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For over a decade the Parkstone ILCA Fleet has hosted a midsummer gathering of ILCA Sailors from the clubs of Poole Harbour. A long summer night is chosen with the aim of getting as many ILCA’s as possible racing at one time for two of the races in the Parkstone ILCA Monday Series. The promise of free beer and a feast of cake is used to entice on to the water the maximum number of available ILCA sailors

This year the date was set for July 1^st and the ILCA clans of Parkstone YC, Poole YC, Lilliput YC and East Dorset YC massed in Poole Harbour within sight of Parkstone YC. The usual format of gate start with triangles and sausages was the appointed arena of battle. The tide was high, the sun was shining and the wind was a steady 10kts. It was indeed a perfect evening to go sailing.
The record turn-out in recent years has been sixty-four boats. Parkstone YC has one hundred and thirty ILCA’s parked on its boat park so hope was high that the record could be broken, but ultimately only the results on the water would give the final number as boats had sailed in from four different clubs within the harbour.

The Parkstone Fleet is comprised of the racing standard and radials, the Ladies training groups, the Youth ILCA Fleet and the Social Sailing Rusty Rudders. The exploits of the latter group are the stuff of legend, but there lies another tale not for this time.
Bryan Drake, local Race Officer of some renown and his race team set the course with separate starts for ILCA 7s and 6s. The few 4.7(ILCA 4s) were given a start with the fleet that use a radial sail.

When the first race gate boat, for those using the standard rig, was released, the usual chaos ensued with some of the fleet being so enthusiastic they ended up on the wrong side of the approaching gate boat. This then entailed having to make the perilous journey back to behind the line to officially start. Miraculously, the gate boat was not impeded and the race was away. Many, very good sailors had found themselves caught up in a melee of helms desperate to find clear air in their attempts to make up lost ground. Mike Atkinson, one of Parkstone’s joint Fleet Captains being one of them, and one who never really recovered, Chris Whalley the other joint Fleet Captain accounted himself far better being near the front and ultimately finishing 5th. Matt Reid, formally a squad sailor, made a guest appearance and won the first race, fending off local Parkstone hot shot, Hywel Roberts, to win the first race.

The ILCA 6 fleet had a much more polite start to their first race. Roberta Hartley showing the ILCA Youth that she was a force to be reckoned with, made the most of the opportunity of hitting the shore side of the course, provided to her by being the gate boat. Tom Hakes from the Parkstone Youth Squad demonstrated his mettle by getting in to second place. There are some very good youth sailors in the Parkstone squad, which fact has probably helped Tom to hone his skills as has the prospect of being beaten by his brother Will, no doubt! His second place was always going to be under pressure.

The second start for the ILCA 7s was less fraught as many lessons had been learned in the previous race. The fleet got away smoothly, which meant that this time the chaos was at the windward mark. It was not unlike arriving at the windward mark in a busy championship race. Many were caught out trying to barge in with the result that they were left hanging on the windward mark. Not so, Matt Reid, however, who sailed off into the sunset, leaving Chris and Hywel in his wake to take an assertive victory for the evening.

In the ILCA 6s, the mettle displayed by Tom Hakes stood him in good stead again, and at the finish, he found himself at the sharp end of the fleet. Although, still a force to be reckoned with, Roberta was beaten into fifth by Rob Penson, Emma Aish-Lyons and Harry Franklin.
 
So, was the record for boat numbers beaten? Untangling the results was a problem of Enigma proportions, but after much sifting and sorting, the official announcement was a turnout of 66 boats. This surely must be seen as a very good level of attendance for a Monday evening club race, anywhere in the world. Possibly it’s a record of some sort. Are the writers of the Guiness book of Records listening?!

Our ultimate goal for the evening is to join up with the Ilca fleets of neighbouring clubs and get together to have fun and spread some love.  It feels like we have achieved success in this endeavour. There were certainly many smiling faces on show.
As a reward for sailors and race team who answered our call, Parkstone ILCA Fleet put on a super, free tea, cake and beer supper. Perhaps that’s the secret and the cake and beer should be free after every race!

A huge vote of thanks goes out to all the clubs who made it a success and the race team who made it happen. Seventy sounds a particularly good number don’t you think; we only need four more boats to reach it and to break the record again in 2025!