With a wedding anniversary and a birthday in the month gone by, you’d think it would be a favourite of mine. Sadly, having experienced just over seventy of this group of thirty days, I’ve learnt to mistrust this month, the ninth in the year of the Roman calendar (classicists amongst you will know that ‘novem’ is the Latin for nine). So, read on, if you will, to discover this November’s naughtiness.

No-one knows better than our Race Officer, Fi, how badly behaved the wind has been this month. On the bright side, she can now formally display the abandonment signal faster than a Formula One team can service a tyre change! I wouldn’t mind betting that she would have called for a pit stop when everyone else was…. what on earth was Zak Brown thinking? (apologies to anyone who doesn’t follow F1; for balance, I’ll try to get a ‘Strictly’ reference in later on!).

The weather may have been inconsistent in the last few weeks, but Roberta and John in 4016 most certainly haven’t; in the six races we have held they average 2.6, almost the same as Pete and Jo in 3793(2.7). Arguably, the former have been more consistent with four 2nds a first and a worst result of a seventh (some of us dream of being that bad!) Pete and Jo have had more bullets (2v1) but have also had two 5ths- can’t imagine what they were playing at there! If Richard Whitworth could sort out his work/life balance, like our Canadian cousins seem to do, he would be in the conversation definitely, along with his production line of ace crews! The numbers only give us the outline, they don’t show the way that Roberta and John have managed to improve their final position after only average starts, in a way that Lando Norris would love to emulate! I’m thinking they should name their boat ‘Lazarus’ because even the mighty Richard Whitworth was impressed with their ability to come back from the dead (read his report on the web-site).

It's been another month of really interesting report writing. A common theme has been tricky tides, whimsical winds and close-quarter combat throughout the fleet. Mark roundings have also featured, with some of us guilty of pushing our luck. Would a return to a two-turn penalty create better behaviour I wonder? In a very tight contest this month, Andrew Clarke has emerged a worthy winner of the reporter of the month pencil!

On the subject of report writing, it was a pleasant surprise to see a new name added to the list of reporters. David Tarver’s race description gave us a picture of cut and thrust, every bit as combative as PMQs, only more civilised! I do remember Mike Barton telling me once that it never pays to go right, except when it does! Am I right in thinking though that in Poole Harbour the middle road to anywhere never seems to pay as much as the right or left. It’s only the gifted few in our fleet who seem to consistently get it correct !

You will have noticed that we have had an addition to our fleet for this Saturday autumn series. Roberta has hung up her hockey boots (temporarily?) which has meant that 4016 has been seen regularly duking it out with the best.  So, much is that the case that she and John have won the sailor of the month award for November Saturdays beating an impressive total of 36 boats in the three races sailed.

Wednesday’s award goes to the FFF syndicate (those F’ aren’t swear words by the way!). So, we can watch the fun of them deciding who has sailed 3936 the most. Whoever sailed, they have manged to beat 21 boats in the three races completed.
It’s been a tricky month for us racers but I don’t think any of us have had to think as hard or as fast as Fi and her crew on the platform. I am reliably informed that the consumption of gin and tonic in the bar has significantly increased these last few weeks. I can only say, it’s been thoroughly deserved. I just hope that now that Tess and Claudia are moving on, the BBC don’t come knocking for Fi and Lisa!

Well that’s it for November. If, unlike David Tarver, you’ve missed all the fuss about the budget, lucky you! You’ve also got the AGM to look forward to this Saturday (6^th) in the clubhouse after sailing (16.30)
JK