WIND: ESE-SE-10-16 Knots

COURSE: 21A

TIDE: L@ 13:42

NUMBER OF BOATS: 35

Another new course for an adventurous fleet!

A good fleet assembled on the start line to experience another new course and once again it was received with great applause. The only issue all afternoon was the unexpected squall that arrived from the SE just as the fleet was making their way to Hope Banks RM. However that is a story with a story.

A beautiful 12 knot sou’easter greeted skippers and crew on the start line and the first leg to the Green Island western cardinal was a very comfortable reach. Turning east at the mark and heading between Green and St. Helena Islands the breeze went a little more on the nose and once setting a course for the windward mark of Hope Banks RM, it was a true beat. Sitting back on board the Vic Frizzell (dry), we were watching a small but ominous dark cloud approaching from Dunwich. On the radar it only just registered and when it arrived most got quite wet, however it really gave no grief and the only way we could see the fleet was via AIS.  The answer to the day it was where you were when it arrived. The boats heading to Hope and south of the lay line received a fantastic lift, those north of the lay line then struggled to get to the mark. It divided the fleet a little as was shown in the results with a 3 minute gap in the latter third of the fleet.

A starboard rounding at Hope and it was back to the Green Island RM on a quick run where another starboard rounding made for an even quicker reach back to the Green Island red. All that was followed by a gentle run back to the western cardinal before powering up on a strong reach all the home to the finish boat. A fantastic afternoon’s sail!!!

Coming up:

French Yacht Challenge/Beneteau Cup | 19/20 Oct

Results

Closest to the line: OUTSIDER-JOHN/KERAZY-SHANE

Lucky door prize: BRIGUS-DAN/PETER

Lucky Crew prize:EVOLUTION-MAISE