After a rough day yesterday today was a beautiful day and we managed to get four races in before lunch and another three after going back on the water.
We had an early start and the first race got away at 10:00 right on time with a gentile SE breeze of 5 knots with gusts to around 8knots the B14s were away first followed by the Sabres who had a couple of boats over at the start but both came back successfully and then the NS14s. An excellent fleet of 16 Sabres were on the water with four B14s and four NS14s.
The breeze was tipped to shift into the east and as the race progressed there were a few easterly shifts. It was great racing with the Sabres well bunched all the way round and plenty of close finishes and in the other classes it was also pretty tight.
At the finish in the B14s it was first Phantom Steve Miller and Roger Jackson second Shmoo Charlotte Armstrong and Fletcher McCormack and third Buzz Loki Bird and Isabel Weiley In the NS14s first Serenity Scott Wilkie and Lucas Foerder second Under the Radar Melinda Lord and Georgia Ottway third Viva la Vida Darren Eggins and Alastair Lord in the Sabres first Steam Boat Willie Richard Parker second Wasabi Guy McDougall and third Fr'alan Clive Evans
Race two was on the same course in virtually identical conditions getting away at 10:51 The racing was again pretty tight with at least eight sabres finishing in about a three boat length space,. There was a tight finish in the NS14s with Serenity just pipping Norwegian Blue on the line.
B14s first Phantom second Bondi Tram Scott Foster and John Adams and third Shmoo, in the NS14s First Serenity second Norwegian Blue Stephen Townsend and Jayden Gadischke and third Under the Radar in the Sabres first Steam Boat Willie second Hailstorm Daniel Followes and third Fr'alan.
The third race was still on the same course and got away at 11:30 and this time the Sabres were a bit naughty on the line with 3/4 of the fleet over and a general re call. Next start the Sabres were under a black flag. During the race the breeze began to die making for tricky racing.
At the finish in the B14s it was Phantom first Buzz second and Schmoo third in the NS14s Serenity first Under the Radar second and Viva la Vida third. The Sabres had another interesting race with a few different faces up near the pointy end it was Hailstorm first Steam Boat Willie second and Wasabi third.
Race four saw the wind starting to move into the East and got away at 12 noon again the Sabres were under a black flag and 1325 and 2091 were both over before the gun and disqualified.
Again in the B14s it was Phantom first with Shmoo second and Bondi tram in third, in the NS14s Serenity again took the gun from Under the Radar with Viva la Vida in third. The Sabres again had Steam Boat Willie first from Flying Echidna Ela Klinger in second and Hailstorm in third.
The fleet then headed back to the club for some lunch before going back out after 14:00 with the SE breeze still hanging on but a bit shifty. The race got away at 14:15 and this time all boats got away without an incident and the racing was again pretty tight though the breeze all but died out at one stage.
At the finish in the B14s Bondi Tram just got through before the line to take the win from Phantom and Buzz in third, in the NS14s it was again Serenity first from Norwegian Blue second and Viva la Vida third. The Sabres again had the consistent Steam Boat Willie in first from Tiamat Stephen Bradard in second and Wasabi in third.
The breeze then started to shift quite considerably into the east and the course and start boat had to shift over to the SW. After a complete re set of the course the race got away at 15:30 in a solid 12-15 knot NNE breeze with a few stronger gusts, unfortunately the pin of the start was well out of position making a port start on the pin the only way to go, this didn't greatly affect the smaller B14 and NS fleets but the Sabres still under a black flag had their work cut out.
After a couple of attempts the race had a confusing double start and after consideration RO Helen Eggins call it a no race, in the B14s it was great fun with a bit of breeze and some pretty fast down wind action, at the finish it was Phantom first Bondi tram second and Shmoo in third in the NS14s Serenity again first from Viva la Vida and Norwegian Blue in third with Under the Radar having returned to shore. In the Sabres the fleet did sail the course but for no result much to the displeasure of Sweet Disposition Lauren Keil who was first home.
The final race of the day got away in a similar breeze at 16:00 with all the NS14s now ashore, the B14s again lapped up the better breeze to zoom around the course with Phantom first from Buzz second and Bondi Tram in third. The Sabres manager to negotiate the still angled start line to get away cleanly and by the end it was Jinx Jason Followes first from Sweet Disposition again doing well in second and Fr'alan in third showing he is good in either the light or stronger stuff.
Overall it was
B14s first Phantom 1,1,1,1,2,1,1 =6 Steve Miller and Roger Jackson second Bondi Tram 4,2,4,3,1,2,3 = 15 Scott Foster and John Adams and third Schmoo 2,3,3,2,4,3,4 = 17 Charlotte Armstrong and Fletcher McCormack.
NS14s first Serenity 1,1,1,1,1,1, DNS = 6 Scott Wilkie and Lucas Foerder second Under the Radar 2,3,2,2,4,5,DNS = 18 Melinda Lord and Georgia Ottway on a count back from third Viva la Vida 3,4,3,3,3,2,DNS = 18 Darren Eggins and Alastair Lord.
Sabres first Steam Boat Willie 1,1,2,1,1,4 = 6 Richard Parker second Hailstorm 4,2,1,3,4,6 = 14 Danial Followes and third Fr'alan 3,3,4,9,7,3 = 20 Clive Evans.
Congratulations to all the prize winners and well done to everyone who competed.
A special thank you to Helen Eggins race officer Trish Wilkie her assistant, Mick Emery, Luke Spink, Stephen Mitchell, Tony Van Galan, Axle Foerder, Bryce, Perry Caulfield and Michael Verrier in the mark boats and rescue boats.
A very special thanks to Marlene Nichols in the canteen who arranged the feast on Saturday night and Lynn Keil, Beverly Mitchell, Carol Augostin, Carlyn Foerder, Kim Rumbold and Sarah Michael also in the canteen.
Thanks also to Lynn Keil for the photos, refer our facebook page.
Despite a few hiccups it was a good weekend and there was some close and exciting races as well as a friendly and happy group on shore.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this a successful regatta and see you again next year.
