Race Report 27/11/2010 by Skinny plus Wolfie Photos

Word up players..!!!

What a sensational weekend..!! Brisbane certainly turned it up for us.. Absolutely perfect 2nd rig conditions..!! We even had 4 boats on the water..!!!
MAGIC..!!

I'll give a race report but it wasn't really a day for the racing... Unfortunately..

Race 1.. With 4 skiffs on the rigging lawn things were looking hot..!!! The breeze was in and there was little doubt in anyone's mind that it was going to be a glamour 2nd rig day... Due to a myriad of extra curricular activities, 2 of the 4 skiffs could only do the first race... Oh it was promising to be a tight one..!!! The Grove Team were rigged and ready to go when the other 12's were just arriving.. They were ready for a big one..!!!
We all threw in our 2nd rigs and headed out to join the party.. This was when things turned ugly... The start was a shambles... The start committee changed the sequence... The all boats were starting with the contenders.. FIRST..!! All 4 skiffs missed it as we've never been first off the line... PB were closest to the line when we realised we had started but we were still a few hundred meters behind the 29ers etc... We called out to the other skiffs but Challenge was miles away and couldn't hear us, and Squid was upside down fixing a backstay... Only Grove could hear us and they were a fair way behind too... It was catch up time..!! PB went left and Grove went right... Ooooo It was on like Donkey Kong..!! Right payed and the Grove team caught up a fair distance.. The race could be interesting..!! PB rounded the top mark behind the 29er but in front of Grove.. We set the new kite and whoompa.. Off we went..!! Grove had a slight issue with their set and lost a few boat lengths.. PB sent her deep but couldn't pick a lay line to save themselves and ended up well below the bottom mark... We had to drop the kite and 2 sail up to the mark... This cost us a little bit and we rounded with the 29er.. Grrrr... Unfortunately Grove also over layed the mark and also had to two sail... That was their chance to make up the gap... The second beat was solid from PB.. We just played a few shifts up the middle and it payed.. Grove went far right and I think we put some time in to them... Bravo for trying something... It's hard to catch up by following the leader... PB got line honours but unfortunately I think the 29er will have come home with the Club Championship points...
It was disappointing that we didn't get the dream race with all 4 twelves racked up on the start line and smoking away from the other boats.. But hey I guess that's racing and the one thing we have learnt from Saturday is to pay special attention to the start boat.. If your flag goes up, you're starting... It was just a bit disappointing they didn't let us know before hand that they were changing the start sequence... Never before have we started before the etchells..!!

Anyway..

Race 2... We were ready for the start of the second race... The two remaining skiffs were on the line and on time... The Squid boys were a bit further down the line than PB but hey... On the line on time is fast.. End of story... PB started well.. We found another gear and climbed up and over a 505... It was exhilarating..!! Squid was the next target.. We sailed above them and eventually they tacked off.. We tacked not long after and well.. We rolled them again... Sorry lads.. Sometimes it's important to lay the smack down... The two 12's were out in front... By a considerable margin by the top mark... Still pacing each other it was good racing..!! Up went our new kite and well.. That was that.. We had a little issue with out jib sheet going through the kite sheet block so Tristan took the silly stick while I dived down below to clean up his mess.. I came back out and everyone was happy... The Squid may have picked up a bit on us that downhill but not a lot... Again PB, aka me, picked a terrible lay line... This new kite pulls and hard and I guess that's no excuse so I'll quit my complaining.. I just sucked at picking the lay..
The 12's got around the bottom mark in 1, 2 with plenty of daylight between us and the rest of the fleet... The second lap was much the same as the first for PB... Consistency is a precious commodity in 12's sailing and if you've got it, you're always going to be hard to beat... Unfortunately the Squid boys got a bit hot and decided a jolly good tea bagging would cool them down... It did... Big Time..!! The boat dipped to windward and both boys got swept out the back... They were too far away to save it... Splash.. There was another soft splash tack in there somewhere too.. Luckily there was enough distance between 2nd and 3rd that they were still comfortably ahead of the rest of the fleet... PB picked a champion line coming in to the finish... We were sick of over laying it so we thought we'd go early and gybe through the finish... It was the perfect lay.. THANK GOD..!! We blasted through the finish to get the gun and the cheers from the start boat.. Woot woot..!! Squid came through in second..

All in all it was a perfect day to be sailing a 12... Comfortable sailing but still with a few great exciting kite rides...

One highlight was after the first race watching Terry and Wayne showing off for the spectators (and ex skiffies) at the Trailer Boat Club by smoking in to the harbour under kite... From where we were we could see a few good leaps in the shallow water... Looked pretty exciting Terry..!!

Thanks lads for another exceptional weekend of racing..


Regards

Skinnyman..!!

Race Report 21/11/2010 by Skinny

Saturday - The forecast was sensational..!! We arrived at the club and RQ had postponed the sports boat state titles already.... Tristans early morning prediction of a cancellation was looking pretty good... I went to see Suellen to persuade her to let us race but as I got to the sailing office, people were blocking their ears as the gun was already going off... She apologised to me because she knows the 12's love it when it blows... I told her that we all turned up with nothing but 4th rig and we were all pumped and ready to race... It was a good guilt trip... So good that she offered to shout all of us a rum.. I took that response back to the lads and well she came good with her promise too.. Rum is soo much sweeter when it's free..!!

We had a little pow wow on the beach and decided to race Sunday instead as the forecast was set to drop to 15-20kts... Well all of us except the Squid... I think Benny had a date on Sunday.. Something like that anyway.. Since they couldn't sail Sunday the Squidgee's threw in 4th rig and launched.. The reports were 33kts in the bay... Childs play..!!! They left the ramp with quite an audience... You nailed it boys.. Good work..!!!
They got through the harbour no problems... It was when they poked their forestay out of the harbour that it got messy... The T-ball snapped and down went the rig... What an anticlimax... They sailed her back to DPSS and we drove their trailer around... One 18ft skiff went out too... They had the ride of their life.

Sunday - The wind was up and the two 12's were at the club... It was going to be a great day..!!! We rigged at RQ as DPSS had the 16ft skiff states and we were concerned about rigging space... PB went over to DPSS to sign on and we could feel the excitement brewing... The 16's were already out there and it was only 20kts... PERFECT..!!!! Tristan and I had full 3rd in while Richard and Tim (obviously still not over their big rig disaster race last time we raced out of DPSS) opted for a 3.5 rig... Yes they put on a 4th rig jib...
We were meant to wait for the call from DPSS to say what time the race was on but Tristan and Richard were itching to get out there and we left the beach a bit early... Timmy was still trying to remember what he had done the night before, the big question he asked was why he was walking around Ascot at 0600... We launched and set off down the harbour... The gusts throwing the skinny boats forward faster and faster.. I almost fell out the back of the boat in the harbour the accelleration was so good :o)

We got out there and it was a glam 3rd rig day.. Probably on the upper end of 3rd rig but still more than managable..!! We paced a foiling moth out of the leads and I said to Tristan "Today is gonna be a good day..!!!" I was sooo right..!!! We sailed up to where the top mark was going to be and threw up the bag... There was super flat water and the ride was fantastic..!! Not scary or out of control.. Just really fun.
The Grove boys came out to boogie and they too seemed to have a good ride..

The gun went and we were off... Tristan and I won the start but Richard and Timmy were close behind... We may have had a bit of height on them off the start but the speed was pretty similar... Team Grove had a few interesting tacks up the first work and PB had a handy lead around the top mark.. We hit the gybe and all Tristan would have heard was Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k Fu&k..!! The tiller extension had skewered through my life jacket and we hit the piss... Chalk it up Tristan.. That is definitely a beer I owe you... By the time we had pulled the kite in Timmy and Rich were past us.. Dang..!! We sent it the rest of the way down the run and were quite thankful Richard and Tim had waited for us... From what I understand, they hadn't pulled the kite all the way down before the mark rounding and it got stuck on the forestay... Timmy went forward to retrieve it and splash... UNRUCKY..!!!
PB caught them again and it was GAME ON BIT,CHES..!!! We had height on them again that leg and by the top mark we had a nice lead.. By this stage the 13's had started their racing and Tristan being the Gentleman he is, had me ducking and weaving trying to stay out of their way... We two sailed for what seemed like an eternity at the top mark to clear their air... Anyway.. We set the kite and drove it like we stole it..!!! Then it came... Under a big grey cloud came the pressure of the day... Tristan and I watched it come down the track... The Grove boys were in it... We watched the storm down towards us.. There is nothing worse is there... You're chugging along ok, but there is a front coming and the back markers are flying towards you.. There is nothing you can do except wait for it to reach you... Come on wind.. Hurry the Fu&k up and get here..!!! It was in this gust that the Grove boys lowered their bow pole and drove her deep in to the mud... Timmy started giggling when the water hit the bowpole and didn't stop until the stern was 12ft in the air... Core sample was taken and the race was PB's.. The 3rd lap had the wind drop considerably and we were only one and a half stringing but we got around..

Again it was good to see the close racing between the 12's with only seconds separating 1st and 2nd place. (even if it was about 600 of them hey Rich.....)

What a fantastic day and again PB were blessed with another skiff buying the beer..!!
Shame the rest of you weren't there.. It was a glorioius day to be on a 12..!!!

Cheers

Skinnyman..!!

Race Report 13/11/2010 by Tristan

O.K the truth,
Brendan pulled the pin on Fri night so I was calling anybody and everybody to get somebody to sail. Sat morning came and I was still on the blower but nobody was around. So I took the punt and went down to the club and if I was not going to find anybody I was going to get Terry and Wayne to pick up the points for the tugganaught. Then, like does Mark Mathews appeared out of the smoke and I ask if he was sailing he replied No and I said you are now. He went home and found some stinkin sailing gear… I told him he was steering and he said well I won’t need a harness in that case. It was going to be interesting!.. We did everything conservative in the first race got off the line well and blasted to the top mark first. That’s where we stayed even in front of the two moths, I was worried about the gybes, however that was his best moment, it felt safe as! I must mention the squid lips overshot the pin by 4 seconds and they had to go back! They were keen to get out of the blocks but CAME TO EARLY. Little unsatisfying.

Next race the start was pretty funny as Terry and Wayne went for the port hand start only to be buried by the rest of the stb hand fleet. I think he may have been peaking a little early also.

We were 3rd to the top mark behind one LW sharpy and a Moth. Made it to the bottom and then went to the top only to put it in the piss to windward with the kite up! We got a little untidy at this point and the fleet caught up. Terry got second on H.C in this race and tugger got 3rd over the line and 4th on H.C.

Good points for the PB for the spring point score and a funny day with Mark. He struggles to get in and out on the wire but once he has locked and loaded he is fine.Down wind he sat on the side Bocho style to keep it conservative.

The tugga is smoking to windward!

See you all next weekend

Race Report 6/11/2010

Wow.. What a cracker of a weekend..!!!
Who doesn't love sick easterlies with second rig in..!!!
Oh it wasn't that bad...

Here's the weekly report..

We arrived at the club at 11:00.. The sun was shining, there were boats all over the rigging lawn and The Glee Club were singing Lady Gaga through Suellens new rigging lawn speakers... Oh it was gonna be a great day..!! Only drama was... THERE WAS NO WIND..!!!!

Tristan unfortunately had to work so Wayne got the late call up... He was keen as mustard to get onboard and try a skinny boat.. Fair enough too :o) THEY"RE AWESOME..!!
Wayne and I were busy plugging in big rig when the Ghetto Shed and Squid rolled up.. Richard looked around nervously and wanted to go second rig... The forecast was 10-15kts.. Wayne and I were dubious.. As was Craig... Ben and Richard both seemed to have flash backs to the 15kt big rig day a few weeks ago... Dry your eyes princesses..!! Anyway we decided to do the righty and do the you go I go we all go a go go thing.. So we took out big and slapped in second rig... Big call... Richard said he'd buy the beers if we got out there and it wasn't second rig...

So we hit the water.. The wind was from the west and Wayne and I went out a little earlier than usual just to get used to the boat etc... Fun times.. We blasted out of the harbour.. Wayne loved the accelleration of the BMMKII hull and it didn't stop there.. We got out of the leads and threw the kite up to head down to green... The wind started bending south and soon we were heading straight back to the channel.. We gybed to miss an etchell and were heading straight back where we were coming from.. The wind had swung to the East so we had effectivly done a 180... Awesome... We dropped the kite and worked our way up to the Northern course... There was a patch between the leads and the start boat where West meets East... We sat there patiently for... TOO LONG..!!!
We then proceeded to the start... The wind was swinging 360 degrees... It was crazy... I wasn't sure if they would ever get a race in... We were out there for 2hrs before they finally got a race started... The wind had settled in the South and it was actually quite a comfy second rig... Nice work Richard...

The Squid smashed the start... They hit the pin end and just smoked the fleet. It was awesome to see.. Wayne and I didn't have a terrible start but it wasn't great... We worked our way up the course but duffed a tack and lay line which Richard and John on board the Gettho Shed through.. Well kind of... There was a Port and Starboard incident where Ghetto miraculously got a random lift right when our tiller extensions crossed their bow........ I didn't see it myself but anyway... Meanwhile the Squidgee lads had just killed us all and were miles in front... They were right on the tail of the 49er... The barging mark was pretty square so Craig decided to sneak the tack line out.. They were bracing for the fastest set of all time.. unfortunately upon reaching the barging mark the kite didn't go up... It was stuck between the kite pole wires... OH NO..!!! Before anyone could blink, the kite was in the water collecting prawns and both Ghetto and PB had blasted past them.. Unrucky boys..!! We get halfway down the run and Ghetto dropped their kite... Wayne and I were in shock.. Surely these clowns weren't going to do it again... Yep.. Ghetto rounded the wrong bottom mark... PB continued down to the proper bottom mark and tried to catch the speedy cheatahs.. (Pun intended) There were small gains and losses throughout the second lap and we finished roughly the same distance from Ghetto.. Good quality racing.. I love that there is only seconds splitting the boats... One slow tack and or a missed layline costs you a race. Keeps you on ya toes that's for sure..!! The Squid boys brought it up the rear.. They had a small tear in their kite from the incident but finished in 3rd ahead of the millions of 505's..

The second race start was a bit better for PB.. Ghetto and Squid tacked off early and PB covered... The wind had eased a little, but we were still able to just pull two strings...
Ghetto found thge switch for the after burners and were able to point a bit higher than us... They crossed us and rounded the top mark.. It was still close.. Wayne and I rounded with a bunch of 505's.. Did I mention there were 8 of them..!! We decided that we wouldn't catch Ghetto by following them, so we did the sneaky Brendan gybe at the top mark and prayed for a line down the middle to drag us down... We didn't get it but we made up a little ground anyway due to Ghetto missing the lay line and dropping early... The wind eased some more and they worked their way up to the top mark.. Wayne and I threw everything at them but we couldn't peg them back.. We rounded the top mark in the same order.. The squid boys caught up a bit too but the hole in their kite got a bit bigger every time they threw it up, and by the last lap they had pretty much no kite left.. Just some luff tape skill dragging them to the finish boat..

Well done to all crew. It was a magic day out there..!! Well worth the horrible 2hr wait before the first race...
Again it's great to see the standard lifting each week... I love having such close racing..!!