THE
MAINSHEET
Summer 2011
Contents
9 July -
Preparation for this event started on Friday afternoon although the new Quarter Deck
canopy was put up earlier in the week. Fairy lights were hung and The ‘Hog’ and its
spit roast equipment was collected from Splashdown Farm. Finally the clubhouse and
deck was generally spruced-
First thing on Saturday the hog roast rotisserie was set up and the cooking got underway.
The first day of the AQSC regatta doubled up as a SigneT Open meeting. The SigneTs raced with the club boats but their results were calculated separately for the purposes of their points series. Saturdays programme included three races (Regatta Trophy Race 1 & 2) and (SigneT Open Meeting Race 1, 2 & 3). The wind was straight down the river Force 3 gusting 4, perfect sailing conditions. Frank Rainsborough was OOD, Eric Bridgewater AOD and Don Barnett manned the patrol boat.
The course was a classic windward, leeward with a two mark dog leg in between and was scheduled for an hours duration. The racing got underway at 11:30am with five SigneT’s and four club boats. By the end of the day the SigneT results were Richard Cannon & Liz Archer (ST368) 1st, Keith Hatton & Mike Baker (ST369) 2nd, Pat Overs & Roy Melsom (ST761) 3rd, John Panting & Rebecca Gittoes (ST924) 4th, and Kate Taylor & Luke Anstey (ST387) 5th. The club results rolled over to Sunday. Many thanks to Pat Irving and Brenda Panting for the lunchtime BBQ and all day tea and coffee.
As soon as the SigneT prize giving was over people began to drift away and preparations began for the evening. This included putting up the side and end panels on the Quarter Deck deck canopy. A further gazebo cover was then erected on the water front for our ladies to serve the multi salads that accompanied the hog roast. The race box was moved to make more space and tables and chairs set up. Pete Carpenter meanwhile set up the bar, complete with ice making machine, and prepared a large bowl of Pimms No. 1
The evenings activities were scheduled to start 7:30pm although by this time the bar was in full swing with pints of the Hogs Back Brewery’s TEA (Traditional English Ale) going in all directions. The other Hog, which had started spit roasting early morning looked and smelt amazing. I think Nigel is really getting the knack of this. The side tables groaned under the weight of salads, desserts and fruit that Diana and her army of helpers kept bringing out.
At about 8:30pm Nigel announced the hog was well and truly ready and the queues started forming. I have to say that the meat was cooked to perfection and the crackling outstanding. Nigel, who was carving, just managed to stay abreast of demand, ably assisted by Anne as the queue filed past from the salads. The rest of the evening was spent drinking and chatting, with low volume recorded jazz in the clubhouse. Some 84 people came to the hog roast which is one of our best ever attendance; the Quarter Deck with the canopy make a tremendous difference to an event such as this, as it doubles the space.
Mike (Over Easy) Baker
The SigneT sailors
ST 368 go faster ploy; saving weight by dispensing with crews
Anne & Nigel finishing the hog