This was the plan....... START: 1000 hrs. HW 1218 hrs., 2.8 m. FLEET START. PHRF handicaps to apply. COURSE: From CCYC start line, leave Motuihe Island to Starboard and return. Finish when No. 2 red pile mark at channel entrance is abeam.All boats to take own finish time. HYC boats to give finish times to Denise, over VHF, phone 0276132678, or at Club House ASAP after finishing!! All Navigation Marks to be observed in the normal manner. However................ Race was shortened from around Motohui to starboard……… to around Alamona yellow and return. The wind ran out on the way back and the HYC fleet mingled with a large fleet from town also racing. Boats facing all directions and some on anchor. Unfortunately all the yachts failed to finish. HYC yacht motored home against a very fast tide. Wet n cold.... but as always a warm welcome at the club afterwards! Boats who raced.... Firsty Eye Spy Blue Beat Nona Waterwitch Elan Kentucky Woman Stratus Race report for Stratus Oh Lord won't you give me an extra six feet I won on the start line but Firsty still gave me grief Worked hard on the down hill but becalmed on the beat So Lord won't you give me an extra six feet Oh Lord won't you give me a gust of fresh air Making no forward progress and I don't think its fair The tide is still ebbing and we've run out of beer So Lord won't you give me a gust of fresh air Oh Lord can't you shorten the long motor back With no wind for an hour, it's all turned to crap Sailed the whole day in rain and our mood is quite black So Lord can't you shorten the long motor back Race report from Nona Much discussion was made of the forecast of 30, gusting 40 in the morning easing to 10 in the afternoon. Switch on to Now forecast and it is 12 and 8 at Tiri and 6 to 5 at Bean Rock. On with the number 1 with Number 2 pulled out and ready - just in case. Around the start line the breeze is good with the misty drizzle, and we go Committee boat end, clear air but around 10 secs off the start time. Something to practise. We are going well up to Kauri Point and wave to Firsty as she powers past. Around Kauri in the first third of the fleet, then up with the spinnaker (n0 2) . The speed of the hoist was only surpass by the speed we moved back through the fleet. Another thing to practise. The wind from Kauri through to Alomona was certainly not 30 to 40knots and anywhere close to 10. The spinnaker was wet and with not much to inflate it. Then those magic words over the VHF - "we are looking at shortening the course". Hooray! New course is around the yellow buoy off Alomona Point and back to Taikata. Around Yellow and hard on the wind, and the boat is sailing beautifully (8 to 12 knots). Pointing high and passing boats. Past the sea dogs on Stratus then Waterwitch. A straight line past Bean rock and along the Devonport side, we look over and we pass Blue Beat and start ghosting up to Eye Spy's line. The wind is slowly easing as we get to the Navy wharves and the boat speed is reading 00. We hear behind us a boat under spinnaker and on port sailing in the other direction, yelling to Stratus (on Starboard) that they are racing. The reply from Stratus was not audible, however the change of course from the other boat showed that the reply was obviously succinct and educational - port gives way to starboard. Way to go Stratus. After sailing up to the navy boats and back three times, the thoughts to start the motor were confirmed when Eye Spy's exchange with Firsty over VHS highlighted that Firsty had 6 knots of wind and 6 knots of boat speed - care of an inboard motor. Time to tidy up and motor home to a lovely cup of tea and hot shower as the day was wet,cold and disappointing with no result. It was only saved by the short sail from Alomona to Bean Rock. Thanks to the crew, Dave and Bronwyn, many thanks to the House Committee for providing hot food and to the crews of HYC and CCYC who went out onto the race track. Race report from Eye Spy: We were a little short handed as three of my crew could not make it. I pulled reinforcements in the form of Nigel Watkins. So .....on board was JK, Mark, Nigel and I. Headsail choice created quite a discussion for a while as wind was forecast for 25 knts. OK then.........maybe we best listen to the now-casting and hear what it is a Bean Rock. Peaking 6 knts average 5knts. Number one fellas. An incoming tide meant we didn’t have much time to spare once at Taikata. We ran up the line as the leeward boat and turned to cross it probably 3-4 seconds after the hooter. That wiley old fella Gary on Waterwitch had his kite up from the line and snuck down close to shore. We stayed out in clear air and forged ahead. The Eye Spy team had two goals really. To beat Firsty to the bridge…….and to stay ahead of the other 88s. First goal……..tick. Wasn’t long before we were covered by a large wind shadow from a yellow mast-head kite. See ya Craig. Wind was getting lighter as we progressed down the harbour and we listened to chatter on the VHF discussing shortening the course. Decision made…..we rounded Alamona yellow in second place and tightened for the beat to windward. Firsty and Eye Spy were in a total differing wind system which saw us tacking over inside Bean Rock and others reaching straight up the harbour. All our efforts were to no avail as we mingled with a large race fleet from town off the container wharfs. Twas when some lost steerage and others deployed anchors we decided enough was enough. We all got pretty cold and wet but hey that’s racing. We will finish one of these things one day. |
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