We had six starters.. predicted wind of 15 knots. It turned out to be gusting 2 to 4 knots with a strong tide.  The course was shortened twice and the lack of wind and strong tide meant that only two boats finished. First - Firsty second - Eye Spy Race report from Firsty With Tim, Wayne & Lou on board, we were looking forward to the 15 kts of NW But it wasn't to be with 2 gusting 4 on the start line. We were 2 metres back from the line when the go went, but it wasn't good enough to beat the master of starts on WaterWitch. So it was follow Gary out and eat bad air over to Beach Haven until Water Witch tacked clear. Noticing that the boats in the middle of the tide had not yet turned, we opted for the edges of the harbour where the tide was definitely outgoing. We made enough room here to take he lead. Well, that was about as exciting as it got as we drifted down harbour then hoisted the masthead kite once the wind (sorry, slight movement of air) came aft. It was decided to finish at Meola on the outgoing as we definitely would not have made it back up harbour against the tide. Anyhow, it beats washing the windows at home! Race report from Eye Spy: Mark, JK and Gill turn up to crew for this race. Not sure if we would even get a race start due to the lack of wind we go out to Eye Spy to set up anyway. Race was postponed a little but we get the signal soon after 1200hrs as a little Zephyr of wind presented and all but Nona were able to cross the line. We find ourselves running in fifth place but notice the wind turning from on the nose to running behind. We launch the kite and surprise most other boats. We manage to claw our way up to third place behind Firsty and BlueBeat. BlueBeat and Eye Spy trade places a number of times but we break free of them at Kauri point. Must have been nervous times for Firsty to see the two Westpac kites gaining at times. A call to shorten the race to Meola was made with acknowledgements made from all boats. Firsty finishes but we notice the tide dragging him towards the marker so we overlay the mark to avoid a touch. As we close onto the mark Gill suggests another course alteration to avoid Meola and we clear it by only a foot or so. No such luck for BlueBeat and they clip it on the way past. We gave them no chance to sail back to Meola and round it again in order to finish but had they cleared they would have finished less than a minute behind. So………only two finishes. Firsty and Eye Spy. Firsty winning by about a minute on corrected time. Thanks to Mark, JK and Gill for their patience in the very light conditions. Did well guys………. Junior Sailing - Saturday 27th February 2016 It was a fantastic day to be on the water, with high tide, a gentle warm breeze and plenty of sunshine, to encourage everyone to have fun out sailing. Getting the dinghies ready to go on the water was much quicker this week, with lots more people helping, and learning how to do it! Next time will be even quicker so there is more sailing time. Ten children turned up and we had four Optimists, one "P" class, and one Starling out. The first drill was to launch safely, sail out from the slipway and then return, by bringing the dinghy to a stop, head to wind and alongside the ramp. Once each dinghy had perfected this drill, they were allowed to go and sail/race between two laid, orange buoys. Corin had fun sailing his own "P" class dinghy and enjoyed the better turn of speed, from this slightly higher tech dinghy. His brother, Rory, was given the honor of taking the club Starling out for its first outing, and he looked delighted with its turn of speed, and ease of handling. This will be the boat to sail in the future. Emma also had a turn in the Starling and she was last out on the water and would have carried on much longer if given the chance I'm sure. We had two new recruits with Owen and Georgia taking to the water with the Junior Sailing Programme for there first session learning how to sail. Judging by their smiling faces they'll be back, and certainly Owen's younger sister wants to join in too! Mackenzie, Alice and Devon all had a go solo in the Optimists, although Alice and Mackenzie went two up for most of the session, and heeded my warning not to distract each other by talking all the time. Jack and I squeezed into Floating Toy, which looked more like a Sinking Toy with our combined weight. Even with knee pads, an Opti is not adult friendly, my knees are still creaking! At the debrief, which everyone attended, it was great to give positive feedback on everything that had happened, both on and off the water. The forthcoming trip to Motuihe Island has had to be postponed due to a couple of organizational problems. A new date will be offered ASAP. Watch this space! Many thanks to Gary who keeps all the dinghies afloat and shipshape, Denise who is so organized and meticulous, Stuart who runs the Safety Boat with ease and cheerfulness and Andy for patiently instructing on the water, as well as Cathrin who did instant research about camping on Motuihe! It is wonderful to see more club members getting involved in the Junior Sailing, and all the rewards that come with it. Cheers, Gill |
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