Tideway Challenge 2024 at Bosham Sailing Club

501 pulls ahead of 1 and 63 to finish third - Tideway Challenge at Bosham © Andy Davy

Bosham Sailing Club hosted, for the Tideway Owners Association, the annual Tideway Challenge race on Saturday 29th June. This was the first of a new pattern where the annual TOA Challenge will be hosted by BSC every year.

Saturday dawned with a flat calm and the forecast of perhaps 2-4kn by the afternoon. However, bright sunshine convinced the race team that sufficient sea breeze would come in for a reasonable race by the planned 2pm start. Perhaps put off by the lack of wind, entries were just 18, three down on last year.

However, of those 18, only two dropped out so 16 boats gathered at the start line, two more than last year.

The wind did indeed pick up to around 6-10kn SW and race officer David Macfarlane outlined a simple course round the corner and beating down the channel to "Baker", across to "Peacock" and then a run back to "Park" and then "Deep End". Competitors were then reaching back to "Cobnor" before a beat back to the finish line. He did warn that, with light winds, the strong incoming tide would need careful thought.

At least there was little risk of tides pushing boats over the line but the start was tricky, with those opting for the west side of the channel suffering some wind shadow and those on the East discovering the tide was pushing them up the Itchenor channel. Once round the corner, a few opted to go over to the south side but most beat carefully up the North. The challenge here was to stay out of the mud and three local boats - perhaps unused to being this far out at low tide - managed to go so far aground they needed to get out and push!

By the time boats reached Baker, the first wave were the Amberys (554), Barry Colgate (516), Chris Hitchings (410) and the Phillips (1); with a second wave including Locky McKenzie (63), Peter Shaw (220) and Bob Findlay (501) not far behind. The next challenge was to cross the tidal stream to Peacock. The trick was to aim absurdly far down the channel but, as the wind died, most took several tacks at it and a few were seen doing their 360s, having been swept onto the mark. Indeed, Charlie Armour (477) and Andrew Dransfield (479) had doubts they would ever do it.

The first three boats round Peacock were 516, 554 and 410 and these were able to make a reasonable broad reach to Park but the correction to courses needed to stop being swept beyond it increased and a couple of boats found they needed to beat back. The run to Deep End involved a choice between the short course straight there or moving into the channel to get tidal help. The first three took the first option. For 516 and 554, it worked but, as the wind died, 410's choice proved an error and he was overtaken by 501, 1, 63 and 220, who had all moved out with the tide.

At this point, failing wind prompted a shortening of the course and competitors were advised at Deep end to go straight to the finish line. In the reach there, 516 and 554 maintained their positions but 501 pulled ahead of 1 and 63 to finish third. 410 fought a battle with Stephen Bailey (486), which the latter won by seconds. Shortly behind them were John Galtrey (521), the McKeands (100) and Ian Gibson (493). Martyn Chase (457) was next but then there were extended intervals as the dying wind took its toll, with Chris Browning (388) and Chris Ames (541) ahead of 477 and 479.

Nonetheless, Lucinda Hitchings' team had enough tea and cakes for all and TOA Chairman Arthur Davey was delighted to congratulate all, thank the race and tea teams and award the Rose Bowl (fastest single hander) to Barry Colgate, the Tideway Challenge (fastest crewed boat) back to Hugh and Kate Ambery and the Watershed Trophy (fastest GRP boat not already awarded a prize) to Bob Findlay.

Barry Colgate receives Rose Bowl from Arthur Davey, Chair of TOA - Tideway Challenge at Bosham - photo © Chris Hitchings

Overall Results: