After three previous Class 1 yachts, (Blush 1989 - 1993, Flashback 1995 and The Geek 1997 - 1998) and numerous attempts at winning the most prestigious trophy on the East Coast (we were so often the 'bridesmaid') - could 2002 be the year for I Say?.. Ding Dong!? New in 2000, Andrew Stewart (the owner's brother) developed her from his Geek design.
Town Cup day dawned with a moderate NNW wind that brought all the prospects of a challenging race. At the early morning meeting of the JCC course committee there was careful consideration over the most suitable course. As low water was at mid-day and Victory (Roy Hart - 1982 Ed Dubois designed 12-metre) has a 3m draft with Sensor (David Chatterton and Josh Warren - IMX 40) and Ding Dong! both 0.5m less, the JCC deliberations were lengthy!
To ensure as much upwind work as possible and without taking the fleet to Clacton, a series of short windward/leeward legs were selected (at the perseverance of Tony Merewether) before taking the fleet further out. Prior to the start the committee boat Race Officers (Jo Barker and Mary Reynolds) were kept busy broadcasting repeatedly the 19 buoys of this special course. This in turn made the navigators sweat a little more than normal, all of which added to the charged atmosphere that always precedes this race.
The race started fair tide and The Office (Nigel Musto - Ker 32) hit the line with spinnaker drawing in clear air and at full speed - the perfect start that all of us were striving to achieve! The Office maintained her lead out of the river followed by Ding Dong! then Sensor and Assassin (P Jackson and W Stevens - J39) with Victory steadily 'chomping' her way through the fleet to leeward under main and genoa.
Victory rounded the first turning mark just ahead of Ding Dong! and you had to feel sorry (well almost!) for the crew members manning the coffee-grinders (which included a 'mature' Ray Austin!) who were providing the power to slowly sheet in the enormous sails - I was unsure if the creaks and groans were coming from Victory or her crew!
During the first of four short beats to the edge of the Buxey Sand, Victory had to duck our transom and the sight of a 12-metre in 20 knots of breeze bearing away and easing sheets to miss you was memorable - again on hardening up the same groaning sounds emanated from the area of the coffee-grinders. These tight and testing short windward/leeward legs (with the occasional two sail reaching leg) generated frenetic action for all crews.
By now the tide was on the flood and Victory had overhauled us. On the way out to West Hook Middle, when the wind built slightly, we managed not to lose too much time to her but on the next leg up to Swin Spitway and then on the fair tide fetch for home she soon started to stretch her extremely long legs. We in turn had continued to draw steadily away from The Office and Assassin. Watches had been constantly logging the fleet at mark roundings (there were many of them!) and we had known for a while that we were winning. However, everybody was restraining their nervous excitement and was not speaking about our position for fear of attracting bad luck. Dooley kept reminding us of the old adage that 'The Town Cup is often won and lost in the river' which only added to the tense excitement. At Shore Ends and all the way up the river the breeze held firm but Victory continued to extend her significant 'on the water' lead.
We just laid the RCYC finish line in one tack all the way from the Spitway and by this stage were optimistic that we had saved our time - no longer the 'bridesmaid'! On corrected time Ding Dong! won by over 3 minutes with the next 6 boats, lead by Victory, all being within 3 minutes of each other.
Given the difficult conditions the course was an overwhelming success and was praised by everybody after the race - well done the JCC.
The celebrations really started in earnest after Robbie had been presented with the Town Cup by the Mayor, Pauline Wells, and then continued in a similar vein around the Town - we had been waiting for this opportunity for years.
Contrary to what I thought, the winner more than spares a thought for the 'bridesmaid' and had it not been for the testing first part of the course and leaky runner hydraulics (another story!) Victory may well have lived up to her name.
You will always remember winning the historic Town Cup, it puts a big smile on your face for the whole year.
Ding Dong! team: Robbie Stewart (Owner / tactician), Doug Duce (Helm), Peter Payne (Navigator), Rob Smith (Trimmer), Karen Smith (Downwind Trimmer), Jon Sturmer (Upwind Trimmer), Dooley Tue (Master of all trades), Tom Tue (Mast) & Guy Waites (Foredeck).
Doug Duce
Footnote - September 2006 Ron Pipe, local working fisherman who seldom raced, was tactician onboard Victory for the 2002 Town Cup. The return leg into the river included passing the North Swallowtail buoy, which after Ron's sudden death in 2004 was fittingly renamed Ron Pipe. At the time of the 2006 Town Cup a pair of Ron's characteristic clogs was still hanging from the top mark of this safewater buoy.
