Apollo Bay Sailing Club

Tell Tales

3rd April 2021

It’s always difficult to sit on the Duty Boat on a nice day but at least if you get to watch a great race then that lessens the blow just a little. And a good race is what we had. This year we have nearly had it all, weather wise. But on Saturday we added the first northerly race. Northerlies can often just blow up so strongly that it is impossible to get out on the water. On Saturday morning it started off at a bit over 30 knots but by briefing (12.30) it had settled down to about 20 with the occasional gust.

And with the sun shining (and that hasn’t happened too often this year!) the scene was set for a good day out. Kelly and Anton set a NNW upwind starboard course. Two starts with three keel boats crossing first. Wildrose hit first just seconds after the start flag came down. 10+1 hauled up pretty quickly onto the line and with Quickmatch over next that was the keel boats away. The wind had swung a little to the west so it was more of a reach to the top than intended but it did look quick and fun.

The three Flying Fifteens took off next, with April Dancer deciding to hold up near the pin (over first) and Affrodite a bit nearer the boat. Croc and Ben on Fern Elizabeth got caught away from the line a bit but were soon on their way. The scene was then set for a bit of a drag race around the cans.

Back at the front 10+1 had got things set up well for the first 1.1 klm leg and with only a small kick back onto starboard were around the top mark in 22 minutes. The two leading ffs (April D and Affro) were only mtrs from each other around the top. And that set the tone for those two boats all day. At pretty much every mark from that point onwards there was often less than a few boat lengths between them and with both flying blue spinnakers it was often hard to actually see who was in front.

With everyone having a good day, and reaches being the main point of sail, Quickmatch was coming into her own in the handicap race. The wind range stayed in the upper teens, and with the two ffs more interested in sabotaging each other than anything else, QM was able to stay in touch with the leaders.

And with the sun shining down on one and all and three triangles done it was time for 10+1 to head over the line first followed by Wildrose and then those two dueling fifteens only 6 seconds apart. Affro just holding April D off. But the day belonged to Quickmatch and a couple of very happy Helands!

Handicap
1st Quickmatch
2nd 10+1
3rd Wildrose

Keel YS
1st 10+1
2nd Quickmatch
3rd Wildrose

Dinghy YS
1st Affrodite
2nd April Dancer
3rd Fern Elizabeth

Life is good. Come Sailing!

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