Winter Series weekend

The ASCC'S winter series was held last weekend. Two races a day over the two days with a raft up in between. Unfortunately the promised start boat failed to start (Grizzly was grizzly!) so we had to time ourselves.

Despite the perfect weather (our only complaint being that a few extra knots of breeze would have helped now and then) only three boats turned out. Us (with Anni, Julie, Terina and Karina on board and Dayna for Sunday), Maria in Holy Spirit and Jenni and Kelly in Alcyone. The first race from Kirribili to Taylor Bay was quick. The boats all finished in size order, which continued all weekend. Only the times on handicap will tell us who came where. There was some question as to wether Alcyone started early and Maria contemplated a protest but eventually it was decided that self timing made it unfair to object.



We decided to start the second race early and get down to Manly ahead of schedule. We didn't start too well as we were anxious not to have the motor running after the 5 minute cut off. Neil, on board Holy Spirit since Top Knot's mast still isn't replaced, says you can do a 360 turn as exoneration if you run the motor for longer. But we ended up struggling in almost no wind to the line and as a result had a very slow start. It took us ages to pass Holy Spirit so I suspect a third in this race is inevitable.



We anchored at Store Beach for a yummy lunch provided by the crew with Julie as the mistress in charge. Fresh seafood from the fishmarket followed by a chicken she had cooked in her brand new slow cooker. It was a triumph. Then we motored to Manly to drop off Karina and collect Dayna. We joined Holy Spirit who'd picked up a mooring at 40 Baskets for the evening. Neil planned to cook chowder and luckily for us the pot wouldn't fit on Maria's stove. In return for use of our galley we were fed too. Much wine and hot buttered rum followed on a still and lovely evening. I suspect a Neil plot to get the crew hungover for the next day.

Maria collected Karina for us the next morning at Many along with extra crew for Holy Spirit. The third race started off Quarantine and finished at Obelisk (one for the boys) and the final race started there and ended at Athol Bay after a very slow float around Clark Island as the breeze dropped. It picked up for Holy Spirit so they caught us up quite a bit at the finish.

We now await the results - Neil ? Dayna ??

Two Trophies and the Oily Oar

At last night's ASCC annual dinner Cheshire Cat was awarded 3rd in the Spring Series, 2nd in the Combined Point Score and the wooden spoon award. Our nomination of fellow club member Maria for running aground and buggering her steering failed to convince the judges that our getting tangled in a lobster pot's buoy and line wasn't so bad. It happend when Claire and Anni were saiing up the coast from Sydney to Broken Bay and our curiosity got the better of us. I guess being towed into Towlers Bay at Pittwater in front of the rest of the club helped cement our win.

Anni and that oar.

Half the crew is off to the US for the Gay Games VII regatta. see www.sisterhoodlums.blogspot.com to follow our results.

Mad Dogs and ASCC members

Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun but some ASCC members go out racing when the predicted winds are 20 to 30 knots. In our defence the forecast was that the winds would strengthen later in the afternoon and we expected to finish by 2pm or thereabouts.

Cheshire Cat started a bit late after making sure we knew how to reef the main and making sure all the lines were accessible and untangled.

After a comfortable sail from Towlers to Bradley’s Head we were walloped with strong winds coming out of Neutral Bay. We watched lots of other boats struggling and broaching as we rounded Fort Dennison and managed to avoid gybing for the run down to Rose Bay.

Rose Bay proved to be particularly difficult as the wind, gusting to 37 knots, funnelled straight across the harbour, knocking boats sideways and whipping the seas into a nasty froth and bubble. After rounding the Rose Bay mark several of the lugs holding the main in the mast snapped and we decided to call it quits. Turning on the motor and dropping the main we thanked Hughey (the first one not the second) for lazy jacks. Furling the jib proved a little more difficult as the sheets had wrapped themselves into a huge knot which aimed squarely at the heads of the brave crew. Finally all was secured and we motored home all the way being run down by Balmain yachts still sailing in the three island race.

We didn’t see Top Knot’s mast fall or Leap Frog run almost aground but we did see Alcyone, Jenny Handley and Kelly’s new boat, drop sails and turn on their motor just off Point Piper. I don’t think I have ever been so glad to get back onto the mooring where we had a cleansing ale and some lunch before an eventful row to shore. Thanks to two boys in a zodiak who were enjoying the conditions and looking for some fun we were towed to the Balmain Sailing Club after efforts to row into the wind to the pontoon near the Dawn Fraser Pool proved completely fruitless.

Unfortunately we were all too busy to take photos.

Racing in a Gale

Sunday's ASCC race was held amid gusts over 40 knots. We did almost no damage but others in the race had a broken mast and a minor grounding amongst the damage. Only one of the 6 starters finished and that was the biggest boat. See Leap Frog's post for more detail and a wind graph for the day.

Racing with the ASCC

We race with the Australian Sailing and Cruising Club (ASCC). This is what the rest of the fleet looks like after a great start.

Cheshire Cat on the net

Here's our boat - a Catalina 30 named Cheshire Cat because since we bought her we started grinning a lot.