A hot humid day reaching 27 degrees with a moderate NE breeze around 12 to 15 knots with up to 19 knot gusts. . See below for holfuy.
Nine (9) multihull craft setting up today including Ian’s WETA. Ross Boyd and Paul English doing duty. Regulars Jack Kroek and Paul Leaudais (with Trevor on his Ty Frou Frou) were away. Early on Bill Ledger and Tony Sanderson rigging up around 10am taking out a two parents of our learn to sail kids for a bit of adult learn to sail. In the morning the breeze was a bit lighter. Both under tuition took the tiller and had opportunity to get out on the wire. Once back onshore both had big smiles and really enjoyed themselves. Thanks to Bill and Tony for giving them the opportunity to go for a sail. Hopefully fostering some new adult sailing members of the future.
It was particularly warm out in the rigging area and it didn’t take much activity to work up a sweat. Les on his flying A Class going out a bit earlier to test the conditions. Once up and foiling Les’s craft put on quite a show with terrific spurts of acceleration gliding effortlessly across the lake. A retired couple (the wife said hadn’t sailed for 30 years) dropped in to check out the craft and were impressed by Les’s Flying A Class and chatted to a few friendly folks on the foreshore and in the club house.
Jody on Blue Tongue also going out in the morning. She was intent on getting out on the wire. Slight trapeze wire length adjustments with a few tips and a practice run on land she proved to be some what more nimble than say myself. Armed with this confidence she set off and was seen practicing out on the lake. The big smile when she returned saying trapeze isn’t all that hard, said it all.
With Club Captain Trevor and deputy club captain Jack Kroek away I filled in. Basically there was no TY’s (all down the coast at St Georges Basin Regatta) and it ended up no large cats racing so we just had 2 starts.
The NE breeze picked up once you got away from the shore and you could get a fast ride and excellent reach out to the start line.
A Port course was set. Start out near middle of lake, windward mark over near entrance to Lake Illawarra yacht club and the wing mark out in front of the club house near Gooseberry Island.
The multihull start got away well. Ian’s WETA not pointing as well as some of the cats but having good boat speed. However the rudders didn’t like jelly fish and popped up when they were hit.
At the start , most got away well with with a few boats spread out along the line. I hugged the start boat following Ralf and Tony Zahra. Majority working down toward Gooseberry Island on starboard tack some choosing to tack off earlier. The moderate breeze making excellent trapeze weather. The moderate breeze creating some waves but not too big as we were on the NE side of the Lake. At the windward mark I was still in touch with the leading craft of Dark Horse and White Wave. The next leg was a lovely broad reach to the wing mark that could be made in a direct line. With 15 knot breeze this was a particularly quick leg. I was able to make up ground on the leaders and rounded directly behind White Wave. The leaders pinching a little working the angles. I chose to bear away a little further and go for speed. After gybing back across to round the mark I was still able to keep in touch. Most choosing to stay on port tack working over to the shallows (roughly to the HOLFUY mud stick ) before tacking down to the windward mark. It was either on this windward return or the last triangle Yabby broke the halyard line and his main sail started to come down. He soldiered on but wasn’t able to keep up the pace. On the final run to the windward mark Dark Horse tacked a little early not making the mark so had to tack again. As did White Wave. Groove Thing capitalising getting past Dark Horse. Hot Pepper seeing their lay line tacked later and was able to get a full power/speed run making up plenty of ground on this leg. Once around the windward mark it was back to the X mark and to the line. Hot Pepper stayed out on the wire just dropping the traveller out about half way cracking on the main sheet. By standing on the back corner screaming down to the X making up ground on the leaders. Working the mainsheet when the stronger gust came through. Out in front of Dark Horse, Groove Thing had a trapeze wire failure dropping Tony into the water. When he tried to get back on board his craft capsizing. Hot Pepper making up plenty of ground
Regards Hugh Lewis
It was particularly warm out in the rigging area and it didn’t take much activity to work up a sweat. Les on his flying A Class going out a bit earlier to test the conditions. Once up and foiling Les’s craft put on quite a show with terrific spurts of acceleration gliding effortlessly across the lake. A retired couple (the wife said hadn’t sailed for 30 years) dropped in to check out the craft and were impressed by Les’s Flying A Class and chatted to a few friendly folks on the foreshore and in the club house.
Jody on Blue Tongue also going out in the morning. She was intent on getting out on the wire. Slight trapeze wire length adjustments with a few tips and a practice run on land she proved to be some what more nimble than say myself. Armed with this confidence she set off and was seen practicing out on the lake. The big smile when she returned saying trapeze isn’t all that hard, said it all.
With Club Captain Trevor and deputy club captain Jack Kroek away I filled in. Basically there was no TY’s (all down the coast at St Georges Basin Regatta) and it ended up no large cats racing so we just had 2 starts.
The NE breeze picked up once you got away from the shore and you could get a fast ride and excellent reach out to the start line.
A Port course was set. Start out near middle of lake, windward mark over near entrance to Lake Illawarra yacht club and the wing mark out in front of the club house near Gooseberry Island.
The multihull start got away well. Ian’s WETA not pointing as well as some of the cats but having good boat speed. However the rudders didn’t like jelly fish and popped up when they were hit.
At the start , most got away well with with a few boats spread out along the line. I hugged the start boat following Ralf and Tony Zahra. Majority working down toward Gooseberry Island on starboard tack some choosing to tack off earlier. The moderate breeze making excellent trapeze weather. The moderate breeze creating some waves but not too big as we were on the NE side of the Lake. At the windward mark I was still in touch with the leading craft of Dark Horse and White Wave. The next leg was a lovely broad reach to the wing mark that could be made in a direct line. With 15 knot breeze this was a particularly quick leg. I was able to make up ground on the leaders and rounded directly behind White Wave. The leaders pinching a little working the angles. I chose to bear away a little further and go for speed. After gybing back across to round the mark I was still able to keep in touch. Most choosing to stay on port tack working over to the shallows (roughly to the HOLFUY mud stick ) before tacking down to the windward mark. It was either on this windward return or the last triangle Yabby broke the halyard line and his main sail started to come down. He soldiered on but wasn’t able to keep up the pace. On the final run to the windward mark Dark Horse tacked a little early not making the mark so had to tack again. As did White Wave. Groove Thing capitalising getting past Dark Horse. Hot Pepper seeing their lay line tacked later and was able to get a full power/speed run making up plenty of ground on this leg. Once around the windward mark it was back to the X mark and to the line. Hot Pepper stayed out on the wire just dropping the traveller out about half way cracking on the main sheet. By standing on the back corner screaming down to the X making up ground on the leaders. Working the mainsheet when the stronger gust came through. Out in front of Dark Horse, Groove Thing had a trapeze wire failure dropping Tony into the water. When he tried to get back on board his craft capsizing. Hot Pepper making up plenty of ground
Regards Hugh Lewis
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