Wanderer Category: Events

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Wanderer Nationals at Whitstable Yacht Club

Wanderer Nationals at Whitstable Yacht Club, Saturday September 2nd and Sunday September 3rd 2023 by Tim Barr Ten Wanderers gathered at Whitstable during the last week of August and the first weekend of September. Wanderer East, a series of cruises up the Swale and over to the island of Sheppey was held during the week. On Saturday and Sunday seven of the boats competed for the Ian Proctor Wanderer Nationals and Gavin Barr trophies over four races. Saturday races were held in a moderate force three out of the North East. The first start was into a flood tide with an even start line. W 1819 Helmed by Colin Gilbert and crewed by Geoff Floyd led at the first mark closely followed by 1282 helmed by Tim Barr with Jack Skipper as crew. These two boats pulled away from the fleet with 1819 ho1ding on to the lead until the

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Try-a-Wanderer 2023

by John Renouf Marlow Sailing Club (MSC) is a friendly and laid-back sailing club with a small site on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream from the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey. The site has a good river frontage with a slipway, and sailing here is characterised by the necessity to have long narrow race courses, a steady water flow in one direction, the presence of tree-line banks that have a significant effect on wind, and the continual presence of other watercraft of every type from stand-up paddleboards  and rowing boats to motor cruisers of all shapes and sizes. The day of the 2023 Try-a-Wanderer event (postponed from May due to poor river conditions and a water-logged club site) at MSC fell within the unusually fine and warm spell (for the time of year) of weather in October. MSC had chosen to combine the

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2023 Wanderer Inland Nationals at Cotswold Sailing Club

Saturday started with rain, but this was short-lived with the sun returning by the time the seven-strong fleet were rigging their boats for the 2023 Wanderer Class Owner’s Association Inlands, held once again at the Cotswolds Sailing Club. The race officer, Ray Workman, then briefed us on the “knitting pattern” 5p 8p 10p 4s 1s 9s (or thereabouts!) which constituted the course for the first race. The wind was as strong and gusty as forecast, but this did not give an inkling as to the shiftiness, which seemed in the event to be plus or minus 50 degrees at times, with gusts from both sides. And so to the racing. In the first race there was little to separate Ian Simpson (W1004 crew Dave Bardwell), Lindsey Weatherly (W1795 crew Hillary Handley) and Leonie Milliner (W1800 crew Evelyn Johnson) at the first mark. The next run/reach was a spinnaker leg (not

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West Oxfordshire SC Spring Races, Wanderer and Wayfarer Open

Winning Tactics by Ian Simpson, Dave Bardwell and Amanda Shakir (W 1004) Photos of Race 1 sailed in the lightest of airs by Philip Meadowcroft On 22nd and 23rd April, Ian Simpson and Dave Bardwell won the West Oxford Wanderer Regatta, winning all five races in Dave’s boat, Teazle. The event was held simultaneously with a parallel Wayfarer event, sailing the same courses, with the Wayfarers having a 5-minute start. In the fourth race, Ian and Dave came first on the water beating not only the other Wanderers, but also the Wayfarers, even with their 5-minute head start. When asked to recount their tactics – what happened during the race, Ian said that he didn’t know – he was watching the front of the jib all the time. Dave said that that was also true for him. So this write-up, clearly, will contain the adventures of the front of the

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Wanderer West 2023

A report by Andrew Powell This was the second iteration of the brainchild of Martin Overton and John Sharples: a few days for Wanderer sailors to meet and sail and camp in beautiful Cornish surroundings and go cruising together. The campsite, Coastland at Mylor, has a sloping field with terraced pitches, so everyone has a lovely view over the river Fal as they eat their breakfasts! To be able to walk from one’s tent to one’s boat and launch, without using the car, adds immeasurably to the event, especially for Paul, my crew, and me; neither of our wives sail but they are free use the car to go and explore the surroundings, and sometimes meet up with us when we put in for lunch. The Tuesday was dominated by arriving and putting up the tent, and stepping masts and rigging boats for the next day. On Wednesday we met

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