Victoria Shadow Association Members' Forum

Leon_Ferguson

Member

Registered: 2004-03-18

Posts: 56

Victoria 800 THALIA OF HAMBLE

'Thalia of Hamble' is a cutter-rigged Victoria 800 owned, sailed and often raced by Leon Ferguson.

She is moored on the River Thames at Gravesend and Leon is an enthusiastic member of the Gravesend Sailing Club.

Leon sailing 'Thalia of Hamble'

Leon_Ferguson

Member

Registered: 2004-03-18

Posts: 56

Re: Victoria 800 THALIA OF HAMBLE

Update 2007

I bought new sails for Thalia in a weak moment last winter, but they are well worth it. I had dealt with Hyde Sails before and succumbed to their mailout. The service was as good as it had been previously. Richard Franks came down to Gravesend and measured both the boat and the existing sails. They then delivered and bent on the new sails. Not happy with the way the clew sat on the main, they took it back and re-delivered it with a modified slug. I have managed to get sail numbers from the R.Y.A. as well, as I had none previously. I have mentioned how I would like to have a 'chute or spinnaker to improve her downwind sailing, and they said that when I was ready they would be happy to come and see what they could suggest.
         
Sadly Thalia then sustained a hit and run on her mooring at Gravesend. I was still able to sail her, but the starboard teak capping has taken a blow and sustained slight damage which I will have repaired fairly soon, hopefully at Swale Marina in Conyer who have an excellent workshop. At the same time I will try and have the same modification made to the cockpit floor as Volante in Benfleet, to improve access to the stern gland and the rear of the engine, if the cost is reasonable. I love the boat and am pleased with the choice I made, but the limited access to the stern does worry me... I am getting too stiff to dangle upside down in cockpit lockers, and too wide to fit myself in whole.

I am sorry that I haven't made any of the rallies... fingers crossed for the next one here on the East Coast. Gravesend Sailing Club has had a very good sailing year, and sitting on the Committee takes up time. The basin is much improved. If ever Anne wanted to bring a fleet of boats here, and although the gates still leak a little, there is always water in the basin.

Finally, I am enclosing some pics of Thalia with her new sails. The ones with light shining through were taken at the start of the Gravesend to St. Kath's race last year, where she acquitted herself very well, keeping pace with a fast Verl and GK24 much to their consternation!

Leon_Ferguson

Member

Registered: 2004-03-18

Posts: 56

Re: Victoria 800 THALIA OF HAMBLE

Update 2008

With a windy forecast on 6th September for Gravesend Sailing Club's annual race into London, most of us started with several reefs. Thalia was under double reefed main and staysail but eventually set full sail.

Close hauled approaching Woolwich it began to gust again, 43 knots recorded at Erith, but Thalia proved what wonderful boats the Victoria/Frances are, as she behaved impeccably, even when scooping water into the cockpit.

Thalia on the Gravesham - 2008

Leon_Ferguson

Member

Registered: 2004-03-18

Posts: 56

Re: Victoria 800 THALIA OF HAMBLE

Update 2009

On the 18th August 2009, Leon Ferguson sent the following message to our East Coast members,

"I am planning to try the Havengore route to the Roach and then the Crouch this weekend (22/23), leaving on Friday from Gravesend, overnighting in Holehaven, then setting off on the last of the ebb for the artificial island by the S Shoebury buoy. I plan to anchor there in the gully to the west of the island, then set off over the sands 2 hrs before HW.  I shall be on channel 16, Thalia of Hamble, if anyone else fancies an adventure. I haven't done it before. This is provided there is no F5+ in the forecast.  If all goes well I may overnight at Paglesham,  then head up the Crouch on Sunday probably ending up at North Fambridge.  If I bottle out I shall just head across the estuary to Stangate creek or the Swale."

Leon was as good as his word. He left his Gravesend mooring and followed his plan to the letter. An hour before high water, he led several other boats across the Broomway with 0.9m to spare. The other boats all drew less than Leon's Victoria 800 cutter and their crews could be fairly certain all would be well if Leon made it successfully!

After stopping overnight at Paglesham, Leon entered the River Crouch and was tempted into the Burnham Yacht Harbour by the crews of 'Shikara' and 'Jenter', who had been monitoring his progress.

Well done Leon. It was good to see you again.

'Thalia of Hamble' and Leon in Burnham Yacht Harbour Marina

Leon

Leon_Ferguson

Member

Registered: 2004-03-18

Posts: 56

Re: Victoria 800 THALIA OF HAMBLE

The Shivering Sands Race - 2010

Thalia has won a race. Not any race but the Shivering Sands. Inaugurated some 20 years ago, this is a 56 mile roundtrip to the towers that have stood in the Thames estuary since the Second World War and are a dramatic navigation mark. The race is considered a challenge. I have never before finished in time. For there to be any finishers at all is usually an achievement, needing a decent blow and a fast boat.

Most of the boats declaring their intention to race were the faster cruisers and racers, a Sadler 32, a GK 24, A Gibsea 76, a Centaur and a Griffon . The Pentlands decided not to bother, and one of them told me that I too was a cruiser and it was pointless. But my crew was keen, and with a clean bottom and northerlies meaning a reach I was keen to try, so enlisted an experienced sailor and racer who was not sailing his Verl. Knowing that the others might all finish before Thalia, I was hoping that her handicap might be in her favour.

Now anyone who has raced with me will know that I enter more for the spirit of the race than any real desire to win. For the camaraderie of sailing and the chocolate croissants that I usually have on board, plus copious amounts of beverage.

Heading out in the dinghy I stated that we had bacon for breakfast, (it was an 0700 start) but Chris our experienced X factor set the tone by saying let’s concentrate on getting the sails up first.

Second across the line and with Chris helming we reeled in the Sadler as we headed downriver, who then overtook us as the wind built, 5 to 6 was forecast. The others lagged behind but their more southerly course soon had them reeling us in, the GK 24 overtook us as she should and we sailed an almost parallel course with the Gibsea.

Four hours later we rounded the towers to starboard with the Gibsea close in tow, the Sadler and GK 24 way ahead, the GK 24 having decided to drop south along the Kentish coast. The wind continued to build in the gusts and we finally capitulated and put the first reef in the main. Others were sailing with various combinations of reefed mains and half rolled genoas. We sailed back on almost a reciprocal, 090 out, 270 back, letting Thalia luff in the gusts and make a little over to the Essex coast and Southend. Slowly the Gibsea fell back. Wind is now gusting 25-26 apparent. Sometimes a little heavy on the helm and the lea bulwarks under, she is always in control. We occasionally glimpse a sail or two well up ahead and conjecture that it must be the GK24 and the Sadler. Antony is now helming well in water that is considerably less lumpy. With occasional gusts up to 28 we lose the jib and the boat is just as fast. SOG occasionally reads 9 knots, Chris reckons we are making 7 kns through the water. Looking back we see a boat alongside the Gibsea, and, shock horror, realise it’s the GK 24.

Lunch of filled potato shells is put on hold, a bag of crisps will have to suffice, as we keep the pace up. As we turn the corner for the last stretch the wind drops a little so we unfurl the jib. It then gusts again but we hold on, Thalia is still perfectly manageable. We sail across the finish some 20 minutes after the Sadler. On corrected time we are 30 minutes ahead.

When the results are announced I am as shocked and surprised as are most people. Everyone comments on how fast Thalia sailed, and how well she performed against three fin keelers. Chris reckoned that because of her narrower beam we could hold onto canvas a lot longer than the beamier boats.

I am just thrilled to have seen how fast a Victoria can sail in the right conditions. If I was on my own I would probably have reefed a lot earlier, but Thalia was always very manageable, though she eventually did get a bit heavy on the helm.

It was a pleasure that after six years of owning Thaila with a different level of experience on board I experienced her sailing at speeds I had never envisaged. I can’t wait to enter the next race, or even to test her mettle on the next long cruise. To see Thalia listed as being first still seems incongruous. I’ll just have to try and make it happen again.

Shivering Sands - All three photographs are courtesy of Steve Davies aboard the GK24

Leon_Ferguson

Member

Registered: 2004-03-18

Posts: 56

Re: Victoria 800 THALIA OF HAMBLE

Annual club race to St Kaths - 2010

I took part in the annual club race to St Kaths last Saturday, 25th September, acquitted myself well as I came sixth, but it was a beat so not Thalia's best point of sail. I had some very experienced friends sailing with me which was nice as it was windy, but they are primarily dinghy sailors, so kept trying to sail her hard on the wind!

I had a severe loss of power when we got to Tower Bridge, couldn't rev her more than 2000, and had to unfurl sails to stay off the barges on the south side, then got a tow into the marina.

Unable to muster enough power, while circling in front of Tower Bridge after Gravesend sailing Club's annual race up to London, Thalia got a tow through the lock into St Katharine Dock.

Suspecting a bag around the prop, I lifted the stern to find a badly fouled propellor. The Jotun anti-fouling was working well on the hull, but the prop was a mass of barnacles. It was reassuring to see how stable she still remained.

Thanks to Penny Davies for the loan of the camera.