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.

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.

 

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.