On a clear and warm day with enough, but only just, breeze we welcomed Zeth as Race Officer. Most will recall that the last time Zeth was a race course officer he set a perfectly placed lee mark at exactly the right time in two succeeding races over an extended 48 hour period. As it happened they were very well set marks even if no boats were ever required to go round them. So Zeth was pleased to have the chance to set a course which boats would actually race around. He ended up setting a windward/return course with a gate at the return and it all worked well.

Division 1 had Mike W (OK) John W (Laser F) and Dave K (Laser R). Division 2 had Sabres sailed by Lucy, Geoff, Andrew, James, Tony, Billy and your scribe and was completed by Andrew G and Lew on the 420. Division 3 was represented by Bobby F-W.

In Div 1 Mike W led John W and then Dave in the first two races. Mike retired for race 3 leaving John to head Dave.

In Div 2, Lucy sailed a blinder in race 1 coming in 44 seconds ahead of Geoff who was a minute up on Andrew. James was 10 seconds back with Tony half a minute behind him and Billy a further half minute back. Your scribe trailed Billy by a mere 3 seconds with the 420 two and a half minutes back. Things changed a bit in race 2 when your scribe gave up watching the TicTac thing and concentrated a bit more on where the wind was. James was travelling well until something else broke on ‘Death Trap’ and he was forced to retire. Geoff was back on speed finishing half a minute up on Andrew who led Lucy by 6 seconds. Tony was 23 seconds back and ahead of the scribe by a mere 12 seconds after he had had the better of a rules dispute. Billy was a minute and a half down 30 seconds up on Andrew G.

Div 3 saw Bobby finish both races he sailed with a highlight being line honours over his father in race 2.

Thanks to Zeth for his immaculate course ably assisted by Peter V. Glen drove Dennis Jones as crash boat. Alex took times and played with the computers attempting to make limited resources go further. Julie exceeded all expectations with dim sims post sailing.

Coming up:

Saturday 19 April 2025.
1400 Bengalut Balug series continues.

Saturday 26 April 2025.
1400 Bengalut Balug series continues.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
ILCA training camp. They may race on Saturday or do their own thing. The Club will do a Sunday lunch BBQ for them.
They have the hall booked for Friday and Saturday nights.

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 49 Tony reminded your scribe at the penultimate mark of the second race, rather forcibly, that on reaching the zone ‘if boats are overlapped, the outside boat at that moment shall give the inside boat mark room’ and if the boats are not overlapped ‘the boat that has not reached the zone… shall give the other boat mark room’.
The rule does not apply between boats on opposite tacks on a beat to windward, between boats on opposite tacks when the proper course of one but not for both is to tack, between a boat approaching a mark and one leaving it or if the mark is a continuing obstruction. AND the rule says nothing about port/starboard.
And the learning is:
Don’t necessarily trust Lucy if she calls ‘Starboard rights’ when you are going downwind in the zone and clear ahead, even if she is on starboard and you are on port.