Race Report 02/10/2010

So another week goes by and another glorious Saturday of skiff racing to remember..
Finally a weekend where we didn't have to lump that crazy big rig around all day..!! Woot woot..!!
The numbers on the race track were down, but the fighting was as fierce as ever..!! The St Helena Cup looked like a fun option... HA..!!

There were only two 12's that made it to the startline.. Oh and the regular 9er sailors... Because the Northern end of the bay was being utilised by lead heads, the all boat racing was run on the Southern course... Well wasn't that exciting..!! There is nothing like running up and down the start line dodging sailboards, sabots, Sabres, lasers, puffin pacers and eggshells.. Lucky for us it was a perfect 2nd rig day so the skiffs were fairly manageable.......
There was some confusion amongst the competitors.. Ben and Craig actually started twice.. Once with the Etchels, and the other with the all boats... Tristan and I got the sequence wrong and we were a minute late..!!! What a great start to the day..!!
Since the race committee had so may different classes to race, there were two separate courses set on the same patch of water.. Gee didn't that make things interesting... I counted 11 buoys in total... Some were round and some were cylindrical... It took nerves of steel to back yourself and believe you're actually heading to the right mark...

So back to the race... The Squid boys got off the line a few seconds late, but Tristan and I on the mighty PB were way off the pace... We were too busy watching the windsurfers..... The first lap was pretty straight forward.. We just followed the leader... PB Towage made up some ground on the Squid lads and coming up the second last lap we were going gust for gust... Luckily for the Calamari clan they got their nose in to a good gust just before the lay line and were able to sneak ahead... Perhaps if our bow pole was fixed old skool it would have been a different story..... However it's not and they crossed us... Rounded the top mark and sent it.. Tristan and I got a knot in the retrieval and we thought for certain that was our day done... Thank goodness the children were racing on the outer edge of the course because the foul language coming out of our boat even made me blush.. I was just hoping those pesky 29er kids wouldn't catch up... How embarrassing! We got the knot undone and with the kite, almost at the top, we screamed down towards to the bottom mark.. That's when I heard the call from Tristan.. The Squid boys have put it in! Game on bi*ches..!!! We screamed down to the bottom mark and navigated our way around the Squid. They followed us around the final trapezoid and we finished in that order.. The Beers were on the Squid..!!!
Being gentlemen, we pulled up along side and offered a double or nothing.. Benny was quick to take us up on it, so once again we parted ways and put on our war paint.. The wind shifted East and PB took a chance.. PORT HAND BANDITS..!!! We didn't cross the Hobies but the skiffs were left in out wake.. SUCKERS..!!
The race was only two laps, so unfortunately for the Squid there were very limited passing lanes... Both boats sailed mistake free and that was that... Two bullets for PB Towage...

It was great close racing all day... The shorter courses certainly added a new dynamic.. There were gates and wing marks.. It was quite an interesting course... I don't know if I'd want to do it on a healthy 4th rig day tho... There were some great rides thrown in too.. Did I mention it was a glam 2nd rig day..?? I love it..!!
For those who cruised around the bay at 6kts in the rain.. Bravo.. But SUCKS TO BE YOU..!!!

The most promising thing I've noticed about this season so far is how close the racing is... One mistake puts you out the back of the fleet...
You have to be on your game.. But you also have to be ON THE WATER..!!! We're a month in to the season now guys.... Get your boats to the rigging lawn..!! There is fantastic racing being had, you're missing it..!!!
This weekend is shaping up to be a gem.. I can't wait to see you all out there..!!

Cheers

Skinnyman