Results: 1st Eye Spy 2nd Waterwitch 3rd Satisfaction 4th Blue Beat 5th Firsty First Across the line - Blue Beat Another great day on the water - thank you to our start tower crew and to the house committee for feeding the hungry crews! Race report from Eye Spy. Conditions look great for Shipwright 3. Mark is on board and I have secured Bronnie and Scott for the race as well. I’ve managed to stuff the start up again and end up last over the line. Good thing we like a challenge eh. The Southwest wind was up to approx. twenty knots and the larger vessels were reveling in these conditions. It seemed the 88s were going to be left behind in this one. Eye Spy’s crew were relatively new to sailing so we decided not to fly a kite on the down-wind leg. We rounded Kauri point in last place and see a few hoist kites and increase there leads. Blue beat is also increasing the distance through poling out his No.1 We try and disturb his wind but are too far away. Around Bays water to starboard then home. The lead boats round the mark then tighten up for the port tack towards the city. Mark reminded me of the experiences during other races down-town and we tack straight away, heading up the Northcote shore. This worked a treat and we worked ourselves into a promising position. The fleet were all pretty close. Back in the game……….now the 88s were in front. Eye Spy was sailing a little higher and faster than BlueBeat so soon sailed over the top of him. Now to keep the momentum to hold off the charging Waterwitch and Firsty. What about BlueBeat you ask? It seems he has got a little excited and needed a rest. Bit shallow in that nick o the woods eh Gaza? The Eye Spy crew did a great job trimming and held onto the lead to the finish. Firsty needed about another 500 meters and would have passed us. Thanks to my crew and to the other competitors. Another great day on the sparkling upper Waitemata……… |