Continued.
Sunday wind was light in the morning, I headed out to start area about 10am, when racing was supposed to start as start and rescue boats where out there. Found myself drifting round for a while then the wind started to pick up, I decided to hoist the kite and see if I could inspire the race officers to start a race by flying a hull all over the place. Was having good fun, but nobody took the bait. Eventualy flying a hull, started by sitting to leeward with the kite up, then getting hull up to balance point with the mast at about 45 degrees, I came to grief <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. Nowhere to hide as I had to get a rescue boat to lift the mast for me, as wind was to light to right the boat <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> they didn't mind and thanked me for the entertainment. Turns out that the Editor of Australian Sailing was in one of the boats with camera, so maybe F16 will get something out of my playing around afterall. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Eventualy the wind started to fill in to the race officers satisfaction and the fleet started to leave the beach, I had been on the water for 2 hours allready, probably not a good move <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />. The wind kept picking up and shifting buy the time we started was around 15-18knots but the wind was at 90 degrees to the course so we had 3 laps of reaching <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. Trying to keep up with sloop rigs was not much fun, only saving grace was Viper tried to use spinnaker a couple of times allowing me to catch up, I kept sailing high above the finish line to pull the spinnaker but Greg was on to me and we finished nose to tail with kites up .02 seconds seperating us. Brewins where first over the line again I think and with the Hobie 18 finishing ahead of us he easily won on Yardstick.
They reset the course for the second race thank heavens <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. Wind was around 16-18kts again. Viper was off chasing the front F18 again, while I had fun with the rest of the F18's and the Tornado, I finished up around fifth over the line with the Viper second over 1min 30s ahead. Next race the wind was 18-12 knots, dying out as the race went on, Viper was near the front again, I was having a great battle with the F18's and the Tornado passing 3 boats on the last downwind to finish nose to tail with a Infusion, for fourth over the line with the Viper again second 2min ahead.
Monday dawned with strong wind but by race time it had died down, I headed to the start area in a light building offshore breeze with kite up, only to be told to head back in when I was half way out, as there was no wind in the start area. Got back to the shore just in time to be told the wind was in the start area, so head back out <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />. But the wind kept dying and shifting despite winds strong enough to trapeze in at times we never got a race started, so that was the end of the regatta. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
With all races sailed in conditions that the Viper could twin trap upwind in, they had won every race on Yardstick except the reaching race won by the Hobie 18. One up on the Blade I had clear second places in the 2 races up to 18 knots where I could use the spinnaker, but the other 4 races I was beaten on Yardstick convincingly.
Never thought I would say this, but I can't wait for a regatta where you sit on the side upwind occasionaly, will probably happen next time I am two up <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.
