The 18 footers are all gearing up for the JJ in Feb, with all boats sporting their new kit for the Nationals over the next few weeks.
We trialled our new big rig for the first time last Friday, and it is enourmous. We were flat wiring and depowering well before we would have with the old #1. Hopefully that is faster. We need a couple of sick easterlies to find out.
Sunday’s race was an all #2 rig affair, with a seabreeze coming in faily early and a hot day forecast. The breeze came in, but not at 25 knots, so all in all it was an easy welcome back after the break.
We started well with Euan on Souther Cross just below us, Seve buried and tacking out early, and the Project guys launching off the line with speed down low.
The Poms have been working pretty hard on their sailing and their gear since they arrived back in October, and it shows. They lead from the first cross and didn’t lose it til right at the end of the last work.
Upwind we made a couple of mistakes and lost a few boatlengths on the leaders, but rounded in 4th behind Project, SX and 7. Down the run we rolled 7 twice, but Pete decided to throw himself over the side at the bottom mark. 7 went through us and we lost touch with the leaders. It was all still faily close with SX finally getting the upper hand on the last upwind, before Project did a huge pitchpole in the big waves off Nielsen Park.
We banked a 3rd for the first race of the Nationals. Not bad, but still points we don’t want to be losing.
Photo: Ace Marine Photography
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The Moth preparation for the Nationals has been coming along well. It feels like everyone has made a bit of a step up since SIRS.
John, Marty, Ben and myself trained in a nice Southerly last Thursday, with my changes proving themselves against John early on in the session before he found his legs.
In Saturday’s 6 or 7 races in a moderate East-Nor-Easter, John won a few, I won a bunch, and there were a whole load of very close finishes – one in which Marty and me crossed at the same time, and another when John almost cleaned up my rudder blasting into the line on port. Les seems to be 10%-ifying every time he hits the water, so in short order he should be well ahead. The last week also sees both Tacka and Nathan training with us to find the way around the boat prior to their first regatta.
Only a few days left to go now.