If the events of Flight 6 evoke one word, that word is 'bugger'. But if they evoke any other word in addition to 'bugger', that word is 'tide'. Your correspondent was delighted to join Scotty 'Exocet' Kennedy for the penultimate flight before Chrimbo. Scotty may have regretted the invitation following Race 3 of the flight, but lest my readers unkindly conclude that I am a Jonah, I would refer them to earlier flights in the season where both Willzy and Al Gwyer have prospered with the same super-cargo...
Race 1 was straightforward enough with a somewhat abridged fleet of 7 starters leaving the traps just under Bayswater Point into around 10 knots of breeze and a turning tide. Upfront (814) made a decent start, squeezing above Split Decision (914) at the boat end and pushing out of the harbour on starboard with the rest of the fleet Despite seemingly eating wake, Split Decision (914) lifted and then tacked with Valsheda (950) and Irish Crystal (809) into fresh breeze and by the top mark, they were ahead by a respectable margin. The run was a one way bet in the ebbing tide and having made a better fist of picking the shifts in the second work, Upfront (814) finished 4th after Irish Crystal (809) from Split Decision (914) and Valsheda (950). It was at this point that the tide began to make its influence felt, warping the two-dimensional time/space continuum, bending straight lines and shifting perspectives and lay-lines. Light itself seemed to bend - as at the event horizon of a black hole - so that, from my vantage point, objects that must surely have been behind the start line, appeared to be in front of it. However, this effect was not shared by the Race Committee and the race started at the first attempt and saw 5 boats slide cross-course on starboard while Quantum (1314) and Bobby's Girl (1058), having been squeezed out at the start, stuck into the ebbing tide on port. Valsheda (950) was the first to join them as it became apparent that the right would pay. The top mark was a busy affair and at least one collision was witnessed, but never litigated. The crossing tide forced a low, slow ferry glide to the bottom of the course and after a second lap, that saw Valsheda (950) finesse a tricky course, they took the gun from Quantum (1314) and a resurgent Irish Crystal (809). The trick with this yacht racing lark is to make sure you secure the least bad result. After an indifferent start or a series of mis-timed tacks it is tempting to go for broke and hit a corner, but that strategy fails far more often than it succeeds. Accordingly, it pays to maintain both positional awareness and firm grip on reality - both of which proved untenable in the twilight zone that was Race 3. After a fast start, Upfront (814) was at the pin-most end of the fleet and accelerating into a persistent lefty. This had all the hallmarks of a heroic coup and your correspondent was relishing the prospect of taking the whole fleet on port and yah boo sucks to you, but then reality bit and bit hard. Forced to the far left by boats inside, Upfront (814) tacked onto what should have been the layline, but, viewed from above, it would have been apparent that - in the fast-moving tide - she was tracing a arc to a point from which the top mark was a ever-broadening reach. Game over. Valsheda (950) and a brilliant Irish Crystal (809) teased out an excellent final work and took out 1st and 2nd respectively over Quantum (1314). Next week is the last flight of 2012 and it would be great to see a full fleet before the long break. Full results here Some have suggested that it is windage, resulting from your correspondent’s massive bulk, others have speculated, more tactfully perhaps, that the back of the fleet offers a better vantage point for these reports, but whatever the reason, Waiwera (1240) has, rather depressingly, secured a slot in economy class, quite near the loos, over the last two outings.
What is worse, due to a phenomenon that astronomers refer to as Doppler shift, it is surprisingly difficult to distinguish the relative positions of distant objects that are moving away from you, rapidly, so I hope that you will forgive me if this report more than usually subjective and lacking in factual detail. It was a beautiful spring evening that saw a fleet of 12 Etchells beat into a stable northerly that gave every appearance of building. But it was all a horrible, fickle pretence and by sunset, the self-same fleet was beating home into a freshening southerly with two, shifty, patchy and (for some) maddening races in the bag – bringing the series total to eight, with Valsheda (950) leading overall, from Feng Shui (1348) and Upfront (814). Briefly then, Race 1 started off the Viaduct Basin into a tentative breeze and ebbing tide and ended in a bun fight as an ascendant southerly competed fitfully with a dying northerly - with boats crossing the finish line on virtually every point of sail. It was good to see Bobby’s Girl (1058) competing for line honours after Johnny Melville’s long spell on the beach (and, paradoxically, Bobby’s Girl’s brief, unplanned, sojourn in the drink). The start of Race 2 was quickly and efficiently re-positioned off Bayswater by the excellent Race Committee, as the wind completed its about-face - and proved to be a contest far more suited to those who prefer their windward-leewards to occur on alternating legs of the race. Waiwera (1240) squandered a near-perfect start, failing to maintain momentum through a treacherous minefield of lulls and shifts. Steadier heads and hands capitalised and Bobby’s Girl (1058) ultimately triumphed. Many thanks to the race committee for its swift decisiveness in trying conditions. Results here. Well, what a difference a week makes. Or not, as the case may be: After last week’s drifter, conditions for flight 2 were near-perfect with around 12 knots of cross-tide breeze and a fleet of 10 making the most of it. At the business end of the fleet, after six races, the top four remain unchanged, albeit re-ordered, with Valsheda II (950) now in pole position.
Further down the table, however, there is still everything to play for, with a few snakes and ladders having shaken up the order a little. This is where those DNCs start to add up, so, please take advantage of an excellent pool of available crew if short-handedness is keeping you on the beach (please just email me if you need crew). In Race 1 ‘Team GTR’ (1379) had picked a slight bias at the pin and crossed the whole fleet on port Gangham Style, before inexplicably capitulating to Valsheda II (950) in a closely fought beat. To be honest, I don’t know what ‘GTR’ stands for, but my guess is ‘Guess Tactics Randomly’. Clearly this is the fault of the alleged tactician, Al Gwyer, rather than the excellent (and very welcome) helm. Those who stayed left on the first work regretted the ebbing tide at the top mark, where starboard-tackers were neatly lee-bowed to the lay-line. The first run split the fleet – again the tide beguiling many to the left - and producing an orderly log-jam at the downhill mark. Your correspondent, on Waiwera (1240), entered too fine and exited too wide, executing a ‘Tokyo drift’ from third to something-that-looked-a-looked- like-last, as better men rounded inside. The second work was more closely fought and it was gratifying to witness some tactical engagements that saw several boats pick their way through the fleet. On the final run, most were wise to the effect of the tide and fought at close-quarters to protect their breeze. Valsheda II (950) crossed the line first, with Echelon (1379) a deserving second. The start in Race 2 was close, but evenly spread, and forced the entire fleet on a drag race to the left corner, where Feng Shui (1348) popped out ahead and took an impressive lead, which they held to the top mark. On the run, the breeze seemed to fill from the left, propelling a tightly-spaced phalanx of starboard-tackers into the bottom mark, threatening those who had counted on a ferry-glide directly to the mark. Feng Shui (1348) easily rounded ahead, but Waiwera (1240) was a boat-length off the pace and went backwards around the mark. Feng Shui (1348) never lost the lead. It was a great pleasure to see 716 (the blue boat) – a Sailability crew- enter the fray for this flight. A pleasure only slightly diminished for your correspondent by their pushing Waiwera (1240) into the committee boat (squarely, but quite fairly) at the start of Race 3. Although an habitual stoic, your corresponded was moved to mutter profanities as he circled the committee boat (jeered, mark you, jeered, by the committee itself), but I was assured by Rob (skipper of 716), when I de-briefed him at Swashbucklers, that this will prove to be a character-building experience. Anyway, Valsheda II (950) took out Race 3, apparently. Waiwera (1240) would have totally taken it out, given another lap, judging by the awesome gains we made on the first (and only) lap of the shortened course. Many, many thanks to Megan Kensington and Sam for running the race committee, particularly as Megan is walking wounded and Sam is young and free and cannot possibly have picked this as a Tuesday-night activity in a month of Sundays, unless, Willzy threatened him in some way. Once again, please bear in mind that we rely entirely on the kindness of volunteers to make this happen - so please do not take them for granted. A FEW HOUSE-KEEPING THINGS 1. I hope you are enjoying the refreshments on the way home – sponsored by Coast New Zealand. If so, please help out by chucking empties into the bin and leaving your cooler bag on the dock. I am missing two cooler bags – please return next week if you have them. 2. The form-signing thing will allow us to incorporate as a society and put one or two financial things on a more formal footing. However, obligations of owners and crew will remain essentially the same: Owners will have obligations to pay for hard-standing and crane fees and to join the class association (via the fleet) – and crew will be strongly encouraged to join the association (by their skippers, hopefully) and will be required to do so when entering the class championships. There have obviously already been outgoings this season and, as previously advised, a reckoning will be made next week. See results here Congratulations to Andrew "Willzy" Wills, Anatole Masfen and Dirk Kneulman on their comprehensive victory in the North American Championships, hosted by the Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI.
After discarding a 9th place in the 7th and final race, NZL 1348 finished with 14 points overall - less than half the points of second-placed Argyle Campbell in USA 1375 (29 points overall). Australian Mark Johnson in AUS 102 finished 3rd with 36 points overall in a fleet of 25 boats that included Americans, Canadians and a Bahamian entry. Full results can be found here. The second and final instalment of the winter series was characterised by perfect sailing conditions and close racing, with two boats joining the fray for the last hurrah before summer to make up a fleet of 5 in total.
Perhaps not the criritcal mass we are looking for, but with a shortish, squarish line, set close to the dock off Wynard Quarter, the first start of the afternoon was not short on drama, with several boats crowding the pin, hoping to stem the last of the floding tide on the making port tack. All eyes were on newcomers Affinity, featuring a rock-star AC crew, a new rig and an eclectic wardrobe of sails. Bobby's Girl welcomed a new recruit, John Cobb, in the critical bowman berth and your correspondent was at the sharp end of Echelon, with Anatole Masfen having returned to his familar middle berth on Feng Shui. At the gun, Echelon had crossed early but gybed around the pin quickly and struck off to the right in clear air. Bobby's Girl suspected a general recall and seemed to slow down, never regained the pace and was ultimately ruled OCS. The remaining four boats picked their way through shifts and gusts in a fairly steady 12 knot breeze and remained close throughout, although Feng Shui's lead was only seriously threatened on the second run to the finish. Valsheda managed a close 2nd and Affinity just pipped Echelon for third. In race 2 Echelon made a excellent start, bursting past Bobby's Girl at the pin at pace, but failed to capitalise on the work, rounding third. However, the racing continued to be close and hectic at every mark, with Valsheda ultimately taking it out over Feng Shui and Affinity again snatching third from Echelon. Race 3 was virtually a carbon copy of 2 - but closer still, with the places changing frequently in a shiftier breeze near the top-mark and drama on the downwind leg as boats josteld for position at close-quarters. Valsheda made it two in a row, but an incompetent spinnaker drop aboard Echelon allowed Bobby's Girl through to take 4th place. Race 4 saw Feng Shui return to pole position after a well-timed start and hold the lead through some exceptionally tight racing. Bobby's Girl suffered gear failure and retired and a decision on Affinity to go left on the final run - while the breeze filled from the right - allowed Echelon to secure third place at last. All in all an excellent day out and many thanks, as always, to Warwick Gair and the race committee - and to eveyone who turned up. Please find final results here. The first day of the winter series had something for everyone, laughter, tears, sunshine, rain, breeze and breezelessness. The day started unpromisingly with 3 cry-offs, but this herd-thinning did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the remaining crews who set off from Z Pier into a light but promising breeze and the first warmth of spring sunshine on their backs.
Those who had tuned for the lulls were rewarded in race 1 where the tide carried the entire drifting, windless, pre-start fleet prematurely over the line. Feng Shui was the first to re-cross and set off down-tide. Valsheda followed but Echelon struggled in the current and a match race ensued. Your correspondent had his eyes glued to the kite on the downwind legs, but suffice it to say that what was initially identified by the bowman as a building breeze was actually driving rain, which persisted through the second work, where Feng Shui fought off a spirited fight-back from Valsheda. Echelon gamely re-joined the action on the second beat, but faded on the run as sunshine and building breeze saw Feng Shui over the finish line first, while in an act of filial petulance, Valsheda's skipper berated the blameless race committee… By the start of the second race, a steady breeze had settled, the tide was slack and the skies had cleared. User-error with the stop-watch aboard Feng Shui accounted for a late push to the pin, while Valsheda and Echelon both crossed on starboard and flopped to the right then back onto port with Valsheda taking the middle lane. Echelon pushed to the seemingly-favoured left, but at the top mark was some distance behind Valsheda and a leading Feng Shui. The first run was close as Valsheda sought to reach past the leader on both gybes on the squarish course, but Feng Shui held on and edged over first. In a freshening breeze, the third start saw Feng Shui push Valsheda over the start but fail, epically, by also crossing early at the boat end, leaving Echelon to take the left. Re-crossing the line, Feng Shui and Valsheda went to the right in breeze and at the top mark Feng Shui was just ahead, while Valsheda and Echelon rounded together. At the bottom, Valsheda had prevailed over Echelon for second and the same order was repeated. In grlorious spring-time conditions, a bonus fourth race produced the closest racing of the series. Valsheda crossed the line early, just ahead of Echelon at the boat, while Feng Shui - also over - ducked back to the pin end. Echelon sprinted up the middle of the course as Feng Shui struck right and Valsheda plumbed for the left corner. At the first mark, Echelon rounded and pulled away from Feng Shui, while Valshda also closed fast from third (blame the trimmer). On the second work (to an upwind finish) Echelon struggled to cover a split fleet, lee-bowed Valsheda, but let Feng Shui go in the last quarter of the beat, just losing out to secure second. While Feng Shui managed four bullets, the racing was close and, notwithstanding an early soaking, the afternoon glorious. We can only hope that we see more starters for the next outing on 26th August. Many thanks, as always, to the excellent race committee. See results here. |
AuthorAlex Webster is Auckland Fleet Captain and runs this website, so blame him. Archives
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