News : Report by David Jessop (Splash 1758) 

I've recently returned from the Dutch Splash Nationals in Workum, sailing on the Ijsselmeer. It was hard work with winds ranging from force 4 to force 7, but we were made to feel very welcome and camping on site was great. 162 Splashes turned up, with about 300 Optimists and 50 Flashes.
There were 4 days of racing. On the first 3 days 8 races were scheduled, the fleet being split into 3 flights with 1 discard. On the fourth day 2 more races were proposed, racing in Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets with the points carried over from the previous races, but with no discard allowed.
Thursday began with a force 4-5 ( ideal for me as I am one of the lighter sailors ), and after rounding the first windward mark in third, I won the opening race. In the second race the wind had increased to force 5, and I finished in second behind the overall winner of the event.
On Friday the wind had increased as predicted, and we sailed a tiring day of three races in winds increasing from force 5 up to 7 at the end of the day. In the first race there was a big fight for position at the front of the fleet, from which I scored another 2nd. In the second race I rounded the windward mark in second, but as I seemed to be faster downwind than anyone else I managed to overtake the leader before the leeward mark. Being heavier, he managed to overtake me upwind, but I took him again downwind and held the lead to the finish. I had a disappointing last race however, and after recovering from a capsize I finished 13th.
On Saturday only the brave or foolhardy launched ( I definitely fell into the latter category, as I had serious doubts as to how I would cope in a force 7, especially with the nasty waves that had built up over the very shallow Ijsselmeer ). I was leading the first race, but after messing up the gybe at the leeward mark, I dropped to 6th, from which I fought back to finish 3rd. Many sailors dropped their sails after this race, and I was ready to join them, but another race was held in what was fast becoming 'survival conditions'. In the second race we were hit by a vicious squall on the run. Most of the boats around me capsized, and I found myself in the lead for a few seconds, before, despite my determination to be able to discard my 13th, I succumbed to the same fate. Unfortunately, my daggerboard fell out and the mast became anchored in the bottom of the Ijsselmeer, forcing me to retire from the race, very disappointed.
On coming ashore after being towed in I found that not only had I lost both wind indicators ( That's 4 in the last month! Dad won't be happy! ), but I also had a disturbing bend in my mast. After a moment of panick, much to my relief Roel Wester sat on it skilfully, returning it to its original shape. He also worked miracles on other boats, repairing 4 damaged Splashes overnight.
The last day of racing looked more promising, with a force 5 dropping to 4 during the day. We were now racing in Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets, and had to count both results, making the races much more pressurized. In the first race I lost the lead due to a yellow flag, but caught back up and had a close fight to the line with the leader, but failed to overtake him. The second race saw me going completely the wrong way up the beat and rounding the first mark in the mid 30's, but taking advantage of the increasingly shifty winds I managed to pull my way through the fleet to finish 8th.
I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and it was well worth taking three days off school ( with my Headmaster's permission of course! ) to attend. Overall I finished 6th, and it was good to see the Dutch sailors who came to our Nationals at Blackwater last year.

David Jessop GBR1758

Pictures from David Jessop

Coming in after an exhilirating day!

This was before we got out!

Going out on a quiet day

Source: http://www.richard-binns.co.uk/splash/e-club-0521.htm