Winter Series Race Reports
Race 8 Winter Series
The breeze was steady, the rain nearly stayed away, apart from couple of very brief squalls during the second race , and some very competitive races were run.
Dawn Song gave her crew a challenge to get underway and didn't make the start time for the first race so Kilmarnock had it all her own way in DivB against the other 4 boats in that division. Maku and Trifecta had a return match after Trifecta beat Maku home in the last island race and Maku did it in emphatic style by winning both Line and handicap honours. Wright One was very lonely as the sole mono hull in Div A.
Race 2 saw a very competitive start for Div B with all boats getting to the line in good time and Moon Shadow just with her nose in front. She held her lead all the way to the Top mark and reduced her finish time from race 1 by a massive 17 mins. Kilmarnock and Dawn Song were promoted to Div A for the 2nd race and Libby won Line honours in Div B from Focal Point, with Moon Shadow close behind. Neptune 11 had a DNF. The Div A fleet crowded the start line and Kilmarnock got squeezed between Dawn Song and Wright One, starving her for air, but she made good speed on the upwind leg getting her nose in front of her arch rival Dawn Song by the top mark and managing to stay there all the way to the line. Maku was creating a shower of spray where ever she was going around the course in just under 37 mins taking both honours again. Trifecta followed her home with Wright One next. Libby was the next to cross the finish. It had been expected that Kilmarnock and Dawn Song would catch Libby but they were having such a personal battle that took them way off the shortest route to the marks that they never got close.
That was the final race for this years winter series and I'm pleased to say that we didn't have to cancel any race days this year although the wind did desert us half way through some races. Prize giving will be sometime in October as we are away for a month. The date will be announced later.
Blue skies Rex
Race 7 Winter Series
A lovely sunny day with an enthusiastic breeze sometimes reaching the upper limits for racing was just too good to pass up for the penultimate race of the winter series.
The course selected for the day was our new course 8 out to Cow then through Waimate channel and around Motukopake to port then back to Cow to Port and home.
Six boats in Div B and 4 boats in Div A set off with Div B having a 15 min head start. Kilmarnock made an impressive start at the line despite only getting within the start area with only 4 mins to go. Dawn Song was slow to get going and ended up following Kilmarnock that distance behind throughout the course until a handy little local gust gave her the win on the line. Kilmarnocks skipper may need counseling. Anitra was the only yacht to throw her spinnaker up on the down wind leg and that was to prove decisive giving her the handicap win.
Maku and Trifecta had a ding dong battle at the head of the fleet with Trifecta taking line honours and bragging rights from Maku much to her skippers delight and Maku's Skippers disgust. Dec Sun had a battle with Wright One and managed to hold on to her slender lead when rounding Cow for the run to home allowing Wright One a good view of her stern all the way to the line. At he rear of the field Moon Shadow and Muritai swapped places a couple of times with Muritai eventually holding out at the line.
Only only more Race day left for the winter season on the 24th Aug so see you there.
Blue skys Rex
Race 6 Winter Series
Another reasonable breeze for the harbour racing on Sunday but only 7 yachts made the start with only 2 from A div .
Race 1
The wind was a steady 15 odd knots with occasional gusts up around 20knts. B div start saw Libby and Dawn Song heading for the line together with Libby to windward and she paid the price as Dawn Song shut her out at the line making her have to tack away missing the line. Muritai had left her run a bit late and eventually crossed the line quite late. Trifecta and Wright One had a reasonable start but todays breeze was right up Trifectas alley and she soon cleared away. Dawn Song left the B div in her wake and established an unassailable lead never to relinquish it taking line honours. Trifecta was next at the start finish, with Anitra and Libby and Wright One close behind. Moonshadow and Muritai completed the field.
Race 2
Dawn Song was promoted to A div based on her time from the first race with only a minimum of whinging from her crew. B div got away with a much improved performance from Muritais timing and her and Moonshadow had a good tussle through the race. Anitra and Libby fought it out at the head of Div B with Anitra holding on to her lead.
A Div saw Wright One and Dawn Song slugging it out with Dawn Song taking the honours due to her impressive ability to point higher and the spinnaker run down wind. Trifecta again relished the conditions and took overall line honours from Anitra, Dawn Song, Libby, Wright One, Moonshadow and Muritai. Unfortunately for Trifecta her handicap still wont allow her to get any bragging rights under handicap but that should slowly change.
Blue skies, Rex
Race 5 Winter Series
Race 5 of the winter series was a gloomy day with a light NE breeze for the 8 yachts that braved the conditions.
The decision was made to start off with the short course around Cow and Calf and back to the start finish line with the possible extension of around Rangipukea if the wind was helpful enough. Div B started 10mins ahead of Div A with 4 yachts in each div. Spinnakers were the order of the day heading for Cow except for Dizzys and December Sun. I believe the skipper of Dec Sun was a little reluctant to try his luck with a spinnaker just yet.
Wright One, Maku and Dawn Song were the first to Cow and as we cleared the harbour a black sky to the north had the race committee checking the rain radar and it was seen that a large rain mass was headed our way so the short course was confirmed .
Maku beat Wright One to the finish with Dawn Song hard on her heels, then Trifecta with a close finishing group of Anitra, Dec Sun and Moon Shadow with Dizzys yacht last.
Dont forget AGM for TSC on the 26th and we’ll see you all again on the 27th for the next race.
Blue skies, Rex
Race 4 Winter series
Hello sailors, It was a reasonably breezy day for the 5 yachts that turned up to race.
There was a bit of a delay to the start as some yachts were fiddling about trying to get their sails up and Kilmarnock was having another bout of minor disasters that made her miss the start entirely and retire dispondent again. Nevertheless, Anitra and Libby got away in good time with the Div A boats following 7 mins later. Well, that was the plan but they seemed to have different ideas, and at the start gun, they were nowhere to be seen. Eventually they managed to work their way back to the start and get their race underway. The 2 monohulls in Div A had a reef in while the other boats dispensed with that idea. Today was to be Trifectas day in the conditions that got even breezier as the race started, right up her alley, and she stormed around the trac,k taking line honours followed by Special FX, Wright One, then Anitra and Libby,
Handicap honours went to:
Wright One 58mins 44sec 1st
Special FX 54 mins 22 sec 2nd
Trifecta 50 mins 8 sec 3rd
Anitra 69 mins 25 sec 4th
Libby 72 mins 10 sec 5thDue to the blustery conditions the 2nd race was abandoned and of course as the buoys were picked up and we headed to the moorings the wind eased to a nice 15knts and the sun came out. See you all in 2 weeks,
Blue skies Rex
