What more can you say when you live in paradise, clear spring skies and an incoming tide under a warming sun and a gentle breeze over the water – idyllic sailing day. IOM and DF65 skippers entered the water, IOM boats sailing their last handicap series of the round and Dragon boats setting off on scratch 10 seconds behind the last IOM boat away.
Peter set a course of 2 triangles for the IOM fleet and the DF boats sailed a shorter single triangle which worked well today for companion sailing, both fleets being easy to finish over the line. Tony SMITH had an impressive set of Black sails on his DF65 but they were denied the opportunity to show full potential as the boat was causing Tony a few issues today and he retired from racing early. Stephen also lost out on a race with flat transmitter batteries, but other than that the DF fleet sailed well throughout the day. Arriving late was boat 11 but this did not lessen the opportunity for a impressive race win either, congratulations to overall winners.
IOM fleet handicaps were set and changed throughout the day and as can be seen by the points, racing was close. John McL placed well today but infringement rules took their toll to take an assured win from John’s grasp in a race. Likewise Jeremy and Peter showed their exceptional sailing skills to also stand on the podium. All boats preformed well today, the conditions were ideal and the wind remained light but constant with the fleet to keep racing moving.
Unfortunately Steve Z retired early with winch issues and we are extremely grateful to Steve for scoring two heat finishes for us which allowed two videos to also be included with today’s results and photos – thanks Steve
It was good to see Basil back on the water, sincerest thanks to Jeremy as our support wading crew and our team who make these days work so well. Sailing is next Sunday at the Marina for the JL SULLIVAN Trophy and BBQ.
Cheers, Bruce
What a beautiful spring day, clear skies, temps in the high twenties and both the African Iris and Bird of Paradise in full bloom in the council gardens! Yet all these idyllic Spring surroundings presented a false façade as the low tide however seemed sluggish to turn today and the wind was literally in a disorganized and confused state from all directions, coming in-and-out at differing degrees and angles, with the majority being lulls and a speedy course extremely hard to find. Nevertheless, Peter set the best possible path to get sailing underway on time.
A nice IOM fleet of ten boats were on the water for round five of the winter handicap racing, with Don and Noel also taking part with their DF65 boats – the Dragon fleet was down on numbers today as the day before was the DF65 Redland Bay regatta which had an impressive fleet participating, so skippers can be excused for taking the day off to recuperate.
Handicap racing was always going to be difficult in these conditions and it was more than a challenge to find the wind at times and an early break was called after race four to give mother nature a chance to come up to our expectations! The fleet returned to the water with a course change but little improvement was made despite best intentions. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the exceptional efforts of all skippers on the water today and Steve, Andrew and Jeremy showed particular ability to read the conditions to secure podium placings, Steve and Jeremy having two wins each and Andrew slicing through the water from a max handicap of 90seconds for overall second. John P made the most gains with three heat wins and all handicaps were reset throughout the day. John McL and John D too had heat wins, John McL being robbed by the scorer of a second win after some uncertainty on the finish line after a course reversal.
Ian was off the water in heat four and again withdrew for the last three races which was unfortunate as he too was making good finishes with three second placings earlier in the day, first placings do not necessarily win the day and consistency can make a greater impact on the overall score sheet and Ian was well placed before incurring these unfortunate max points to be in contention.
Some mishaps were noted and early and clear calls must be made, nevertheless, the conditions were frustrating at times, the day prolonged and the tide itself (to me) seemed to have all boats slow to respond.
As always we are extremely grateful to all our members who make our sailing days possible, Peter, John McL, Don, Andrew and Jeremy are always at the fore to take the lead. On a personal note, I especially want to convey my sincerest and genuine thanks to Andrew WILSON for his help in launching and retrieving our boats as this is something I personal appreciate on my unsteady feet – thank you Andrew.
Please Note; Sailing on Sunday the 25th September for the JL SULLIVAN trophy has been postponed – Andrew will keep all members advised of the new date to reschedule this event.
Cheers, Bruce
Two small fleets of six IOM and six DF65 boats were at the harbour today for scratch racing. The day itself was idyllic, not too hot and certainly not too cold with some cloud and moments of sun peeking through, however the wind was literally all-over-the-place and came in-and-out throughout the day… having all skippers in both fleets guessing the best suit of sails to use first, the larger sets eventually winning out. Pete and Don set their respective fleet course to find the best wind direction and sailing got underway. The DF65 fleet starting 20seconds behind the IOM with a slightly shorter course which made for great start photos for both fleets and the timing worked especially well with uncluttered finishes.
Both fleets moved extremely well throughout most of the day with only a couple of lull periods slowing the fleets down, but in general sailing was completed well with some exciting finishes. Few infringements were noted but all penalties completed well where required and all skippers worked the conditions well together.
Dudley sat out the last few races with boat issues, otherwise nothing out-of-the-ordinary was noted on or off the water. The score sheets and podium pictures tell the winning stories and I think I can say that everyone really enjoyed a good Father’s Day sailing.
As always, our sincerest thanks are extended to the team who make these days possible, with everyone chipping in to do their part where possible There is one short video today, my apologies for not capturing the finish to end the tape, but I had to cut-it-short to record the results, sorry about that.
Cheers,
Bruce
Congratulations to our 6 place getters in the DF65 and IOM class
A beautiful day to be outside at the Marina foreshore for Round Four of the Scratch Racing series, on a tide that had all but fully ebbed. A fleet size of five IOM and five DF65 boats didn’t fail to meet expectations of skippers and sailing continued to provide its regular challenges, rewards and… disappointments! With boats called to the water, Peter faced a testing task to set a fair course with what was nothing less than erratic and unpredictable winds of no settled strength, direction or reliability. Don laid the DF65 fleet a shorter course of one triangle, while the IOM course started out with two triangles, but this would move to a single triangle and a return sausage to hunt the elusive in-‘n’-out breeze.
Buoy-bots were successfully deployed and proved their valuable use with a departing yacht given room to pull out from its mooring, ‘bot 2 had Don anticipating a start adjustment as it re-established a platform to the GPS satellite system (see video) – these self-adjustments are pinpointed to only a one square metre radius of movement as the navigation system periodically realigns for connectivity and satellite alignment. A subsequent race was also recalled to the start with a powerboat also leaving the port and the uninspiring winds could have put both our fleets in harm’s way with reduced manoeuvrability and lack of wind – despite the frustrations, this is a sensible call for the ongoing use of the venue and the safety and comfort of all water users.
Peter sailing his newly acquired AKA on its maiden voyage took only two heats to get the feel of the helm, to bring home three consecutive wins in races three, four and five – race two was also looking to be an assured win with a good lead over the fleet, but Russell and Andrew came from behind to cover the course to make winning gains (see photos). Nevertheless, Peter had all placings today in the top three, including a further two more wins before retiring for the day with race nine to leave early.
During the break, Peter also gave a well presented rule demonstration simulating several situations and it was extremely encouraging to have our members participate during this exercise with input and valuable questions, sincerest thanks Peter and also to Jeremy for kindly supplying the new Protest Boat Kit through his Men’s Shed Association - also see photos.
Don, Stephen and Dudley continue to master the DF65 fleet with impressive placings throughout the day, Basil suffered elastic sheeting issues mid-day and missed four of the nine races, Grant’s son sailed 53 in race five as Don leant Basil a hand with repairs. Grant also ended his sail day early as Lorna and their family enjoyed the sailing together as spectators.
John retired for the remainder of the IOM day from heat five with receiver issues and took over scoring so I could video the next races – Even though the tide had begun to turn, race ten was abandoned as the wind had by now completely left the scene and the prospects of completing the final heat of the series would have been torturous… for me to film, let alone the skippers to sail! There is an exciting run to the line in one of the videos and there is a similar series of photos captured in the still shots where the wind was on occasion cooperating.
Congratulations to all placings in both fleets and as always, our sincerest thanks go to John, Andrew, Peter, Don, Steve and Basil for their invaluable contributions and all skippers for their comradery, sailing with friends. All members are encouraged to participate by sending in their views of the day for inclusion here also as other perspectives are always welcome.
Sunday 14th August is Scratch Racing in Round three of the Inspiration Point Cup.
Cheers,
Bruce
Fleet numbers were again strong for the IOM Handicap racing and DF65 companion classes at the Marina today. Boats rigged, buoy-bots in place, IOM handicaps on the board and Peter setting the course for both classes for heat one of the prescribed ten races. All boats entered the water on an incoming tide with heart pounding excitement, the start tape is on and tactics are in play to achieve the best possible position to ensure the optimum line crossing on designated times… Yet something was not quite right, missing in fact? Wind! The proverbial ‘smooth-as-glass’ suffocated both classes, race one of the day languished around the course. Nevertheless, skill, luck and sheer grit eventually had boats finishing the heat, IOM skippers Ian K, Andrew W and Peter K placing, as with DF65 skippers Don H, Stephen E and Noel E on a shorter track. Andrea unfortunately encountered sheeting binding and was nudged ashore to make timely repairs.
With the lack of breeze, a break was called in the hope of better negotiations with the Gods of the Four Winds, unfortunately none of them seemed to be listening and the fleet again returned to the water in continuing lacklustre airflow. With no further breaks, six races were eventually completed, enough to allow for scoring to be achieved in the series – all skippers doing exceptionally well in the challenging environment.
Special mention must be made of John P winning heat four by almost an entire lap, race five was nothing short of a repeat performance, only to fall into a lull metres from the finish line and rapidly overtaken by Jeremy P and Ian S, relegating John to third place in this race from what seemed to be an assured win. John’s day come to an early end in race six with low transmitter battery.
Likewise, Stephen achieved a winning hattrick on the DF65 scoresheet. Grant has also returned to the water after quality family commitments in past weekends, Grant is new to sailing and has made tremendous advances in his skill and abilities, keeping his little DF65 in close proximity to his fleet despite underpowered sails for today’s conditions.
Sincerest thanks to Russell, John, Peter and Andrew. Andrew must be very satisfied with the continuing success of the buoy-bots and all skippers were most grateful for his dedication to launching and retrieving boats as very few skippers got wet-feet today, thank you Andrew. I am also grateful to Don for his support on the finish line today, something that can never be underestimated, thank you Don. We also wish Basil a speedy recovery from Covid, his fiscal diligence and rescue dingy wrangling especially missed.
Next sailing Sunday 24th July for the Clive Brooks Scratch and Handicap events.
Cheers
Bruce M
WOW! What a great fleet on the water today for Scratch Racing in both the IOM and DF65 fleets. Not a morning to be a brass-monkey on a Napoleonic naval ship though, as there was a very crisp breeze and heavy cloud as skippers arrived, nevertheless a hardy and intrepid bunch set the scene for some exciting racing and certainly some hard and fast finishes for this scorer!
The class of boats and certainly the increasing skill of our skippers are making for some very close racing. Jeremy successfully launched his new wooden boat today, with only one unfortunate incident where the jib freed itself from the mast with a race down for adjustments. IOM podium placings between Mike, Andrew and Peter were again close – Peter having success with a progressive hull design.
An exciting fleet for the DF65’s also onboard today with six boats taking part in the series and also two beginners tagging along to gain experience and confidence, certainly making a great impression on the water. Podium placings with Don, Dudley and Steve well deserved. Also worth mention is Basil with a nice first placing in race 8 and Robert sailing boat eleven entered the racing later in the day, but made a great showing and with more heats under his belt would have been a good contender in the finishes.
As always, our sincerest thanks go to Peter, John, Andrew, Basil and Andrea for her help with the boat today. My thanks also to Noel for scoring the last heat which allowed me to take the included video as Noel missed the last two races with depleted control batteries. A very busy day but well worth the experience despite the winter briskness and with such busy finishes at times I am also grateful for all the support I received from all our skippers on the finish line as it can be challenging at times to follow the correct order and obscured finish lines.
Cheers, Bruce
