Weekend roundup
So there goes another weekend in Sydney… and with it Summer’s daylight savings.
The Corporate Games went well for the Factory workers, despite fielding 3 of our 4 teams in the one heat - where only the winner progresses to the final.
We floated around for a fair while in Saturday’s 30+ heat with our convenient black uniforms as the breeze fluctuated from W-NW-NE-SE-S. Things finally got underway on a short course between Garden Island and Clarke Island.
Unfortunately for us, I mis-timed the first start and we were over with 5 seconds to go. We staggered then returned around the pin and took the fleets stern to the right. Not a good idea in a no-drop 3-race series. We pulled a few good shifts and rounded in 3rd (out of 5), then pulled through into 2nd at the bottom mark. Another few good shifts and we squeezed past another of our boats and took the lead. Nice.
The next race we started well, pushing the girl skipper on Booz Allen over the start then started bearing down towards the pin and the other of our factory teams. They were struggling to lay and were practically dead in the water, but the charter-boat skippers still freaked out and grabbed the wheel to avoid a collision - a collision which was never going to happen anyway. After a bit of trash talk and a failed protest by the still dead-in-the-water competition, we sailed away from the fleet and took the race easily.
Next one was a bit of a cruise. We needed to come anything better than last to take out the heat, so we sailed comfortably around the track for a 3rd.
The team pleaded for me to come back and steer again in Sunday’s final (isn’t it nice to be wanted). But I was committed to the 18.
Race an 18 footer or a tubby Sydney 36? Tough decision.
Sunday rolls around with the remnants of a 30-40 knot Southerly change slowly fading through intermittent showers and squalls. By the time the race started we had a swinging SW-S-SE breeze from 15-25 knots. Perfect conditions for a beginner 18′ helm like myself.
Anyway, we started poorly both times (there’s a pattern there…), but were looking ok up the work, until Jack on Macquarie Real Estate sailed off Bradley’s on port tack and thought they could cross. Ummm… no. To avoid the inevitable t-bone I pushed the boat into a crash tack and a capsize. Great.
So we were fighting back from the back of the fleet, rounding our middle marker basically last. We set a chute and started the slow catch-up, only to be blown by a huge puff back towards the startline - a good 60 degrees off the rhumbline to the next marker. Great - again.
Anyway, we pass a couple of boats that have capsized down the run, and round the bottom marker where World Champions Fiat are upside down after a collision with Delami. I don’t feel so bad now.
Up the next work I sort-of start relaxing into the whole skippering thing, and we cruise around the next lap and a bit picking up places here and there as plenty of boats capsize or break infront of us.
Any by the end we cross the line in 8th. A good 9 minutes off the lead, but not bad considering.
We then put up the chute again and head over to do a show-off sail past the corporate games finals - where the teams have had a 4+ hour drenching.
My abandoned team-mates faired reasonably well, finishing 2nd, 4th, 5th to take 4th place overall. They even had the pleasure of having the fun instructor from earlier in the week.
I think I made the right decision.
