Farewell Tin Dragon

Savaad spent much of the two weeks before the Ides of March on major maintenance of Tin Dragon. She has been sitting patiently on my veranda for 2 years waiting for the leak to be fixed. Savaad found much more was needed than fixing a leak. By the time Tin Dragon reached Iluka for another International Tin Canoe Regatta she was in very fine order and pretty as a picture. We even won a new award as the "most visual" with our cheery red trim and pink sail.

Our thanks as usual to Rob and Rosie for all the work they put into keeping the event going year after year. However it won't continue many more years unless there is some new blood as several of the previous owners have got a bit old and creaky to continue.

Savaad ready for race 1

One wouldn't know from the photo above that it blew around 17 knots all day, gusting 24 to 26 knots. Far too much for me to tackle so it was over to Savaad and both he and Tin Dragon were champions in that they both ended up the day totally unscathed, although I should report a few adventures during the day.

Off Savaad went and round the marks. It would be mean to mention that much of the time the other 4 tin canoes were ahead of him. Azzo won (in the sense of coming in first) all of the 4 races. Competition was fierce between Rob Crosby and his brother Steve. Merrick sailed the 5th canoe and did well. It will not surprise you to know that each of the owner builders/skippers were really experienced sailors. Sadly The Shielas didn't make it this year.

I am not quite sure which race it was, maybe the start of the last lap of race 3, and it was really gusty. You guessed it, Savaad capsized. See above. Now see the two photos below. With great effort Savaad righted Tin Dragon, bailed her out and sailed on. I should add that most of the others also capsized.

The end of a long and rather exhausting day. The start of the pack up. Tin Dragon has moved to Ian's garage in Iluka and Savaad and I are waiting to see if someone else wants to sail her next year.

Baby Dragon - a project

I spotted this 11 ft dinghy looking very forlorn outside Steve's place and he told me that he had just put it on Gumtree. To cut the story short I snapped it up at mate's rates. It just seemed right to name her "Baby Dragon".

I had been thinking for a while it would be good to have a simple, quickly set up and very stable dinghy to sail when I don't want to rig Little Dragon. I never dreamt that it would be one built many years ago for "Father and Son!" It will be "a project" as Steve never had it set up for sailing so I need a rig. I have already acquired a 2.3hp Honda outboard in Iluka. It's almost new and was for sale at around half price.  I am currently varnishing the sturdy old wooden oars but I want to be able to get back to Harwood against the tide if the wind drops.

PS This family sailing dinghy it totally different to a modern Sabre and I don't know if there is any connection at all.

Steve in training for the Bay to Bay

Steve Millard is a good friend from The Stingrays, our daily ocean swimming group in Byron Bay, who also bush walks and has a history in the rather distant past of sailing. He recently sold me Baby Dragon, but that is the subject of another post. He has accepted my invitation to join me on Little Dragon for the 2016 Bay to Bay race. For those that don't know that is an overnight race from Tin Can Bay to Hervey Bay [Urangan] held at the end of April each year.

So we decided that he should come down to Harwood for a training sail. I know he can tack, gybe but my hunch that he was a bit rusty on which tack has right of way was correct. Now I have race insurance again we decided to join in the regular Saturday afternoon race - a bunch of dinghies, Chris Cook and us. I didn't get round to taking a photo of him for the blog so I have pinched one of him on a recent bushwalk with another Stingray Marie.

By the end of the afternoon I told Steve that I was confident he would be a very fine Mate (as long as he reads the racing rules and promises to back the trailer) and he confirmed that he was still enthusiastic. So far so good. Another bulletin after the race....

Chris Cook's new Wexford design 13 ft boat fitted out for a little person

BRSC Annual Regatta 2016

All in all an excellent regatta. No injuries and very few breakages. Everyone had a great time. As usual at BRSC regattas on the Saturday there was the long race from the clubhouse to Iluka and back, with the fast cats doing some extra laps.

Saturday race briefing

I have got race insurance for Little Dragon again this year. So instead of being "spectator fleet" and giving ourselves a 5 minute head start on the fleet we signed up to race. Noela, as she has done often in the past, crewed. There were only 5 starters in our division and I am pleased to report that I wasn't last over the starting line. Initially there was a gentle breeze which increased to moderate by the time we got to the Goodwood mark. We set out with the last of the ebb and came back with the flood. So we made good time to Iluka and back just past the Goodwood mark. Unfortunately although the wind lasted long enough to get the majority of the fleet back to the clubhouse, where most sat on the deck enjoying a cold one, we were still racing. The wind dropped for the tailenders and we took an extra 45 minutes to make it back. Never mind, it was still very pleasant on the water and I don't drink beer.

Noela about to hoist the main

Racing Little Dragon way - very sedate - no trapezes for us!

Great to see boats astern of Little Dragon!

Stiff competition in the dinghy classes

I am not sure at which stage of the race we cut across in front of those dinghies

There were two short races on the Sunday but we didn't take part.

Thanks to my friend Chris Huegill of Hueysurf for taking the photos.