Chris Bentley
So this is maybe what i mean when i say we need to use our website to communicate. The below is a message i sent as a reply from BFG to my Medway Sonatas after the RTI. Sorry if the pic is upside down, not idea why. But you will get the gist. I guess any of you North of Watford will have no idea what went on in that race. It was lumpy and very windy. As it happened, after Callista dumped her rig, we on BFG had a mini committee meeting on the beat back to Cowes and decided to gift the Sonata reserve mast to Callista, subject of course to NSA approval, which was subsequently granted, because, he, Chris, Callista, had already entered the Poole Nationals and we were no way going to prevent him from competing. He did. All good.
So, your Association works, even when beating to windward in 30knts. You should be proud of that. We are all owners/sailors of Sonatas, we want to communicate with you, as per my previous posts. All we require is for you to communicate with us.
Chris
Thanks Paul and all,
Have to say it was more of a war of attrition than a yacht race and we only got our names on the salver because we were last Sonata men (and ladies) standing. I think we may be the smallest (LOA) boat to finish this year – anyone with a head for stats want to check that for me? Thanks to my crew, Dave Hill, veteran of all our RTI campaigns who pulled everything in very hard and stopped the boat shaking itself to pieces, Santha Patel, first time around, and bit of a fiery baptism, but a New Zealand surfer, so quite at home on the foredeck up to her neck in lumps of the Solent, partner Sharon who magnificently steered downwind to St Cats and pulled out a lead of 5 minutes on our closest rival Sonata, (which yours truly lost when he took back the stick on the next leg) only to regain the lead by default when they dumped their rig over the side.
As always, I am constantly amazed by what Sonatas will stand up to, BFG was in much better shape than I was and the joy of overtaking 36ft boats both upwind and downwind is one of the reasons I love this race, so thanks Dave Thomas for designing such a tough, enduring and competitive little boat.
Regards
Chris and Sharon
PS Congratulations also to Joe, our Sonata Chairman, who won his Class, not in a Sonata, boo, but some feat nonetheless in that race.
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
On 3 Jul 2016, at 11:46, Paul Hopper <pmf.hopper@gmail.com> wrote:
All
Well done to BFG coming 71st on corrected time completing the race in 8 hours 53 minutes.
That is some feat in a Sonata in yesterdays weather!!!!
Paul
(Bruised and battered after 2 hours on the Medway!)