HBSC

I had been in touch with the Phantom chaps, Jim & Nick, at Harlow Blackwater Sailing Club about the chances of getting an Open there. The opinion at the moment is that it might be a step too far just yet for the club. The concerns relate to tidal constraints (we'd have to get three races in bang, bang, bang style!) and we will now probably aim for next year.

I've suggested that we do a bit of "casual training" at Creeksea and that CSC Phantoms could visit during the season to give them some company. We'll see how good a plan that turns out to be - I suspect that as the season is pretty packed with events we may all suffer from Phantom overload.....

Jim has just come back from a cruise - sounds good - BUT - 50ft waves in the Bay of Biscay must have been worrying!!

Event list completed

Well, that's it I hope. The definitive events list is to be seen stage right from here. The Eastern Champs has been dropped from the Travellers series to make things easier and I look forward to a close finish for the series. Any closer than last year would be hard to imagine and I really can't cope with the permutations that had to be considered going in to the last race. Still it was great fun and I hope that things go as well this year.

The next item on my checklist is to produce a final spec for the number of events to count or discards. In addition it may be helpful for consideration to be given to how many races are to count at each event.

Finally, I'll draw up a list of "organisers" for each venue with website links to each club (but these are already on the class website...) and everything is in place for the season.

STOP PRESS NEWS

Clive Morley has been successful in getting us another date with his club Minnis Bay - 26th / 27th September. This should be a good date, being sufficiently after the Nationals to allow a bit of family time and recovery. Thanks Clive!

Nearly there...

The events list is now practically complete. Rollesby Broad have confirmed that they can offer us alternative dates and I have grabbed the 5th April option with both hands as this will give us another event at the start of the season to build on what I expect to be a good turnout at Alton Water for the training day and open meeting.

We have a clash of events with Hunts and Bewl Water which is very unfortunate. Hunts was of course on the first years list of Eastern events and was subsequently dropped in order to add Bewl the following year. Maybe we can persuade Phantom sailors in the south to get their act together and create a southern series?? Queen Mary could fit in to this area (just about) and if Clive can get an event sorted at Minnis Bay they would have the foundations for a good series -sorry Clive - we love you really!

My final challenge is now getting agreement on the options for the Easern Champs. This was promised to the JCC (Joint Combined Clubs - the overall organisers of Burnham Week) last year, however, in the meantime Neil Fulcher has put forward a strong argument for using Stone Sailing Club. It's their 60th Anniversary Regatta and would be able tooffer committee boat starts etc. I am seeing what options for racing we will have during Burnham Week - this week is a major regatta with lot's on at all the clubs in Burnham. The Endeavour Trophy is sailed from the RCYC in Burnham and it would be an opportunity to sail over this course etc.

Still, it's a nice problem to have with two venues wanting our fleet!!

More later when I've put JT (John Torrance of CSC & JCC) in the ring with Neil Fulcher (SCS and Laser SBS destroyer). Last man standing wins??

Having looked forward here's my favourite look back at last year.

A pleasant afternoon with Lord Marcus of Hullbridge spent clearing out James Case's beer / lager / cider at the Wells next the Sea Open..

.....and there's more!

Hunts Sailing Club have kindly agreed to add their event to the Eastern Circuit this year. It was missed off the list last year but hopefully we are now back on track with a very active club and growing fleet. Mark Barrett the fleet captain has given me the low down on the moves in the fleet and hopefully we will see a few of them on the circuit.

An event in April will follow hot on the heels of the Training / Open at Alton Water and should be well attended as a consequence. Yes, I have politely requested that we have somewhat simpler courses, and Yes, I have said that some members of the fleet found it hard to distinguish the colours of the flags on the marks.

Now, as to the slagging off that the Phantom has been getting on the Y & Y forum......I am sure that half the participants in the forum don't sail that often and certainly don't know who they are writing about. It's very insulting to Andy in my book and I know that most of us are happy to avoid handicap events if given the choice anyway.

Updates

Please keep an eye on the blog and the dates on the left - these are being confirmed and tweaked on a daily basis with some new events possibly being added.

The Eastern Champs looks like it will be during Burnham Week in August and at Stone the year after.

The man to beat....

Nice shot here of John "Titch" Wayling receiving his trophy from sponsor Rod Thorpe of Tempera Tech at Hickling upon the conclusion of last years Eastern Series. James Jarvey won that event but Titch had dominated the series.

The trophy is unique to the class and as you can see is a modern take on the traditional "ship in a bottle" with two Phantoms racing up to a mark. Rumours that the fleet had to empty several bottles of spirits to find just the right bottle to use are completely unfounded. The maker has apparently cornered the market in "dimple" bottles which we are told can no longer be found.

Wind forecast

Another evening spent discovering new gadgets for the blog....try the wind forecast at the bottom of the blog. Neat!

Something about your sponsors

Now, I don't want to be too commercial about this but many will not know who our sponsors are and I think that it's only right that they should get something out of the time and money that they put into this........

Rod Thorpe has again said that he will effectively underwrite the series via his company Tempera-tech (please note the spelling for reports and so on). Rod's company are air conditioning specialists - the real city office stuff, not B&Q size units - and I keep nagging him to tell people what on earth it is that his company do. So now you know!!

Our second sponsor is JJ Boats aka James Jarvey. James contributed to prizes last year and anyone that has seen his rudders and centreboards will know that these are treasured items.

James also builds truly beautiful wooden Solo's, Enterprises, and Fireballs. If you make it to the Dinghy Exhibition I would bet a pound to a penny that the prettiest boat at the show will be one of James's.

Tempera-tech and J J Boats

Welcome!

Welcome to my unofficial Phantom blog site for the Phantom Eastern Series.

I hope to add posts as and when required to keep you up to date with the scandal, gossip and rumours in the fleet.

Photos can be added and once Marcus gets his head cam going we will be in business with videos.

This year we have a great range of events including the old and new. The series is not fully completed and there are some events that we may still be able to add....

First off will be a training weekend at Alton Water. This will be a new venue for many Phantom sailors but I have checked it out and can confirm that you can expect a good clear sailing area, good clubhouse and changing facilities and a very pleasant setting. The club is run by the local authority on behalf of Anglian Water and is very active in providing training.

Windy is pulling out all the stops to make the first weekend a great event with quality training for all on the Saturday under the guidance of past champion Simon Childs and "Titch" (our current Eastern series champ). Thoughts are being put to an alternating session of on water and off water training and I am approaching the RYA to see if we can get some racing rules coaching....

New events include Brightlingsea in mid-June. Hopefully by then the sun will have returned and we will be able to mix it with the Losers, sorry Lasers, and Fireballs who are also there that weekend.

Favourites from last year are looking a bit iffy at the moment. "Carbon Clive" is seeing if we can get back to Minnis Bay again. This was a great event last year and it would be great to get back there. Don't they want to sell all that beer again?

Stone followed by Creeksea looks like a good combination but the jury is still out for August Bank Holiday when it was thought that a regional championship would fit in well. News to follow in due course.

Apart from the old hands it looks like the Eastern series has succeeded in attracting new sailors to the class. Please do make yourself known to us old boys...

Well, this will do me for now. I'll keep putting garbage on here to check that you are all alive and kicking.

Chris.