Saturday’s race was a good example of how you don’t need lots of boats to have a good race. Three boats took the start for today’s Championship race number 2, Momentum with Barry John Ray and new crew member Michael aboard, Rosstered Off with Jim back from his and Glenda’s terrestrial circumnavigation of Australia, Richard, and Dave and temporary new crew member Michael aboard and Frou Frou (this race on time for the start) with Peter, Paul and Daniel (up from the junior sailing program) and Trev aboard. The start was closely contested with all three boats hitting the line at about the same time. Wind speed of 20 knots with gusts to 25 knots made the up wind journey to the first mark a challenge. Even more of a challenge for Momentum as the small headsail was left back in Barry’s garage for the second week in a row. That error slowed up Momentums progress significantly upwind, sometimes going sideways more than frontways at times.
The three of us went conservative on the first reach and run with Rosstered Off leading the way. The second work Rosstered Off tamed her flappy main and snuck further ahead by the top mark and even further down the square run. Frou Frou had a very comfortable downwind leg but in Rosstered Offs wake could see her chance of a race victory slipping away with the over canvassed momentum was unable to make any ground on the two boats ahead.
And that’s the way the fleet ended up for the rest of the race with Rosstered off finishing a good seven minutes ahead of Frou Frou with Momentum hampered by too much sail on the day finishing a further 5 minutes or so later.
Congratulations to Rosstered Off on her first race for the season. We will all have to lift our game if we are to get close to a podium finish against her.
Our TY sailing family wishes Barry success with his shoulder surgery on Tuesday 22 October and hope that his convalescence is short. We need him back in fighting form as quickly as possible.
The End Trev