T’was the third race of Winter and all over the course

Not a wavelet was stirring, not a single sea horse.

Drat! said the Start Team we can’t cancel like this

They’ll all bolt for the Clubhouse and race into the piss.

We’ll tauten and shorten-  take five minutes break

Then we’ll set them a drifter to make their hearts ache.

Where’s the line says the skipper, no idea says the crew

There’s an outer mark somewhere over there by Beat Blue.

“Back off you’re over!” ”No keep moving you’re short!”

Eye Spy’s to starboard and Nona’s to port

Isis in crisis and Satisfaction has none

By Cripes!!……………There’s  the gun!!!!!!!

“Go left out of current!’   “Go right for the breeze!”

Go back says the tide, I’m the boss if you please.

We ghost down the harbour, hold Nimble off just

Till close to  the reef we at last get a gust.

The fleet’s in a hole under Kauri Point steep

A bolter we’ve had and max speed we must keep.

Great tack at Meola sees us leading the bunch

No time for a beer and no hope of a lunch.

The cavalry’s charging but now we’re like -Kill!!

Get your weight up Georgina, get more main on Will.

On Isis! On  Eye Spy! On Young Entertainer!

Go wide for the kite for that's a no-brainer.

On Nona! On Blue Beat! On Che small and Firsty!

Thank heaven the line! And by God are we thirsty!

From a gust

No comforting heel-

Narrow lead

There was lots of talk after the race about the rapid transition from rooster to feather duster and though our start was on time our course looked more likely to take us to the NW motorway than Meola so feather duster seemed a strong possibility.

Watching Firsty and Eye Spy work the lifts along Kauri Point to a deservedly big lead was excruciating and the only comfort was a couple of boats followed us in. Misery needs company!

A freshening breeze on the water ahead remained tantalisingly close and in the distance the lead boats were stopped again. Hope sprang anew, the skipper stopped sulking (Higgins junior not Higgins senior, the eternal optimist), and Stratus ghosted through the water at a bare 1 knot until at last we could tack for the mark. With the crew all holding their breath and selfishly wishing the breeze to blow only for us, all was quiet as we slipped past the leaders and rounded Meola in front. (If you don't count the 3 CCYC boats that is)

The sail back to the finish seemed to take forever with Firsty, Eye Spy and Blue Beat all seemingly dancing across the water in pursuit.  But in the end we were there and first and a very grateful group of roosters put nightmares of feather dusters away for a couple of weeks. Crew on the day, Gina, George, Will , Richard and Trev.

Some say they were late for the start. All we know is that there was no wind... And we were late for the start.....trying to make tide speed.

After picking up a nice puff we started to look good ghosting along. Wind went left and made Eye Spy look strong. We were trailing. Always hard to get those Young 88's in zero gusting 2. Still, a tack into Kauri Pt put us in front. Then a tack out again put us behind again. Let's go over to the south shore. It looks like there may be a breeze over there. Well, not good enough as many of the fleet. Sailed around us as we sat and waited for the breeze. Finally we got the breeze and we could get moving and try to do some catching up.

Took the long way around the mark outside of 3 boats then back on the wind again. Finally got a gennaker on as the wind started to free up then peeled to a masthead kite as Eye Spy and Blue Beat make a bid for the finish line.

Well done to the Stratus team who proved they can sniff out a breeze and hold on the advantage to get first place.

Thanks to our crew of Tim, Tom, Bruce, Eric and Lou.

As I drifted slowly off to sleep on Saturday night I sent a call out to the wind gods to be kind - I think they misunderstood me while I didn't wish for the 50kts they had delivered recently neither did I mean 5 or was that 0 or maybe it was the drift slowly they picked up on?  

Denise had noted we needed to work on our starts and her words sprung to mind as we drifted backwards from the start line... I don't think this was what she meant!  What was supposed to be a mark foy start slowly became a fleet start and a day when starting on scratch was a disadvantage, as we kindly waited for everyone else before we started too. .

It has been a while since I've got excited about a boat speed of 2kts but it was one of those frustrating days, stalled, we could see a line of breeze slowly approaching... there really was only one thing to do, wine and food thanks to the crew, but the plan was to have it while we were stationary on the boat after we had finished (oh well one out of two ain't bad).

We had time to contemplate a second glass before the wind arrived but when it did it felt great... and we were off.

Waiting for the fleet at the start cost us dearly, we were well behind everyone except Bill at the finish and we had a great race back from Meola (we almost caught them).  We gave it our best on the day and that is all you can do.  Back at the club everyone was well settled in when we arrived, the sausages were gone but we were back in time for prize giving (thanks commodore for waiting).

The frustrations of a very light day aside it's great to have Ché out sailing, the great company of the crew and friendly faces and conversation at the end of the day, I couldn't wish for anything more.