Sailing Club

Tell Tales

Hot!  Damned Hot!! – Hotter than a snake’s bum hole in a wagon rut! (RIP Robin Williams)

What a week of wind and adventure! Culminating in the hottest Saturday of the summer! Due to the super strong and well forecasted southerly airflow, which some people regarded as wintery, the club cancelled racing last Saturday the 15^th of Feb. However, Igor and Anton were racing in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s Queenscliff to Port Fairy race during the big southerly blow on a Sydney 38 called Cadibarra. Igor regularly races on this boat in long passage events like the Melbourne to Hobart, Melbourne to Davenport, Queenscliff to Apollo Bay and many more. Last weekend Anton had joined the crew with Igor and the regular Sandringham based crew. Having sailed for 12 hours or so the crew decided to retire 20nm sth of Cape Otway due the 40-45 Knot winds and rough sea. Some hours later, 20nm off Apollo Bay, Igor was helming down wind in only 20 knots of breeze and an active sea whilst heading for Port Philip Heads. Igor was surprised to sea a large white object pass from the stern of the boat. Very soon after he realised that was the boats rudder!! Apollo Bay Ocean Rescue responded to the emergency call Cadibarra made to Marine Radio Victoria. It took 3 or 4 for them to reach the stranded vessel and with a very long tow rope spent 5 hours towing Cadibarra back to Apollo Bay harbour in awful conditions. What an amazing and very appreciated service the Ocean Rescue volunteers provided the hapless crew of Cadibarra whilst in dire need assistance. The ship wreck coast nearly lived up to its name again.

After that epic adventure, the winds slowly settled and eventually turned Easterly on Friday. In glorious sunshine, 24-degree air and warm water, Hans, Fiona and Geeks enjoyed an unexpected but delightful 2-hour kiting session at the front beach before the 4-7pm Friday afternoon Learn to Sail session. The crew were due to enjoy a very warm and balmy mega session, their first since the most epic junior wave sailing session at mother’s beach 2 weeks earlier. Even though the easterly was persistently fresh through the afternoon, by the time the junior sailors took to the harbour, conditions were perfect. 17 Children and many of their parents glided between the turning marks, managing the chaos and confusion that lurks not too far from every beginning sailor’s manoeuvrers. Laugher, screaming and shrieks of joy filled the air as usual whilst boats (mostly) avoided each other and support vessels including canoes, sea kayaks and the beautiful Fred Stacey safety boat. Parents lined the pontoons chatting and taking videos of their children enjoying the very special time they share together whilst overcoming great challenges and getting used to handling and manoeuvring boats in the breeze.

Saturday’s forecast looked fabulous on Willy Weather, Northerly to 20 knots turning easterly. Cool! What a way to dodge the heat- the forecast top was 34 degrees! As it turned out the day was more typical of a northerly wind. Picking up in the morning and tending hot NW until 11am before easing and turning cooler easterly by 1pm. Garry Millar and John Marriner had a tough job of setting the course. Some way off shore they set for an E/NE breeze only to have the breeze begin to collapse just as the race started at 2pm. A few tight triangles were raced intensely in shifty, light and variable conditions before the NW’er re-emerged in force at 20 -30 knots. The sea state was confused from the easterly so sailors enjoyed smashing through chop at great speed getting smashed with heaps and heaps of water whilst rejoicing the fact that sailing is after all a water sport and today was as warmer day as we’re ever likely to enjoy in Apollo Bay. Racing was none the less tight and fiercely competitive. Thankfully, all the vessels returned to the harbour without major breakages of gear failure.  Thanks to Edmond for helping on the Rescue Boat in 39-degree heat! 

Results

Friday night Learn to Sail!  Congratulations one and all!

Life is good. Come Sailing!

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