Tuesday, April 28, 2009

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.

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