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..!!
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