Wooden spoon to joint third - Part 2

13 November 2010 - Bridge to Breakers Regatta

"The Sunday format consisted of two races. The lighter conditions during the morning race gave way to a marked freshening after lunch and the afternoon race featured some spectacular displays of high speed sailing as winds gusted above 20 knots. The catamarans and skiffs particularly reveled in the conditions despite the fact that some of the rides were interrupted by the occasional capsizes." [extract from the BRSC press release]

Noela couldn't stay for Sunday and another of my ocean swimming friends, Neil McKenzie, was keen to crew. Neil has a sailing background, most recently in windsurfers, but it was the first time we had sailed together.

The morning race consisted of 2 rounds of a fairly short course and we sailed a round each. Although we came in, as usual, close to the tail end were pretty happy that we had given it a fair shot. Neil was really getting back into the swing of racing and kept wondering if he should buy an NS14. Yes I know that I own a plodder and we just couldn't get her to point high enough. I still prefer cruising and giving novices the chance to give it a go on a very forgiving Little Dragon, but I know that racing will improve my sailing skills.

As the forecast for the afternoon races was over 20 knots we decided to reef. We motored into the middle of the river and anchored to put in the reef. Knowing that the luff of the main was not taut on Saturday we did our best to get it taut this time - but our best was not good enough. After the race John Woods came to see for himself how we were reefed and demonstrated that neither the luff nor the out haul on the boom were tight enough. If we had the sails setting better we might have been able to point higher.

The afternoon course was 3 rounds of the morning course. This time we got a pretty good start and initially we were right up there with the others in Division 7. It was quite dispiriting to watch them pull ahead. In the increasing wind we just couldn't point as high as they were. We retired after completing 2 rounds as everyone else had finished all 3 rounds and it was time for the prize giving.

We were a bit disappointed that the BRSC doesn't give a wooden spoon prize as we thought we would win it. To my amazement the race officer did some calculations with the handicaps and we found ourselves joint third out of the 7 in our division. A complete mystery to me but rather good to be able to boast to my ocean swimming mates "we came joint third".

Thanks to Russell Witt for taking the photos of Little Dragon under way. His images of all the competitors can be viewed at http://photos.dragmania.com.au/thumbnails.php?album=119

Thanks also to all the BRSC members who worked so hard to make this yet again a great regatta.

Sunrise at Harwood on Monday 14 November. So still and quiet. Hard to remember the well over 20 knot gusts the day before and to predict that Monday afternoon would be even wilder.