Results for Shipwright 2. 1st Nona, 2nd Eye Spy. Race report from Eye Spy: We turned up to the club about 1130 to be greeted with a beautiful day better suited to blowing bubbles than sailing. Eye Spy had a full crew keen to race but in these conditions we didn’t need all of them. JK and John volunteered to operate the start tower……thanks guys. So we had Greg, Mark, Gill and Joe as crew for what looked like a real drifter. Nona and Kentucky Woman came out to play today. Pity there weren’t more but we were all assured of a place I guess. The course was start to the pink mooring buoy opposite Taikata. Back to ODM X 2. We could shorten the race if required. Into the start sequence and what was going to be a kite start turned into a tight reach. We drifted over the start line in first place only to be caught on the wrong side of a wind shift. This allowed Nona to slip past. Not to worry I thought coz Denise had stated she wasn’t going to fly a kite. Well………how wrong we were. Not only did she fly a kite but she did the foredeck as well…..nice work Denise. We made some small gains on the down wind legs but not enough to pass Nona. Twas a great afternoon on the upper Waitemata. I need to go see Sharpie this week it seems. Good to see Kentucky woman out there too. Race Report from Nona The sun was shining and it was 10 knots on the mooring. A promising start until I went to start the motor. The ignition cylinder in three pieces in my hand. To the rescue, Gary M who “hot wired” the boat. Obviously a very colourful (misspent?) youth. Off the mooring and the wind is down to 5knts. The objective today was, wind permitting, 101 course in spinnaker deployment. The start gun sounds and we are off, slightly off the pace and behind Eye Spy. The course, up to a buoy off Taikata to ODM twice looks to be adventurous with the patchy wind as we tack against the tide. We manage to pass Eye Spy off Island Bay, avoid the semi submerged buoys and tyres pretending to be buoys and round Taikata cleanly and are now off the wind. Let the test begin. Things go smoothly once the correct end of the pole is attached to the mast and it is up with the number 2 spinnaker. (Don’t want to tempt fate with the big one) We head through the moored boats and drop the spinnaker early and it is around the ODM heading back up to Taikata. The wind has shifted slightly more South so there is more tacking than the first leg . Up and around Taikata and it is number 2 spinnaker up again with the wind directly behind which means a little cribbage to try and stay off the rapidly rising mud banks off Hobby. Over the finish (sneaking home first) and it is down with the pole. Not so easy when it is set for a six footer and not a 5’ 2”and ¾ foreperson. Objective achieved without damage and mishap and another first – sailing onto the mooring. Must get the mighty Yanmar going. Thanks to Eye Spy, although it is disappointing that there are not more boats turning out. Also a big thanks to Jo for the BBQ. Nona |
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