Thames Sailing Club
Centerboard Sailing Report – October 25–26, 2025

Participation is always hard to predict on a long weekend like this one. Often, there’s a collision of multiple interests for the day, and sometimes sailing is not the top priority. This time, the Sail Training suffered more than the racing — but overall, it turned out to be a good weekend for the club.

For both days, the weather forecast was quite similar: 20 knots in the morning. A south-westerly on Saturday was to be replaced by a more westerly on Sunday. However, the conditions turned out to be very different.

Saturday, October 25

There was hardly any wind for some distance out from the club. A light breeze seemed to have established itself in the middle of the firth. For some time, it appeared to come closer, only to disappear again.

These conditions suited the numerous fishermen launching from the club, but our sailors would have wished for more breeze. Not too many came along to be disappointed. The father-and-daughter team from the previous sailing weekend saw this as an opportunity to sail on a larger boat. I believe only their trailing toy duck got wet feet that day.

Other club members had much to discuss around the kitchen table. Based on these conversations, we might see some changes happening later in the season.

Sunday, October 26

Most of the core of our Laser fleet turned up for the day. There was our Open Bic hero and two Optimists. One sailing family didn’t bring enough gear to rig their two Lasers, so one of them had to stay ashore. As a result, some sailing tuition took place in the Optimists, while the others set out for racing.

When discussing the weather conditions prior to racing, the Treasurer estimated a 12-knot westerly breeze, while I assumed more than that. Now I wonder about his financial estimations! In short: we had plenty of wind, and the conditions were challenging.

The short and steep chop was reflected by the sea wall south of the club, resulting in waves from all directions at once. The start line had to be right in the centre of this washing machine. The officers made us sail a triangle, windward–leeward course. This course was slightly corrected to accommodate a wind shift and changed from port to starboard after two races.

We saw a small number of capsizes, but overall we had four good, hard races, bringing the best sailor to the top of the podium. Only two sailors retired between races, and one did not finish the last race. There was a debriefing with recognition for both good achievements and notable mishaps. Almost every sailor earned a hot dog after racing! The officers did a really good job, and the sailors tried their best to match it.

A system for delivering  the results of racing is under development and will be launched soon.

Next Up

For a few more weekends, we will continue with this format. As the weather hopefully improves, we might even find someone to man the barbecue. Please consider helping us run these events — this applies not only to active sailors and club members, but also to their families and supporters. If you are interested in helping out please go to our website and fill out the form and we will be in contact.

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