Twizzle Tattle - April 10th 2026
Friday April 10, 2026 Editor: Chris Opperman chrisoppers1947@hotmail.com
A pair of cadets hunting for eggs.
From the Commodore...
It’s lovely to step away from work, and the precarious position of the world right now, and contemplate the last few weeks at the club.
On the water we’ve had the first race of the Spring Series, which lived up to its name with 35 knots and hail (full report below). Thank you to intrepid race officers, support boats and sailors. Lots of training on and off the water including a new cohort of potential dinghy instructors. It’s fantastic to see the local talent our training centre is nurturing. And, last but not least, Easter Monday saw our cadets take to the water for some Easter fun. In beautiful sunshine and a gentle breeze (much resented by Sunday’s racers) 17 cadets got afloat for a marine Easter Egg Hunt. A great success, so a huge thanks to everyone from the cadets and parents who made it possible. If you’re a cadet parent make sure you’re on the cadet WhatsApp to get all the events and news.
Off the water, the club has continued to be busy with special meals over the Easter weekend and our Wednesday members’ night. Fish night proved very popular so hopefully one we’ll repeat soon, and we’ll restock our Bromley Brook wines to match.
Do keep your eyes out for future events and theme nights.
As the weather becomes more hospitable we’ll be turning our thoughts to some spring cleaning of the club grounds. There will be some working parties on the May Day bank holiday (2nd- 4th May). So if you’d like to lend a hand, please let Caroline Wilberforce know your availability and we can start planning...cw@wfyc.co.uk.
Kids come free!
We’re delighted to introduce a new initiative where children of all members—whether social or full—will now receive cadet membership at no extra cost. This means access to all cadet benefits, including priority booking for cadet weeks, discounted courses and cadet membership cards for use in the bar. We hope this will encourage more families—particularly those whose children already enjoy our training and cadet activities—to join the club, making membership more accessible, affordable, and rewarding for everyone.
For more information or questions please speak to Tom or email him at treasurer@wfyc.co.uk or for processing this membership please speak to the office office@wfyc.co.uk.
Dinghy racing ...Spring Series...
The Spring Series started off the 2026 season with a bang! Nine entries braved the ferocious wind with all but two capsizing at some point during the race, Dom Jacobs unfortunately snapping his Hadron H2 mast in the 35 knot gust that levelled all the other Hadrons with one support boat rapidly counting them down as they went over!
In Fleet 1 congratulations go to James Oxley (H2) for his win, finishing an astounding nine minutes ahead of Tim Brooke (H2) in second, and Geoff Parker (H2) in third. Arlo Atkins and Abi Parker came in forth having managed to keep their borrowed Wayfarer upright throughout the whole race after deciding at the last minute that their normal boats (IC2 and
Laser) would have been a bit much.
Fleet 2 had Lotte Langfeldt in a Nimbus take the top place with Simon and Harry Willis making the wise decision to head back having also not capsized. Although Ella and Torsten spent a lot of time practising their capsize drill, they deserve a huge mention for hoisting a kite not once, but on every possible leg (and a few that were impossible) and Will C-S battled bravely in his Laser but, possibly with more wisdom than other competitors, decided that discretion was the better part of valour and he also headed home.
The next race is on Sunday 19th April, with the start at 12:30.
Cadets’ Easter Saileggstravaganza...
What a fantastic start to the cadets’sailing season! This Bank Holiday Monday, our very first Cadet Easter event was blessed with sunshine, light winds and 16 eager young sailors ready for their first outing of the year.
With boats dusted off and excitement high, the cadets set off in search of points to collect their stamps, embracing the challenge with enthusiasm, laughter, and a real sense of camaraderie. It was a joy to see them gain confidence on the water again while having so much fun.
Parents added to the lively atmosphere, supporting on and off the water, which made the day even more special. Coming back in from the water, the cadets enjoyed a delicious basket meal before finishing off the day with a well-earned Easter egg prize, smiles all round!
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Alex, Becci, and Tim as well as all the volunteer parents and senior cadets, who helped make the event such a success. Special mention also to Heidi and Stewart for their sage advice, ensuring the we could run our day safely and smoothly.
It was the perfect way to kick off the season, and we’re excited to see what plans the cadets come up with next. We look forward to supporting them in creating more adventures, both on and off the water, this summer!
Karen Kent & Karen Usher, Cadet Skippers
A penny for them, Commodore......
This picture got us thinking. How about a regular competition to find the best caption for an out of the ordinary photograph?
We’ll get things started right now...send your submissions to the editor for a chance to win a pint (or equivalent beverage of choice) for the best caption to this photo.
To make things work, we need plenty of pictures to choose from. So get rooting about in your archives! Please send them to chrisoppers1947@hotmail.com .
We’ll publish the results of today’s competition in the next TT, along with the next photo.
Should be fun!
New chartlets for Deben and Ore...
As we look to another cruising season, it’s time to see what’s going on at the entrances to the Deben and the Ore...
Deben
Ore
Do you use the locker shed?..
We are looking to organise and consolidate the mast rack and central area in the locker shed, if you currently have any items there and wish to continue storing them please label them clearly and contact dinghy.park@wfyc.co.uk with the details. Please ensure that any sails are wrapped tightly around the masts and any halyards, sheets, control lines etc are not left loose and dangling. We are intending to have a clear out at the end of June.
No more begging letters, please..
I suppose it’s the price you pay for winning a small fortune on the WFYC 200 Club but enough is enough. The Oppers’ phone lines and letter boxes have been jammed with heart rending appeals ranging from sponsorship of solo, blindfold circumnavigations of Honeypot Island to backing a bid to rid the world of ingrown toenails.
This is a convoluted way of declaring that the hurler of the infamous red barrel of balls has won first prize in the April draw.
Winners are:
£100 No.24 Chris Opperman
£50 No.96 Francis Douglas
£30 No.69 Ian Hurst
Well done! The next draw is on May 8.
Storm force...
We are blessed with several fine, elderly gaff rigged ladies at WFYC.
Among them is Ian Clarke’s, Storm, twice owned by the ‘magician of the swatchways’, Maurice Griffiths, past editor of Yachting Monthly. Storm features in Griffiths’ classic, Magic of the Swatchways, and also Dream Boats, in which he says of her: “my little 7- tonner, Storm, was built as a miniature bawley yacht, but with somewhat finer lines, and I always regarded her as one of the most endearing little craft I have ever owned”.
She was built in 1910, by Bundock Brothers, at Leigh on Sea, when she was called Lady Myra, 26 ft on deck, 10 ft beam, 3ft 3in draft...and a bowsprit of 12 feet. Storm was badly damaged in 1975, in a gale after an Old Gaffers’ race in the Solent. There followed an 18- year rebuild. In Ian’s loving hands some more planks have been replaced but much of Storm is still original.
Prompted by my sharing a table with Ian at the Fitting Out Supper, I thought we’d rejoin Storm and Griffiths, in The Magic of the Swatchways...
“...She flew no particular yacht club’s burgee at her masthead, but instead fluttered there a long scarlet streamer, like those at the head of nearly all the masts of Holland. Apart from this cosmopolitan touch, there was something about this little cutter that made her blend with her wild surroundings; she was a true Essex fishing type of boat, so full of character that there was no other yacht around the whole coast that even resembled her. It would only be amongst the fishing fleets that you might find a family likeness.
The breeze had freshened a little after nightfall, and with her sheets eased well off and her tanned sails just visible in the darkness against the stars, Storm seemed as though anxious to get back to the Blackwater. While the mate steered I went forward and lay on the foredeck, gazing down at the roaring bow wave, occasionally looking up at the streamer which, dimly silhouetted against the stars, fluttered forward of the mast in a long quivering streak.
It seemed as though the whole of the Thames were rushing to meet us, and as it encountered our powerful bow it sprang up and rolled over in a never-ending turmoil of greeny phosphorescence, while drops leapt forward and lit up the untroubled water ahead with tiny splashes of light, like twinkling stars that raced to join the curling wave...”
More with Storm in the coming months.
A pearl from the mudbanks...
My way of escaping the rigours and oppressive deadlines of Twizzle Tattling is watching Canal Boat Diaries. Simple fare, sharing the life of a chap whose realising many of our dreams. Talking of the cost of life on our canals and rivers he declared his definition of a ‘boat’ – bring on another thousand.
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