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The usual start time for the 1st Race at a Traveller is 12:00 noon. I thought I should point that the Seasalter website shows the first start on Sat 9th as 10:00, with high tide at 12:02; first Race Sun 10th 10:45.
I'm sure that the NoR will be out soon with the authoritative start times, but those intending to compete might bear my warning in mind when deciding travel and accommodation!
Seasalter is a small member-run club, very friendly, lots of keen Sprinters, one or two Sportsters, and very well worth a visit if you haven't been there before. I think it would be great if we had a record attendance!
Thanks for the intro George. I sent the NOR to Martin and Erling yesterday so I hope it will be posted shortly.
Key times as follows: Saturday briefing 10:20 first start approx. 10.45, Sunday briefing 10:45 first race start approx. 11:15. We hope to hold the prize giving about 3-3:30 on Sunday.
These times are earlier than we would normally like but this year's tides are such that we have few midday starts with more than 3 hours water.
The club and bar will be open from about 5pm until midnight on Friday 8th and anyone wishing to arrive earlier can contact me (contact details in the NOR).
We look forward to seeing the fleet again, Joan and I popped over to Thorpe Bay on the Saturday to watch the racing and catch up with the regulars and to meet new faces.
One point re this Year's SSC meeting. The weekend of 9/10 August is also the date for both Whitstable Harbour Open Day and a two day National Water Ski championship meeting. The water ski event will take place to the East of Whitstable where the slopes provide excellent viewing.
What it means for us is that traffic on the A299 route to SSC via Whitstable will be very busy. We recommend all travellers to SSC come off the first exit of the A299 about 500 metres from the end of the M2 (Faversham/Graveney/Goodnestone exit - with a short exit slip and sharp left turn so keep the speed down) then take the first right onto Head Hill and follow that road all the way to SSC - about 4 miles. Note the angled railway bridge in the village of Graveney. The map showing Head Hill can be viewed on the Sprint 15 website by going to the Seasalter SC club page.
Free camping and parking on the club's land. For those who missed coming last year (it was F8 !) it is worth noting that the new sea wall ramps were completed last summer so beach access is much easier than it used to be.
We look forward to meeting everyone and hope you will have an enjoyable event.
I always use the local route advised by Steve, through Graveney..
Mostly this road is quite wide. But as well as the narrow bridge with limited visibility, there are other narrow places with little room to pass oncoming vehicles. More than once I have arrived with roadside herbage from hedges and/or verges entangled with my trailer cat support bars!
I advise driving at speeds at which you can stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. You're not likely to meet that many vehicles, but cars may be travelling quite fast and there may be agricultural vehicles with trailers far wider than ours, as well as lorries....... This way, you will put yourself in a better position to manoeuvre your car and trailer so that oncoming traffic can pass/be passed in the narrower stretches.
Glad to see the start times aren't quite so early! But we visitors will get away at a sensible time!
PS for Steve: Are you sure you can't find someone else to be TT CRO (I assume =TT Chief Race Officer). We don't get to race against you, and the attendance numbers suffer!
PS2 for Joan and Steve: I caught sight of you at Thorpe Bay, but when I tried to find you after sorting the boat, kit and a shower you somehow managed to avoid me! Looking forward to seeing you again (and all the Seasalter members!).
Sorry to say I can't make it this year, my youngest niece is having a baby on the 8th (In Torquay) and I am flying to Malaysia for work (yes I know!) on the 10th so will have to mis out, this is great place to go (Force 8 certificates last year) and a really friendly club so I encourage you all to give it a go, wish you all a great event and will see you soon at the next TT. cheers stew
Sorry you cannot make it - it sounds hectic for you, best wishes to you and yours.
Thanks for the comments, I sincerely hope we do not have F8 again so that we can get more boats on the water and my stress levels in the tower will be lower whilst keeping an eye on everyone's safety.
We want to get more of our newer helms onto the circuit as we have a couple of youngsters now sailing in the class. I need to find some more reasonably priced boats as we keep getting converts.
Thanks to all for letting us know who can and cannot make the SSC event - always a help to judge numbers.
We are keeping an eye on the forecast movement of the dying hurricane from the US which currently looks like giving gusty weather on Sunday. If we get F8 again I will begin to think the wind gods have it in for me.
For those who have not sailed at SSC, being on the North Kent coast the seas are relatively flat for winds in the southern half of the compass and the sea wall protects the beach for launching and recovery.
We will be keeping the course eastwards in flatter water anyway as on Saturday there is the Whitstable Sailing Barge Match - a fantastic sight often with 30-40 barges and smacks sailing from Whitstable into the Swale and back.
The SSC camping area is also protected north and south by the inner and outer sea walls.
Martin, sorry to hear your back is giving trouble again, I would welcome your help in the tower, the individual mark time keeper teams will be on the balcony but the finish line timing will be in the tower.
Due to ferry's being booked for most of the day we should be with you between 2000 & 2100 Friday evening so don't eat all the bar snacks before we get there.
Hi All,
Just to say "Sorry I won't be sailing at Seasalter after all!" I picked up an infection early this week, and I'm still too weak to go collect the boat - let alone sail!
