On a day of light breeze (5-10kn) and hot temperature a small group of dedicated and good Sabre sailors raced at Indented Head. They were Lucy, Ollie, Andrew D and, in a welcome return, Geoff Dixon sailing Waif. Your scribe sailed as well.

Ollie showed all that he is the sailor to beat , winning the three races by27 seconds, 13 seconds and 52 seconds. But he was closely followed by Andrew in race 1 and Geoff in races 2 & 3.Geoff was third in race 1 followed by your scribe and then Lucy who was rig experimenting. Race 2 had Geoff in second followed by Lucy (the experiment must have worked) Andrew and your scribe. Race 3 saw Andrew get up to third over Lucy and your scribe even though the scribe briefly headed him after a crash tack at the windward mark when he never noticed Andrew coming but had allowed for Lucy.

Many thanks to Peter Viney who ran the races with Glen Terry. Alex did the tower and Julie ran the canteen. After the day’s sailing it was pleasant to sit back and discuss tactics and be joined by Salty B!tches in the evening.

And thanks to all who helped out at the Heron Nationals held at St Leonards including Peter E, Peter V, John W, Thao, Jake and Steve and Anne.

Coming up:

Saturday 18 January 2025.
1400 Matthew Flinders series continues (incorporates Commodore Cup)

Saturday 25 January 2025.
1400 Matthew Flinders series continues

And in a new and occasional bit:
Your Scribe has decided that he often gets things wrong and he would be wise to write down any hints and learnings soon after a race for review, this is a progression to a ‘professional attitude’ to sailing; and he is prepared to share them with you as a learning experience; and as the New Year brings broken resolutions, the end of a proper test series and to those of us who sail, an updated Racing Rules of Sailing, so:
Learning 28 (revisited as the format on my computer may not pass to the Team app)
2021-2024 RRS 17 ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE
If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat. This rule does not apply if the overlap begins while the windward boat is required by rule 13 to keep clear.
2025-2028 RRS 17 ON THE SAME TACK; PROPER COURSE
If a boat clear astern becomes overlapped within two of her hull lengths to leeward of a boat on the same tack, she shall not sail above her proper course while they remain on the same tack and overlapped within that distance, unless in doing so she promptly sails astern of the other boat.
THE LAST SENTENCE HAS BEEN DELETED
Learning 29: Overheard in the Men’s at Heron National Titles
“When Banana Boat melts in your eyes, it doesn’t sting.”
Learning 30 When Lucy is closing in on you at the lee mark and correctly calls ‘starboard’ and you are on port, she has rights; but when she also incorrectly claims an overlap, for no known reason, the correct nautical response is a loud cry of ‘bullshit !!!’ RRS Introduction ‘A language other than English may be used for a hail required by the rules provided that it is reasonable for it to be understood by the boat affected….’ I reckon the emphasis should be on ‘that it is reasonable for it to be understood’.