Race reports from Cloud ten For the races I have my regular crew, Hooks my co-pilot, Spike the Beale man and Scotty my partner and the brawn on board. First Race: By the time we were getting ready to hoist sails the wind had come up to its predicted 20 knots so after a bit of discussion we decide to go with a reefed main. That turned out to be a great decision. After a pretty good start we take off after Cracka and Near and Farr, Bill was already around Kauri point and we couldn’t even see them but knew they were ahead somewhere. We had seen course 6 on the committee boat so that is what were following, hang on no-one was rounding Meola? A call to the committee boat sorted that out, it was course 4 not 6, great we now know where we are going. The upwind beat was hard work and the wind speed up to 28 knots; I think I said this is nuts or something like that. A gust hit us out nowhere and we were flattened, Hooks was on the leeward side and slipped further down, next minute he was up to his chest in water! He looked annoyed although smiling. Near and Farr were closing in on all the CCYC boats head and so were we. We had managed to pick of Cracka by the gybe mark but then that didn’t go well at all. I was struggling to bring Cloud 10 down to the mark so everyone was easing to help me, by the time I got around and needed to gybe the main was way out and I didn’t give the crew enough time to bring it in for a controlled gybe. Over she went and it was a “oh shit” moment, luckily the boom hit the water which stopped its momentum or it could have been ugly. There wasn’t a figure 8 in one of the two main sheet ropes and it disappeared out the block, Scotty saw it go and in an instant while we were on our side grabbed it and it was rethreaded, crisis averted and we didn’t even lose a place. We did bust the dodger clips off though but that was a small price to pay really. We all stayed in the same positions on the downwind leg but upwind we started to catch Bill. We ended up doing one less board to get around Kauri Point to the finish which put us ahead. In the meantime Satisfaction had been steadily catching us, she managed to squeeze around Kauri Point too and they were very very close to the wharf. That slowed them down just enough to save us and being able to ease sheets before them we managed to cross the finish ahead and claimed a very exciting second place. 2nd Race: After having to drop the main and sort out our mainsheet from the previous race and stuffing our faces with a little food we were ready to go again. I handed the helm over to my trusted co-pilot Hooks, it was a great start and we were off again in the same positions as last time. Satisfaction seem to be a lot closer than the previous race, they must have been on time to the start this time we decided. Not a very eventfully race and although gusts were still hitting hard the overall wind speed had dropped, our reef was now hurting us a little. The tide was also contributing to us not being able to pick off the CCYC boats ahead of us like the race before; instead the big boats were catching us quickly. Satisfaction was flying and the 2nd upwind beat flew past, Champosa was also making light work of these conditions and past too. We did manage to pass Bill but not Cracka this time. It was noted that Scotty had done all the winching and I had done not much at all, which I fully admit. We didn’t know the results but knew that we hadn’t done enough to keep the trophy at this point. Although saddened we were actually really happy about how Cloud 10 went in these conditions. Thank you to the CCYC committee boat and HYC house committee for the burgers. Race report from Firsty Congratulations CCYC on taking the Golden Rivet. 2 windy races with a good sail combination, but couldn't make up the time. It was lonely out the back of the fleet once Champosa had powered past Tim, Lou, Tod, Nick and Craig on Firsty. Race report from Satisfaction (CCYC) We knew it was going to be our day when it dawned with strong winds, just what we ordered for the day. Satisfaction was off to a 1.5 minute late start due to Miranda spending too much time at the café getting pizza’s, but they were good later…running only two handed was always going to need lots of pizza! Heavy winds helped us slowly pick our way through the fleet but we managed to get a headsail sheet wrapped around a mast foot step and valuable time was lost. The tide was ripping around Kauri Point and we came in Farr too close for comfort, not going to do that again. We managed a healthy third in that race, and were determined to get a better start in the final deciding race between the two clubs. With a calming beer and pizza for lunch we got a 1 second late start, not bad for an old girl that’s not particularly nimble (Satisfaction.…. not Miranda). The wind Gods favoured us as we gradually climbed through the fleet of mainly reefed yachts,… Satisfaction just revels in those 25knot gusts. We found it best for Miranda to helm whilst Phil tacked and trimmed, but by the end of the race my arms and back were burning, seventeen tonnes is hard to manage in those conditions and I’d had enough for one day. We were rewarded with a first place result with Champosa and Near & Farr hot on our tail, we headed back up to HYC for a celebratory drink. Well done CCYC and HYC, a great team effort and well worth all the sore bods and heads the next day. Big thanks to all the organisers and crews, another very satisfying day out on the Waitemata.  Race report from Eye Spy - Race 2 The Golden Rivet is on!! A little touch and go for a while as the weather was forecast to be somewhat gnarly. The green light was given so we head out to Taikata with Lisa, Yarn, Nicole and Trev Higgins on board. We watch the early starters and wonder how the hell we are to catch them. They seem to have disappeared way down harbour. We see its course 6 so we prepare for that. No.2 headsail and full main. Others have reefed and I wonder if that’s a good idea. A decision is made to keep full main and reef on the go if required. We get to the line on time, well 8 seconds late, and are soon powered up. I hear something over channel 77 that the course has changed from the posted course 6 to course 4. Start, Chelsea, Start, Chelsea and finish. We decide not to fly the kite for a lack of experience in what was fairly breezy conditions. We end up sailing pretty much on our own with a battle up front and a battle behind. We cross the line in seventh place. A great sail with very little to improve upon. Well done to my crew and well done to team HYC for keeping the series alive!! One race each! Race report from EYE SPY “Golden Rivet # 3” HYC and CCYC are one race each. The wind is still up peaking around 25 knots so we decide to leave the kite in its bag in order to keep it out of the drink. Just prior to our start we loose the main out-haul containment strap and that takes Lisa a while to replace and strengthen with another sail tie. The No.2 headsail is hoisted and the foot comes off! Up the forestay the sail goes as the wind pushes the lot up to the spreaders! That’s not a good look I thought……… the crew sort it out we jibe and its time to start. Trim on! Whew nothing like putting pressure on ourselves eh. Second best start on this race. For a time we appear to be catching Satisfaction. They seem to gain another gear and pull away. Now we need to keep ahead of the boats behind. Champosa is the only one we need to slow down. If we can do that we may give Firsty and Slipknot an opportunity. We tack on top of them twice but they are too big and powerful. They cruise ahead downwind of us. Not enough shadow from Eye Spy. We hoped that others in the HYC team are more successful in slowing him down. The boats ahead of him were all way smaller so he powered into second place. CCYC first and second………pretty hard to beat. Well done to CCYC. The new holders of the “Golden Rivet”. Race Reports from Near & Farr Our initial plan had been to sail with three of us, Duncan, Big Mike and I. However of Friday Mike mentioned that he might have a big night so might not be able to make it. Hmmmm that would mean we would have to race double handed and the forecast was for wind. On Saturday morning at 8.20am we received an email from Mike, he was not going to be able to make it. This was not so bad as it seemed rather calm. We arrived down at the marina and discussed reefing the main, nah it is fine. However as we motored out to the start line the wind picked up. So we reefed our main and did a couple of practice runs just under main… we were flying. Race two We took advantage of the three minute no extra rule and unfurled our headsail as we crossed the start line. Bill were in the distance. The course on the committee boat was course 6. We were rather perplexed that Bill were not heading to Meola but instead heading to Chelsea… hmmm maybe they had got the course wrong. Nope! The committee boat had put the wrong course up… luckily for us and Cracka, Satisfaction radioed through to check the course. “course 4” was the response from the committee boat. There were a few expletives on our boat, hey ho we headed towards Chelsea under goose wing (or gull wing as kiwis prefer to call it). Around the mark and in pursuit of Bill with Cracka behind us and the others pursuing us. Hard on the wind we headed back … where is Mike when you need him. The first upwind leg was a killer … our out board sheets were doing grandmas kitting around our inboard sheets. (we have out board sheets for the down wind legs, but have to have inboard sheets too that go through the stays for upwind sailing… it makes it all rather complicated …. And creates extra work……). It was not a fun leg and was mighty windy. It is probably good that we did not have wind instruments. Back to the committee boat around the mark and a more relaxing leg to Chelsea again. Still in hot pursuit of Bill. Around Chelsea and we managed to get past Bill for the final leg. Satisfaction and her 17 tonnes were gaining and Cloud ten not far behind us at all…. Go Bronny!!. We crossed the finish line first, followed by Cloud ten! Phew glad that is over. Head sail furled and time for some lunch… I opted to eat the brownies I had bought for mike! Race 3 Start, Chelsea, start, Chelsea, finish (course 4 the same as the first race). With our muscles aching we started the second race…. Not our best start and this time two CCYC boats started before us, as cracka opted to use the three minute rule. Another windy race. Luckily no goose winging in this one .. which was a relief as I did not have to use the boat pole to pole out the No2. It seemed that the CCYC boats had got their act together and were on a mission. We called starboard on Cracka and managed to gain a place as well as over taking Bill. However the big boys – Satisfaction and Champosa were on a mission and gaining fast on us. We did a tack and tried to call starboard on Satisfaction… however they got through.. jammy so and so. So our final leg of the course we were attempting to catch up with Satisfaction with Camposa behind us … When I mentioned to Duncan that camposa were gaining.. his response was” they are only on their first leg”…… my response “I think they are on their second leg”……. Too late they manged to cross the finish line just in front of us… bummer. We took third place but quite frankly we raced well in very testing conditions with only two of us. We watched the other boats finish as we packed up and could tell that HYC had not won the second race. Congratulations to CCYC for winning the Golden rivet trophy…..until next year!  Thank you to the committee boat, all of the other boats that raced, the HYC house committee for the awesome food. And thank you to Duncan for being an awesome skipper! |
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