Christmas Race Report

by Craig

Well it was a nice weekend for round 2 of the club championship and the only thing missing were...skiffs!

Only the Flying Animals crew in Challenge and the Squid boyz in a new Diet Squid (aka Allwood Sails) headed out in what was probably the best weekend of the season so far.  Everyone else was getting their hair done for christmas.

It was 20-25 SE and pretty lumpy.  The BMMK2 sure aren't woofs and probably aren't even boats. We hit green (not the one off Cairns) before we worked out how to turn it around and went back to find the start boat as it dragged anchor across the bay.   No sign of the animals guys at this point but the flag was up and Terry sent us off for a one lap sprint.  We worked our way up to the top mark (nah that's the pin end keep on going!)    The skinny not boats feel strange but definitely quick through the chop upwind until...damn those tacks need a bit of work!  Bow up tail down me head near foot near transom under Ben all wrong in the piss again...F*&K!!

And around the top mark and bloody hell that self launching pole is only self launching from the Skipper's point of view!! But the...WOOOT... the kite was up and we were on for our first skinny not boat ride...WOOHOOO tail skipping and yikes gybe and WOOHOOO and flag the kite a bit and FINISH!:) 

Well one lap ain't an afternoons workout so up we headed again for another lap around the bay.  Starting to settle in and look the tail doesn't sink as much as we thought...SPLASH we were doing pretty well...SPLASH...as we tacked and then WOOHOOO another ride but this time the SPLASH didn't go so well and then WOOHOO another ride but damn those gunnels of Brendan's are slippery and oh boy that's a HUGE mineshaft and I'm flying past something breaking a backstay oh shit Ben that is my hand where am I??

And time to head in on the death angle oooo another big mine and boy I was STUFFED when we got back in!

I think the animals guys got some good mines too but I was too knackered to remember the details

And the Skinny not boats... Well it was hard work and I'm not sure it was all exactly what I'd call fun but on Sunday all I wanted to do was...have another go!!!=D

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year Y'all...

PS Thanks heaps Brendan! (Sorry about the bits...)

NSW States Writeup

Well boys..

What a sensational weekend all round..!!

I'm glad you guys got some good rides up here too.. Sydney certainly turned it on for us... The weather gods obviously looked kindly upon all 12ft skiffies..!!

I can't give a proper race report as we weren't actually officially racing.. Although I can tell you one thing.. All 3 QLD 12's are on the pace..

Saturday was forecast for a drifter with occasional showers.. Let me tell you, I was not all that enthused... That was until I woke up to sunshine and breese..!!!!

I headed to the club with both boats on the back.. Craig had PB down there already but had shot off on a date with his cousin... I know.. Weird right..??

Anyway I got down to the club and had a poke around.. Woollahra is a pretty cool little club actually.. Too many Bethwaite boats, but a great spot for harbour racing.. You're right in the middle of it..!! I knew as soon as I got there that rigging was going to be difficult with the amount of distractions walking past.. I believe the term trolling was used for said walkers...

So anyway, the Ben's and Richard arrived and we headed off for some breakfast... A few stories were told and it occurred to me pretty quickly.. This was going to be a boys weekend of epic proportions.. I went and picked up Tristan from the airport (fresh off night shift) and met everybody down the club again.. The breese was about 10kts and from the ENE... Perfect big rig... As it got time to rig, it came in to about 12kts and this certainly threw the cat amongst the pigeons.. Some boats went big rig and others went 2nd.. We went big because both Tristan and I are firm believers in the saying "big sails win big races".. So we set off for the 1500 start and it appeared that every man, dog and monkey was on the harbour.. A bit of sunshine and wind certainly got the people out there... It was pretty cool to be a part of.. Dodging Moths, Yinglings, Hysterical 18's and of course the 100ft maxi's... Finally we got the start underway.. All 3 QLD boats went second row as we decided that it being a NSW championship we should give them a fair crack.. It wasn't long before we reeled them in though..!! On board PB we hit the line at the boat end and squeezed in to high groove... Our big rig has been kind to us of late, and it seems she can climb almost anything.. We got above a few NSW boats and then once we had a bit of clear air we stretched our legs... The boat was trucking.. A bit of ease and smoking uphill.. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves.. Going tack for tack with Garde, Wolfie and DP we got to the top mark in 2nd.. Unfortunately on the hoist we had knot in the halyard and it turns out, that was the end of our race.. There are a few pics floating around of our floor.. Let me just say, Tristan should be on the Euro sports channel competing in the strong man event.. He must have ripped out every fitting on the boat at least once..!! We soldiered on and kept racing as the sea breese came in (after 4pm)..It was a pretty massive effort to lump big rig around the washing machine in a little over 15kts, and I know both of us were feeling the pinch by the end of it... Rich sailed a clean race with 2nd rig in the boat and Benny and Craig were also doing really well until some jet boat wash which sent them to their spreader breaking grave.. Moments before this crash Tristan and I saw their post card pic... They were flying along (over cooked big) with the sun low in the sky and the harbour bridge in the background... It looked sensational.. Good work boys.. Shame about the crash..

I guess the highlight for Tristan and I was probably the mighty mine on the way to the finish line which saw Richard catch us.. For some reason (Probably because we had no pulley inside the boat for the halyard) the kite had wrapped itself around the end of the pole.. We only had one downwind leg to go, so we just sailed with it.. The breese was on and we were pretty bloody over cooked.. We sent her through the last gybe to the finish and in front of us was the biggest mine shaft you've ever seen... The bow went in, I swore, she kept diving like scooba Steve.. I wouldn't have been surprised if we'd taken out a Japanese sub we went down so deep.. Both Tristan and I were well in front of the forestay by the end of it... Thank goodness Tristan is a soft landing.. I saw the pole bend in ways I'd like to forget but when she came up everything was still together.. We two sailed to the finish and then home... BIG DAY..!!

Our plans for a massive night were dashed as we had to do a bit of carbon magic.. Forbsey offered us his shed, so we picked up a carton of blue tongue and got sticky.. We then hit Balmain for some pizza and headed to our respective abodes.. Mine had a king sized bed and a view of Middle Harbour.. Ben and Ben had some Bourbon and spooned on a couch in Lane Cove..

We awoke on Sunday to a mighty Southerly. It was cold, wet and windy... Perfect day for a skiffin if you ask me..!!

We headed off to pick up PB after her surgery and then down to the club.. Did I mention it was cold..?? Well it was..!!

The breese filled in to a solid 25-30kts with the highest recorded gust at 34kts.. It was full 4th rigs all round...

We watched as Johnno broke a stick on the way to the start.. Boy it was going to be fun out there..!!

Richard and Ben decided it was going to be a bit too much out there for their slight frames and for good reason.. It was howling..

PB and Squid flew the QLD flag though and after a sporting kite ride (we borrowed Richards chicken chute) we arrived at the start line absolutely ready to go..!! The gun went and Squid nailed the start... They came in on a smoking two sail reach and smashed the line at about 15kts.. They quickly rolled Garde and that was that... Good work lads..!!

Tristan and I went left and were 5th or 6th around the top mark... Now this next ride was my highlight of the entire weekend... We narrowly avoided Barnyard as he splashed right in front of us.. We hit the corner with pace.. The baby rig loves to be thrown around so that's what we did... Richards advice as we launched "drive it like a rental" was certainly the case here... We were headed off on port when we got hit by a big one... We were absolutely flying..!!! I'm pretty sure I had urine dribbling down my inner thigh.. We were only just going to clear the moored yachts as it was... I couldn't point up, and I couldn't point down... If the wind changed at all it was going to end in tears... All we could do was keep the throttle down and hold on, well we made it... The acceleration of PB blew my mind... Even now as I write this, I'm getting goose bumps... That was one of those 12ft skiff moments I'll never forget... WOOHOO..!! Unlike the previous day the harbour was somewhat empty.. We didn't have to dodge recreational sailors, just the big green ferries... It was pretty lumpy at the bottom mark... Ferry wash at warp speed is insane..!!! PB soared like an eagle, and my grin was bigger than a black man's doodle. We did a gybe drop and let a couple of NSW guys through so as to sail clean... The long beat back up was tough.. There was a lot of wind and boy were we trucking.!! We got to the top mark and were hit by a lull and tea bagged... Although we didn't capsize, we spent a long long time in the drink and let the leaders get away... The next down wind was a little less stressful... I sat in "Bocco Style" and have the bruised butt cheeks to prove that we didn't go any slower.. We finished just ahead of DP in about 5th I think.. The Squidgee were right behind them. Waiting around for the tailenders was a battle... So much so, we ripped our jib track off the boat and had to go home..

An eventful weekend all round.. I was completely rooted driving home yesterday but we made it safe and sound. Both boats arrived unscathed.

I hope there are a few pics from the weekend... Sydney turned it up and we are very grateful..

Thanks to the NSW guys for letting us come and play.. We all had a totally rad time down there.

Cheers

Skinnyman

Gettinn Sticky with Skinny

Sidanee

Commence launch sequence...

Race Report 19-11-2011 by John Cole

Ahh my first race report:

A beautiful day greated the 12's fleet on saturday, the forecast predicted a glorious 2nd rig out of the north east. 5 12's and one chubby were on the lawn plus 3 18's. We were also treated to a new 12 on the water, a laidback fella who introduced himself as Brendan! Skinny and Tristan were absent (not cool!), Tristan was working (fair enough) and Skinny was appently getting a manicure, getting a waxing for his lady-parts and then doing some antique shopping (nothing "man" about a manicure). Terry and wayne sailing for the first time this season got rigged first then sat down with some sports drinks and planned there attack for the afternoon.

Sailing out I think we all came to realise that we may have chosen the wrong rig, big may have been order of the day.

Race 1: Started in marginal conditions, the boatformally known as ASM, fat controller and squid went left. Squid tacked "early" whilst ASM and fat controller kept going left. We identified a top mark but it was the 18 mark, I can't say what was said on the boat when the right top mark was realised but it wasn't, well, nice. Around the top mark was Squid followed by Fat Controller and ASM. I believe terry was around next followed by the chubby and richard bringing up the rear after missing the start? Squid went on top score a well deserved first place followed by ASM after getting ahead on the run of Fat Controller in 3rd. The battle for the minor places was intense, with (correct me if I'm wrong) terry and wayne followed by richard just sneaking ahead of the chubby (that would have been interesting).

Race 2: Well the breeze didn't kick in as predicted and turned out to be as popular as a ginger-headed step kid (yeah I know, but it was funny the first time I heard it). A good clean start with everyone favouring the boat end (cept the new guy Brendan and his rockstar crew, they went home after the first race). I have to admit I'm loving the shotgun starts, sounds way better than the horn even if they do fire it a few seconds late. Everyone started going left as thats where the breeze was all day, lot of chop out there too. ASM took an early lead, squid tacked off about halfway up (bad move brother) that left terry and ASM heading left till the layline. Around the top mark was ASM followed by terry (whooooo) then squid, ghetto sled and the chubby. Finsh results were ASM, Squid and Terry, the rest of the race was about as spectacular as listening to skinny talk about the latest fashion kids are wearing and therefore not worth reporting. It was good to get a win finally, mr spies is rather pleasant when we get a win.

Ride of the day as usual was the ride back in, squid took a tumble in the channel and decided they couldn't finish on that note and went for another blast around the bay as the breeze looked like it filled in a bit.

Invasion

The sled, the tuggers and the squid are heading south for some state of origin racing. 3/4 December on the Harbour. Bring it!!

East Side Wins!

Saturdays race report: 8 knots, big rig. PB Towing proves that Eastsiide is the best. Twice.  Ali G best sums up a pretty complicated two races for the four remaining boats!

Wazzup Warwick

Took a week off "normal" racing to venture 2 hours West in search of fresh water. Leslie Dam just west of Warwick is home to the Warwick Sailing Club, a quaint little club on the edge of a big freshwater, cola-coloured dam. When we arrived there, about 8knots was flicking around from the SE to NE. The classic 10ft skiffs with their ridiculously large sail area were kicking around the course nicely. We were told the breeze would fill about 3pm, so big rigs were in for at least the first race. Start was in 3 knots and it dropped from there. Tristan and skip Cassie lead the first 2 marks, but were then overtaken by the Ghetto with fill-in crew Don Smith. A bit of time was spent going in backwards circles, but we got a ride or 2 with the kite up. Ghetto managed to beat 3 18s home, then the 2nd race was called off.
At 4pm the wind filled and Tristan, Cassie and I 'stole' an 18 and took it for a spin in about 10kts. After a nerve wrecking bearaway at the rock infested beach (first time i've steered an 18), the kite went up and we were off. 3 String up and down the lake for about 45mins. Not sure why the other 18s didn't come out as they'd left their boats rigged ready for a midnight 'sail'.

Here's an automaton I've designed to suck knowledge of 12' skiff hull design from people's heads.  Hopefully it hands me the answers soon- 

 

 "Squidbot"

Warwick Regatta

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/story/2011/11/03/regatta-sets-sail-on-leslie-dam/

PB Dominates Club Championship Heat 1

http://brisbane18footers.com/12s-club-championship-heat-1/

Giddy Up!

$15k!! Absolute Madness..!! This boat has only sailed 1 season. It's race ready and primed to make mincemeat out of the fat boats. Someone buy it before I do.

Spectator Ferry

On the 12th of November, a spectator ferry will be taking passengers out onto the course to watch the 12ft and 18ft skiffs go at it. It will be pulling into the DPSS 'ferry terminal' at about 1pm.

No 12 Racing due to St Helena Cup

Race Report 15-10-2011 by Ben C

Race report goes like this:

Wind surfer girls on lawn at RQ, mot much attention paid to weather.

Brad I went out with 2^nd rig plugged in….

White caps in the harbour, briefly thought about turning around.

Beat out towards Green Island with plenty on, finally decided to call it quits. 2 sail reach back  in at pace with multiple mines/capsizes.

Finally made it back in after coping an absolute hiding from a sweet 3^rd rig breeze.

Moral of the story: get 3^rd rig ASAP and don’t rig up beside the wind surfer girls.

3rd rig 505

Crazy kids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R5TIRhZ5Kos

A little vid from last week

The only 12' sailing on Saturday was the Flying Animals out training.
I hear they had moments like PB Towage a couple of weekends back!

Race Report 08-10-2011

N-E-S-Westerly..!!! WTF

The 8am thunderstorm scared almost everyone away from the bay but by lunchtime there was a steady 10kt NW breeze and glipses of sunshine. Terry "million dollar man" Ellis with his brand new knee took the reigns of the Ghetto Sled and Ben got out of bed on the right side after a heavy night of drinking and debauchery. A dissappointing turnout for the days races. Skinny made the call to take his RL24 "Sportz" for a gin cruise rather than pull his harness on. Rumour has it he pulled the pin on that and ended up being dragged through the shops in trendy "the valley" looking at blouses. B-Mad forgot about his formal (who holds a formal in skiff season) and had to pull out at the last minute. John and Spiesy got scared by the rain and another defeat at the hands of a skinny boat.

Down at the club, the only 18 to show up was considering abandoning and then gave in after realising the "junior" fleet were heading out. After a 30min kite ride to the start on the other side of the bay, we got underway, big rigs trying hard to get both crew on trapeze. About halfway up the long first work, the breeze battle began. The forecast SW breeze filled on the left side of the course and the NW was on the right. We were in the middle. Terry learnt that balancing a skinny 12 with big rig and no wind is quite a challenge and his knee felt the strain after a few "dives" across the boat. We got to the NW breeze eventually after trading the lead with the Squid for a couple of Nm. They snuck around the mark first and head East. We got to the mark courtesy of the SW breeze (yes it was swinging that much) and headed South. Then the breeze died again.... and came in from the EAST..!!!! The only place it hadn't come from all day. And the only place it wasn't forecast to come from.

Therefore the Squid walked away with the win and the Bert Squid remains in the fleshy tentacles of its previous title holders. The 10-12kt Easterly gave up on the way home and we de-rigged in calm. CrewBen must have felt sorry for taking such a solid, hardfought victory so bought rums for everyone. Much appreciated.

Next week the wind shall blow and the battle for supremacy of Waterloo Bay will continue.
Richard

Race Report 01-10-2011

This is a photo of a photo of a screen so that's why it's soo blurry... Wait and see the actual footage.. It's pretty good..

The forecast was there... Did anyone listen..?? HELL NO..!! The 18's went big.. We had a delightful NE breeze blowing and we figured we could probably handle the Westerly if it came in with 2nd rig.. Hmm

So we launched.. Video footage will show Tristan and I were pretty nervous... Something crazy was going to happen... It was just a matter of when.. We slowly made our way to the leads.. That's when the wind dropped out to 0kts... Excellent... It was coming.....

We sat there for about 5 mins.. Looking behind us we could see it coming... Slowly it moved it's way towards us, a black shadow swirling up the water.. We watched as boats behind us went in to crazy round ups... It took out a few cherubs and an 18... It was coming... We watched it creep towards us at a tediously slow pace... Talk about getting your heart rate pumping... We were in no wind at all yet boats 60m behind us were upside down... We manoeuvred the boat in to a good position for when it hit... Up went out big black kite and we waited... Not for long though... The breeze hit us like a freight train... We both jumped out on the wire and took off... We shot out too fast and found ourselves ahead of the breeze... Damn... It would catch up again and we'd shoot off... After a couple of times of this happening I just sat in and let Tristan go out alone... I saw the footage from the head cam and we were absolutely smoking..!! It's really weird to see.. There were absolutely no waves yet we were hitting warp speed.. I look forward to getting the video footage edited so you can see how cool it was..

So we flew down to the start boat and dropped the kite... We sat there for a while waiting and watching the other skiffs head on down... All the 18's were on their side, so it was mainly the cherubs just coming down... Richard and Jimmy looked like they were having a sensational ride.. They went straight past the startline and were headed for king... Nice send boys..

The start was delayed.. So we pottered around.. It was getting difficult to even just sit still out there as the puffs had balls..!! We slowly crept our way up the course.. We saw the squid boys and agreed to keep racing.. We then decided to head back down to the start boat... Both of us on the wire, no jib and no main yet we were still getting smashed.. Jeebus..!! We waited for a lull and then went for the bear away... The little skiff took off like a rocket..!! She sent me flying off the back and at the same time Tristan dropped the main.. This caused the nose to dig in, I stopped flying backwards and started going forwards..!! Excellent two sail mine... The footage is not too shabby..

So we pull her up and start off sailing again.. The wind might have picked up a bit because we got blown straight over without any sails on at all... We were close to the leads and after a quick discussion we decided we probably had time to do a mega quick pit stop and change down to 3rd rig... The start boat hadn't even started moving for the new course so we figured we'd almost have enough time.. So we headed in.. Did the change and as we were launching we heard that the race was canned.. Oh well, we had come this far.. Lets go for a send..!! So we did... We waited for a lull in the breeze and then headed off... Goose swinging down the channel made me somewhat nervous, but we got through... We noticed the tackline was on the wrong side so we put it in the piss to adjust.. I quickly retied it and we were back in the game... A little squirt to settle back in, and then the bear away.. The little kite went up... She didn't actually look all that little to be honest... Tristan joined me on the wire and we took off... Boy did we take off... The boat was hauling ass..!!! She felt a little sniffy so Tristan tried to move me backwards.. I yelled at him.. I was already well off the back and holding on to him for dear life..!! We were scooting and got hit by yet another black one... The acceleration was too much and with a hop, skip and a jump we did an enormous cartwheel..!!! Tristan and I were thrown like rag dolls.. We skipped across the water like a smooth flat pebble.. Biggest crash either of us have ever had in a 12.. IT WAS AWESOME..!!!!!!!

We swam back to the boat and tidied things up.. We pulled her up and as there were no breakages we decided to not try our luck and headed in for a beer...

All in all it was a big day for not a lot of sailing... More rigging than actual sailing..

PB had a headcam onboard and once I work out how to edit the video footage I'll get it online.. We decided not to use it when we went out for the second time, so the massive crash didn't get filmed..

Next week will be better guys.. I can feel it in my waters..!!

Cheers

Skinnyman

3rd and 4th Heats - 24th September 2011

http://brisbane18s.asn.au/12s-heat-3-4-report/

http://brisbane18s.asn.au/pics-110924-manly/

Good morning..!!

Have you all recovered from that epic day on the bay.??

Well wasn't it another amazing weekend for those of us ON THE WATER..!! Perfect blue skies.. 27 degrees and a solid 15kts from the North.. Wouldn't be dead for quids..!!!

The rigging lawn was chockers.. With five 12's on their side, and four 18's, it is starting to look like a real skiff club..!!

The 12's were split down the middle rig wise.. With a 15-20kt forecast Ghetto Sled and ASM went for a safety conscious 3rd rig day, while the cowboys onboard PB and Squid opted for a top end second rig..!! The tide was coming in like crazy so it was pretty flat out there.. Speedy speedy..!!

Race 1

The first race was delayed for tardy starters.. We eventually got underway and it was Squid who got the gun.. Ghetto Sled once again did their port hand bandit thing but it didn't really pay.. Squid and PB headed left straight away to get out of the tide.. Both boats were showing good speed to windward and there was not much in it.... With the wind in our hair, plenty of height and speed, spirits were high on PB.. Until that horrible sound of carbon scraping the ocean floor was heard.. We were on the bottom..!!! Squid quickly tacked off but we were stuck fast... DAMN..!! Our new Bushido c'board is a little bit longer, and I can tell you it did not just kiss the bottom, they made out like 16 year olds at a school dance..!!

We finally managed to tack her around and sail off the bank but we had been pushed back to 4th place.. Lucky for us, the starting committee set a marathon course and by the top mark we had found ourselves in second place behind Squid.. ASM and Ghetto Sled were not far behind.. Both of these boats spent time up the middle of the course, and found themselves pushing tide..

So the kites went up and Squidgee were looking famous..!! First race of the season for them and they were first to the top mark.. Woowoo..!! They gybed early so as not to run aground.. PB followed suit.. The ride was fast and the boats were flying.. The boys on Squid were having way too much fun and missed the next lay line by a mile.. PB cut inside them and sailed straight to the bottom mark.. Squid had to drop the kite to get back to the mark.. UNRUCKY..!!

So it was PB leading for the next lap.. Squidgee in second and then Grove not far behind... Trouble aboard ASM had them two sailing to the bottom mark from a long way out.. UH OH... Fortunately for them, Ghetto had a slow drop.. When I say slow, I mean the kite came down faster than the retrieval line was being pulled and the kite went under the boat... Splash.....

PB showed their class by sailing a solid second lap without hiccup to take the win by 1min 27 seconds over Squid.. ASM was next and Ghetto Sled brought up the rear. A quick debrief after the race, and the course was shortened.

Race 2

The breeze kicked in a knot or two and the boats carrying 3rd rigs were looking quick... A little bit of controversy as to whether ASM were over at the start, but as there was no individual recall issued, we can only go by the starters call.. Sorry Benny..

ASM got the gun and headed left.. They had plenty of pace and were looking pretty. Could this be the 3rd rig race they were banking on..?? Ghetto did their signature port start ducking the fleet.. PB and ASM headed North.. PB had good height and by the first tack ASM had to duck us.. PB tacked not long after.. Ghetto and Squid were having a duel of their own up the inside of us.. ASM were looking fast until they stopped for a quick tea bagging.. Not sure if someone pissed in their wetsuit and needed to rinse off, or if there was a communication breakdown.. Couldn't tell from where we were.. Either way it was enough to give PB some breathing space and we were first around the top.. ASM were not far away though.. Squidgee was next followed by Ghetto Sled. The drag race down to the bottom mark favoured the 2nd rigs, but ASM showed a super clean pair of heels and held on to us.. PB rounded quickly and kept a relatively close cover on ASM.. Squid and Ghetto were chasing but the gap was too much.. Around the top for the final time and it was PB, ASM, Squid then Ghetto... The wind was up and the fleet flew down towards the finish... Things were looking solid for PB.. We went through the final gybe with no problems and were scooting straight for the finish line.. Just another day at the office.. Or so we thought... That's when we got hit by a black one... Suddenly we were heading 15 degrees below the finish line.. Bugger me..!!! ASM had gybed a bit earlier and were charging straight at it.... We had to do a quick drop and two sail to the finish... There is no more anxious feeling than two sailing to the finish line when over your shoulder you can see the second placed boat hurtling down towards you at full noise... PB managed to scrape through with the victory making it 4 from 4 for the season, but only by 36 seconds.. ASM were 1min 4 seconds ahead of Squid and Ghetto were a couple of minutes behind them..

The exhausted crews hit the beach and shared war stories over a beer.. What an awesome day on the water.

With the cherub QLD state titles being held next weekend, we're looking for more starters.. It's a good opportunity for us to show those youngsters which skiff class they should all move in to.. Allwood Sails and Challenge came close to starting this week with both skippers coming down to the park on Saturday for a look.. The whether is getting warmer and the racing is already scorching hot.. Get excited boys and girls..!! Come out and play..!!

Heat 1&2 Results - 17-09-2011

Well didn't Brisbane turn it on for the first race of the season..!!!

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and PB Towage was flying..!!

Even with the less than inspiring forecast, there was still much excitement amongst the troops.. 5-10kts increasing to 10-15kts through the afternoon was what we hoped for... The smoky haze from the farmers back burning tried to beat down the sea breeze, but it had no chance.. What we got was a perfect QLD big rig day... 28 degrees, and 10-12kts from the NE...

The rigging lawn looked a picture.. With 12 sailors grinding, drilling holes, and 18's being put together with rubber mallets..!!

It was good to see Timmy and his wife Megan make the trip from Warwick to be there.. Watching his face contort when Richard asked if he should put in second rig was priceless..!!

Once the starters arrived it was go time.. A short and sweet briefing was held, and before we knew it we were hitting the water... Aboard PB there were smiles all round when the new centreboard went down for the first time.. The familiar sounds of the water slipping along her narrow sides were somewhat comforting, and both skipper and crew were quite excited about their first sail..!!

The bay was gorgeous.. The water was crystal clear and the breeze was trying hard to keep us both on the wire.. Heading out the leads was quite the 12's procession.. Ghetto Sled and the boat formally know as ASM not far behind us, and bringing it up the rear was the Mighty Flying Animals..!! It was their first time out and what a cracker of a day it was for them..!!

By the time we got to the starting area the breeze had come in to a very comfortable two string big rig.. Tristan and I did a quick upwind beat and set the kite.. We just wanted to blow a few cob webs out.. We got to the startline and the sequence commenced... ASM were the only boat to get the timing right.. Tristan and I couldn't understand how we got our timing 30 seconds wrong but we did... Richard was even further away..!! Fortunately we were not far behind ASM and just followed their lead... Port tack bandits..!!!!

ASM and PB shot off on port tack towards the RQYS fleet.. Richard and Timmy went left... Boy did it pay.. ASM and PB tacked to join them and when we all came together it was PB, Ghetto and then ASM.. PB had played with some strings and found a magic 5 degrees of height..!! You could throw a blanket over us... The Flying Animals were there too, but missed the start due to joy riding... It was their first kite ride.. I'm not going to judge them..

So to the top mark we stormed.. Around first was PB.. Close behind was Ghetto and ASM. The big kites went up and we headed down to the bottom.. The smoke made it difficult to see the bottom flag but we managed.. The order didn't change and we rounded the bottom mark.. ASM tacked off straight away and PB covered.. Ghetto tacked once he was clear of our line and again the three skiffs were heading left.. Ghetto was first to tack again.. It was a brave move as there was definitely less air up the middle.. However he had to throw something at us as it was the last lap and PB had speed to burn..!! Unfortunately for them it didn't work out so well, and they slipped back to 3rd behind ASM. A pretty straight forward run to the finish and that was race 1... Actually there was some more drama... Ghetto snapped a back stay halfway down the last run so finished their race with white sails only. The Flying Animals were zooming around too.. They had a costume malfunction and only had one functioning trapeze harness..

Race two started with the now too familiar police siren, and once again PB had stuffed our timing..!! We were miles off this time.. I have no excuses other than we are muppets.

As Ghetto didn't want to drop their rig they headed in after the start.. The two skiffs headed straight left.. PB had given ASM a handy head start, but with the height and speed we found in the first race, we had caught them by the corner. It was PB around the top first followed closely by ASM... The Flying Animals were charging too, but with only second rig and one trapeze (cherub style) they were off the pace.. The wind had kicked up a knot or two and was super comfy.. The gybe is where ASM made their move.. They gybed first and PB over laid.. Damn..!!! ASM got the the bottom first but PB dropped quicker and came charging up from behind... We ducked ASM's transom and shot off low groove to leeward.. We cleared our air and got back to our super setting.. We tacked when ASM tacked on to starboard and by the time we got to the left corner we were well clear. Around the top again it was PB followed by ASM.. A casual run home followed.. The finish boat was MIA but we got our times.. ASM looked like they had a great ride up the leads.. With the woof on it's ear, and the kite peeling slightly it was pretty awesome to watch... Terry, you would have loved it..!!

Well done to all of you who made it out there... Sucks to be those who didn't.. What a sensational way to start back up.. The off season is over lads..

It's time to see you ON THE WATER..!!

Cheers

Skinnyman

Race Report 11-09-2011

Opening day on the Saturday turned out 25-35knots from the west and 10deg. A unholy mess in our bay and though 4 boats showed up ready to rumble, none decided they were prepared for a beating which may result in floating out to sea. So a day spent on maintenance ensued.

However, Sunday was a nice 15knot westerly. Still unseasonably cold, yet bearable. Only Ghetto stayed around for the DPSS race and was treated to some fantastic 3rd rig sailing, with a smaller than usual newbie crew. After a bad start, we caught the lead 13ft skiff by the first bottom mark and held it for a lap before missing the puff of the day on the second last run to be trailing by a few boat lengths at the bottom mark. Some smooth work and good boatspeed pushed us past them to secure the gun.

I think this photo says it all. More action shots to come.

they be hatin'

Better watch out! (edit Skinny boats rule!)

2011-2012 Calendar

Who we are, what we do

This is a bit of a repost from 2009. But considering we are moving clubs, its about time I updated it.

We're a 12ft skiff sailing association, sailing this season with the Brisbane 18s out of the Darling Point club (Trafalgar St, Manly). Below is a link to a map of manly showing where the club is.

From Queensland 12ft Skiff Association

We have been running this blog for a while, and all the images posted can be accessed by clicking on the following image.

Queensland 12ft Skiff Association

Our season starts on September the 10th, so if you're interested in the class, come along and say hi.

Presso - from a while ago

Had a quasi-official presentation evening courtesy of our new club, the Brisbane 18s. PB Towage won the states, Ghetto the club championship. Photo of Tristan accepting his trophy from Terry Ellis.

Shiny Happy Carbon

new rudder

New life into old Animals

From this...



...to this

Nationals Video by Lachie

Video

Nationals Race Report

What started with a slow drift around Green Island (not the one off Cairns) ended with a crankin 3rd rig in the steep waves of Waterloo Bay. The 76th 12ft Skiff Australian Championship was won by Nick Press and Brad Yabsley on Dimension Polyant Australia with only a small margin to last year’s champs Brett Hobson and Alex Johnson on Garde. The 1 point win capped a great season for Press and Yabsley after winning the Interdominions early in the new year.

Race 1 was a round-the-island race and despite the soft big rig wind, the racing was tight with only0 5 minutes separating all 20 boats. Clear air was key and the Garde, after taking the lead from Dimension and locals Ghetto Sled about half way around, made the most of the small gap. Friday night festivities included an informal bbq at the wonderful Yachting Queensland facility and some shenanigans from the young lads with the Hobie 16 fleet under attack.

Race 2 and 3 were postponed to wait for breeze and eventually got under way in a soft 2nd rig wind with the forecast 15-20 only turning up on the last lap. With an extra wide wing mark, crew work was put to the test with extra kite hoists between bursts of 2 sail reaching. Lachie Paramor had a blinder in the first race of the day, pulling 3rd place and showing great speed. Equally impressive was the 4th to PB Towage from Queensland in the second. Dimension took the first, Garde the second, but a 5th in the second by Dimension had Garde leading the regatta after 3 races.

The forecast for Sunday was a healthy 15-20knots from the South East. 2nd rig was the call, however the breeze failed to fill and the fleet were subjected to a soft ride barely pulling 2 strings all day. Racing was tight with mistake-free sailing important to stay in touch. Dimension Polyant pulled 2 bullets in the trying conditions, followed by Gardein the first and Brendan Matthews in Allwood sails in the second. New queenslander, Michael Spies in Andrew Short Marine took a 3rd and Vantage real estate in their new boat a well earned 4th. Gemmell Sails, having a very consistent regatta with the recent teaming of Murray Press and Damian Vlotman took a 4th. Ghetto sled came into form posting a 5th.

It took until race 6 for the bay to finally prove its world class skiff venue credentials by putting on solid 20kts South East breeze. The seas were whipped up and the racing hit another level of excitement. 3rd rigs were donned and there were battles throughout the fleet. Wave ramps were set as the 12s took to the sky! Starting very sharply were the queensland boats with a 1st, 4th and 5th around the first mark. PB Towage led the charge to the wing mark, then dived underneath it after a bit of a right of way disagreement. Dimension and Garde surged on with Allwood Sails and Ghetto Sled and in pursuit. These 4 would hold their positions to the end, but further back in the fleet, battles raged. The Squid, sailed by Ben Guymer and Craig Dancer showed good pace to lead the chase pack for a while. Lincoln Crowne found a watery place to rest during a kite hoist and Cunning Stunts, Vantage Real Estate, Gemmell Sails and Foxy Lady 3 all fought for supremacy. Meanwhile, PB Towage, having swum around at the first wing mark for a long while, got back on their feet and were blasting around the course. Meanwhile, Geotherm and G Unit had a brief touch resulting in G Unit’s rudder pod being ripped in half and ending their day. Lincoln Crowne overcame their swim to fly back into 5th, with Gemmell, Squid and PB Towage following close behind.
Consistency from the top 2 boats gave them a healthy points gap to 3rd. Garde didn’t finish worse than 3rd all weekend and Dimension Polyant dropped a 5th.
After a poor start to the regatta, Allwood Sails took the most handicapped award and Gemmell Sails and Cunning Stunts took the Veterans and Juniors respectively.

A great finish to a fun regatta on the bay. Thanks to all the organisers and supporters.
Richard Billet (Ghetto Sled)

76th Australian Championships

Photo by Suellen Hurling

Results
Overall:
1st: Dimension Polyant
2nd: Garde
3rd: Gemmell Sails
4th: Lincoln Crowne
5th: Andrew Short Marine
6th: Allwood Sails
7th: PB Towage
8th: Ghetto Sled
9th: Vantage Real Estate
10th: Geotherm
11th: Cunning Stunts
12th: Squid
13th: Foxy Lady III
14th: D Unit
15th: CST Composites
16th: Maersk
17th: Hey Charger
18th: Gizmo
19th: Camel Toe
20th: Snot Bloo

Handicap
1st: Allwood Sails
2nd: Ghetto Sled
3rd: Vantage Real Estate

Veterans
1st: Gemmell Sails

Juniors
1st: Cunning Stunts

Report to follow soon

Read all about it!!

Moreton Bay will be cranking over Easter as the 12 ft skiffs line up to contest for the Norman Booth Trophy at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. It is a tightly contested National Championship that has been running since 1925. The skiffs are sailed in Brisbane and Sydney and about 25 skiffs are expected to be vying for the championship. A predicted southerly change arriving on Saturday will guarantee spectacular spinnaker rides and spills for the contestants & spectators alike on the choppy ramps of Waterloo Bay.

The twelves are a development class with a bare minimum of rules and the most advanced technologically of the skiff classes. No restrictions on rig number, size or sail area make the skiffs fast across a wide variety of conditions and ensure they are one of the most challenging classes to sail as the skiffs regularly become airborne sailing under their huge spinnakers.

Recently crowned Queensland Champions PB Towage (James Fleming, Tristan Hamilton) will lead a local Queensland charge against a strong fleet from NSW including current and three times Interdominion Champions Dimension Polyant (Nick Press, Brad Yabsley) and current National Champions Garde (Brett Hobson, Alex Johnson).

The six race series will take place from Friday 22 April to Monday 25 April commencing with a race around Green Island. The best place to see the racing is on the water. A spectator boat with limited capacity will leave from RQYS on Saturday. If you aren’t able to be on the water feel free to come along and check out the action from RQYS viewing platform or Darling Point.

SkiffCamp B - State titles

Race Report - QLD State Titles Heat 3 & 4

The rigging lawn was like a garage sale.. 18's sprawled everywhere...
PB was the first to arrive and got the best parking spot under the tree and next to the picnic table.. Mmm picnic.. The rest of the 12's arrived and the general comments were "where the f@ck is the wind..??" The forecast was for 15-20kts but there was nothing out there but a light westerly... Damn..!!
The 18's threw in their usual little rigs and three of the five 12's put in 2nd rig.. PB and ASM grew some balls and took a chance putting in big rig... PB forgot their kite (we brought down two 2nd rig kites) but were able to use the big black Grove kite.. Ooooo

It was a slow mission out to the startline... The race was postponed and well.. There was no fricken wind... Big rig was looking like a good call..!!

The start was slow.. Squid tried a port hand bandit on us.. Rookies.. Ghetto went right with Allwood Sails.. ASM and PB trucked left... Squid were somewhere in between... I believe ASM were actually going for the wrong mark.. Because there was a lot of screaming around a random red mark... I never heard the story there..
With all boats struggling for pressure, combined with the marathon course set for the 18's, it seemed to take an eternity to get to the top mark... ASM got there first I think.. Followed by Ghetto and Allwood.. PB were next with Squid bringing it up the rear... Good effort for those with 2nd rig in..!! Tristan and I couldn't even pull two strings with big..!!
The race to the bottom was on... The boats with big rig were feeling pretty confident we could take these 2nd rig hacks.. Alas poor Yorrick Ghetto still showed superb speed with that new kite and held in.. The bottom mark rounding was ASM,Ghetto, then PB, Allwood and Squid.. The wind started to fill in a bit at the bottom mark.. Woohoo..!! 2 strings..!!! It kept filling... It was probably a comfy 2nd rig now.. We knew this because our big rig main was flagging quite a lot.. We went right trying to chase down the Ghetto Shed.. (They went left) Game on..!! Then I heard Tristan yell "Away Skinny..!!" I had no idea what he was on but then I heard a Dugong take a breath and then hit our c'board... Oops..!! We sailed on.. Thinking that was close.. The breeze had set in and it was top end big rig... We decided to pull up some board in the next tack.. We threw in the tack and Tristan couldn't budge it.. The Dugong impact had put the board through the back of the case.. Bugger..!! We stuffed around with it for a bit before giving in and going back to racing.. We lost places to Allwood and Squid so were back in 5th.. Ghetto had stretched their legs a bit and were looking solid. The top mark was Ghetto, ASM, Allwood, PB and then Squid.. Not much in it really.. We stayed in that order to the bottom mark.. Squid had a nice little swim at the bottom mark I believe.. The next windward saw Allwood Sails have a crew malfunction.. Joel blew up..!! So they had to retire.. It was a marathon course... The top mark rounding was Ghetto, ASM, PB and Squid...
We had plenty on with big rig now and the gate course was proving to be interesting.. It was tight getting from the gate to the bottom..... We had to drop a bit early.. Ghetto was around the bottom first, ASM had kite issues after their gybe drop.. Uh oh.. PB caught them and almost slipped past.. ASM just managed to squeeze up and kept their nose in front... It was a quick up and back from there so much fighting to be had... Ghetto had a handy lead now and just had to sail safe and loosely cover the fleet for victory.. The battle for second and third however was epic..!! It all came down to the last tack going in to the top mark.. ASM got there first but had a sloppy tack.. PB slid in and got around in front... We could sniff a state title victory..!! Soo close..!!! The halyard went up.. Well sort of... It was tied to my trap line..!!! I struggled with it for a while with Tristan steering.. I finally got it undone but ASM were again right on our heels... It would be a fight to the finish.. PB had enough boat speed to hang on.. Final standings were Ghetto Sled, PB, ASM, Squid and Allwood DNF...

The race took 1hr 35mins and all crew were pretty exhausted..

The second race was a sprint race with only 3 skiffs taking to the line..
Ghetto got off well as did Squid.. PB were way off.. Fools..!! We did manage to roll 2x 18's though :o)
The two boats with second rig flew to the top mark with Squidgee just edging out Ghetto for top mark honours.. They held on and just managed to get to the bottom mark in first... Ghetto tacked off early and Squid didn't cover... Ghetto got a nice little puff and took the gun.. Squid got second and PB 3rd..
A second and 3rd were enough to take the Championship.. Woohoo..!!

All in all it was a fantastic series with fantastic QLD Easter breeze.. All of the QLD boats are showing nice pace and we should all feel pretty confident going in to the Nationals..
Bring on Friday I say..!!!

SkiffCamp - State titles

Well well well..
What a weekend of racing..!!!

The much anticipated QLD Championships saw 5 boats hit the water (even though the 5th only found their c'board halfway through the second race....) and the skiffing atmosphere was electric..!!
We all rigged at DPSS with the 18 footers.. Boy they take up some room don't they..!! There was a sensational 15kts from the SE blowing and all the 12's went 2nd rig... Well that was until Spiesoid did a quick change to 3rd... MEOW..
It was interesting to see that the 18's little masts were not much if any bigger than ours... Yet they have 3 blokes and enormous wings holding them down.. Boy they made our little 12's look small :o) UNTIL WE HIT THE WATER..!!!!

PB were first to launch..
We trucked out to the start.. It was a fantastic mid range 2nd rig out there and the water was quite flat.. You couldn't have picked a better day for it..!!! With the clouds came a bit more puff for some exhilarating kite rides.. It was going to be a great day..!! We sailed up to where the race committee were laying the top mark and threw up the kite to give an indication what our angles are... It was a cracker of a ride and after the gybe we got towed well below the bottom mark.. It was a cracker.

So the other 12's came out to join the party.. All but Brendan who had to drive out to his work to collect his c'board.. Rookie error..
The start was ok.. Ghetto and Squid all hit the line with pace.. PB was a little slower but not much.. We hit the boat end 2 seconds late.. ASM I think tried a cheeky port end bandit, but ducked the fleet.. PB had height and pushed Ghetto and Squid left.. Spiesoid went right.. The top make rounding was a classic.. ASM came in on Starboard.. Ghetto did a sneaky tack inside them on the mark.. It looked marginal from behind, but I've been assured it was well legal.. ASM were able to climb over and past them anyway... Then Squid come in barging on Grove..!! Tristan and I watched but rolled both of them whilst setting kites.. ASM did a gybe at the wing mark but were way too high to make the bottom mark... PB went a little further but with the wind easing we too were high... Ghetto saw all of this and went further still and nailed it.. Straight to the bottom mark and rounded in 1st place.. PB were second and ASM 3rd.. Squid were not far behind either.. The next windward beat was a good one too... Ghetto went right and PB tacked off and hit left chasing pressure... It came and so did a lovely lift... We tacked and rounded the top in 1st.. Grove were not far behind nor ASM and Squid... The breeze had kicked in and we all set out kites before realising we weren't going to make the wing mark.. We sent it for a while before ditching the kite and then putting it up again for the gybe.. Ghetto put it in during the drop and that was the last we saw of them.. The third and final lap was just a matter of covering the fleet and getting around clean for PB.. The real battle was ASM and Squid.. I believe there was even some bumping of boats at some stage.. Coming in to the line was so close nobody knew who had it until the starters came in at the end of the day.. Turns out it was ASM by 2 seconds.. Good close racing that's for sure..!!!

The second race was a bit of a mix up... Some people didn't hear the starters siren.. Even though it's straight off a police car.. The wind had shifted and there was a massive port end favour.. Ghetto nailed it with pace, but PB were still first across the line.. It was a drag race to the top mark with Ghetto getting there first with PB close on their heels.. ASM and Squidgee were floundering around, as fat boats do, somewhere out the back..
Ghetto shot off towards a wingmark... They saw the old course board up before the start and assumed it was the same course.. Alas poor Yorrick it was the gate course (Hence the wingmark being moved to leeward of the start boat creating a gate..) So now PB had the box seat and it was again a matter of covering the fleet.. ASM had a crack and showed good speed with their little rig.. If PB had made a mistake I'm sure ASM would have taken no prisoners.. Ghetto Shed continued around the course by rounding a random 29er training buoy as the wing mark.. I guess it was good training for you lads anyway.. I probably should have given you guys a better brief as you missed the briefing..

All in all a fantastic day to be a 12 sailor.. Boy did we show those 18's a thing or two about sailing skiffs... I'm not sure if any of them got around the course without a swim or 3... It was an 18ft skiff minefield out there..!! During the second race ASM were well and truly mixing it up with the 18's... They had one gybe right in front of them... A massive dump everything and hope of the best was in order... How they missed them I have no idea... Well done guys..!! The course was quite technical with the requirement of 3 gybes every leg... Great practice and all crew came in quite exhausted... The races were a little short, but not ridiculous.. About 35mins..
Personally I enjoyed the different courses... Certainly added another dimension.. Shame about the mix up because Ghetto were looking quick out there.. It's great to have so many evenly paced boats.. It's anyone's race out there and whoever brings their "A" game on the day brings home the bacon..!!

Well done to all and I hope next week is as much fun..!!

Race 1: 1st PB Towage, 2nd Andrew Short Marine, 3rd Squid, 4th Ghetto Sled
Race 2: 1st PB Towage, 2nd Andrew Short Marine, 3rd Squid, DNF Ghetto Sled

Nationals Sponsors

Mike Cleveland Marine Photography
North Sails Brisbane

Driftin - Race Report 2/4/2011

1st race..
Light to ridiculously light..

PB was the only 12 on the startline..
Tristan didn't get on wire once for the whole race.. ASM caught up to us on the first windward but we were still first around the top mark... They passed us downhill.. The Squid were out the back somewhere inking themselves for being late to the start.. The second lap was similar with ASM covering Tristan and I up the beat and smoking us downhill.. The finish was ASM, PB then Squidgee..

The second race was slightly better... The breeze kicked right in and Tristan and I swapped positions.. Tristan got to trapeze in the second race.. I did not. RUBBISH..!!!
The racing was a bit closer with PB around the top first followed by ASM and Squiddy.. Squiddy gybed off quite early.. PB gybed shortly after to cover.. ASM went to the lay and came out in front... Up the next windward we all sort of covered each other... PB on Squiddy.. ASM on PB... The final downwind was where it was going to happen... Squidgee gybed early again... Trisso and I backed ourselves and stayed right.. We gybed after ASM and come in to the finish hot..!! (not quite hot enough for two strings though..) We finished in that same order ASM, PB then Squiddy..

Everyone was waiting for the 20kts to come in.. Alas poor Yorrick it didn't.

Well done to Squiddy for the Summer Series win..!! WooWoo..!!

My Turn Bitches - Race Report by Tristan (the TON)

My Turn Bitches,
Well it really was a blast out their on Sat with Ghetto Sled, PB Towage and the newly painted squid looking flash on the rigging lawn. True 3rd rig from the S.E about time and all 3 boats made the most of it. First race saw Ghetto take the lead early as they were the only boat on the line at the start. Benny’s left nut popped out of his mankinnie so he and craig had a voluntary swim so he could make the appropriate adjustments on the kinnie, once sorted they rejoined the race, but were further back than fullback and that is where they stayed. The real race was unfolding at the pointy end of the fleet, and with superior speed it did not take long for the senior team of Tristo and Wayne to take the lead at the top mark. Popped the chute and tried to play conservative with 1 string, but ghetto’s big orange penis was thrusted them harder and faster into the lead by the bottom mark. PB slipped futher back on the next beat but did not hold back for the next run into the finish when I said f..ck I’m coming out and Wyne said yep go hard or go home this resulted in one of those crazy radical rides with mack 10 speeds. Wayne could not stop hahooing all the way to the finish!! Ghetto did well to win the race with PB second and the squid jigging into 3rd place.

Second race breeze pumped another 4-5 knots and the ramps were still a plenty. PB had the start sorted and lead early, however with the newly adjusted left nut, the squid relishing in the conditions showing great pace on the first beat. Ghetto and PB were close behind but the ghetto had a shocker of a tack and hit the piss. PB aimed up at the squid keeping the pressure on, the ride to the bottom mark was even more radical than the first race and it was hang on!! Wayne went from yahhoooing to stone silent wondering when the crash was going to happen and how to avoid the tonne from landing on him in the process. Swim never came on PB, however the squid gissem got stage fright and Benny reportedly hit the ejection button and exited off the back leaving Craig to fend for himself! This resulted in both testicles being bisected by the mankinnie in futher surgery being required. PB stayed solid and took the bullet for the win showing why she will be crowned club champion this year! Ghetto ran out of balls “harden up men” and squid took second.

So a cracker it was and lets hope for more of that at the Nationals!

I am still recovering

Tristan

Sing when you're Winning !!! Race Report 19/3/2011

Morning Ladies
Race Report from the front of the fleet.

Forecast was looking distinctly minky all week, with rain and no wind predicted. When the morning came around, we were met with a drizzly crap-looking day, but 10-15knots SE!!! I raced home to get the second rig as i only took the big rig to the club.

Race 1: The first start was a spectacle, with 4 12ft skiffs and a 49er all hitting the line with pace. nothing in it, but the ghetto blasted off the line to gain a handy lead heading out towards Green island (the one in brisbane, not Cairns). Heading up towards the top mark, Spiesy and John with their wind-streaked 3rd rig, gained some height as the wind freshened a bit, closing the gap with the sled. The tuggers, with superstar crew Robin, struggled for pace with the extra 25kg of the ton playing with little childen (at his daughter's 1st birthday party you sicko's). The Squid was in 3rd.

Around the top mark, it was the 49er by 100m, then the sled, then 50m to the Speez, then the squid, then tugger.... behind (i think there was a splashtack in there too).
The fine crew of the Ghetto Sled threw their new kite up and sent it. driving it like we stole it, a 200m gap opened up between 1st and second. John must have been swearing as pre race he was mouthing off about how it was going to fill in to 3rd rig. Round the mark another sharpish display by the sled, to maintain the lead and cruise around the next lap, barely headed by anyone. Stopping the clock at around 40mins, we waited for an eternity (8mins) for the Tuggers to limp across the line. Spisy 2nd, Squidgy 3rd.

Race 2: 15deg easterly shift between races and no-one (except the brilliantly-gifted sailors on board the Ghetto sled) picked it. Pin-end on port "BANDIT" start.!!! Crossed them all, 49er included (i thought they were training for the Olympics). 50m lead turned into 100m by the top mark. Overlayed the bottom mark as the wind shifted south and the Squid this time were right on our hammer. The wind had eased a few knots, so the Speez was back in third. Tuggers floundering back in 4th, their hopes of a Summer series wind floundering with them. Round the mark and the gap opened up again between 1st and second, though the Squid found a new high gear and were still pressing hard. Round the top mark and the Ghetto danced away from Ben and ... well Dancer. We gybed when a big southerly shift and pressure presented itself and nailed the finish line angle by luck. Sailing lower and faster, the gap opened up once again for a comfortable win to the Ghetto Sled.!!

Derig in the rain, but it was OK. 2 wins in a day makes it all good..!!! The rum (thanks to skinnyman due to the colder weather) was sweet.