Tag Archives: launching platform

Sunday 7th July at Datchet – Saving the Launching Platform…!!

Unexpectedly we had rather a great day at Datchet on Sunday. So many people are racing away, we only had four Marbleheads out and the weather was a challenge. (I did discover embarrassingly that my shorts go transparent when drenched by rain… 😦 … twice…)

We had B rigs on, did maybe five races or so before the strong breeze collapsed to zero. We invested in more tea and coffee, but actually the company was great and the chatter even better. For myself, I needed a fair bit of advice (tacking in a breeze without coming to a dead halt!) and my fellow club mates were falling over themselves to help.

Club management was quick to point out that we had lost one of our two launching platforms in last week’s summer gales. Impossibly the platform started life to the north of the RIB pontoon, and ended up rammed and jammed under the south side. A mystery that is.

Two of our amazing radio sailors immediately piled in and dislodged the thing… wrestling it to the shore. Next Job was to haul it out of harm’s way with the Club Jeep.

A roller wheel has parted from the leg nearest the camera. However, our Sailing Secretary has recovered it from further around the bay. It looks repairable.

Great news!!