Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club

Enterprise Fleet

This section is pending some feedback from the fleet. If you can contribute any details please email captbob@gmail.com

Description

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_(dinghy)

Fleet Activity and main contenders

by Peter Ganderton

2010 Fleet

With six quite evenly matched boats out every week there is always a close battle to be had, it not being uncommon for a few seconds to be the difference at the end. With friendly racing new boats are always welcome, and being in our own class you don’t have to worry about PY’s and handicaps. It would be great to get a few more Ents out and numbers up to the 20 or so of (quite) a few years ago. Past helms include the current club steward Andy Thomas (with ClingOn).
Battling for …
The Melampus Trophy,originally presented to the club by J.K.Seear Esq., 1966
Awarded annually to the overall winners of the Enterprise fleet (since 1993)

Past winners:

1993 Enterprise 19085, Turret & R.Weller
1994 Enterprise ‘Cling On’ Neil Oxton & Barry Pick
1995 Enterprise ‘Sheer Desperation’ Ralph Weller
1996 Enterprise ‘Gulp’ Paul Radgick
1997 Enterprise ‘Sheer Desperation’ Sandra Knight
1998 Enterprise ‘Gulp’ Paul Radgick
1999 Enterprise ‘Closer Than Close’ Neil Roach
2000 Enterprise ‘Sheer Desperation’ Sandra Oxton
2001 Enterprise ‘Sheer Desperation’ Neil Oxton & P.Burridge
2002 Enterprise ‘Sheer Desperation’ Neil Oxton & Sandra Oxton
2003 Enterprise ‘No Nails’ A.Bartlett & S.Moore
2004 Enterprise ‘No Nails’ A.Bartlett & S.Moore
2005 Enterprise ‘Dyskinetic’ Peter Hickling & Chris Tyrell
2006 Enterprise ‘Dyskinetic’ Peter Hickling & Chris Tyrell
2007 Enterprise ‘Tacamahaca’ Peter Ganderton & Alan Scarlett
2008 Enterprise ‘Tacamahaca’ Peter Ganderton & Alan Scarlett
2009 Enterprise ‘Tacamahaca’ Peter Ganderton & Alan Scarlett

Now let us introduce you…

Boat name: Tacamahaca

Sail number: 16001 (approx. 1971!), Avacraft wooden hull, North Sails, Proctor mast & boom
Helm /Crew: Peter Ganderton & Alan Scarlett.
Most likely to be shouting S’bd to: Dyskinetic
Wed. Evening routine: Last out of park, try to be first back in
After racing together in GP14’s and Enterprises since 1990 Pete and Al have finally discovered how to go quite well quite often. This is the oldest boat in the fleet but still going strong and is pushed hard, but performs best in light and medium winds. Somehow they have managed to win the Melampus Trophy for the last 3 years, normally leaving it to the last race with a battle against ‘the Doctors’. The winning has nothing to do with the placing of GPS trackers on the competition for a season or two (and subsequent post race tactic dissection, or the commandeering of University vessels and £100k of equipment for detailed tidal flow analysis around Plymouth Sound)….honest…. Have heard rumours to the effect that the next plan is for personal wind monitoring instrumentation around the Sound (shhh).

Boat name: Dyskinetic

Sail Number: 21748 (approx. 1987), wooden hull, North Sails
Helm / Crew: Peter Hickling & Chris Tyrell (aka the Doctors)
Most likely to be shouting S’bd (or sometimes Port!) to: Tacamahaca
‘The Doctors’ show no sign of slowing up despite retirement (some say that they retired in order to concentrate on sailing and beating Tacamahaca). If any two boats are going to be on a collision course it will most likely be Dyskinetic and Tacamahaca – don’t ask why, it just will be. Recently showed cunning by lashing together their vertically split rudder blade just before the start of a race and going on to almost win (not so cunning was hitting the rocks on the way out).
Best excuse: “We were going well until this piece of carpet wrapped around the rudder……”

Boat name: No Handles

Sail Number: 22602 (approx. 1995)
Helm / Crew: Martin Bevan & Nick Thomas
Consistently first (to the dinghy park on a Wed. evening)
Having learnt much from his earlier Ent (Jurasell, 8160) Martin leapt in performance when he took on ‘No Handles’. Once the art of keeping the boat the right way up was mastered (no doubt helped by having Nick as long term crew) this team have progressed to often frequent the winning podium and are masters of the stronger wind (best RPCYC Ent, Port of Plymouth regatta 2009). Although the predominantly lighter airs of 2010 have not been their preferred conditions they have still managed to show winning form.

Boat name: Hell Bent

Sail Number: 22666 (approx. 1996)
Helm / Crew: Dave Mitchell & Anna Mills
Having previously raced in a higher performance dinghy Dave saw the light and joined the Ent fleet for some decent class racing (or was it just an easier boat to sail?). Hell Bent is the newest boat in the fleet and is sailed with passion. Dave concentrates hard and shows dismay at Tacamahaca’s (apparent) lack of concentration whilst Peter takes photos and Al reads the paper (or was it the crossword). Anna does a great job and has outlasted many a crew by agreeing with Dave. Quite often right up there at the front this pair deserve to win more often than it happens.

Boat name: Sheer Desperation

Sail Number: 21410 (approx. 1986), Radgick wooden hull
Helm / Crew: Neil Oxton (on the right) and Martin Austin
Most likely to be on a collision course with: Rob Beaton in his Lightning
2010 sees a return to the racing scene for Neil (with a new crew) after a ‘child break’ since 2002. The boat has a fine pedigree having won the Melampus Trophy more times than any other Ent. Purchased by Sandra Knight (around ’96 from Ralph Weller), Neil was obviously impressed. So much so that he then married Sandra and finally in 2010 he is allowed to sail the boat. Crew Martin is new to the Ent scene and comes from the Uni, threatening to dilute some of Taca’s insider knowledge of currents, tides and GPS tracking. Race consistency has yet to be established but as this new pairing gain sailing time expect to see them at the front.

Boat name: Worf

Sail Number: 19584 (approx. 1978)
Helm / Crew: James Scrivens and Paul Scrivens
Very often first (boat out of the dinghy park on a Wed. evening for pre race practice)
Son and father partnership that is developing well and they are often battling towards the front of the fleet. This well known club boat gained its name from a Star Trek theme and hopes to follow in the CMG of Cling On which won the Melampus Trophy back in 1994, with Neil Oxton at the helm. If Ents had engines this boat would be the best tuned out there. James probably does as much sailing as the rest of the fleet put together so one day soon his skill will show through and he’ll beat them all….you have been warned!