Hi all,
had a great weekend of Mossie racing <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. 5 Mossies raced in a mixed fleet with 3 Arrows. Locals Neil Joiner cat with spin, Niel Maskiell and son sloop and myself cat with spin where joined by regular visitor Peter Nikitin cat with spin and first time visitor Andrew Neeson and daughter sloop.
Sat. Around Raymond Island Race 10-12kts. easterly. Meant heaps of tight reaching in flat water, I bolted of the start in the middle of the line tight reaching no kite with Niel M in hot pursuit, Peter and Neil J where at the top of the line with less pressure. Once behind the island the wind shadow allowed kites to be raised and I pulled ahead of Niel M and he found Peter and Neil J quickly on his tail, with Andrew not far behind. The straits caused alot of stop start sailing but eventualy I appeared out the other end with Peter and Neil J within striking distance and Niel M and Andrew further back. All looked well until I came in off trapeze to drop spinnaker in a gust and nearly got blown over under mainsail and flogging kite, as I hung over the side I thought of Neil J and Peter rubbing there hands together in glee at the sight of me capsizing, (they said they saw the mast horizontal) and I made a last ditch effort to steer downwind <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> amazingly the boat turned downwind and the hull dropped back down <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />. I think the closest ever without getting wet <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. Then it was off on a tight reach again, to the end of the island, Peter caught up a little along here and pulled away from Neil J, Andrew caught up to Niel M also. Then a short beat and back to tight reaching Andrew passed Niel M along here, eventualy it was time to turn for home and kites up blasting into the open water, a couple of gybes later it was a tight reach with kite back into the straits and over the finish line. In about 1 hour, with me first, Peter second, Neil J third and Niel M fourth after local knowledge payed off as Andrew went looking for another pole to round. I continued on to do another lap as the first was so much fun, making the most of the opportunity to show off the speed of the Mosquito as I buzzed the 40 odd mono's in the race as I passed most of them before they had finished thier first lap, my time for the second lap was 53min 34 seconds.
Sunday Neil J couldn't make it for the 2 back to back races around the buoys. The rest of the Mossies enjoyed 10-15kts. on choppy water with lots of powerboat wash as the lakes experienced one of the busiest days on the water for the year. First race start Niel M and I port tacked Peter and Andrew, once around the top mark Peter and I cleared out with kites set while Andrew chased Niel M. Peter continued to harrass me until the return where I pulled away, places stayed the same to the finish. Second race port wasn't as favoured, so I took a safe mid line start followed by Peter and Andrew but Niel M caused Peter and Andrew a heart attack <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> as he port tacked but his mainsheet cleat jammed and only quick action from Andrew averted disaster <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />. The wind picked up some and Peter stayed closer to me with Andrew keeping in touch, until the return <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />, Peter was hoisting kite when a bunch of waves peaked under his tramp and bouned him off the boat <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />, luckily the traveller rope around his ankle acted like a surf board leg rope and he water skied back on board <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. So it was me first Peter second Andrew third and Niel M still trying to recover his nerves fourth.
Monday morning saw still conditions and delay until a 5 kt. breeze zephyred across the lake. It was just Andrew the Arrows and I crawling across the start, Andrew was close on my tail until I tacked to cover him and was lifted away from him to a large lead, the race dragged on with Andrew deciding to head for home with packing to do. So I was left to win with the course eventualy getting shortened.
All in all a enjoyable weekend, with blue skys throughout and a variety of sailing conditions. Thanks to Andrew who travelled from Melb. to join in and Peter who sailed from Loch Sport some 3 hours to join us, everybody took home lots of wine as prizes, with Andrew's wife Marg doing well in the 16 strong Sabre fleet. Hope to see more Mossies next year.
Thanks to Tim Shepperd for lending me Karma Cat, hope the wine will cover the hire fee <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.
