This Saturday was not dissimilar to last week with warmer temperatures, a northerly and a BoM forecast of 15-20 kn. Again it looked worse than it turned out to be with the wind at South Channel at 5-10 kn for most of the afternoon which allowed the fifteen sailors to have a great day on the water.

Division 1 had Peter E, Manfred, John Walter and visitor David May in full rigs while Peter C stayed with the Radial. He said later that if he had known they were all going full he would have used his as well. As it happened Peter was still only a couple of minutes down on the leader in both races. In race 1 Peter E had a great race and ended up 31 seconds ahead of Manfred with visitor David M 18 seconds behind Manfred. He was followed half a minute later by John W with Peter C 32 seconds behind. In race 2 Manfred came back and led John W by 6 seconds with Peter E 33 seconds behind him. David was about 30 seconds behind Peter E and about 31 seconds ahead of Peter C

The Div 2 fleet was bigger on the day with Geoff Dixon revealing his latest resurrection device for Abigail (Sabre No 96). He has purchased, and imported at vast expense from WA, where they are popular, a Sabre Shark sail which is a big plastic sail with a square top and fits a Sabre exactly (although it is unclear if he has retained the revolving mast). The expense would appear to be justified as he finished race 1 ahead of the rest of the Sabres although he had halyard trouble in race 2. Your scribe, who doubles as handicap person, hasn’t yet let Geoff know that a Sabre Shark rates at 122 against the standard 127. But as Geoff said, Abigail is now competitive.

Apart from Geoff we had Paul Simmons in his Aero 5 for the first time this year battling with Callum on the Laser 4.7. Other Sabres were sailed by your scribe, Andre D, Lucy, Billy, James and John P on the club Sabre. Andrew G and Lew W sailed the 420 and were effective with the kite.

In race 1 Callum was 45 seconds up on Paul with Geoff a couple of minutes down but 19 seconds ahead of Andrew D who was a minute and a half ahead of your scribe who held off a fast finishing Lucy by 17 seconds (She turned that around in race 2). Billy was half a minute behind Lucy but a minute ahead of Andrew G on the 420 which led James by 18 seconds. In race 2, despite strenuous efforts by Callum, he could not head Paul who was 33 seconds up. Third boat home was Andrew about three minutes adrift but the first Sabre and half a minute in front of Lucy. Andrew and Lew had a great race to finish about a minute behind Lucy and 11 seconds ahead of Geoff who was three minutes up on Billy with your scribe another minute behind. James did not do the second race and John P volunteered to take over a crash boat (The official results may have an error with this regard but I am short of time this week and will leave as are).

Tremendous thanks to Richard Furneaux who has rushed back from Brisbane OK World’s to be our race officer (the first OK Sailor to return). He confirms that Mike Williams from Indented Head YC was sixth in the world champs, a prodigious result. He also confirms that somewhere on You Tube is a video of his boat being on the wrong side of a port/starboard, getting T-boned and sinking. (Fortunately his better boat was chartered and insured). He also mentioned that it was a learning experience for all with Jamie Bennett borrowing an angle grinder one evening to do some quick rearrangement of mast position. Apparently it worked quite well.

Thanks to the others who volunteered to be on crash boats at different times through the day, Glen Terry and John Price for race 2. Anne kept watch and times from the tower.

Coming up:

Saturday 23 March 2024
Junior L2S commences 0900-1100
Senior L2S commences 1130-1330
Club Racing 1400 Lady Nelson Cup continues

Saturday 30 March 2024
Junior L2S commences 0900-1100 (TBC)
Senior L2S commences 1130-1330 (TBC)
Club Racing 1400 Lady Nelson Cup continues