New Headsail… and 10secs from winning!

With our new 3dl headsail delivered from North sails we were joined for a Wednesday afternoon race by Chris and Alby Pratt,  both from North sails.  In ideal conditions we had the earliest start time for the pursuit race and led the entire way… until the final 10 sec when 2 dueling Sydney 36’s sneaked past us on the line.  All I can think about is all the times I blew 10 secs earlier in the race!  Interestingly the Sydney 36’s proved much faster hard upwind but as soo as we started the reach up middle harbour we were virtually even the whole way. Pretty cool!

1st, 4th and 2nd

The last week has been good for Fast One!  We had our first win ever in the first twilight of the season!!  The 4th place was in the Saturday race and was a bit of a breakthrough for us as we are now flying the spinnaker.  The initial win in the twilights was backed up by a 2nd in race 2.

All up – great sailing and we are constantly getting better…  The new mainsail from Sail Solutions is also working out great for us (and the de-slimed hull).

MHYC 10/11 Annual Point Score Race 1… 2nd Place!

Saturday 4th of September marked the first race of Middle Harbour’s Annual Point Score (and Spring Point Score).  Fast One was entered into Division 2.

Since the completion of the Winter Series we have only raced once ,  in a Leading Edge race (also out of MHYC) that ultimately was abandoned as the Cannae Point mark was missing (and still is!).  Winds during that race peaked at 30Kts!

Todays race was the same or maybe even heavier.

For Race 1 and Kira, Myself and Alan were joined by Lee Condell.  The RC set a windward leeward course from approximately Sow and Pigs reef across to Manly Point , 4 laps for div 2.  Two other boats in the division also decided to brave the weather,  In The Red and Stage Too.

We had a good start and were first over the line but had to port tack behind the other boats.  Unfortunately we somehow ended up on a navigation mark and had to tack back early.  This put us on the opposite side of the course to the other boats and cost us some time we were never able to gain back.  The strong conditions meant no-one was flying a spinnaker (maybe the others got one up on the first downwind). This was good for us because we aren’t quite ready for flying the kite yet!  the newly rigged spinnaker pole served us well however and let us pole out the headsail on the downwind runs.

On handicap we finished second!  Certainly only possible due to Lee’s expertise.  There was also plenty of carnage on the harbour with at least a couple of ripped sails and a skiff with a broken mast.

Race 10 of the MHYC Winter Series

Race 10 was the final round of the Sydney City Marine / MHYC Winter Series.  After sitting out race 9 and finishing last in race 8 we were definitely keen for a good race!  Of course race 8 was about as tough a race as we have had with wind between 15 and 25 knots and a windward leeward course proving desperately tiring.  Kira and Sarah being the only crew and grinding constantly for 2 hrs took its toll.

Race 10 could not have been more different.  The start had almost no wind and, when there was, it favoured heading straight into an incoming tide and the swell.  For a while we thought we had won the start until we got parked on the line and unable to do anything but let the waves and tide take us backwards.  Eventually we managed a tack and got a decent run.  We were second coming into the first mark and had actually managed to get ahead of a couple of Div 1 boats that had started 5mins earlier.  The wind built through the rest of the race and we generally held our position until the headsail tack came undone on the final upwind run to the finish line.  That cost us third over the line and 2nd on handicap.

In the end another 3rd!

All up we finished the series with 3 x 3rd places (out of 7 races finished) not a bad result for our first effort racing yachts.  Overall we came 4th in the series.

Well done MHYC and Sydney City Marine for a great winter series.  We will definitely be back next year… hopefully flying a spinnaker.  Thanks to everyone who crewed thoughout the series – Dad, Kira, Sarah, Jason and Lee.

The Jeanneau 36i is definitely great fun.  If I could change anything it would be – 200kgs less weight.  Deeper keel.  Bigger main and smaller head… the stock genoa is just too tiring!

2010 WS Race 7

For the second week in a row we came 3rd!  This weeks race was actually very hotly contested and we had a pretty strong start and a reasonable finish.  The race being shortened due to lack of winds.  Our corrected time was only 1min 20s away from 1st which has to represent our best yet performance.

Hopefully we keep on improving!

Photos from Race 6

Thanks to Andrew at MHYC I have a couple of photos of Fast One in race 6 of the Winter Series, and one from race 4 with Lee onboard.

MHYC Winter Series Races 3,4,5,6

The last 4 races have flown by.  Race 3 was shaping up to be a good one pre-start until a postponement when the wind suddenly died and then came back with a vengance.  The pin that attaches the vang to the mast came out and we withdrew 1 min before our start.

Some great service by Lee Condell meant the vang was fixed in time for race 4 and with Lee on board we were poised for a great race.  Another delayed start after Div 1 was recalled when the SASC race stormed through the start line at the same time as Div 1 was starting and once we got underway the wind was again dead.  We were in a great position due to Lees expertise in the light winds, running second.  This race time beat us and the race was scrapped with noone finishing within the 3hr 30min time limit. Kira and Dad (Alan) joined Lee as crew for the race.

Race 5 had ups an downs but ultimately the start cost us when we stalled turning upwind to cross the startline  this cost a several minutes.  We made somewhat of a comeback but a couple of match racing J24’s came across us as we approached the East Channel mark and we stalled again as we took evasive action.  The final moment of stupidity… getting caught in the lee of Middle Head.  Total time cost for these three mistakes – at least 10 minutes. Given an all new crew in Jason and Dad (Alan) and the fact we weren’t last over the finish we did pretty well.  Every week I learn something new in the art of racing around the harbour!

Race 6 was definitely our best to date (other than the abandoned race).  We were 2nd over the line and 3rd on HC.  The only real issues we had were tactically getting caught too often on port tack and having to give way to starboard.  Another all new, all female, crew (Kira and Sarah) onboard were outstanding and nearly dead by the finish!

After race 6 we stand 4th on the point score and hopefully can climb to 3rd in the final 4 races.  Fingers crossed.

Fast One (MH57) at the start to race 4

MHYC Winter Series Race #2 – WOB, Jessica Watson and Retirement

Fast One was a DNF in the 2nd race of the MHYC Winter Series… Out on the water early we headed outside the heads to try and see if we could find Jessica Watson heading back to Sydney to complete her solo circumnavigation.  Unfortunately we we needed to turn early and head back in for the race start.  Surfing back into the harbour with 3m swells and a broad reach we were easily hitting 9.5 knots!  The race start situation was as confused as everything else on the harbour!  Our start was recalled and after the second start we thought there as another recall… this cost us an easy 2min lead as we turned to return to the start.  The first mark was Lady Bay – right in the thick of the spectator fleet awaiting Jessica’s return.  It was a disaster and we lost all power and were rounded up by the wind.  That cost us another place.  We clawed back however and were closing in on the 2 leaders heading towards the mark at Manly.  At which point we went goosewinged.  Kira went up to make sure the boom didnt accidently gybe.

Lesson of the day… you cant stop an accidental gybe in a 20 knot wind…  and over Kira went!

We instantly went into recovery mode,  through out the life bouy,  started the engine and got the sails in.

We retired.

We might have been the only boat today with a woman overboard but we werent the only ones to retire!

Results will post soon.

MHYC Winter Series Race #1

Saturday was race 1 in the Middle Harbour Yacht Club Winter Series and the first proper race for Fast One.  On board was myself, Kira, Dad and Sarah.

Before the race there was a nice building wind but with 6mins before the start the race was postponed and the CV headed to a new start line because of a shift in the breeze.  No sooner had the new start line been established and the fleet moved and the wind was back where it started. Everyone headed back to the original start line…

Once we got underway we slowly built our way to 2nd overall until the wind died completely.  A combination of no wind… wake from passing powerboats and a bit of inexperience had us facing the complete opposite direction to the mark.  That cost us 2 places while we tried to get pointed the right way…

Eventually we ran fourth… both in outright and HC.  It was definitely a day for the lighter boats.  A J24 won by a big margin having sailed half the race with their headsail down and a collapsing spinnaker.

Hopefully next week brings some wind!

Results are here: SYDNEY CITY MARINE WINTER SERIES 2010 – Race 1 Results

The highlight of the day… the several pods of dolphins in the harbour circling the fleet.  I don’t think I have ever seen dolphins in Sydney Harbour!  The warmer than usual water and the ban on commercial fishing has really bought out the best in the harbour… 2 weeks ago we saw a penguin chasing bait-fish in the daylight!

Cat 7 Safety

Today Fast one underwent its Cat 7 safety inspection.  All is good for a start in 2 weeks time in the MHYC Winter Series!  Some interesting notes to think about…

1. Fire Extinguishers sold at Whitworths are terribly old and almost out of test.  One of ours had a cylinder manufacture date of 2004!  We now have to get them retested.  Get your act together Whitworths and stop selling old stock!

2. The 36i needs an extra lifeline installed across the bow pulpit.  It would be nice if the was sorted from the factory!

Next project… Install a spinnaker track.