Zippy Zero makes land at the Menai Strait Regattas

Zippy Zero - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 © Paul Hargreaves Photography

Hello all from Zippy the D-Zero, reporting from Beaumaris, on the Island of Anglesey, North Wales.

It's been the Menai Straits fortnight; a series of regattas run by local clubs catering for everything from dinghies to cruisers. I joined the fun mid-way through at Port Dinorwic - a top dinghy club, located half-way along the Straits. The Saturday dawned with warm sunshine and moderate winds. 14 dinghies and 20 tidal class boats entered.

A fellow D-Zero arrived, helmed by Owner's mate Mick Green from Rossendale SC. We set off in our race, fairly oblivious to the other fast handicap dinghies and played "up-the-shore, nose-to-transom" tacking duels, to see how close we could get to the beach without getting a parking ticket. There were plenty of opportunities for going aground during the three laps and I'm sure we were even on landings at the end of the race.

However, Mick's boat finished ahead in seventh place overall, with me close behind in eighth.

Liz Potter and Mick Green - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Paul Hargreaves Photography

The race was won by Steve Owen in an ILCA6 called "Dim Cliw", though I suspect he wasn't that clueless really and just watched us D-Zeros to see where we'd gone aground.

At the end of the day, some boats were sailed back to Beaumaris through the Swellies, whilst others were packed on trailers and the local ones were covered and put back to bed in the boatpark. We lounged around in the heat and late sunshine, ogling at the stunning sunset and enjoying the kind hospitality of Port Dinorwic Sailing Club. Thank you all - I can see why you won RYA Club of the Year last year!

On Sunday, Owner packed me up and found the thinnest, highest bridge to take me over to Anglesey on. I swear my trolley wheels were free spinning over the edges with vertigo.

There are two of these colossal height bridges and they form an iconic passing point through the Straits on Day 3 of the Regattas.

Sail through from Beaumaris to Caernarfon - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

This race happens during the first week and I heard tales of terror from other boats about big waves, strong winds, broken masts and the Welsh firing cannonballs off the Caernarfon castle walls at fast little boats like me. Fortunately, Owner was doing other things last week, so I live another year.

We arrived at Beaumaris Green, which was to be my home for the next week. I was rigged and left on the grass with some Falcons and seagulls for company, whilst Owner promptly disappeared on the Wayfarer of Mark and Phil Finch, who came up with a better offer of a pint and picnic at the Gazelle Inn on the bank near Menai Bridge.

I was up for a pint and some playtime, but Owner labelled me as too delicate to park on the beach. We'll see, I thought. I know a thing or two about parking...

No Parking - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

Monday was the turn of Menai Bridge Regatta and it turned out to be a low tide race amongst the sandbanks. Our course was set with a shallow sand spit between two of the downwind marks, so it became a game of chicken to see how early we could cross the spit and cut a corner off the course.

As I arrived there first, I opted for a seagull's anklesdepth of water, which Owner had unfortunately not adequately catered for with my rudder.

I made some crunchy rudder sounds to let her know it was time to get her fat backside out of my cockpit, but instead, she shot forward and moved the blubber to my nose. We skimmed the bank in this undignified fashion and then had another three (or four, according to some in the know) attempts to land it during the following laps. Each time the seagulls had more of their toes visible and we passed by them with massively raised daggerboard and rudder, no steerage and a wide-eyed sweaty Owner perched on my nose.

We did win by a huge margin and there were Welsh people with canons on the banks here too. They missed.

Next day was Beaumaris Town's day to run the racing and it was the epic around Puffin Island race.

Fast handicap start in the Puffin Island Race - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

I was looking forward to my next beaching and playing with the seals that live there, but Owner was having none of it. We did well in the early part of the race, only to watch the spinnaker boats burn away on the long run home against the tide.

Round Puffin Island Race - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

The race was won by the Hornet, sailed by Jo Powell from Port Dinorwic SC

Jo Powell wins the Puffin Island Race - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

Runner up was Julian Bridges in his Flying Dutchman, also from PDSC.

Julian Bridges takes runner up in the Puffin Island Race - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

Mark and Phil Finch sailed a great race in their Wayfarer to finish third ahead of me in fourth.

Mark and Phil Finch take 3rd in the Puffin Island Race - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

Wednesday dawned hot and sunny once more and it was the turn of my home club, West Kirby SC, to run the racing. The RO's looked very smart in their dark blazers and white trousers, and I was hoping that they would be firing canons at the Welsh competitors instead. It was another perfect Zippy wind, and I took an early lead to put some big miles between me and the other dinghies to finish in first place.

Thursday was another day in paradise, with clear blue skies and a building sea breeze. The seagulls had been busy overnight, and my cover was adorned with small sandy claw prints and white splatters. Thanks Guys.

The Royal Mersey Yacht Club were running the day and our course was a beat to Friars bay. I rounded the big green channel marker just behind the Phantom of Mike Taylor from RMYC and quietly passed him downwind with a few "excuse me"s and the odd "Chavinawar", in case the boat came from Aberdeen.

Zippy Zero versus Phantom - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

It was a long race, but I stayed in front of Mr Phantom and far enough ahead of the other boats to take another win.

On Friday, it was the turn of the Conway Yacht Club to run racing. There were a few unusual twists in that there was no dinghy course (I made one up. It involved landing at Puffin Island and playing with seals) and the race officer started 5 minutes early without telling anyone. The GP14 of Tim and Paul Scott-Wilson was the only boat to make the start and the Albacore of Andrew and Kathryn Willatt was not far behind.

Andrew and Kathryn Willatt - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

The poor Wayfarer was sniffing the breeze out at sea, far off the line and Stan and Sheena's Laser 2000 was still on the beach being rigged.

Stan van den Berg and Sheena Davies - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

We had just left the shore and it took us an hour to overtake the leading boats. The race finished early, giving us only 20 minutes to increase our lead, but we managed a second behind the GP14.

Zippy Zero playing in the waves - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

By Saturday I was beginning to feel the effects of ten days of heat and sailing. The salt and seagull decorations were accumulating on my deck and I was ready to go home. I dragged my weary hull to the start line for one last race, run by the host club, the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club. The tide was strong and punching against us as we started the upwind leg. The previous two classes had started over the bank and the wind was dropping all the time.

I took Owner off on a tack towards the edge of the channel, against her better judgement, but I could see the hole ahead of the other boats on the bank. I was alone, but could smell roses in the air.

Then, as luck would have it, the seabreeze filled in from my side and we shot off towards the first mark, leaving the rest of the fleets bobbing in their wind vacuum. The race lasted well over two and a half hours and we set up a huge lead which was never to be challenged.

Overall, it was a very good set of results for me, winning the second week overall with my Owner, Liz Potter.

The first week was won by the Finches in their Wayfarer and the overall event was won by the Scott-Wilsons in their GP14.

Tim Scott-Wilson, overall series winner of the Fast Handicap Dinghies - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Ian Bradley

25 boats competed over the various races, with PDSC and the Puffin Island race attracting the most dinghy entries. A truly unique and incredible fortnight - next years event starts on 31st July 2023. Fun for all boats and all classes. Come along and join in! See you there!

Zippy Zero 333

John and Linda Burthem with dog in their Falcon - Menai Straits Regatta 2022 - photo © Paul Hargreaves Photography

Overall Results: