1st Blog. Sailing
June 16th 2009 01:20
If you ever get the chance.... go sailing on Sydney Harbour.
There are ways to do this on a racing yacht without any expense except your own and your generosity in shouting the Skipper and crew a drink or two after a casual, social race.
In later blogs I'll let you know how.
I'm pretty dam fortunate to race a Young 88 29ft boat "Fast Forward" out the RSYS, a yacht club, in the water side suburb Kirribilli which is in the heart of the Harbour right near the famous bridge.
My position is working the main sail "sheet" and in the "pit" which means I control the bits of string that make the sails go up and down as well as where the main sail has to be in relationship to the angle of the wind on the boat. It's lots of fun, just don't mess it up or it gets messy. Not to mention a major health hazard.
Some weeks I do a "Race Report" so that normal crew members who could't make it that day due to the usual reasons, wife's birthday, kids sport, mum in law visiting, lawn needs mowing etc etc, know how we went.
Here's one. I hope you like it.
Saturday. Winter Race 5. Clear, light breeze 5 - 110 knots from the NW.
"Now this is strange.......
Saturday were entered by the handicapper in Div 2 in the combined clubs race. Fair enough you'd think wouldn't you.
But another Y88 "Young at Heart" was entered in Div 1. Figure that out! She races out of the Amateurs (Another Sydney Habour Yacht Club) which is why we don't see her that often. A well sailed boat usually.
It being a light day the Starting boat wisely set a an "S" flag for a short course.
We had great start. Not too much crashing and barging. Most of the boats started up near the starting boat but we decided to avoid the traffic jam as every one comes together and go for a bit of space in the middle of the line.
A bit lucky at we came up to the line.
A miracle! The boats just ahead of us were a tad early and had to reach down the line to avoid being called back opening a lovely big hole. Bang, through we go into clear air.
We tacked onto the favoured port run up to the weather mark up near the Club. And in 1st. Bewdy.
A short tack onto starboard for the mark so we had rights and held our 1st place.
Not a bad set. Pretty busy for Moi. Phil set the bag, the pole went up and after easing the headie I went forward to help Phil get the kite up then back to attend to other matters.
That's when I fell arse over tit. Ouch.
Bay I'm bruised all over, Baby I'm bruised all over. Idiot!
Right behind us was a Davison 30. Very pretty little boat and very quick.
She sailed deeper than us up the harbour to near the heads and got ahead. Just to make life interesting we had to throw in a few jibes. So cleat off the kite, ease the kicker and run forward to work with Phil. Not too bad. No major cock ups, we were just caught on the wrong side.
The Davison got through us at the mark by about 4 boat lengths.
Then into the wind back into the main harbour near the aptly named Shark Point. Apparently lots of sharks were sighted there when Sydney was being settled. Not may now tho. Around the point and ease things a bit as we go down into lovely Rose Bay.
Ahah! We got the Davo on the work coming past Shark Point.
There's a little permanent stick mark there which is part of the course and you have to go round with it being on the starboard (right) side of the boat.
Concentration required here. Trim the sails, move around to get the boat balanced and moving quickly but still time to watch the flying boats take off. A great sight.
From Rose bay back into the wind and up to and around little Clarke Island, to starboard of course,and then up with the spinnacker again for run up to the finish off Nielsen Park which is a beach and picnic ground on the Eastern shore. Short course remember.
Lots and lots of skiffs in Rose Bay. Lasers by the dozens, 49ers, B14s and Moths. Tres busy Mona Amis. We didn't really caught out by any of them. Helps to keep on starboard as long as you can going into another mixed fleet.
A great kite duel between the two boats. Up down, up down but we gradually go away this time.
Even better. We overtook 3 boats in Div 1 that had started 5 minutes ahead of us including the other Y88.
So 1st across the line and 2nd on handicap to the Davo. We'll take that any day. Another bottle of the Club Claret as a prize.
So here's the funny bit. There was a bit of a mix up in the sorting of the divisions. We could/should have been in Div 1 with other Y88.
If we had have been racing with them we would have finished about 5th or 6th overall and on corrected time absolutely blitzed the handicap!
And it's good night from him.
"till next week."
Cheers
c
There are ways to do this on a racing yacht without any expense except your own and your generosity in shouting the Skipper and crew a drink or two after a casual, social race.
In later blogs I'll let you know how.
I'm pretty dam fortunate to race a Young 88 29ft boat "Fast Forward" out the RSYS, a yacht club, in the water side suburb Kirribilli which is in the heart of the Harbour right near the famous bridge.
My position is working the main sail "sheet" and in the "pit" which means I control the bits of string that make the sails go up and down as well as where the main sail has to be in relationship to the angle of the wind on the boat. It's lots of fun, just don't mess it up or it gets messy. Not to mention a major health hazard.
Some weeks I do a "Race Report" so that normal crew members who could't make it that day due to the usual reasons, wife's birthday, kids sport, mum in law visiting, lawn needs mowing etc etc, know how we went.
Here's one. I hope you like it.
Saturday. Winter Race 5. Clear, light breeze 5 - 110 knots from the NW.
"Now this is strange.......
Saturday were entered by the handicapper in Div 2 in the combined clubs race. Fair enough you'd think wouldn't you.
But another Y88 "Young at Heart" was entered in Div 1. Figure that out! She races out of the Amateurs (Another Sydney Habour Yacht Club) which is why we don't see her that often. A well sailed boat usually.
It being a light day the Starting boat wisely set a an "S" flag for a short course.
We had great start. Not too much crashing and barging. Most of the boats started up near the starting boat but we decided to avoid the traffic jam as every one comes together and go for a bit of space in the middle of the line.
A bit lucky at we came up to the line.
A miracle! The boats just ahead of us were a tad early and had to reach down the line to avoid being called back opening a lovely big hole. Bang, through we go into clear air.
We tacked onto the favoured port run up to the weather mark up near the Club. And in 1st. Bewdy.
A short tack onto starboard for the mark so we had rights and held our 1st place.
Not a bad set. Pretty busy for Moi. Phil set the bag, the pole went up and after easing the headie I went forward to help Phil get the kite up then back to attend to other matters.
That's when I fell arse over tit. Ouch.
Bay I'm bruised all over, Baby I'm bruised all over. Idiot!
Right behind us was a Davison 30. Very pretty little boat and very quick.
She sailed deeper than us up the harbour to near the heads and got ahead. Just to make life interesting we had to throw in a few jibes. So cleat off the kite, ease the kicker and run forward to work with Phil. Not too bad. No major cock ups, we were just caught on the wrong side.
The Davison got through us at the mark by about 4 boat lengths.
Then into the wind back into the main harbour near the aptly named Shark Point. Apparently lots of sharks were sighted there when Sydney was being settled. Not may now tho. Around the point and ease things a bit as we go down into lovely Rose Bay.
Ahah! We got the Davo on the work coming past Shark Point.
There's a little permanent stick mark there which is part of the course and you have to go round with it being on the starboard (right) side of the boat.
Concentration required here. Trim the sails, move around to get the boat balanced and moving quickly but still time to watch the flying boats take off. A great sight.
From Rose bay back into the wind and up to and around little Clarke Island, to starboard of course,and then up with the spinnacker again for run up to the finish off Nielsen Park which is a beach and picnic ground on the Eastern shore. Short course remember.
Lots and lots of skiffs in Rose Bay. Lasers by the dozens, 49ers, B14s and Moths. Tres busy Mona Amis. We didn't really caught out by any of them. Helps to keep on starboard as long as you can going into another mixed fleet.
A great kite duel between the two boats. Up down, up down but we gradually go away this time.
Even better. We overtook 3 boats in Div 1 that had started 5 minutes ahead of us including the other Y88.
So 1st across the line and 2nd on handicap to the Davo. We'll take that any day. Another bottle of the Club Claret as a prize.
So here's the funny bit. There was a bit of a mix up in the sorting of the divisions. We could/should have been in Div 1 with other Y88.
If we had have been racing with them we would have finished about 5th or 6th overall and on corrected time absolutely blitzed the handicap!
And it's good night from him.
"till next week."
Cheers
c
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