Race Report 5/3/2011 by Craig

How was Mardi Gras boys?!

Saturday was cranking and Squid had plenty of space to play in!
We put in 3rd but should have gone 4th.
After a fast ride down to the start line in about 25 knots we lined up with a few etchells, the hobies, a 505 and one brave masochist in a contender.
We had one of Ben's leisurely starts (Ben was in even less of a hurry than usual...).
The upwind was chop chop choppy and it was hard to get our groove on.
Around the top mark, bear away wasn't too bad and we prayed to all the gods while we waited for the tack line to pull itself clear off the stick.

And then it was on...

We blasted off to Green via Mars two stringing with one back fruity between us, the gusts kept getting stronger and we had more on than Skinny on a Friday night.
Coming towards Green with a gust and the 5oh was starting to look like roadkill, pirates of the Carribean style. We flogged the kite for a second, tore above them on our ear and then they were yesterday.
The gybe somehow worked and we were back on the wire and the bottom mark was way over there but by now Ben was muhahahaing and shouting "Fuck the race course woooooooot" and next we mined hard like we meant it! Ouch!
Around the bottom mark and back up again and by now some of the gusts were nearly knocking us flat under jib alone. We ducked an eggshell somewhere which was seeming like it might be a little tricky but went ok and soon it was the top mark and back on the horse time! Wind was still coming in and we were really overcooked now. What better way to celebrate than pull up our new kite and send it pretty much straight off the mountain!

Ben hanging off the new rudder box...

me on the back fruitie...

balls dangling out our eye sockets...

Damn this is fast and even faster.

Swallow.

Go forward

Gybe...

Fuck me we made it again!

and here we go...

wooooooot!

Put it in dropping the kite and had a bit of mischief bearing away and then finished.


Race 2.

A big squall was coming.

We started and then headed in while we could still bear away....