The Kings of Twitch.
You see them gathering at the club on a Friday around 1500 hrs and they look at a glance like your average yachty. Big brimmed hat, sunburnt features well smeared in sunscreen, long sleeves and an independent air about them. But they are DF95 sailors.. amongst them are naval architects, world and national champions, Gero sailors and boat designers, even around the can Saturday sailors.
Their purpose … to beat the other blokes in radio controlled yachts. Yes the penalties are real, though they are allowed to hit the mark. But if you hit a man port to starboard you will be called out by the person transgressed against, with most of the rest of the rules observed as well. Sometimes an apology will be sufficient, but its better to philosophically shrug and do your 360 and carry on.
The kings of twitch? Watch them .. no firm hand on the tiller, but two rods under their fingers and you can almost gauge the effort in the increment of lean in the control panel as they emulate the corner or tack with their hands throwing the panel about. Never idle, their fingers constantly twitch as they adjust the rudder or sail settings. Its a fascinating sport watching these sailors as they pace up and down the riverside judging angles all the time and cursing the lack of breeze or bemoaning the pressure coming out of the left.
But the most savoury epithet is reserved for the skipper who appears out of nowhere, riding a gust all of their own, all the way to the finish. “Jammy bugger”
Yes they are sailors, but they don’t need crew and cant blame anyone else for the mistakes. Its on their backs and they sail like they mean it.
Congratulations to Kim Kalka and Kim Swarbrick who won the last two weeks of the DF95 Olives regatta. Previous winners were Mark Sherburn and Nick Jerwood.
