Classic and CI Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club

Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea © Steve Corbet

Leigh-on-Sea hosted their first Byte open meeting over the weekend of 6-7th July. Unfortunately, the adverse weather forecast, with 30-35mph winds predicted for Saturday resulted in a late cancellation of the Saturday races but Sunday was forecast to have 15-20 mph winds, with a plan to have three short races back to back in the three hour window available around high tide.

Perhaps discouraged by the forecast, visitors were few (one), with Rick Whitehouse travelling down from Stockport to compete against the local fleet.

The original Byte (now called a "Classic Byte") has a conventional battened sail on an aluminium tube mast, similar to an ILCA. Leigh-on-Sea has a fleet of Classic Bytes, used by Cadets for sail training, under the auspices of Alan Roberts, long term member of the Byte Class. The Byte rig was then updated to a carbon/glass fibre mast and fully battened mylar sail, badged as the Byte CII, then a smaller fully battened Mylar sail on a shorter mast was introduced (Byte CI).

The Leigh-on-Sea meeting was open to Classic and CI Bytes, CII's being significantly faster (PY 1134) were excluded. Although the Classic is nominally slightly faster (PY 1190) than the CI (PY 1217), the fleet raced without handicapping with the pundits predicting better performance from CI's in the expected 15+mph winds. Two CI's and 8 Classic Bytes made their way to the start line.

Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea - photo © Steve Corbet

The event was shared with a combined GP14 and (solitary) Wanderer fleet, which started first, followed by the Bytes 5 minutes later. The start line had some starboard bias, encouraging the boats to favour the shore end of the line, although this necessitated sailing through more moored yachts. As the start approached, a squall hit, with rain bouncing off the water and winds of 25-30mph driving spray across the fleet.

Visibility dropped to about 50 metres, with the obstructing yachts looming out of the spindrift as Bytes picked their way through towards a distant and initially completely obscured windward mark. The adverse weather took out four Bytes, including one of the CIs with Jess Connington having to make an emergency tack to avoid a port tack boat, capsizing and sustaining a shoulder injury.

Rick (CI) and Alan (Classic) got away from the starboard end of the line, with Alan to windward, sailing slightly free and going fast, overtaking Rick and pulling away between the moorings. Rick bore off slightly, got moving and then used the CI's windward capability to point higher and maintain boat speed, gradually overhauling Alan. Being unfamiliar with the local tides, and without a view of the windward mark, Rick then matched tacks with Alan until the weather moderated and visibility returned.

Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea - photo © Steve Corbet

Ending up on a starboard tack approaching the windward mark, Rick was to windward and realised that the incoming tide was going to take him clear of the mark without needing another tack, giving him a 50 yard lead onto the first reach of the quadrilateral course. The downwind legs gave Alan's larger sail area Classic rig a potential advantage, but the wind continued to drop, providing no benefit to Alan. A shortened course gave Rick a final beat to the finish line.

Some gear damage prevented several Bytes from rejoining the fleet for the second race, which took place in a more consistent and manageable breeze. Rick and Alan again got away in the lead, with the race then following a similar course to race 1.

With another dark and forbidding cloud approaching from London, the third and final race started. The rain fell, the wind increased and the chop built up as the Bytes fought their way upwind. Easily exceeding the wind speed of the first race, the event became a battle for survival.

Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea - photo © Steve Corbet

Getting upwind of the first mark, Rick had trepidation about bearing away, or tacking safely and was beginning to harbour fears of ending up in the shipping lane, when the still increasing wind solved the dilemma by blowing him over. Alan stayed upright but couldn't make the first mark.

Rick stayed on his boat, sail flat in the water and drifted downwind for about half a mile, waiting for the wind to moderate before righting and sailing home, where he was unsurprised to learn that the race had been abandoned, rescue boats being fully occupied. Subsequently data from the nearby Southend Pier recorded a peak wind of 53mph (1-2mph below storm force 10).

Richard Whitehouse wins the Classic and CI Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea - photo © Steve Corbet

A very welcome, tea, buffet and bar in the clubhouse awaited the sailors, all of whom survived almost unscathed.

Overall Results:

First CI - Rick Whitehouse
First Classic - Alan Roberts
First Cadet - Poppy Shaw, who celebrated her birthday with the win

Alan Roberts takes second, and first classic rig, in the Classic and CI Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea - photo © Steve Corbet

Poppy Shaw wins first cadet in the Classic and CI Byte open meeting at Leigh-on-Sea - photo © Steve Corbet