Ding Dong! reaches along
With a repetition of the previous year's Town Cup, The Office (Nigel Musto - Ker 32) had a storming start under spinnaker. After a mediocre and twisted spinnaker hoist, Ding Dong! was amongst the pack in dirty air on the north shore, 'in the Luther' according to Dooley (Luther referring to Luther Vandross [a singer] - 'dross' meaning bad air!). Despite being unwell for sometime, Dooley said he "would not miss this race for the world".
After the start, The Office, Sensor (David Chatterton and Simon Talbot - IMX 40) and Jump The Gun! (Frank Curtis - J105) were all ahead of us on the foul tide spinnaker reach out of the river. Those who started towards the south shore, Fiona VIII (David Geaves - Prima 38) and Royal Blue Addict (Jennie Austin - Beneteau 40.7) were also faring well.
On the way out we had to pass Inner Crouch to port and those ahead of us on the north shore bore away towards the mark and into the foul tide perhaps a little too early. The 'brains trust' at the back elected to hang onto the shore just a little longer and we were able to bear down to Inner Crouch with a slight increase in the breeze. Approaching the mark with the rest of the fleet to leeward and trying to find a space in which to 'slot' was a little anxious but we held our nerve and were rewarded with just gaining water rights over Royal Blue Addict - it was touch and go!
At Inner Crouch the NW wind increased and many struggled with their spinnakers to hitch up towards the north shore where the best tidal shelter existed. Boats were suddenly going everywhere and big gaps appeared which Fiona and we took full advantage of. Ding Dong! goes 'like a roasted stoat' (more 'Dooley-speak') on a breezy tight spinnaker reach and we were able to climb over Fiona and reach the north shore to weather of her with The Office astern.
Beyond shore ends we were trying to maintain clear air from Fiona which meant sailing very close to our draft. Before Outer Crouch, where the sand starts to come out to meet you, we touched and bumped hard twice (knocking over one of our trimmers!) - immediately all the fleet behind bore away except Fiona. Much to everyone's surprise, she hardened up a little and despite expectations - Fiona remained afloat and avoided going 'over the handle-bars' (Dooley-speak). The call to harden up came from Tubby Lee and talking to him afterwards he knew of the bump that we had tried to 'flatten' and of the small channel to the north of where we had touched!
We lead around the first turning mark and were able to maintain and steadily extend our lead around the course. Later on in the race, a jammed headsail in the pre-feeder before the spinnaker take-down at West Hook Middle and then nodding gently towards Swin Spitway, bare-headed for 1? minutes, had me in apoplexy and was another memorable 'moment'. This incident re-focused the whole crew for the rest of the race and perhaps was a blessing in disguise!
The long return leg back into the river was a two sail 'free' fetch, ideal conditions for the Dong! 25 knots of breeze, a shining sun, the trimmers were 'busier than 40 beach donkeys' (Dooley-speak) and we were absolutely flying, what's more we were 'in the chocolates'. The finish at the RCYC line was a moment we shall never forget. We were hard up on the north shore cheating the first of the spring ebb and we finished directly off the end of the RCYC pontoon, to the loud report of a canon followed by a thunderous cheer from the packed balcony.
The rest of the fleet had to plug up the river to the finish against an increasing spring ebb. Ding Dong! claimed her second successive Town Cup win by five minutes from The Office with Jump The Gun! a further minute behind. For me our win was particularly poignant as it was exactly 65 years ago that my grandfather, Percy Duce, won The Town Cup in 1938 on board Blue Trout.
Dooley Tue
If ever there was a moment in the history of the Town Cup when both the winners and onlookers struggled to remain dry-eyed it was when Dooley received the 'The Pot' from the Mayor, Rosie Buck. In typical Dooley-fashion the first to be offered a sip from the Trophy was Rosie, who exclaimed that she had never drunk out of the Town Cup before - she was delighted as was all the packed crowd at the prize-giving. Another moment that we shall never forget.
Ding Dong! team: Doug Duce (Helm), Peter Payne (Navigator), Simon Smith (Trimmer), Jon Sturmer (Trimmer), Dooley Tue (Master of all trades), Matt Vincent (Mainsheet Trimmer), Guy Waites (Foredeck), Nick Young (Mast) & Rebecca (Guest).
Doug Duce
Footnote (March 2004) Sadly in February 2004 Dooley lost his battle against cancer and died. As a fitting honour Pauline Wells organised the Town Cup to be at the White Harte for the duration of his wake. Dooley bowed out being a winner but for him it was not all about the winning, he took pleasure in getting the best out of any boat (including smacks) and having fun and a joke along the way. With many second places in Town Cup races over the years he was often the 'Town Cup bridesmaid' - however, not so for his last race.
