Thames Sailing Club

Centreboard Sailing Report – October 11–12, 2025

I can only hope that you have all had a good rest, because the time has come to make the new sailing season a success for the club. Much has been prepared, and the facilities are in good order. Make sure you are as ready as we are.

Centreboard sailing is an Olympic sport for sailors of all ages, so there is hardly a reason for you to feel too old or too young to become a winner. Come along and take us on!

In Detail:

Saturday, October 11:

An early briefing and cold weather with strong winds did not confine everyone to a more comfortable place.

In our learn-to-sail group was a whole family: a father, a daughter, and two young siblings. While the siblings received a brief induction from an ex-commodore, everyone else listened in. The patrol boat was launched, and it was time to hit the water.

Soon, the boats sailed a figure of eight around two buoys. The more experienced sailors eventually went a little further. As always, there were a few Chinese gybes.

Please, everyone, keep in mind to point the bow of the boat (the front) into the wind, and do not hold onto the boom when handling the boat on shore or when getting ready to sail off. Otherwise, the resulting battle can cause damage.

The strong conditions made sailors abandon sailing early. Once you get exhausted, there is nothing left to gain.

Therefore, the first day of sail training was cut short.

Sunday, October 12:

When conditions are not the best on the previous day, they sometimes become worse. The wind had veered further north, now blowing somewhere around 20 knots with more than enough gusts.

We had enough members turn up to cover all important positions, and three Laser sailors decided to give it a go anyway (regardless of the conditions). We had a briefing, we set up a course, and we held a debriefing. The rest cannot be considered good advertising for the sport.

Not one boat came even close to the bottom mark of the course, nor did we even get to have a start.

Sail maintenance was done by rinsing with salt water first, then with fresh water when back ashore. Later in the season, we might have handled it differently, but it was not doable on this first race day. However, sailors will still score under our Commitment Competition. Results will be presented on our website soon.

Next Up:

The first sailing weekend of our Centreboard season was more than just a test—it was the start of what we hope will be an exciting season spanning over seven months. The next events will follow the same format.

You are all invited to be part of this great sport.

Don’t forget to stay up to date: https://www.thamessailingclub.co.nz/