Race report from Young Entertainer The Young Entertainer crew were fired up and ready to go for Sundays show down. We had Tim and Greg from the ill fated Coastal Classic team on board along with Sam and Dunc. Blair was 'busy' doing some other stuff and could not get a leave pass. The winds were light but the forecast promised some increased pressure as the day went on. There were four boats ready to start We started last as per Mark Foy rules and had zero wind off the line - lucky we had an outgoing tide! Greg was on the helm and we set the boat up nicely and went about chasing down our opponents. We passed Satisfaction and Blue Beat and then pulled up alongside Eye Spy. We were neck and neck with about 500m to the mark rounding. Eye Spy got the better of the small and shifty breeze and rounded first in zero wind. We managed to stay in the game recording about 1 knot of boat speed for the first 15mins after the rounding. Eye Spy had a kite up and managed to get to the favoured left hand side of the course and pulled away from us. Blue Beat started to gain on us as they brought the wind down with them. We hung on for 2nd place but got handicapped out again to 17th place or something stupid. Heaven only knows why we get two handicaps put on us. May need to up my beer donation to the sailing captain... It was a frustrating and enjoyable days racing. Well done to Eye Spy for another easy win. D Race report from Eye Spy I have been away for the last week or so on Eye Spy so needed to replace the main halyard prior to the race. That sorted (thanks Darcy).........now to find some crew. Eric is keen to get back on the water so off we went in veeeery light conditions. Turned out our late start was the closest time on distance so a bottle o wine for the bilge. Now to chase down Satisfaction and Blue Beat. Oh........was that Satisfaction we passed before the line? We got some breeze Blue Beat didn't and before we knew it we were in front! Never under-estimate a determined Commodore tho eh. Throughout the upwind leg we created a consentina effect as the 3 boats behind closed on us in breeze we did not have, only for us to pull away again. Round Meola to starboard was straight forward for Eye Spy compared to the rest of the fleet......right time right place. After the mark rounding we heard a call from Young Entertainer to "hoist" so we obliged only to see a collapsed kite in rain with no breeze. Bugger........with fleet closing us down we finally got some apparent and a safety distance to the next boat. Consentina again!! Wind on the nose! Kite down, repack, kite up again and finally get the line hooter. Young Entertainer and Blue Beat quite close.............enough? Thanks Eric.......you worked like a trooper. Sorry I couldn't make the prize-giving.....sounds like you guys had fun. Race Report from Blue Beat What a start as we drifted over the start line late down between the moored boat then eye spy come passed how was he going so fast maybe he took all the rum bottles off. It was a slow sail only made better by calling starboard on that big blue boat. After the finish the wind came in. Big cheers to Darcy for the after match and his pets for setting the day up . Cheer Gary |
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