In the America’s Cup, the rockstars of sailing duel over 2 minutes for the best start and the result is literally measured in  seconds. One second late on the line and it could be all over for the race. 

For the rest of us mere mortals, 1 second late at the start would be a miracle, the voice in our head would be screaming “you're over, you're over” and a silent thank you prayer offered up when the horn  didn't sound again to call us back 

Our starts are fought out over 5 minutes and to me always prove that time is no constant. If you're late then seconds pass in a flash and if you're early they drag like time in a doctor’s waiting room.

For the start of the second race there are 5 boats on the line (unlike the America’s Cup) and I’m keen to repeat the good start of race 1. Wind in the north east means it is blowing along the line ,fanning out from Hellyers Creek and if you get too far behind the line on an incoming tide it can be a struggle to get back.  With an incoming tide a club end start is best for the tide and the angle of the line, but we want to fly the gennaker so a bit of windward would be good. 

At 5 mins to go the horn sounds and we set watches . We're over the line and heading away from it so tack and head back. Firsty likes to do timed runs and that's their strategy now or so it seems. The three 88s are all below the line and milling about. 4 minutes sounds and we check watches. Out by about 2 seconds. We behind the line now heading away from it about 70 metres away. I don,t want to go too far away because the breeze is light further away. Firsty is down there and looking slow so we tack and head back. Too early and trying to lose time. 

30 seconds from the line and 2:40 to go. Luffing hard to kill time but we're too close. Pete says “time for two tacks” and there is probably space but I don’t want to lose wind so we turn down sailing parallel to the line, hoping no one will come up and push us over. Blue Beat is there but early. She pushes on so we can just dip behind them and they go past and tack away. Only one boat below us now, it's Firsty and they're early and running out of space before the mud so will need to turn up towards us, with all the rights. 

It’s tight and we've gone as far as we can parallel to the line. We have to turn towards the line trying to lose speed. 30 seconds from the line and 45 to the start. We luff to kill time, but we're still heading for the line and escape routes are closing. Firsty below and blocking that way and the 88s lined up so a tack away will see us last by some distance.  Escape is head to wind and almost stopped so we roll the dice and bear away, accelerating towards the line. Time slows down and the line seems to be right there. Bugger we’re going to be over. The horn sounds and I wait for a second, but it doesn't come. I look right and Craig is ahead and moving faster. Surely he beat us to the line so no start line glory then.

Pete and Will get the gennaker up and it’s race on.

Thanks to Pete, Will, Richard and Tim: Escape’s crew for the day. 

Today is going to be a challenge. The Juniors sailed in the morning with little wind, up to 8-10 knots and then back to not much.

The trusty crew today is Bronwyn and John. The forecast of NW going N at 15 knots is over optimistic so it is on with the number 1 and leave the spinnaker below. Pre race start is around Helliers Creek as it is NE and we start in 3.7 knots on an incoming tide behind Escape, Firsty and Eye Spy with Blue Beat behind us.

We make a little nuisance of ourselves on ES transom until he hoists the kite and it is “by, by”. Blue Beat slowly sneaks up and hoists his kite and slowly goes past. The course of Meola (P) Chelsea (S), Meola(S) Chelsea(S) home looks achievable as the wind strengthens. At its height it is 10 knots. We pass BB before Meola and head for Chelsea, dodging CCYC boats and one short tack we are around and eased sheets back to Meola. BB hoists the spinnaker to Meola but we stay in front and round back to Chelsea then home, with BB again hoisting the spinnaker. It makes little difference as we finish in front of BB, with the rain holding off until we are in the Club house. Thanks to the start tower, and Sharon for the BBQ. Eye Spy was the lucky recipient of the Floating Dock Services lift and clean voucher.

 

Nona