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In response to the requests by competitors of Weymouth Speed Week to resurrect the "May weekend" this year we had 5 days at the reservoir at Weir Wood in East Sussex. This is, after all, where speed sailing really started in the early 60’s
Weir Wood is a lake owned by Southern Water about 2000 metres long roughly triangular in shape bounded by the 500 metre dam to the north east having tree lined banks gently sloping away from the water.
The purpose of the week is to provide the opportunity for sailors to wet the bottoms of their boats in preparation for Weymouth Speed Week. This annual event is being held from the 2nd to the 8th of October in Portland Harbour at the Weymouth Sailing Centre.
The weather forecast was not promising, but then is it ever!
Monday morning I drove the 28 miles up country from Eastbourne to Forest Row where Nick Povey lives. We loaded up the timing gear computers, Joddy boxes, laser tape, and radios and headed on to Weirwood a couple of miles away.
Nick and I arrived at the waters edge with Nick’s creation. This is a Windsurfer with two dinner plates fore and aft underneath. Slade Penoyre drifted in with his much modified Catapult followed by Peter Worsley and Jim Crafer with Peter’s Rotary Sailing Craft and a model of a rather luxurious cat some 4 or 5feet long driven by 5 solid wings and controlled by radio.
The weather was to say the least a bit blowy but the two assembled their respective vehicles in order to put to sea.
Peter, obviously very nervous about the conditions, and was relieved when he discovered he had left the main driving belt behind. This meant the connection between rotor and prop was none existent so it was a tomorrow job.
Nick was not so lucky and got on the water to do two things. The first "could he get going with a water start" and once going. would it come up on the foils.
With a 5.9 sq metre sail and gusty wind conditions he managed to get vertical for short periods. As he got the hang of staying up he gradually got the upper hand and later in the day became foil borne for a short time.
Very promising!
Nick came ashore absolutely worn out and we called it a day.
Tuesday and we gathered once again at the waterside. This time there was very little wind. The wind speed trickled up from nothing to about 4 – 5 knots. We achieved very little except to setup the timing gear and renewed our knowledge of how it worked. With no documentation (I really must get down to writing some) it is a bit hard to remember how the programs fit together.
I tried the new software designed to make it easier but naturally it did not work as well as I had hoped but it gave Nick the opportunity to make some constructive criticisms to improve the on screen display. I was quite happy with it except that the wind speed display did not work for some reason.
Torix Bennett turned up with his Sea Spider now fitted with carbon masts and numerous other minor modifications.
A new Patrick Mayne came down from Ross-on-Wye with a Foiler 21 he has recently purchased. This boat is well made and he would like any information about its performance and history. I seem to remember it in the early 80’s. It certainly goes well. He could only stay 2 days due to work commitments so he missed the fun on Thursday. I do hope he comes to Weymouth in October.
The producer, John Kent, of the BBC programme Tomorrow’s World turned up. He had seen the web site and after talking to us decided that even if there was no wind it would be worth bringing a camera crew down for a day to get some footage. It is apparent that this year the television industry is having a boating year. I have had numerous calls from different sources about programmes and bits for the news etc. I may be wrong but I am of the opinion that we need some one to do 40+ knots at Weymouth before we can really get media interest.
Peter Worsley did not come back as he saw the weather forecast. However we drifted about for the day interspersed with a long lunch at the Brambletye in Forest Row.
Wednesday was very much the same but Thursday was activity all day. Vans, cars, black boxes and television people who spoke in telespeak or whatever language they use buzzed around. To cries of " and ACTION"
The camera man and a sound man walked around all day joined together by a coax cable filming with Phillipa Forrester interviewing us all and pointing out the various aspects of the unusual craft to the viewers. When the programme goes out I am interested to see what sort of impression we make on the membership of AYRS. Peter did not return until Friday. This was a little disappointing but again he saw the weather forecast. The wind – no breeze – dropped from 4-5 knots down to nothing when the cups on the anemometer finally stopped going round. However Torix had a camera strapped on to his boat and using the Weirwood Dory which is fitted with a 35 horsepower motor he was towed up and down the lake to get action shots.
The filming finished around 6.30 by which time we were all exhausted with the excitement. Being celebrities really is tiring.
It was a lovely day and we all finished sitting on the bank watching the trout jumping as the sun went down. It is a beautiful location.
I could not get back to the lake on Friday so the wind blew and Peter and Nick had a great day testing their creations while Torix and Slade packed up their boats.
All in all a very nice week! Thanks are due to Ian Taylor, the fishing manager, for helping to make it all possible. We must do it again.
Robert Downhill, 27 May 1999