More Balmain Races

I've been very slack about posting. but we have been racing. And I have been boating elsewhere as well.

First the races. One on 30th September where we came 12th out of 12. Julie and Adelaide friend Sonja were among the crew. Sonja who has sailed as a kid, sailed with me on my first boat Sisterhood, a little Hood 20, and taught me lots about sailing. So it was nice to have her back on a bigger boat. And to know a little bit more about what I was doing.

Another race on October 14th saw Jenni as skipper, Malcolm, Lea and Roger and me aboard. Roger has a natural ease and ability for sailing which helped newish boy Mal to learn to hoist the pole and generally learn the ropes (yuk yuk). This time we did really well. We came second last over the line instead of last (hooray) and 11th out of 13 on handicap. We're getting better!

October 28th was the Balmain Regatta. I was away but Jenni, Roger and Lea went out and braved the light winds interspersed with 25 knot bullets. With only three that must have been pretty trying. After a great start they came 23rd over the line (second last) which betters our performance of last last year, and 24th on handicap.

Then on November 11th with Jenni, Mal, Lea and Julie we set sail with three hangovers on board. Jenni did the start cos I felt in my condition I would not be a steady hand on the wheel. She got us well placed on the line just at the gun. Then once the heat settled I took over. It was a perfect day and we cemented our improvement by coming 5th on handicap. Still last over the line but handicapes are a great thing. At this rate we'll be amongst the prizewinners before you know it. Balmain gives two cheap beers for third, two expensive beers for second and a bottle of wine for first. Can't wait.

But we do love getting the results on the day, the open bar at the clubhouse after the race, the tender service and this week a sausage sizzle!!! I conned everyone into doing the Balmain races on the basis of sausage sizzles but this is the first day there's been one apart from the regatta.

My reason for missing the Regatta was that I went north to Mission Beach to visit the set of TV series Sea Patrol 2 and spent a day aboard the new patrol boat HMAS Broome.
She is masquerading as HMAS Hammersley for the series. She is a lot bigger than the patrol boat used for series one. The navy crew love it because they all have ensuites in their cabins even if they are mostly 4 to a cabin. And the film crew love the space on the bridge. It was incredibly calm weather and the scenery around some small islands was lovely. I jumped ship to Mourilyan Harbour and got a lift back to the hotel with the runner in time for a swim before dinner.

Then I flew to Hamilton Island to board Mathilde, Peter and Michael's lovely Grand Banks to travel to the Gold Coast with John and another Peter.

Its a very different style of boating. Pushing buttons on a preset tracking computer takes the stress out of getting from a to b. I did have an exciting moment when, with john below taking a nap, we found ourselves on a collision course with a fishng boat. Following John's instructions I took evasive action and then reset the tracking computer without anyone leaping up from below in fright. 7 great days cruising by day and moored at a series of marinas by nght. Much "naughty table" practice in the evenings.