The Solo Series 18th of August 2013
This was a race day of two parts that unfolded in front of us as the sailors gathered for the afternoons sailing.
Race officer Les had a great crew on board and with out further ado we shot out onto the water to lay the course in what was a very gentle nor -nor wester with an annoying habit of wandering about 10 degrees either side of the suggested path. As the first race began, the breeze started to drop away and the course was shortened up unmercifully as the need to get the race completed in what looked like a day of glass outs looming at us. The second race suffered the same fate with short race lines and idle puffs of breeze on the water.
Then far-off, down the river, you could see the boats from the frostbite fleet of Royal Perth starting to lean over. The seabreeze was in.
The next set of races were a marked improvement with wing marks in place and the 420's out , hiking on their rails and the Flying 15's doing just that as they hoisted spinnakers and flew down to the wing marks, gybing with the breeze and coming down to the bottom marks in a hurry. By the end of the day, racing had improved immeasurably for the sailors who stayed out and those who decided that nothing else was going to happen obviously hadn't looked at Saturday afternoons seabreeze that belted in at 15 to 20 knots. With a start of 55 boats for the afternoon, it was a good day on the river and the end of the day was marked by a sighting of ospreys on the start box finishing off an early supper of bream from the river.
It was noted that one or two of the sailors had changed classes ( Opti to Laser 4.7's and 4.7's to Laser Radials ) Good one guys and girls, now you'll have to work a little bit harder. And the young Opti sailor who couldn't keep away from the front of the start line... Well done!
Race officer Les had a great crew on board and with out further ado we shot out onto the water to lay the course in what was a very gentle nor -nor wester with an annoying habit of wandering about 10 degrees either side of the suggested path. As the first race began, the breeze started to drop away and the course was shortened up unmercifully as the need to get the race completed in what looked like a day of glass outs looming at us. The second race suffered the same fate with short race lines and idle puffs of breeze on the water.
Then far-off, down the river, you could see the boats from the frostbite fleet of Royal Perth starting to lean over. The seabreeze was in.
The next set of races were a marked improvement with wing marks in place and the 420's out , hiking on their rails and the Flying 15's doing just that as they hoisted spinnakers and flew down to the wing marks, gybing with the breeze and coming down to the bottom marks in a hurry. By the end of the day, racing had improved immeasurably for the sailors who stayed out and those who decided that nothing else was going to happen obviously hadn't looked at Saturday afternoons seabreeze that belted in at 15 to 20 knots. With a start of 55 boats for the afternoon, it was a good day on the river and the end of the day was marked by a sighting of ospreys on the start box finishing off an early supper of bream from the river.
It was noted that one or two of the sailors had changed classes ( Opti to Laser 4.7's and 4.7's to Laser Radials ) Good one guys and girls, now you'll have to work a little bit harder. And the young Opti sailor who couldn't keep away from the front of the start line... Well done!