CRUISING
40 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com APRIL 2016‘The boom shot across,
careering unchecked,
coming to rest on
the leeward shroud’
Thanks to Angela Cordon at The Royal
Solent YC for supplying a RIB for our
photographer.For more information about Folkboats,
visit: http://www.folkboats.comfor me with that up,’ he told me as his
grip tightened on the tiller. ‘The mast is
stepped on the coachroof, so I don’t push
her hard. I’d be putting unnecessary strain
on her. She takes the sea well, but in her
old age I try not to put her through too
much bad weather. She doesn’t have a self-
draining cockpit, so everything ends up in
the bilge and has to be pumped out.’
The race marshal’s boat was lost from
sight but across the airwaves her radio
informed us that the plan for two short
races had changed to one long race.
Dave and Rob were still up for a sail, so
we headed for the start line, close to thetied the mainsail back down to the boom.
Wet, miserable and dejected, we had
drifted downtide and well away from the
start line. The other cruisers had set off
and almost disappeared from view. It was
a sad but sensible shout when the skipper
announced it was time to retire gracefully.
With the engine on we turned and headed
to the shelter of Yarmouth Harbour. Wmainland shore by Fawley. The wind had
abated to Force 5, but a strong ebb tide
was running against it. Wind over tide in
the western Solent is not comfortable.
With Dave and Rob taking turns on the
helm we had a fast sail across the Solent
and as we approached the committee boat
the racing Nordic Folkboats lined up for
their start. Dave decided to gybe and head
inshore to escape the worst of the tide,
letting the Nordics start ahead of us.
Rob hauled in the mainsheet to control
the boom as Dave brought Carlinetta dead
downwind. Suddenly, wham! The boom
shot across, unchecked, coming to rest on
the leeward shroud. Our shocked disbelief
quickly changed to relief as the mast
vibrated, but stayed upright and intact.
The mainsheet had been torn off the boom
end in the gybe, leaving the mainsail
dangerously free to do as it pleased.
The only safe option was to drop the
mainsail. With Dave fixed on the tiller,
Rob and Karen recovered the errant sail
and stopped it flogging and
straining like a wild animal.
With spanners, screwdrivers and
string, they managed to re-fix
the mainsheet to the boom.
In the meantime, with only
the genoa set, Dave found it
difficult to get close to the wind.
Karen carefully released one tie
at a time as Rob began hoisting
the main. The air was loud
with flapping and swearing and
the problems got worse. The
halyard wrapped itself around
the jumper stays and refused to
come clear. They were fighting
a losing battle as Carlinetta
pitched and rolled, so they
quickly freed the halyard andRobin Walters began organising the Folkboat
Week to offer one-design racing for the classRoger and Sue Hayward’s Varne Folkboat, Sandpiper