2018 SAILING SEASON

LATEST EVENT

A fleet of ten boats returned to Carsington  for the third TT of the season, 8th-9th June, getting in the full 5-race programme in spite of breeze varying light to nothing and swinging NE to E and back again. Stuart Ede consistently found the boat-speed to pull out ahead, and was unlucky not to get a clean sweep, still taking the event counting three wins, ahead of Alastair Forrest.

Previous TT leaders Gareth Ede and John Terry missed the event, and Stuart now tops the 2018 TT Leaderboard. His performance gained him the Handicap win for the event, and he holds on the 2018 Handicap Leaderboard  so will fly all four winner/leader flags at his next event! (Report and photos)

(Below: Close racing at Carsington in the light breeze and sunshine, Saturday, as the fleet turns through the gate. Photo CSC Safety Rib, with thanks)

NEXT EVENT  We will be back to Bala June 29th-July 1st for the Catapult Nationals, after the successful TT hosting by Bala Sailing Club in 2017, running the fun racing as part of the Bala Gala on Friday afternoon, and the Nationals Saturday and Sunday. We will again share the weekend racing with the Tinker Tramps, after the success last year.

2018 EVENT ROUND-UP SO FAR

Catapult returned to a favourite event, the May Bank Holiday TT at Bassenthwaite The record UK temperatures and sunshine gave a challenging mix of light shifting breezes, with a moderate SW settling in each afternoon. John Terry won his first 2018 event from Gareth Ede (decided on the last race) with Alastair Forrest similarly plucking third from Stuart Ede on the last race result. (Report and photos)

 John could count his string of wins and seconds (just pipping Gareth.)  Chris Upton scored two Handicap wins to take the event, with Stuart just holding top place on the

(Below: the fleet streams across  in front of Scafell, in Saturday sunshine. (Photo BSC RIB, with thanks)

Before that, the season opened again 7th-8th April, at Rutland  (the home club of Mike Gough and John Terry) again welcoming the combination of Catapults and Squibs, accommodating Catapult's wish for triangular courses for upwind and reaching speed. Light breezes still let a 5-race series complete over two days, and in close racing three helms shared the first places, until last-year's TT winner Gareth Ede took the event by 2 points, with Stuart Ede in second,
 (Results and Report) Stuart took the event on Handicap, with Damien Cooney notching up a first handicap win.

  2018 EVENTS  The 2018 racing Programme  has several favourite venues back for 2018, with  Yorkshire Dales confirmed.

For some real sea sailing, Catapult will join the Royal Yorkshire YC Regatta again over the August Bank Holiday weekend, and will take up the hospitality, and Blackwater tides, again at Stone Week

 A new development is a two-day event at Bewl in Kent 15-16th September, as a joint event with the Wanderers, returning to a traditional Catapult venue after a 3-year gap. (Catapults are welcome to take part in the open Bewl Blast on 4 March, not part of our TT Series.)

HANDICAPS 2018 John Terry has revised the individual handicaps for 2018, based on 2017 performance, and they are up on the Handicap Leaderboard 2018. John will watch performance closely, and adjust handicaps halfway through the season (to be announced at Bala.)

CATAPULT WANTED BY BUYER IN GERMANY  Bernhard Haemmerl is hoping for a Catapult (any rig, but wanting to trapeze) with sound hulls. He is at  84095 Furth (70 kilometers east of Munich) and can be contacted at bernhard.haemmerl@gmx.de

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 IN FRANCE?  Chris Beckett, a Parisian who sailed Catapult 10 years ago is working with Stuart to look at a possible Championship in 2019. Club de Voile des Hauts de Seine on the Lac de Foret d'Orient, near Troyes, about 115 miles ESE of Paris on the edge of the Ardennes is in the frame (used by the 505's in the past). The big lake is set in wooded rolling hills with sandy beaches, with lots of campsites, and it is accessible from ports like Calais (255 miles) and Zeebrugge (266 miles)


    DVDs FROM CATAPULT EVENTS; LIST AVAILABLE Syd Gage has worked on the output from his and George's on-board cameras (photo further below) to produce great videos of Catapult action, including a season roundup. The list and details are here

   SPARES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS Through the generosity of past Catapult sailor Admiral Sir Robert Hill and previous Secretary John Peperell, the Association has a good supply of spares to keep the fleet afloat in cases of breakage or damage.  John Terry manages the store: list of spares here and guidelines on availablity here

  NEW REPAIR ADVICE Syd Gage has added to his stream of practical advice and detailed instructions with a new article on DIY Puncture-free PU-foam-filled Tyres The article here shows what to buy, and Syd’s excellent photos and instructions (and personal setbacks) show how to change the steel roller bearings to nylon ones (more suitable for water immersion).  Many more are  here, the latest on  Repairing frame bolts  beam repairs, mast buoyancy, and halyard options.  
 
(Below: Syd Gage's camera mounting, picking up the opposition ahead as he concentrates on catching them.) (Photo Paul Hargreaves with thanks.)

CATAPULT CRUISING  Justin (below) uses Catapult's shroud adjustment to dip the mast and negotiate the New Cut bridge between the Waveney and Yare rivers: more ) Get in touch with Alastair (at alastairforrest@hotmail.com ) with cruising plans or reports to add to the Cruising write-ups.

   
Jon Montgomery: Designer of Catapult: 22nd February 1935 - 9th June 2009.

 A tribute to Jon here.