The Victoria Shadow Association

Thalia of Hamble

Leon Ferguson sent the following report by e-mail on the 26th June 2010. Thalia of Hamble is a Vicoria 800 based at Gravesend where Leon is a member of the Gravesend Sailng Club.

The Shivering Sands Race

Thalia has won a race. Not any race but the Shivering Sands. Inaugurated some 20 years ago, this is a 56 mile roundtrip to the towers that have stood in the Thames estuary since the Second World War and are a dramatic navigation mark. The race is considered a challenge. I have never before finished in time. For there to be any finishers at all is usually an achievement, needing a decent blow and a fast boat.

Most of the boats declaring their intention to race were the faster cruisers and racers, a Sadler 32, a GK 24, A Gibsea 76, a Centaur and a Griffon . The Pentlands decided not to bother, and one of them told me that I too was a cruiser and it was pointless. But my crew was keen, and with a clean bottom and northerlies meaning a reach I was keen to try, so enlisted an experienced sailor and racer who was not sailing his Verl. Knowing that the others might all finish before Thalia, I was hoping that her handicap might be in her favour.

Now anyone who has raced with me will know that I enter more for the spirit of the race than any real desire to win. For the camaraderie of sailing and the chocolate croissants that I usually have on board, plus copious amounts of beverage.

Heading out in the dinghy I stated that we had bacon for breakfast, (it was an 0700 start) but Chris our experienced X factor set the tone by saying let’s concentrate on getting the sails up first.

Second across the line and with Chris helming we reeled in the Sadler as we headed downriver, who then overtook us as the wind built, 5 to 6 was forecast. The others lagged behind but their more southerly course soon had them reeling us in, the GK 24 overtook us as she should and we sailed an almost parallel course with the Gibsea.

Four hours later we rounded the towers to starboard with the Gibsea close in tow, the Sadler and GK 24 way ahead, the GK 24 having decided to drop south along the Kentish coast. The wind continued to build in the gusts and we finally capitulated and put the first reef in the main. Others were sailing with various combinations of reefed mains and half rolled genoas. We sailed back on almost a reciprocal, 090 out, 270 back, letting Thalia luff in the gusts and make a little over to the Essex coast and Southend. Slowly the Gibsea fell back. Wind is now gusting 25-26 apparent. Sometimes a little heavy on the helm and the lea bulwarks under, she is always in control. We occasionally glimpse a sail or two well up ahead and conjecture that it must be the GK24 and the Sadler. Antony is now helming well in water that is considerably less lumpy. With occasional gusts up to 28 we lose the jib and the boat is just as fast. SOG occasionally reads 9 knots, Chris reckons we are making 7 kns through the water. Looking back we see a boat alongside the Gibsea, and, shock horror, realise it’s the GK 24.

Lunch of filled potato shells is put on hold, a bag of crisps will have to suffice, as we keep the pace up. As we turn the corner for the last stretch the wind drops a little so we unfurl the jib. It then gusts again but we hold on, Thalia is still perfectly manageable. We sail across the finish some 20 minutes after the Sadler. On corrected time we are 30 minutes ahead.

When the results are announced I am as shocked and surprised as are most people. Everyone comments on how fast Thalia sailed, and how well she performed against three fin keelers. Chris reckoned that because of her narrower beam we could hold onto canvas a lot longer than the beamier boats.

I am just thrilled to have seen how fast a Victoria can sail in the right conditions. If I was on my own I would probably have reefed a lot earlier, but Thalia was always very manageable, though she eventually did get a bit heavy on the helm.

It was a pleasure that after six years of owning Thaila with a different level of experience on board I experienced her sailing at speeds I had never envisaged. I can’t wait to enter the next race, or even to test her mettle on the next long cruise. To see Thalia listed as being first still seems incongruous. I’ll just have to try and make it happen again.