scott.projectsomewhere

The poor blog has been lonely of late. What is the World coming to?

That’s not to say there’s been nothing happening – just too busy to update.

I’m about to board a plane for Italy via the UK for the 18 regatta at Malcesine. I’ll be new middle guy on the spooner program with Seve & Sam. Should be fun, but now that I’m on the red boat I might have to selectively delete some of my posts from the last few years.

Or maybe not.

The RAG program wound up at the end of the season, with John deciding to focus his available time on the Moth in the leadup to the Belmont Worlds. It would’ve been a bit tough slotting into the steering role – given I don’t have the time to sort out a half-reasonable program. Anyway, Pete and I went our separate ways, with Pete taking on the front on the Appliances Online, and me slotting into the 7.

I’ve taken on Tom’s spot on the boat, and he’s taken on the middle on the RAG, which continues with Jack on the stick and Drew on the bow.

Anyway, Garda should be a nice little intro… Any reason to go sailing there again.

In the meantime the Moth has been getting a little bit of attention, only just a little. We had 7 or so boats out this morning at 7.30, making the most of the early winter Westerly. We’ve got a reasonable group of boats coming regularly for the early starts, and last week we got some nice footage from the camera cat to show what sort of coverage we could do for the upcoming Worlds.

The Belmont organisation is getting there. Albeit slowly. I should have a chance to modify the draft NOR on the flight today. All 22 hours of it. The major sponsor has still not signed on the dotted line unfortunately, but hopefully we can lock something in soon.

Belmont did a pretty good job with the NSW States at Easter. I didn’t.

I was sailing well for a while, having a bunch of good races with Nathan & John. But then my vang broke in one race, and I cleaned up the finish boat in another, missed the start of the next, then rushed the re-rig and ended up with a two-piece mast not quite together for the next. From about 6 points to 60 in 3 races.

Excuses excuses.

A few more knots than usual came in today for the final two races. And what a difference it makes.

The top bunch was tightly packed and changing places on every lap, and the winner was never decided until the death.

I came away with a 4, 8 to leapfrog Mike Lennon, but lost Bora by a few to stay the same. 7th overall.

At least I don’t have to change my sail number.

But at the end of the day all it took was those few extra knots to give everyone a bit of a more positive spin on things. That can’t hurt.

Simon took it away in the end, but it want a certainty til the last leg, with Brad storming home and Amac blasting through to take the last race win and 2nd overall.

Can’t take anything away from him, he sailed consistently well and is a deserving and well liked champion.

Boats are now packed away, and here’s hoping they land in time for the states in a few weeks.

Then Belmont only a few short months away…

And I think it would be close to unanimous. We’ve all had enough.

Yesterday was a fairly mediocre day for me, but it was brilliant compared to some of the other guys.

This place has got to me though. I ended the day hardly able to string a sentance together. On the last downwind my vision was so blurred I could hardly see the finish line. And I had a shocking headache to top it off. I felt as though I was completely hammered, but hadn’t touched a beer.

Rob reckoned I had a case of hypoglycemia, after not eating enough during the day. Probably right. Staring into the sun on the starboard layline wouldn’t have helped much either.

I did have a reasonable day though. I took a 3rd in the first race. Rounding the top mark in 2nd then losing it to Dalton and Amac before grinding back onto the podium.

The next one I battled it out from a late flying start to get into 5th or 6th on the final rounding, then stuffed the last gybe on the layline and waved 3 boats through.

And I did the same the next time. I flew out of the line on port, weaving through flying and lowriding starboard tackers with Brad and Bora, but got slammed on the layline from Brad and spat out. I clawed back up through the pack again and was looking at another 4th before I stuffed the last gybe again and converted a couple of hundred metre gap into a couple of hundred metre loss. By the end the breeze was so soft Chris, Tomaz and I low-rode across the line. A 7th this time.

I’m still in 7th. Only a couple ahead of Bora and a couple behind Mike.

2 races left. With a supposed start at 11am. Nobody is expecting to start on time given we’ve postponed everyday so far. And everyone is hoping they don’t wait til 4pm for the last start time.

And I still have a shocking headache.

We have a set of scales near the sign on sheet for today’s racing.

So now we can graph weight vs performance as we’re doing with age and past worlds performance.

Unfortunaley I’m below the line on almost all the stats.

And weight will be no better for me. I was in at 71.1, 8th lightest in the fleet and only a few heavier than Simon. And a good 15kg lighter than Bora, who’s still 4 points ahead.

So I should be doing better in the light and shite.

But I’m not.

If you don’t have an OCS every now and then you’re not pushing it hard enough.

That’s what I keep saying. Right after people keep telling me I wasn’t over. I didn’t think I was either. I ran the line a length in front of the fleet with 30 seconds to go, watching the transit the whole time, only heading up after the gun.

But I was OCS.

If you don’t have an OCS every now and then you’re not pushing it hard enough.

Anyway.

The 10 proved to be quicker today. I raced around with Bora in 4th in the first race, but Brad came through on the last upwind. I flew out of the tack at the top to get away again, only to gybe too early and have Brad fly through for 5th on the layline.

The next race the breeze shat itself at the bottom mark. I was in 3rd but the places reshuffled a lot as boats foiled and didn’t foil. I went around the last top mark behind Arnaud, Amac and Simon.

I gybed on the layline but the breeze softened up and I didn’t foil after the gybe. Mike crossed before me, but in the end it didn’t mean much.

So I’m still in 7th, tied with Mike Lennon. 1 point ahead of Chris and 4 behind Bora.

Plenty of races yet to go, but at this stage the prospect of another 6 light wins races is boring me. Time to wind it up.

After the animated discussion on rule 42 at the AGM last night, Bora found this secret project from the Dubai boat show which could be the future of Moth sailing…

AquaSkipper

If you’re looking for the ultimate riding experience, it’s time to leave the roads and discover the water. Fantastically engaging, the Aquaskipper offers unlimited thrills and action in water.