Round the sound

Apparently a good day was had by all.

Gero to freo results

The wind has gone south again so back to the grind.   News is that Sled is in the lead followed by OP and KD with charlotte close behind.   Just north of Mindarie so not long now.   ETA now pushed out to probably 6pm.

The tracker is working again and they have been pushing hard this morning with a more favorable wind.   Have made great time up and are now south of lancelin.    Looks like OP and KD are up there with charlotte a few miles back, but where is Sled and Glee?    They should get in around 4pm this afternoon if they can keep this up.   But will the seabreeze come i again and slow them?

Sue sea must have a problem as they have pulled out and gone into jurien bay.

Good morning, sorry I fell asleep.   This armchair racing is hard work.

The winds went East early in the evening and the winds have moderated to what would be now more enjoyable and looking at 15-20 knots and currently fading.   Hopefully this will help any crew that was quezy regain their footing and push hard during this morning.   They should be in go fast set up, probably hopefully with enough east to be able to reach at a nice angle and putting on the miles while they can before the wind turns south again later this morning.     They are around Cervantes at the moment so still a fair way to go after the pounding they received last night.    The tracker on Charlotte has stopped working again so well will have to wait and see and guess where they are exactly but I would assume they are between OP and Sue sea somewhere based on where they were last night.

Sorry about the wind last night fellas, could have been the nuts I had with my beer.   Gosh this is almost as tough as being out there! 

Good news.  It looks like the easterly has come in early and the boys are well placed to take advantage of it.   Cracked sheets now? and the boat has picked up speed.   Heading south and should now start to put on the miles.    Doing well with OP in the lead and Charlotte close behind.   Just dont know where Glee is as their tracker has stopped working.   again.   

News is that Walk on the Wildside have blown their mainsail and headsail out and therefore retired.  Wild One have also retired due to crew seasickness.   Charlotte, OP, Knee Deep,  Sue sea and Sled are up at the front still pounding and eagerly waiting for the easterly, but there is some east already.  Here in my armchair the wind has dropped completely and there is no seasickness to worry about, I'm glad I stopped eating those beans.   It should not be long now before the boys get some respite.

Geralton Return Live Here (click this header)

The race started this morning and the boys look like they are getting a bit of punishment.  The wind has gone southerly and the current does not seem to be playing fair with nothing obvious from any of the boats way out west.    Based on this it look slike Charlotte has decided to head for the coast probably in the hope of finding flatter water.   The boys are not doing too bad up there with Knee Deep , Sled,  OP and Sue Sea.   OP tracker seems to ahve stopped so lets hope it comes back on so we can see how the boats compare.       I expect the boys will head for the coast to get the Easterly that will hit just before midnight.

Walk on the wildside must have had an issue as they have stopped at port denison for some relief.   I can guarantee it would not be that comfortable out there at the moment with many on board feleing a bit quezy pounding against that southerly.    Hopefully none too bad so they keep focused on set the right sails and keeping the boat moving until easterly kicks in and provides some relief.    Oh well keep watching it all unfold by clicking on the tilte link.

Navibroken out for now

Results

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Geraldton return

For those interested. The longe range weather gribs are showing a 25-30 knot south Easterly for the return trip from friday through to Monday. Breeze gradually fading over the three days. But it could change. yesterday it was showing 30-35 knots but still from the South east. I'll keep you updated.

Charlotte is safely at geraldton. The news is that at around 730pm last night the boat went faster than the wind down a wave which caused the spinnaker to wrap around the forestay. bad wrap that took several hours to free during the night. This meant that they were travelling with only staysail and main most of the night but we still humming along quite well. Without this the boat would have been up with OP in in a tight finish. Oh well there will be more chances. Top boat speed was only 20-21 knots. Also blew out the head out of the stay sail. Guess we need to build it a bit stronger. Overall one shreaded kite one shreaded stay sail, two destroyed halyards but all well and the rum is starting to set in nicely.........

News at hand is that General Lee finshed with line honours with a new race record of 18 hours and 18 minutes. OP just beat Knee Deep across the line. Charlotte should be able to see Geraldton now and will be in within the next hour. Can they hold out Windows until the finish?

Not far now, they are near port denison. The boys have had some trouble I guess with a kite as they have been left behind. They could have damaged a kite/s but are still travelling quite well. There are at least 2 yachts ahead ;OP and knee deep , but could be 4 yachts. Glee and Sled could be ahead, putting the boys in 3rd or 5th position with Windows close on there heels and gaining. Hard to predict an ETA but they will be in well before lunch, probably close the original estimate of 9-10am. They would have had some great rides earlier in the night but now have slowed with whatever went wrong. Nav out for now.

All was going well with Charlotte neck and neck with OP but something went wrong and Charlotte slowed. Looks like kite trouble and it cost them a lot of time. Lost nearly an hour to OP. whatever it was they have recovered and are now steaming ahead after OP. Overall they are still doing well, second behind OP though there are two yachts whose trackers are not working that we expect to be up there and could well be in front of OP. The plan appears to be working with the boys sticking close to shore. The plan was to be on the beach at midnight but it looks like the easterly came in an hour early at 11pm. This means they are a little further offshore than planned so lets hope they are in enough breeze. They look like they are doing well against the other boats that went out west and came to a crunching halt once they hit the Current out in deeper water. A few have now jybed back in and are moving well again but those that stayed out are still struggling. At this rate they will be in ahead of my estimated finsh time of 11am. In fact at this rate they could even be in for breakfast.

Well the start went well with charlotte fourth around the first mark behind Knee Deep, sled and OP. Since then they have been progressing well sitting on an average 13 knots of boat speed and at 8pm around a quarter of the way there just north of Guilderton. They would be getting a great ride out there in the gusts. I wonder what the top speed is now. Hot on Charlottes heels is OP, looks like the two are going to play cat and mouse and Sue Sea the other Marten out west. The winds are good and it looks like the boys are sticking close to shore.

Navibroken out for now. be back soon

Geraldton Race (click this to watch live 1330hrs Friday 21Oct)

click on picture to zoom

The weather is looking great for the first leg of the 220nm Geraldton Race due to start 1330 on Friday. The instruments were calibrated on the weekend and all is looking good for the race. I'm still broken so will sit this one out and watch from home but the rest of the crew are looking pretty excited. Charlotte has been named "City of Geraldton" and will represent the host city for the race . Up against us is Optimus Prime named "City of fremantle" for the race. Overall there are a number of contenders this year for line honours so the race will be a good one to watch with general Lee and a revamped Sled and Knee Deep in the running, but dont forgeet about WOTW (windows). Go get em fella's (and Bec) Watch the race live by clicking on the this blog title from 1330hrs on friday. I expect Charlotte to arrive around midday based on the current weather forecast but that could change ( since when was the forecast ever right!) Navibroken out

The George Law apparently went okay. Naviguesser was out injured and was unable to race so I can say much about it. I hear Charlotte was second over the line behind Optimus Prime and a good day was had by all. On handicap we finished 6 on both YAH and IRC with General Lee taking the honours. We have work to do boys! Meanwhile preparation is underway for the Geraldton race on Friday 22nd.

note that challenger passage lead beacon is now also in the course

George Law Course

Guys, Here is the course for George Law (Assuming it's the same as last year)

Voladora Ocean Race

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Another day of light winds and pretty much a drag race for the last of the Valmadre series. The race committee chose an Easterly course odd with NE blowing and the forecast NE tending North forecast. This gave very little opportunity to play tactics and from a crewmans point of very quiet, only 2 tacks in the entire race! From a navigation point of view still not having wind instruments made the chosen course a bit of a relief and only made it interesting trying to estimate apparent wind angles for sail selections. Mind you it seemed that others had more trouble than us choosing between bear away and gybe sets and also selecting what to sails to carry at each mark and we pretty much had it spot on at each mark.

We were a little early for the start and had to slow up leaving us without much speed on the line at the gun but in clean air. I don’t remember much more as I was busy sorting out the day bouy locations and looking at angles for the next leg. We tacked away earlier than most and I think about 3rd around the top mark behind OP and another that had a poor hoist and was soon passed. A shy kite run that went shyer when the wind went north and we had to drop to a heady to reach Eastern windmills. Al without event but Syrenka blew a kite whilst bearing down on us fast with that huge main.

The rest of the race was pretty uneventful apart from a ship decided to sail through the fleet making things a little interesting for a while but nothing like the last race and we were safely through.

It was a tight finish with OP somehow thinking they could carry a kite on the last leg, even without wind instruments we called it right,,, but….then we hesitated when we saw what OP were doing. we had it right in the first place and had we have stuck to plan it would of given us the 10 metres we needed to get in front from where we would have been able to hold them to the finish. As it turned out our hesitation caused confusion amongst the crew and resulted in a poor drop. This gave OP time to recover from their optimistic call and we were almost dead even heading up the last leg. OP further down wind crept up on us and both boats drag raced to the finish. Side by side on PORT tack gave them right of way and were able to push us up and out of contention. We were forced to concede and followed them home kicking ourselves afterwards for hesitating at the last mark. Oh well, that’s racing and OP took the honours 5 metres in front. Well done and that I assume hands them the series, but not without fight. And I’m sure there will be many duels to come.

The West Australian

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Backward Line Honours

Out and about early with a squall giving everyone a quick wash(except nav who had things to do down below, oh and scotty who found things to do down below!) On the line at the start about halfway along and with speed placing us nicely for accelaration off the line. The day bouy was on one tack and most boats stayed that way after the mark but we decided it looked better inside and this turned out to be a good call. Stanton continued to alude us until we were on top of it. Damn its hard to find. Naviguesser looking a little rattled until it was finally spotted. First around Stanton and kite up to Cambell. One gybe to campbell, a quick gybe over and we will round it, so we thought. Just as we gybed the wind went from southwest to north east. We had to drop the kite and tack upwind to make the mark. Luckily with enough lead to put us in different wind than OP close behind. At this point OP and us were in complete separate winds only 100 metres apart. The rains squalls in the distance were sucking wind up and causing havoc around the course but keeping tacticians on their toes. We inched along in and out of wind while the rest of the fleet closed in still with good breeze. Knee Deep and a couple of others headed out in good breeze trying to do the round the outside manouvure but the wind returned and we stayed out in front around burnell back out to hall bank and kite again the cambell. From here a drag race to the finish, nearly stuffed it until nav double checked the course and found we had to round w mark, not the normal channel markers. Great another fun mark to find. Around W and kite up for the finish, alls well. Hmmn.... not really enough room for a gybe on the finish so out came the imfamous goose wing, kite on one side main on the other, all good until the drop. Lets just say the drop did not go according to plan and for the first time ever we finished the race backwards over the line, just so the officials could read the name on the stern. Knee Deep close behind with Sue Sea, syrenka, and OP a way behind after sailing themselves off the course looking for better breeze. Will be interesting to read the paper tomorrow!

Arlene Ocean Race

After the coldest morning in 150years (apparantely) we managed to crack the ice and set sail for just chilly start. Expecting a NE course the race commitee threw in a curly one ...North/South course. No matter all under control. Which course is that! Late off the line and 50 meters behind walk on the windows and OP. Head for the top mark. Course 5 Course 5 where does that go. Okay Campbell after The day bouy then back to Burnell all under control. The wind was a 10 knotish wind but as the wind instruments decided it was just too cold to play today we could just make it up as we wished. I decided it was going to be a north easterly and then it might go North so we should just sail to that. and we did. OP lead the way again and we tussled with walk on the wildside (great to see them back) and Sue Sea (great performance today). Pretty much a soldiers course today follow the leader but did have two tacks..... woo hoo. The only opportunity to really do anything, we took advantage of; on the last run from burnell back the the harbour clearance bouys sailing much deeper than OP before we gybed enabling us to sail a better angle and give them a scare. Pulled back a fair bit of distance but in the end we gybed just behind them and finished 50 meters behind then. Well sailed OP. I was down below packing the kite when we heard a hoot, thought it was the boat plumbing or something until I looked out the window and saw a ship, Quite close. No very close. Couldn't read the writing on the rivets but pretty close. No matter the anchor is down.....ummm boys why is the anchor chain going up. Think we might have to get out of here....Hooooot. In before midday , crap is the bar open yet. We are not used to getting in before about 4pm yet alone lunchtime in a Valmadre. Presentation at 6pm...could be messy. Anyones guess on handicap in 2.5 hour race, lt will be interesting to see who pings it. Nav Out for now

Arlene Ocean Race

The first valmadre attracted a big fleet of 50 odd yachts. The weather was fine with a light 10 knot North Easterly.

Not a bad start taking the starboard end and staying out of trouble, 10 secs or so late for the line but the Port end favoured the shifts leaving the port boats with the advantage. Light and shifty winds to the day mark behind OP but we had speed on them making up some lost ground, letting OP, NF go through before us. The marten breaker let go twice during the kite hoist (there goes another version out the window-back to the idea cabinet) causing a complete stuff up having to drop the 1 and letting a few boats through us, Alfresco, Knee deep. Up with no2 and off to hallbank.

Around Hall bank well behind and on the beat to cambell managed to get back in the race a couple of times with a fair bit of cat and mouse in the light and shifty winds. A couple of boats including us looking like legends before sailing into oblivion and out the back door. Ended up second around cambell and chasing OP with light kite run to 11 m iso beacon.

Syrenka came steaming down behind us and went high over the top of us with that roachy main but then tried to take a short cut before realizing they had missed a mark and had to turn back, putting us again with just OP to tackle Stanton and on the beat back to Hall bank.

All well making lost ground disappear to be 50 meters behind OP before going for breeze on the shore and parking up in the only hole around. Time for lunch while the sails hung off the boat and 0 knots of breeze for 20 minutes or so. Boats behind us had more north and sailed straight around hallbank and to cambell again. The breeze came back in and again we sailed back into the race but too many boats too close for any handicap visions of grandeur. After sailing back out of the race again we were about 5th behind synrenka, next factor, op, alfresco at cambell again. At one stage Southern star only 100m behind us with 2 marks to go.

Up went the kite again and we sailed past them in yet again in a very light westerly as yachts sailed in the opposite direction also with their kites up. The winds were that light that we created our own apparent. We were running blind with wind instruments calling it quits and saying the wind was in front of us while the kite was up. Think we have an loose connection somewhere. Mind you it could be the navigators brain.

So back to just OP in front again but they now had enough distance to be in a different breeze and pulled away. Gybed around hall bank and yet another kite run to burnell. Nav trying to do a radio sched but couldn’t work out why no one could hear him until he realized that he had the HF handset not the VHF (Doh!!).

We seemed to have the kite up all day in all directions with the wind circling around us. Gybed around burnell with a bit of a breeze line taking us to south mole and the final kite run home, but not before the wind died again and let alfresco sneak up and finish just behind. So OP by 30 minutes but could be anyones race but ours.

Still a great day to be on the water and a few cobwebs blown out.

Been pretty slack of late so apologies for the lack of news. Geograph race week was again a great event with over 100 yachts competing. Charlotte looked nice tied up at her new holiday home. The crew stayed mostly at Charlottes house with much drinking and plundering the name of the week. Unfortunately too many water based toys to play with so not many hard evenings in the bar, or is that good, not sure. Pool sharks came out of the woodwork to compete nightly during the sabatical rum sessions and disappear into the evening to plunder the bar. But they all strangely reappeared just in time for racing the next day. Feasts were a plenty and sailing was great.

Geograph still turns on the weather for great racing in light and shifting winds testing the patience of crews. Since its been so long it difficult to remember all the details but overall we finished third behind NF and OP with a couple of race wins during the week to keep them on their toes. Not bad for our first Geograph in the new boat. Once again the highlights for me were the night race and the long race with huey throwing everything at us in terms of wind.

Busselton feeder

The winds were a little shifty and fickle at the start causing a delay while the start boat tried in vain to set a line that would allow a start in the right direction. We chose a port end start, more by default than good planning as we weren't on the ball with the restart time. We picked the shifts quite well with Next factor first around the top mark and us close behind. Kites up and along until the wind died and back to head sails until the early seabreeze kicked in from the south. Down the channel we managed to go under Next factor and were first out the channel towards Coventrys with OP close behind. A sea breeze in from the South West and now it was just a question of what would happen as the day went on. Would it strengthen, would it hold, would it go back south. Should we go inside the reef chasing flatter water or should we go out. We had a drag race down behind garden Island with OP. They looked to have a bigger heady so when the wind pocked up we had the advantage, but when it dropped they did. In the end their sea miles showed taking us by 20 minutes but we learnt alot in our first ocean race on Charlotte. We learned that it is difficult to cook pizzas in the microwave oven when on starboard tack as they tend to jump out when you open the door. That the glass rotating plate from the microwave should be under the item being cooked not on top. We found all sorts of strange creatures during the night, one in particular that was often found foragging for food in the dark and was quite often found looking for mars bars on his hands and knees in the dark, but tends to growl and snap when woken from a nap. We found once again that the nav computer will without fail when you are in the middle of bouvard reef yet will work perfectly when in open water. And we decided that next time we may need to bring a kettle for coffee as it really doesn't weigh that much and caffiene is good. Best of all though is that we we discovered Charlotte is a dry boat even when bashing into it. It will be nice to get into a dry bunk on longer races. It turned out to be southwester until just before bunbury when it kicked left and to the south then kept bending to southeast to the finish just before 1am. OP first with us around 20 minutes behind just before 1 am then KD. Good racing with OP taking the overall win from us in second. Technically we should have won it easilly as our log kept saying we were doing between 11-25 knots ( I think it needs some calibrating) and our wind said it didn't get over 18 knots. Looks to be a good start for the lead up to race week and plans are well afoot for some serious on and offshore activities in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. Nav out

We're Back

Charlotte in her pen at Freo today.

After many months on the hard Charlotte was finally repaired. So have my ribs that were broken during the impact. The keel was sent back to sydney and rebuilt and centrecase replaced with a new one. Mast went back in this morning. She looks and feels brand new again and what a fantastic job by the guys who did the work.

The area around Fremantle has been resurveyed and our understanding is that the previously uncharted rock will become a new feature in the next chart update.

Today we went for a motor sail and tested the keel mechanism and instrumentation, then did the radio checks. All good. Safety review was completed back in the pen and all is in order for the Busselton feeder race on Saturday morning. Can't wait.

Charlotte will have the sail wardrobe refitted tomorrow and a test sail late afternoon with the boys planning a night on board to get accustomed again ready for Saturday morning.

See you on the water.

Naviguessor