Results (after handicaps were applied) :

1st Nona (line honors)

2nd Escape 

3rd Eye Spy

4th Firsty 

Race report from Escape!!!!

"Tack" they said. "There's mud here" they said. 

And I said "Oh yea of little ....f@&$!!"

With that we were on the mud and the race was on go slow for a few minutes.

We had a good start. Not for us the rough and tumble at the pin. We were aiming to  start with our kite full and in clear air and we nearly nailed it. 5 seconds late but in clear air and soon in the lead. Firstly to leeward struggled to break through our wind shadow and the  88s snapped at our heels like a pair of terriers. Surging up on the gusts from behind and then falling back in the lulls. At Kauri Point we were closely grouped but Firsty was past and working to stretch their lead. Nona and Eye Spy were scrapping among themselves and a good gybe from the crew despite my best efforts to put them off had given us a bit of space.

It was to be short lived. The wind filled in from behind and Eye Spy came past us but a Clearwater Cove boat  rounding Meola the opposite way on starboard tangled with them and we got back past.  It was close at Chelsea but we had the inside rights on the 88s and started the leg back to Meola ahead of them and not far behind Firsty. Craig had her going nicely upwind and despite a good upwind and a quick  gennaker hoist they stretched their lead on us. Clean and clear to Chelsea for the second time and not much was changing.

It was a long beat home against a strengthening tide and a falling breeze and my sojourn on the mud snuffed any faint hope we had of catching Firsty so we hand to settle for second yet again. We crossed the line to the ringing of the rum bell, thanks Nig, and set off for the berth tired but happy to be on the race course once more. What else would you rather be doing?

Thanks to Pete, Will and Tim and Roger (on debut) for trying hard to make me look good.

Race report from Nona

Things are feeling decidedly rusty for this first race of the Winter series. My Crew is Dave Meek, Mark Jones and his exchange student Louis (never been on a yacht before and what is the French for “duck”)

The forecast is 15kn in the morning going to 20 in the afternoon, N to NW so go with the full rig. The wind is right behind us so the boys dust off  Big Blue. At the start we manage to get under Firsty and take the start and then things go quiet as they roll over us and put up their spinnaker as with the rest of the fleet. I have every confidence in my crew but am not so sure of the helmsman so we hoist Big Blue once we are through the moored boats and go tailing Escape and Eye Spy.

The wind is a powerful 7 – 8 knots, heady stuff as we make a nuisance of ourselves by sitting on ES transom. The first heart palpations is going port around Meola as a very large boat from CCYC is taking it to Starboard. Escape and us go down, ES goes up and the other boat goes through the middle – a little reminiscent of that playground call “bulrush”.

The rest of the course is Chelsea (S), Meola (S) Chelsea ( S ) and home. We manage to stay in touch with ES and come level, just before Chelsea. Our dropping of the kite was a little messy with some sheets tangled so went a little way past the mark before we were able to round with ES right behind us. The wind is hard on to Meola and up around the 14 knt mark (still within the range of the No1 – Just)

Around the mark we head back to Chelsea, two sailing as our spinnaker hoisting needs a little work. The rest of the fleet put up their spinnakers and I can feel ES gaining ground on us. A better rounding of the mark and we head for home. The wind is up to 19/20 knots and we are a little over powered. With ES behind us we decide to cover his course although we managed to get to a stone’s throw of Meola reef in an attempt to round kauri Pt with the least amount of tacks.

Finally we get around and see Firsty in the distance, Escape also in the distance but seemingly well out of the channel – hope he is watching the depth gauge.

ES is still on hunting mode, but luckily the wind has dropped as we continue to tack towards the finish line. Looking up the course Escape seems to be leaning with all sails flapping but not appearing to be making progress. Obviously the depth gauge lied.

We tack past Beachaven wharf then in front of a moored boat – I had 600mm to spare and still had to tack to cross the line.

A good day out, with not much rain and certainly a work out for the winchers. Poor Louis was having to scramble from one side of the boat to another.

Thanks to my crew, the start tower the hot food and cold ginger beer.

Nona.

Race report from Eye Spy:

 Been looking forward to this race. Feels like waaaaay to long between races.

The hull has been re anti-fouled so there would be no excuses if we didn’t get a place today. On board was Mark, JK, Darcy, Sid and I. After laying the ODM we jump on the boat and set sail. We decide to go with the No.2 headsail as there is a wind warning out and we expect it to build to 25 knts. Mark gets the kite ready for soon after the start. We do like a challenge eh………..I stuff the start and we leave the line in last place. Oh well……the kite went up sweet and we begin to close down on First and Escape. Nona finally gets their kite up and makes moves on us. Just to make things interesting we time the rounding of Meola just when CCYC boats are there. Champosa gives us just enough room to get by and we loose some time. Down wind and we appear to be holding our own but different story up wind. We are a little rusty and it showed. We were too strapped and we choked the sails which meant we were not performing as expected. We couldn’t keep up with Nona and finished last boat on the water.

After handi-cap: Nona, Escape, Eye Spy then Firsty. I expect some of the handi-caps will change after this one………..

A very enjoyable afternoon on the water. Thanks to the boats who turned up. Hopefully have a few more entries in two weeks time

Race report from Firsty

It's been a long wait since the last race to the start of the winter series. Today on board were Tim, Wayne, Lou Dave & Craig.

Not a bad start but not good enough to stop Nona coming up underneath to win the start. escape were pretty quick with the kite and we soon followed with the Mashead kite. But we just ca't break through the lee and Eye Spy kept knocking on the door to try to get through. Finally we break through the lee and are able to make a bit of ground while still holding the apparent wind angle up a bit to keep a bit of weight on the sheets in the light winds.

After a gybe as we approach boatmans rock we lay a nice course to Meola, the harden up with the wind just forward of the beam on course for Chelsea. Round Chelsea and we just lay nicely up to Meola for the second round.

As we round Chelsea for the second time the wind increases a touch and we make it over the Chelsea sand bank with not much to spare under the keel until we have to tack to clear Meola reef. From here on it's on the wind until the finish 1st on line and 4th on handicap and a great day in the water.