Let us spare a thought for the unsung heroes of sailing, those who are there every week to do the thankless task of actually running the races for us. And this week Paul Simmons was in charge ably assisted by Tony Creek and Peter Viney. And it was a challenge; so much so that your scribe wandered over to the start boat at one stage and suggested that when he grew up he no longer wanted to be a race officer. He then ran into the start boat three times and caught its anchor. The difficulties were immense. At one stage before the second start, your scribe was about thirty metres away from Clive and pointing into the breeze; Clive was as well, but in the completely opposite direction. To complicate matters Peter tells me that after the second start they noticed the windward mark was now drifting down the course towards them which required a quick rescue and reset.

Finally the first race began, and it was worth waiting for (Lucy will be disappointed) as we began with a shy reach to the windward mark, rounded for the return broad reach and back and then to a near perfect reach to the wing mark, a reach to the last mark and then to the finish. It was a lovely sail around.

But there was some competition. In Division 2 race 1, Andrew and new crew Ryan (420) had the better start and led your scribe (Sabre) for the windward and return. On the reach to the wing mark, your scribe managed to obtain an inside overlap and passed, holding the lead to the finish. (But see learning 47 below). In Division 1 race 1, ICLA’s sailed by Manfred (7), Peter C (6), John W (6), Peter E (6), Callum (4) and Clive Humphris (6) in his first outing at Indented Head for the season, all finished, in that order, within two and a half minutes. It’s a bit hard to be exact as Div 2, in a first, finished about a leg, well nearly, ahead of Div 1.

Your scribe, Manfred and Clive all retired for race 2 leaving Andrew and Ryan to finish as Division 2 winners, while in Division 1 Peter C was two minutes up on John W who was a minute and a half ahead of Callum. Peter E trailed by 27 seconds.

Thanks are due to those who ran the race and to Julie who tirelessly does the kitchen. Anne kept the scores.

Coming up:

Saturday 12 April 2025.
1400 Bengalut Balug series continues.

Saturday 19 April 2025.
1400 Bengalut Balug 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; so:
Learning 47 Even if you think you know the course and have looked at it briefly, do it again as a mark you think might be a mark, may not be the right one as your scribe discovered when he used 1a as the last mark before the ID and not mark 1 as required and so finished NSC which means ‘Did not sail the course’(other than DNC, DNS, OCS and DNF). You learn something new every day.
Learning 48 When there is a reachish start keep well away from anything a bit bigger and faster because, even if you get a really good start and your scribe was second over the line, the bigger (and faster) boats will just cruise past to windward leaving you with no wind and then wallowing in their backwind. (I should have thought of this).