Keelers Newsletters

Race 8 winter 2024

Only 8 yachts turned out for the postponed last race for the winter series.

A nice steady breeze from west to northwest had the course set for a run up to Shag rock and back rounding Cow both ways. 4 boats in each division and Div B set off 15 mins ahead of Div A. Kiwi Vibe made good progress in Div B leaving Libby, Neptune II and Waihoke to fight it out for the minor places. Similarly, Maku left the Div A boats in her wake but Special FX tagged along behind while Dec Sun and Trifecta had a private race at the rear. Maku was first around Shag followed by Kiwi Vibe and Special FX and then the breeze died away for the remaining yachts while those 3 continued to take the breeze with them back to Cow and on to the finish. Maku taking line honours and handicap. Second across the line was Special FX ,then Kiwi Vibe.

The rest of the fleet endured a steadily declining breeze until it was pointed out by the crew on Libby that at our present rate of progress, less than a knot, we were going to miss out on the debrief on the beach, so sails were stowed and the iron sails engaged back to the moorings.

A very successful winter series with reasonable breezes for every race day but the last and that was a lovely sail until the breeze just died away. Prize giving will be later in October as I will be away for a month. I will send out your race fees by txt for both the summer and winter race series.
Blue Skies Rex

Race Report 1 Winter Series 2024

The first race of the winter series was held in perfect conditions. Thanks to Trifecta for setting the course.

Drama a plenty at the starts, Kiwi Vibe got herself caught pushed over the line by leeward boats and had to return to start again. That hardly affected her as she made a great recovery, making up lost ground to be in the front at the top mark for the second time only to be nipped by a second at the line by Dawn Song who took line honours both races in Div B. Neptune2 had a breakdown, losing the foot of her foresail and had to retire from the first race but the other yachts in Div B were very close together for most of it. Div A start was a torrid affair with Jesse getting caught coming in hot but having to give way to leeward vessels and it was a very close call that there wasn’t a touch. Quick reactions from both helmsmen prevented damage but the result was Jesse missed the start by crossing the line on the wrong side of the buoy and had to go round again. The rest of the fleet proceeded as planned with Titanium showing her heels and managing to run down both divisions for line honours in both races.

Handicap results are as follows.
Titanium 1st and 4th Wright One 2nd and 3rd Dawn song 3rd and 2nd Kiwi Vibe 4th and 7th Libby 5th and 8th Pedlar 6th and 1st Special FX 7th and 6th Jesse 8th and 5th Anitra 9th and 9th Trifecta 10th and 11th
Moonshadow 11th and 12th Neptune2 DNF and 10

I noticed last year on most of the days when we had no wind or too much, that usually the Sat had much better conditions so if you are all happy, I will make a call on Wed by email before sailing if the Sat looks like a better choice and make that the race day. Sundays will be our preferred option. Please let me know what you all think. See you in 2 weeks.
Blue skies, Rex 

Winter Series Race 2 report.

15 yachts turned up on a lovely sunny day with Easterly breezes forecast but very little wind at the start time in the harbour though there was more outside.

A decision was made to sail course 3 in the apparent dying breeze but we got a steadily increasing wind as the race progressed. The race committee was a bit slack with the start line but Nomad helpfully extended the width which was fortunate as 3 multihulls in the race could have been severely caused a lack of room at the start. No mishaps were observed at the start of either Division, A div starting 10 mins after Div B with the usual protagonists slowly heading the fleet Dawn Song and Kiwi Vibe slugging it out in Div B and Titanium and Maku in Div A. Titanium took Line honours from Maku with Special FX 3rd. Those 3 all managed to haul in the Div B yachts which Dawn Song won from Kiwi Vibe with Neptune2 3rd .

The dying breeze most of us had to endure heading the tide between Te Kouma and Rangipukea caused a bit of confusion with kites wrapping themselves around anything it could as the wind backed and came out of the Coro harbour.

To avoid the conflict experienced at the start of the last harbour race remember that yachts coming in hot across the wind(barging) have no rights to yachts to leeward, they are quite in their rights to hold their course and force you to either tack away, (which can be fraught with its own dangers) and miss the line , or force you over early. Similarly, coming to the line on Port tack is asking for trouble unless you are happy to pass behind the others because you think that tack is preferred. We don’t want any skin off.

As requested, the handicap workings are attached. Please note that the handicaps are a work in progress and whinging will find a deaf ear. Both the Summer and Winter Race co-ordinators are the worst suffers.
Blue skies Rex