The results:

1.      Bluebeat

2.      Nona

3.      Firsty

4.      Eye Spy DNF

Sitting around in the warm sun before the race contemplating how wet we might get and how strong the gusts might be was nice but then it was time to get going……..

Everyone had a good start and Nona was right there in-between Blue Beat and Eye Spy. Firsty got a slight jump on the young’s once we were passed the moored boats and started to slowly pull away. Once our nose was out of the shelter and the gusts started to hit the decision was made to reef the main. I leapt up to the challenge and things went pretty smoothly although a little slow for my first time, I’m not sure putting the pin in your mouth so you don’t lose it is correct but it worked. We powered up again and things were a lot more comfortable. I looked across to see how Eye Spy’s reef was going and was shocked to see the whole main was down. Trevor made the gesture of slitting his throat and that was the end of their race.

 

Rounding the gybe mark was always going to be interesting in that amount of breeze, Scotty was making sure he was well out of the way. John controlled the main perfectly and around we went. The only small problem was our skipper lost her footing and ended up down on the leeward side and had to scramble back up into her helm position. Not sure if that is when I ended up to my knee in water but I suspect it might have been. We were back under control quickly and headed back out into the heavier weather again for lap two.

 

Blue Beat kept their full main for the whole race and although it didn’t look efficient we couldn’t catch them and over the course of the reaching race both Firsty and Blue Beat slightly increased their lead on us. Overall Denise and her crew were very happy with a second place result once handicaps had been calculated. Scotty had a big grin on his face the whole race and seemed to really enjoy being up on the rail making whoo hoo noises and the like! Thanks to all who organise the racing and Cristin for the sausages, they rock after an afternoon out on the water.

 

Cheers,

Bronny

 

The wind is a little on the high side today and we discuss putting a reef in the main. We decide to configure for the lulls and full main was the call. We have a good start but Blue beat was a nose ahead. The course today is Meola to starboard, ODM starboard, Meola starboard and finish.  Firsty didn’t have the best of starts but still managed to power through the fleet of four. Eye Spy began to stretch away from the other 88s and we are hanging on to Firsty. The Eye Spy crew trim to the ever shifting gusts heading towards Meola and I call for a reef. That doesn’t go so well and the main tears. The skipper tears. We signal we are with-drawing from the race. Well that’s a bit of a learning curve for the crew…………damn.

Here endeth the report………..permission for bottom lip to quiver?