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.