Yet another hot day with good breeze from the north, but a tad
testing in direction at times. Seven boats took to the water to race over the
usual short courses which demand a great start and slick handling at the marks and
with a strong tide and biased committee boat starts were going to be either
entertaining, if you were in the right, or extremely challenging, if you were
in the wrong!
The first start led to an almighty squeeze and a lot of shouting
UP UP UP at some cheeky chancers to some, brilliant tacticians to others !!
Those that timed it right shot out like a cork out of a bottle and the rest
stalled, crashed and burned. As the course was set mid channel, the tide with
wind, split the fleet left and right, with right-siders prevailing at the
windward mark. Up with the kite for some, half way up for others and then the
fishing. Katana, Tara, Hullaballoo got it right and were 1, 2, 3 respectively. Glasgow
Kiss coming up the rear after a keel wrap fish sandwich.
A big black evil cloud in south with serious lightening loomed and
looked like enveloping the second race. Hullabaloo and Tara ran for cover, with
the remaining 5 boats deciding to risk the looming storm. Second race went to
form with Katana negotiating the wicked tide and reading the fluky shifts, with
Su Me and Bandit not too far behind followed by Xoco starting to find her form.
A change of helm in Glasgow Kiss with father sent to the front of
the boat in disgrace and son doing the needful at the back meant a change of
fortune (Wallace Junior taking over from Wallace senior). With the tide strengthening
and wind dropping all the fleet except for Bandit decided to reach in at speed,
Bandit donned body armor and forced the 'cowboys' over leading to a general
recall. The restart saw a clean getaway, with some flawless sailing from Katana
leading to line honours, and some flawed sailing by Bandit, who managed to lead
round the first mark and then got steadily slower. Xoco, getting the measure of
the course and her competitors, finished second, and Glasgow Kiss with a
grinning son at the helm giving dad " that look" with a third.
With the looming black cloud not getting any nearer, Hullabaloo
attempted to regain some credibility and rejoined the fleet. Last race was a
single sausage dash, followed by a windward leg to the finish line at the
lighthouse back at the marina again meant decisions about tide and which side
to go for. The answer being a resounding right which Su Me did and was rewarded
with win from Katana followed by Glasgow Kiss with the son at the back still
grinning.
Ashore much discussion over the days racing was had - Wallace
Junior on Glasgow Kiss, whilst jubilant by bettering his father's results, managed
to loose all good will by dropping the boom clevis pin into the jelly fish
infested marina, the father and son team on Hullabaloo were seen discussing the
differences between Optimist sailing and SB3 sailing, and Tara was no-where to
be seen having taken the 'Big Girls Blouse' Award by running for cover at the
slightest hint of rain.
Thanks to Prakash assisted by Sharon Chong for presiding over what
must have been an amusing starting spectacle from a committee boat perspective.
See you on the water next week.
Race Report By Wallace and
edited by Chris.
