Apollo Bay Sailing Club

Tell Tales

27th March 2021

When the wind is predicted to be 18knts, well just remember, that is only a number. And the wind you have is the wind you sail, as they say. At least the wind had swung around from the easterly that had caused the cancellation of the week before.

Lisa and Jesse had been out on the course to see what course they would set at 11 and it looked good. About 15knots of pretty true westerly and quite a flat sea, but with three hours to start time there was plenty of room for change. The fleet would be small, but it was shaping up to be another interesting ‘if slightly off script’ sailing day.

Only four boats lined up at the start line in a building wind. 3 flying fifteens and 10+1 who had a good amount of crew to sit out on the rail during the freshening upwind legs. 10+1, April Dancer and Affrodite headed off on starboard with Euffamism taking the port side. With the wind pushing over 20 the keel boat was stretching out to starboard with the smaller boats choosing to zig zag up the middle a bit more. Up towards the first mark the 3 fifteens came back together fairly evenly so it looked as if there was not much to be gained from either side. April D did have a small edge at the top though.

As the race went on it was a matter of dodging the squalls; for the small boats that is! 10+1 was doing her thing out at the laylines, her crew reveling in the ever increasing wind.

With the wind coming and going with the squalls and at times registering over 25 the spinnaker work on April D and Affro was becoming a gamble at not getting caught with silk up in the peak of it. But they both managed to dodge the worst of the gusts even if it was a close-run thing a couple of times. As has happened a few times this year it was one spinnaker tangle (this time it was on Affrodite) that allowed April D to extend the lead out just enough to hold off a late charge.

But as that battle was going on it was 10+1 that was charging around the course and really able to stretch out. I think the only thing Captain Ken and his crew were missing as they crossed the line in first place were their usual sparing partners.

It has been an unusual and disrupted season for a lot of people but that hasn’t stopped the racing from being exciting and a huge amount of fun. Thanks to all those that have turned up each week to keep the wheels turning and get their boats out on the water.

Handicap
1st: 10+1
2nd: April Dancer
3rd: Affrodite

Keel YS
1st: 10+1
2nd:
3rd:       

Dinghy YS
1st: April Dancer
2nd: Affrodite
3rd: Euffamism

Life is good. Come Sailing!

To find out more please see our Facebook group - Apollo Bay Sailing Club.