in Tenby Coppett Week The next major event on the Tenby Redwing sailing calendar is the Saundersfoot Coppett Hall regatta taking place during the Spring Bank holiday week. This 'low-key' event, that is never advertised, attracts up to 100 dinghies and has occasional Redwing support over the years mainly from us Midlands visitors. Now it is a little closer since we just have to sail 'round the corner' to take part Tenby SC regatta The Tenby SC regatta for dinghies takes place this year on 29th June and the annual 'Round Caldey Island Race' is on Sunday 30th June. All visiting Redwings are welcome. The Tenby SC 'Round Caldey Island Race' should not be confused with the Saundersfoot SC 'Round Caldey Island Race' that will be taking place on Sunday 25th August at the start of our National Championships - of which more below. Other Redwing happenings REDWING RULES The revised National Redwing Class Rules have been published by the RYA - dated March 2002. For the first time they are available 'online' i.e.on the RYA website in the form of a downloadable '.pdf' file. Click here to view them. The RYA have intimated that they will no longer issue printed copies of the rules so if anyone needs a copy and does not have web access then please let the NRDA Hon. Sec. know and he will send you a copy! DOWN IN DEVON Two enthusiastic gentlemen by the names of Larry Westland and Richard Pears came roaring by in their Austin-Healey to fetch a spare suit of sails from Worcester earlier in the Spring. They were on a quick stop-over before tearing off down to Devon where the new lady in their lives resides; Skua, Redwing 136. Now re-rigged she has been relaunched and will be kept afloat near Salcombe in South Devon. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2002 Preparations for our 2002 National Championships at Tenby SC from 24th to 30th August are well in hand. The 'Notice of Race' and your Entry Form are enclosed or attached herewith. The championships start on the late summer Bank Holiday weekend and this coincides with the regatta of neighbouring Saundersfoot SC that has its 'Round Calday Island Race' during the Sunday. Rather than have a large number of other dinghies joining in with a Redwing Championship race as they cross Carmarthen Bay and Tenby Roads on their way to Caldey, it has been decided that the Redwings may like to enter the Caldey race instead. The start shall be from Saundersfoot Harbour - we will sail round there - but the finish for the Redwing fleet will be at Tenby SC club line. (Unless you find that you are leading the Saundersfoot fleet, of course, you may find the SSC prize more attractive!!!) Obviously there will be a full series of 6 points races as normal. See you all there! REDWING FOR SALE
R94 - 'Frisk'
Complete boat with much gear, sails, cover, trailer etc.
Offers please to
Redwing Sailing in Dartmouth DARTMOUTH ROYAL REGATTA-NATIONAL REDWING CLASS POINTS TROPHY Last summer racing the family 38' boat Matawa in the Dartmouth Regatta, we were somewhat surprised to be told after the 4 days racing, that we'd won a cup for the first Dartmouth Yacht Club boat on handicap in Portsmouth Yardstick Class II - the sort of 'odds and sods' class for non-racing yachts. I'd never heard of this cup and it took some considerable tracking down. However when it was eventually located, we had a lovely surprise because it turned out to be a big silver cup labelled "National Redwing Class Points Trophy - Dartmouth Royal Regatta". In fact it is an old cup with the original engraving "Minima Yacht Club Challenge Cup for 1/2 Raters" but that needs further research elsewhere. Anyway, I bought R101 Fiona in 1960 (from the Mayflower Dinghy Club in Plymouth for �45) to get some competitive dinghy racing on the Dart. I was at the Royal Naval College training for the Navy at the time and in those heady days there were a dozen Redwings on the Dart racing regularly. We raced Tuesday evenings and Saturdays launching from the Higher Ferry Slip. The highlight of the season was the three days of the Dartmouth Regatta at the end of August. We raced in the harbour on the Thursday and Saturday and outside in 'The Range' on the Friday and the overall leader won this cup. The cup is well-engraved with some illustrious names - Fiona's regrettably not amongst them! The first name on the cup is 1957 - Dr. Aucutt in Skua (R136). The well-known Ted Rolfe from Torquay won it in 1960 in Seagull (R200). Ted Cox (sadly deceased) won it in Red Dart (R192) in 1963 and in Spindrift R172 in 1968, but otherwise it was usually a cut-throat duel between the two best Redwing sailors on the Dart, Dick Hamblin and Ken Witten. Ken is also sadly no longer alive but I've recently had a great reminisce on the telephone with Dick Hamblin who now lives in Paignton. He continues to race in the Dartmouth Regatta in a boat in the same class as Matawa and so is eligible to win the cup he has won a few times before. Dick's boats were R19 Gleam in which he won in 1965 and then R206 Ardua in which he won in 1966, '70, '71 and '73. Ken triumphed in 1964 in Woodpecker, which I seem to remember was R4, before moving up to R39 Gremlin in which he won in 1964, '67 and '69. The final Redwing name on the cup is that of Derek Stoyle sailing R194 Vianne and he won in 1974 and 1976. I also had a good conversation with him as he still lives in Dartmouth and as a builder participated in the construction of our family house there. He went on racing his Redwing on Dittisham Lake for many years after the rest of us had given up and he was proud to tell me that he is STILL racing a Laser there at the age of 73. Redwing sailors go on for ever! I'm afraid this is rather lengthy but I should finally add that I've also recently had a good conversation with the current owner of Fiona, Lawrence Drennan who lives in Shrewsbury. He's doing a lot of much needed reconstruction before sailing her on Chelmarsh reservoir and it is very nice for me to think that the boat in which we had so much pleasurable sailing and racing over 30 years is still in existence and being cherished by someone. Nicko Franks Chatham COMPLETE LIST OF REDWING CHAMPIONS NAMES ENGRAVED ON THE NATIONAL REDWING POINTS TROPHY
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