Cloudy 23 degree day with a light to moderate S to SSE breeze between 3 to 13 knots made for pleasant sailing conditions, interrupted by the occasional shower.
Back with 10 catamarans competing this week (5 large cats and 5 small cats). Even with regulars like Ralf Steyer, Jack Kroek , Paul Monaghan, Paul Leaudais and Tony Zahra away.
The heavy rain last week combined with the reed blocked drain causing flooding has washed away the beach access to the lake making launching and boat removal a challenge.
After rigging and catch up it was time for a burger and briefing. Jack Kroek taking over as Trevor was down at the Basin regatta with the TY’s. With all the Ty’s away meant that we dropped division 1 start and started with division 2 mono’s.
After rigging and catch up it was time for a burger and briefing. Jack Kroek taking over as Trevor was down at the Basin regatta with the TY’s. With all the Ty’s away meant that we dropped division 1 start and started with division 2 mono’s.
Ian Richardson and Micheal Mazono doing duty this week. Setting a port course start line out in front of the club house, windward mark out towards the middle of the lake and wing mark down towards the shallows entrance to IYC.
After watching the mono’s start Billyo recognised a healthy port bias on the start line and headed to the port pin followed by the rest of the small cats.
Billyo liking the look of the lighter conditions blitzed the start hitting the line right on the hooter, This week Hot Pepper hot on Billyo’s heels across the line. The rest of the fleet in close pursuit. Billyo immediately started pointing much higher than the rest of us and started to establish a good lead and was never headed for the rest of the race leading from the front. The 1st port work heading up the lake proved a little challenging with the wind being a little shifty and the cloud cover and odd shower cutting down visibility so it took a while before the windward buoy came into sight. Majority of the time enough wind to trapeze. A couple of strategies played out with some choosing to tack off earlier and cut through the middle of the lake whilst others looking to work up high enough to make it across to the windward mark on one tack. Groove thing, Hot Pepper and Yabby rounding fairly close together. A nice reach was had down to the wing mark then round the wing mark down to the bottom (start) mark was a bit tight for those wanting to get maximum speed (at around 90 degrees to the wind). Hence some drove down deeper before gybing whilst others headed over towards Gooseberry Island before tacking again down to the mark. Again Groove thing, Hot Pepper and Yabby rounding fairly close together. Windward return saw Hot Pepper slightly ahead of this pack. However the more experienced pair clawed back the lead picking better wind pressure to take the lead again. The final run to the X and then the line saw Hot Pepper go deep so as to be able to head straight across to the X the other 2 tacking off earlier again picking a faster route. Other achievements of note were that Jody was out on trapeze for the 1st time during a race improving her skills getting confidence in the light to moderate conditions.
Scratch times(not adjusted) across finish line were as follows:
15:47:49 Bill Ledger 182 "Billyo" Nacro 14 sq
15:53:37 Tony Sanderson 6392 "Groove Thing" Windrush S/
15:54:13 Ross Fyfe 6421 "Yabby" Windrush S/Sloop
15:56:36 Hugh Lewis 6327 “Hot Pepper” Windrush S/Sloop Sloop
16:19:37 Jody Mathews 629 “Blue Tongue” Windrush S/Sloop
Pointscore and Championship results can be viewed here.
I won’t be around next week due to family commitments but enjoy and I will catch up the following week keen to hear the tales of the day.
Regards Hugh Lewis
After watching the mono’s start Billyo recognised a healthy port bias on the start line and headed to the port pin followed by the rest of the small cats.
Billyo liking the look of the lighter conditions blitzed the start hitting the line right on the hooter, This week Hot Pepper hot on Billyo’s heels across the line. The rest of the fleet in close pursuit. Billyo immediately started pointing much higher than the rest of us and started to establish a good lead and was never headed for the rest of the race leading from the front. The 1st port work heading up the lake proved a little challenging with the wind being a little shifty and the cloud cover and odd shower cutting down visibility so it took a while before the windward buoy came into sight. Majority of the time enough wind to trapeze. A couple of strategies played out with some choosing to tack off earlier and cut through the middle of the lake whilst others looking to work up high enough to make it across to the windward mark on one tack. Groove thing, Hot Pepper and Yabby rounding fairly close together. A nice reach was had down to the wing mark then round the wing mark down to the bottom (start) mark was a bit tight for those wanting to get maximum speed (at around 90 degrees to the wind). Hence some drove down deeper before gybing whilst others headed over towards Gooseberry Island before tacking again down to the mark. Again Groove thing, Hot Pepper and Yabby rounding fairly close together. Windward return saw Hot Pepper slightly ahead of this pack. However the more experienced pair clawed back the lead picking better wind pressure to take the lead again. The final run to the X and then the line saw Hot Pepper go deep so as to be able to head straight across to the X the other 2 tacking off earlier again picking a faster route. Other achievements of note were that Jody was out on trapeze for the 1st time during a race improving her skills getting confidence in the light to moderate conditions.
Scratch times(not adjusted) across finish line were as follows:
15:47:49 Bill Ledger 182 "Billyo" Nacro 14 sq
15:53:37 Tony Sanderson 6392 "Groove Thing" Windrush S/
15:54:13 Ross Fyfe 6421 "Yabby" Windrush S/Sloop
15:56:36 Hugh Lewis 6327 “Hot Pepper” Windrush S/Sloop Sloop
16:19:37 Jody Mathews 629 “Blue Tongue” Windrush S/Sloop
Pointscore and Championship results can be viewed here.
I won’t be around next week due to family commitments but enjoy and I will catch up the following week keen to hear the tales of the day.
Regards Hugh Lewis