Results: 1st Nona 2nd Waterwitch 3rd Eye Spy 4th Blue Beat DNF Six Gun Justice Race report from Eye Spy: This is a Mark-foy start so we did good and set after Six Gun Justice and Nona. We are ahead of Blue beat who was supposed to start on the same time as us and Water witch who as a faster boat starts after us. We have a crew of four, Lisa, Mark, JK and I. We are going well and Nona is now in our sights after slipping past the Justice. Surprisingly we are allowed to pass to windward and create a little buffer as we continue. On the next rounding of the laid south orange we run out of wind and merely hold station against the tide. Oh well……..time for a beer. Nona gets her own puff of breeze and glides passed us only a couple of boat lengths away. Oh well, we have a couple of laps to gain the place back don’t we? Water witch also glides passed with a code zero working well. What’s happening with the Justice? Looks like she’s tangled with the isolated danger mark! Ohhhhh………… danger mark no longer there!!! Seems Sam does not know her own strength and in the process of fending off pushed the mark over. To give her her dues, the mark was moving a lot as we rounded it prior to the incident. VHF and Nigel calls for a shortened course NOOOOO . Permission for bottom lip to quiver? Not exactly the result we were looking for but a very entertaining race all the same. Thanks to all those on the water and to those in the tower. Race Report from Six Gun Justice The Closing Day race is always a good way to wrap up the summer series and farewell the summer season. Dunc and Sam asked me to jump on and crew 'The Justice' for the race. We had big Mike on the team too. I was a bit worse for wear after a big night out at Flagship celebrating Jos leaving for greener pastures. Forecast was 15knts North, now wait - its a wind warning! Who knows? Sitting in my lounge at home there was no wind and it was raining. We all get on the Justice and head up to Hobbie for the start. We had a plan - we wanted to start strong and be the first boat to the the South Orange mark. Well we started pretty sweet in about 0kts of wind and about 3kts of tide! Cool, we are doing 3.2kts and occasionally making 4.5knts heading toward that South Orange - and we are first there! Around the mark we harden up and trim that beautiful new no2 headsail. We get the weight to leeward and the Justice is sailing at 3knts! Problem is that we are not going anywhere!! Grrr. We are holding stations. Sam suggests that we have a beer and we get moving towards the ODM but now we have a gaggle of Y88s ghosting towards us, rounding the mark and slowly overtaking us. The mighty Water Witch goes past but they all park up at the ODM and we are able to make some time back. The rest of the fleet round the mark and head for Beachhaven. The Justice rounds and heads for the same. Almost to Beachhaven wharf and the Justice is having none of it! The tide is very strong and what breeze there is disappears. There is a big red isolated danger mark looming in the near distance. I suggest that we will clear it - but the tide was smashing out of the creek and we got in trouble! The justice is all sideways, Sam yells something, Dunc says F#&k this and starts the motor, shes fires first time with 2 grand up we would surly motor out of danger, dam thing is in neutral!!! arghhhhh! get ready to fend off! Sam runs up then pushes the Justice off the mark - then Sam pushes the mark into the water... stupid mark - Sam never did like that mark anyways! (this all happened in about 10 seconds). After assessing the boat and crew all we could do was laugh. The Justice is ok, the race is gone as is the mark.... A great afternoon back at the club with awesome spread from the House committee! Thank you Sam, Dunc and Mike for an epic ride that we will be talking about for many years to come. Race Report from Nona I looked out of the cockpit and the drizzle is vertical, barely a ripple on the water as NOW forecast tells us it is 14 to 18 knots at Bean Rock. Yeah right! On with the number 1 for the Closing Day mark foy race that is up to a LSO,ODM and three sausages around Beachhaven-LSO-Odm. Six Gun is away at -5mins and we sit into tide- outgoing (very strong at 3.6mts) for our 10 min start with Eye Spy and BlueBeat at 12min and Waterwitch at 14min. We drift away down to the LSO with about 3 knots of wind – this could be a long day. Around LSO, you have to turn about 20 ft before the Buoy so that with tide you are not 50 feet past. We sneak past Six Gun just as we enter the mooring area and line up for the Odm with ES further out along the mud line with a smidgen more wind. He gains buoy room before the ODM (the wind is pumping at 3.6knts) and I try to get an overlap but that is not going to happen so we drop down and aim to get some clean air and a wider line around the Odm and to Beachhaven. Past the wharf and the air is looking stronger into the centre of the channel which is where we go. We get the lift and ES gets the soft patch and we take the lead down to LSO, around eventually and head for the ODM. Then a call comes over the radio that Six Gun is withdrawing and is a little unnerved by the Ranger Rock pole falling over and disappearing under the waves as they were rounding by the Wharf. OK, food for thought, where do we go now. Heading to the ODM and the horn goes and the shortened course flag goes up. I put Sophie on the helm as we are now heading for the finish line and we cross with Waterwitch closing in behind with their code O headsail, ES and Blue Beat. It was a little disappointing to end the race early as the tussle with ES was getting interesting but that is life. Thanks to my Crew of David, John and Sophie, thanks to the fellow competitors, the start tower (Nigel and Mickey) and the Social Committee (Sharon and Corrina. Time to get the boat ready for the Winter Series kindly sponsored by Ken and Kevin of Floating Dock Services. Nona |
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