1st Firsty (who also got line honours) 2nd Blue Beat 3rd Escape 4th Eye Spy 5th Nona 6th Six Gun Justice Spot prize for a free lift and clean was won by Escape. Race Report from Escape There comes a time when you realise that things aren't going quite as you had hoped or planned. Sometimes it's quite subtle like the other boats slowly sailing away and you realise that you chose the wrong side of the course. Other times like the sudden slowing as you sail onto the mud it's pretty obvious. For us it was the fourth round up in in the space of 40 seconds. We didn't look like we'd make the bridge, the twisted sock on the gennaker was making life very unpleasant for Pete and Firsty was fast disappearing. Not quite how I imagined the day going! Things had gone quite well to that point. The crew de jour, Pete, Will, Richard and Tim had the boat ready in good time and it wasn't raining, yet. Despite being almost becalmed at the start and having to watch Firsty time it almost to perfection, we weren't alone and actually managed to get away in second. The gennaker hoist was far from our best and there haven't been many. It was no fault of Pete's. I thought he was going to wreck himself trying to get the sock to the top. As it turned out later the hoist rope was wrapped several times around the sail but once it was set we started to leave rent a fleet (aka the Young 88s) behind and set off in pursuit of Firsty. The tricky gusts and flat patches around Kauri Point worked in our favour and we managed to close right up on Craig and crew and things were feeling pretty good. Despite being unsure about having to stay north of Chelsea Red mark we were in touch through the bridge and around Bayswater. Then it got interesting. Emboldened by our earlier success with the gennaker , we went straight for it. Not my best call for the day! The hoist rope on the sock was majorly tangled high up the sail, the wind was gusting at just the wrong times and angle and the recovery from the round ups were taking us ever closer to missing the main span. Frantic efforts by the guys on the bow got the gennaker working, almost properly although not until we had given it a trawl. Things started to work better then and we began to gain ground to weather to the point we could make Kauri Point . The damage was done and wiser heads on Firsty left their kite hoist till they were through bridge and they were gone! No gusts at the right time to catch them up this time, just a procession to the finish and a solid second on the water. Blue Beat's good work with a reacher had them too close in third so we had settle for dropping a place on handicap. A cold wet motor home enlivened only by giving Six Gun Justice a cheer as we passed and we are left to ponder " might have beens" till next race. Winning the scrub from the Floating Dock was a very welcome surprise at the prize giving. Thanks guys. Race Report from Nona TiriTiri – 24 to 28 knots, 025 Degrees. Bean Rock 19 to 24 knots, 015 degrees. Looks like number 2 headsail. Get to the start and there is little breeze and the wind is NE through to NW. Our start needs practice, but we are not last. We slowly make our way up to Kauri Point , Eye Spy has past us and Blue beat has sailed away with a dinky little spinnaker/gennaker, thinking “it will be blowing around the corner”. Yeah right! We slice through the CCYC boats that are rounding Meola and we continue towards Bayswater. Around Chelsea sugar works the breeze edges around 16 knots. Through the bridge and we see Escape has rounded the mark and is trawling for marine life with their kite. Well that settles it for me. No spinnaker. Besides a steady drizzle has set in and the thought of several wet sails on the floor is too much. We gybe around Bayswater mark and head for home. After Chelsea the wind again softens and the thoughts of changing to a number 1 are fleeting. Around Kauri Point and Marilyn from CCYC is powering up behind us. Any thoughts of going through CCYC start/finish line are shelved as Marilyn is too big and too fast. Finally over the finish line, fifth on the water, fifth on handicap. Thanks to Bronwyn, John and Dave Meek for getting wet and not bleeding too much over the boat. A big thanks to the Social committee for the warm food and the tower crew. The lucky winner of the free lift and clean voucher care of the Floating Dock was Escape. Nona. Race report from Eye Spy: The forecast was for 20-25 knts from the North so we were looking forward to a hefty ride but that was not to be. Mark and JK as crew and we hanked the No.2 headsail in order to prepare for the 25knts. We were going to question our choice of headsail a number of times as the race went on. The start was in very light conditions and ended a tad shabby. The skipper zigged instead of zagged or in fact tacked instead of jibed and resulted in another late start. We managed to get past Nona and held off a couple of enthusiastic challenges to sail over the top but Eye Spy held the position and it seemed as if we had broken them as we stretched a lead. Now to chase Blue Beat. We were surprised by a Kite (of sorts) being launched as it was very shy. It seemed to do the trick as they also stretched their lead. Firsty and Escape ran gennakers and leapt to a resounding lead. Around Bayswater mark and return home. WET wet WET . We didn’t want to have to dry the kite so we left it in the bag and consequently unable to catch those in front. A jolly good sail all the same. Another set of hands would have been useful. Thanks to all who competed. Race Report from Six Gun Justice It was rather an impromptu decision to race on Sunday, but luckily for us our very reliable crew member Mike dropped everything to make it to the boat by 11.30 .. with only an hour and a half warning!!! If there had been a prize for being the first boat to get to the start we would have won hands down as we arrived Nona and Eye Spy had not left their moorings. We pootled around and decided to go for full main and No 1 as there was not much wind. Our start was good - we were not last to the cross the line and our sail choice seemed good. However much to our frustration we watch the fleet sail over us and away... never mind it was not raining but there was not much wind either.. hmmm. We watched the CCYC boat doing their mark foy starts and made sure we did not go though their start line as that is not gentlemanly nor are you mean to do so! And we continued on our way. We finally got wind and then the fun started. With Duncan helming skills, Mikes quick reactions on the main sheet and me on head sail trim we were able to carry our No1 without an issue and were trucking along avoiding the traffic under the bridge. We did the our gybe of the whole race at Bayswater and then headed back towards the bridge .. it was much more comfortable.. "good justice!" Onward we sailed and as we past Taikarta we pasted Firsty heading back to the marina, this did not dampen our spirits. Then we came across Escape heading home.. they gave us cheers of encouragement which we great appreciated - thank you! Finally we came across the only non monochrome boat in our fleet who for reasons un-beknown to us decided to get in our way and stalled us - Not very cool!! Our spirits were dampened by this and also by the rain.. we were now slightly peeved off and cold! However we are not quitters on The Justice and we continued on our way with Duncan doing an excellent job on the helm and finished with a sound of the horn from the tower! Yay.. finally! Thank you to Nigel and the chaps in the start tower for their great work and for waiting for us to finish before removing the ODM. And also to the other crews for waiting to hold prizegiving for us! And also thank you to Mike for crewing for us - we could not have done it without you. Six Gun Justice clear! Race Report from Firsty!!! We had a good crew on board today. The main stays of the team, Tim & Bruce with my old mate Dave Woodward, and Vice Com Darcy, on board for the first time. Coming to the start are from west park we encountered 18-20 kts true wind speed so settled on the no 3 headsail. Amazingly there was bugger all wind in the start area which made it hard to calculate. With the incoming tide and lack of wind it was important to keep close to the start area during the pre start. Out of the start it was up with the Gennaker, looking behind Escape was a little quicker getting the extras up, but not making any ground. Kauri point and we we in a hole waiting for the wind to fill in, up comes Escape on a beautiful puff all of her own as she comes up and threatens to overtake. We can't hold the Gennaker any more so cut to the jib, but we are underpowered with the number 3 headsail. Still soon the puffs start coming through and sometimes we are over powered as we head to Chelsea close hauled. Wind picks up from Chelsea and we soon find ourselves gybing at Bayswater. Ready for the Gennaker, but with the wind over 15 kts, and around 75 deg apparent wind angle, we will struggle. We are already well powered up with the rig that we have. Escape is giving it a go though, still, we wait until we are past the bridge before hoisting. We are really pressed and wonder how Escape got through the bridge with their genny up. But they did and they are chasing, so we work hard to try to make gains to windward and maximise our boat speed. Wind lightens in the lee of Kauri Pt until it gets too much and we have to drop the Genny. The wind puffs up again confirming our choice with the No3 rig. It's all about maximising our windward performance so that we don't have to tack, then in to the finish. Great race from everyone. 1st start, 1st line, 1st handicap. Very satisfying as we pushed the boat and did all we could to maximise speed throughout the day. |