Sailing News

Low Tide Traps Yachts

Exceptionally low tides over the last week prevented the larger Div 1 yachts from leaving their pens as keels were trapped in mud.

Even a Div 2 yacht had to be dragged out of its pen by the club rescue boat prior to starting to join five others for a harbour handicap start competition. The Flying Fifteens had no trouble as they were launched from the slipway.

Following his win in the Flying Fifteens last weekend, Simon Lucas skippering FForever Young couldn't repeat that performance. Aileen Lucas was given a two-minute handicap with Crazy and, naturally, skipped away to a handy lead. FForever Young gave chase and was looking like causing an upset as it got to within fourteen seconds in the latter stages. It was cat-and-mouse stuff but Crazy was able to fend off the challenge to win narrowly by twelve seconds in a fine display from both skippers and crews. The lighter conditions normally favour Crazy but FForever Young proved that it can also do well in the calmer weather.

Stephen Brown was first away with Mary Maitland in Div 2 and managed to stay in the lead throughout the journey although challenged by Stephen Lee who had Flasheart moving sweetly once he got into stride. Bob Giles had Footloose doing well and had a good spinnaker duel with Karen Timmins in Grey Moose in the middle stages. Timmins used a spinnaker for the first time in her short career with the Moose and knocked minutes off her previous times in a fine performance. Rob Cridge, skippering Noel Robbins, also did well considering that no spinnaker was used.

Brown was proving unstoppable with Mary Maitland and, try as he might, Stephen Lee couldn't catch him. Brown was victorious, with Lee in Flasheart second, and Giles battled on to take third place.

Saturday's racing marked the end of the Spring Series and the Summer Series begins this Saturday with King George Sound events for Div 1 and 2.

Picture: Aileen Lucas in Crazy way ahead of Simon Lucas in FForever Young in Saturday's handicap race.

Race Day photos

To see more of Des' race day photos, including contributions by others, please visit this edited link.

Casual Adventurer blog

Club member Richard Hodgson writes to PRSC from the World Cruising Club's ARC+ rally, which is preparing to take sailors across the Atlantic from Gran Canaria to the Caribbean via the Cape Verde archipelago. 

It's not all serious sailing business, as the latest instalment shows.

"So we have two vac lavs (vacuum lavatories)on board. The main one is also has a vanity and shower. The other day one crew member entered said heads to do his ablutions. Using vac lav requires the lid to be shut and a manual pump used to clear the waste. Ok you know where this is going, but keep with it. Like most men if it gets tough to pump, pump harder! Not a good idea with this system..."

To read more, request membership of Richard's closed Facebook group where he blogs about the rally, here.