Iberia Course

Guys here is the course for the weekend. Wind is expected to be a 10 knotish ENE going SE ish. ish ish. 09:25 warning signal.

Click to enlarge

ANZAC Cup

Handicap starts, lots of speed bumps.

At a guess there were 40 yachts competing in the ANZAC race on Saturday. We started last with Sue Sea around 30 minutes after the first yacht. They were almost out of sight by the time we crossed the line. Very late over the line as there was much debate over what time were actually meant to start. Bloody handicap starts, we never get them right. Anyway we started either 30 secs late or 30 secs early… whatever. Sue sea parked in front of us and giving us the right blocking tactics but at least making it interesting. Navigator couldn’t get the angles right and was calling tacks way to early but somehow we managed to shake Sue sue and we were off. Screaming through the fleet with excited anticipation wondering how on earth we were supposed to catch some of the yachts that were around the 4th mark before we were around the 1st and on such a relatively (big boat talk) short course. Still we didn’t give up and kept screaming along, some nice shy kite runs (new territory for us) and managed to hold it all together. Good crew work and good kite drops.

Still 2 legs to go and just a few, about 20-30 yachts, still in front. Put the big one up and the turbo thrust put us into hyperdrive. Comments were bloody hell that’s big from The longboat as way waved goodbye , and the one that made us laugh was a yacht that we so in awe they had to stop for a photo as we screamed past doing a leisurely 9 knots…… in 11 knots of breeze. Still about 10 boats in front with one leg to go. Sailed past the last mark and kept going to get the right angle to attack the finish, whoosh, jybed across and off. 7, 6, 5, 4 yachts still in front but to no avail Windslyce already over the line. Only 3in front just before the line and that’s how we finished. 4 th behind the boat that started 30 minutes in front, and obviously fastest. Damn is that it already, just getting warmed up.

Good race good fun and now waiting for the next.

Stumbled across an interesting resemblence

Hammy the foredecky also known to appear in movies such as "Over the Hedge". You know the hyperactive one!

Results

Click to enlarge

I think we won. Just.

The Cape Vlamingh race that wasn’t to Cape Vlamingh

Another race another good performance, and more tuning time and lessons learnt. We were looking forward to the race to see how we would stack up against OP and Sue Sea both being the same boats. Match racing on 50 footers now that’s fun!

The budding meteorologists on board predicted correctly. The wind turned out to be a light north easterly tending north easterly to nothing.

A better start, still 10-15 seconds late but in clear air and away to be first around the day bouy. OP were very late for the start and I don’t recall what Sue Sea were up to as I was still trying to pick which flags were up for the course. Course 2, damn, short course just to Rotto and back.

Had my head in the tablet and trying to find the day bouy with bugs watching the puffs trying to pick a bear away or jybe set. Bear away it was big kite up and gone.

A couple of jybes to get through windwills, still haven’t got the angles right and need to work on laylines. Found the day bouy it was near Rotto after all, not near Subiaco as listed in the yellow book. Can’t follow anyone when we are in front, this is different and perhaps a little too close to the Quokkers arms for many thirsty rebellers, still there was no mutiny as the motley crew were still on intravenous rum and we continued on our way.

Out to Fairway with a short dig, no3 kite up to head back to windmills, A radio sched, a little late due again to being out in front, and despite I told all 13 crew to remind me!!! But managed it well before we got to windmills. Dropped the kite around the mark and home. Did I meantion the prawning? (whoops!) keep that one quiet, no damage done.

We made good use of the wind before it dropped out and led all the way in 7-10 knots of breeze to the finish. We arrived back in the bar at around 2pm in Freo to a very unfamiliar scene. Well there really wasn’t a scene as were the only ones there. Will take some getting used to this big boat stuff..! Not only that but need at least 4 jugs before you get a beer. Now I know why the RO drinks wine.

When other crews did finally arrive the news was that wind died completely and most were parked for a great deal of time. Goods news for us I guess. We didn’t suffer this but the wind did drop down to 4-6 knots for a period just before the finish.

Now waiting for corrected results, Monday night at east freo.