First Post-Christmas Race

Trying to see the tell tails
Julie and Dayna



Terina

New Boy Mal (below) Lea (r)



Light winds were predicted for the first race of the New Year. What we got was virtually no wind at all for the start. Just before the gun we were actually facing backwards. And we were not alone. But as the gun went off we were facing forwards and creeping across the line not long afterwards. One or two boats got away but the rest of us were virtually stalled with what wind there was veering all over the place. Then clever rookie Mally suggested we goose the sails and it gave us a huge boost and meant we left half the fleet in our wake. Of course they all quickly followed suit or hosited spinnakers but we did get the jump on many of the competition.
We had a very pleasant race with everyone working hard on the winches. We had Julie, Terina, Dayna, Mally and Lea on board plus me. The course was clockwise around Spectacle, Snapper, Cockatoo and Goat Islands and a second round of the three Balmain ones with a run to the finish outside the club. aain we were not last but we didn't manage to catch Amon Re after they got a big lift heading for the last mark.
In the end we came 8th (not as good as first [I put it down to a higher handicap of course and not to the skipper] but way better than last) and 12th on AMS which is a big improvement in that system of placing. Although that could just be the conditions and not the crew's competance.
We dropped the crew off at the club and took Cheshire Cat back to her new mooring round the corner in front of Jenni's before driving back to the cub for a drink and the results. Two sets of stairs is a bit of a disincentive but we will work that out next race.