Trophy is thanks to Marcus, he certainly did a great job.

The grey boat is Tony Barretts FCA Blade.

actually i would prefer if we didn't use that photo of Simon with the red kite.....that spin was on loan & the owner did not know.

Excellent shot otherwise

Day 2, Saturday the 10th of April

I got up at 6am, feeling much rested. I had breakfast, made my lunch and headed to the regatta.
I was early, and was greeted by no wind at all.
Gradually every one arrived, the pro advised up that he was postponing racing for a while. We took the opportunity to start our AGM.
The formalities had been done, and the election of office bearers has held. We were just about to start general business when we were advised we had half an hour to get to the start.

We walked out side and were greeted by an 8 to 10 knot breeze. It was a mad scramble to get to the start.

Race 2

The start was unremarkable, every one got off ok. Some tacked straight away most kept on going for a while.
I decided to go up the middle. It was noticeable that starboard tack was quicker. I couldn’t work it out, but then I realised that it was the direction of the waves that slowed the port tack down.

From where I was, it looked congested at the front. Simon was putting in a great performance, pushing Gary and the Vipers all the way to the top mark. They all went too left of the course.
I was going ok, not that far back from the 1st four, Mat on his mosquito (The Tiger) went up the middle with me and was 50 meters or so back. The other mosquitoes and Shane on the Taipan were coming in from the right, another hundred or so meters back.
I sat in on the reach, getting everything ready for the hoist. Mat, trapped and was right on my tail, I got the spinnaker up 1st and headed down low, as soon as he popped his I gybed.
I tried to sail low, by sitting in and pushing my feet up against the leeward foot straps and sailing on one hull. It was fun and a good feeling; I defiantly need to practice though.
I gybed 2 or 3 times and still got the angle wrong for the lowering the spinnaker, and sailed in on a square run. As it turned out, it wasn’t that bad a leg. I didn’t appear to loose any ground to the lead boats, and I still had my lead over the guys behind me.

The 2nd leg was up the middle again, repeated by the same downwind tactic. I still lowered the spinnaker early, but came in much hotter this time.

The 3rd leg was good. The wind was picking up and I was trapping hard. Up the middle again and I had Marcus not that far in front. Simon had slipped back a bit and Gary was leading. There was nothing between the Vipers.
I came up to the top mark on port, tacked on the lay line, jumped out on the trapeze, when I heard something break. I didn’t know what it was, but I was capsizing with the mark just in front of me. I was falling off the boat, I held onto the main sheet and pulled all I could, but it just helped it go over. It took me a fair while to right the boat.
As I drifted down wind every one had passed me, and by the time I got around the top mark everyone had finished.
I soon realised that the rope attached to the dog bone had snapped.
I didn’t finish the race, I didn’t want everyone hanging around for me to finish, so I let the rescue boat know I was going in.

It was when I got to shore that I noticed Tony Barretts boat sitting all unrigged. It was then I was told about the elastic shock cord that flicked him in the eye and he was flown to a Melbourne hospital.

It made my inconveniences seem rather insignificant.

I didn’t make it for race 3.

Some repairs and I was out there for race 4.

The start sequence had started, and the rescue boat gave me 3 fingers. I decided to start at the pin end. I half the line to my self and I was still over, and to make matters worse, I tangled the buoy. I felt silly, but relieved when I heard the general recall.
To be quite truthful I don’t remember much about this race. I know I was racing the mosquitoes and I decided to trap down wind. I was enjoying it, but the wind had died a bit and I seemed to be pointing too high. I decided I needed the practice and I kept at it for the three legs. I also remember that the spinnaker seemed different in this race, it looked different at the end of the pole, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
I finished 6th behind Peter on his Mosquito and more mozzies behind me. Shane, Marcus and Tony did not start.
The honours were shared between Gary cat rigged on his Blade, James and Leigh on their Viper and Brett and Kingsley on their Viper. A fair result for their effort.
We went in signed off, had lunch and got ready for the, Around Raymond Island Race.

Race 5

Started with the breeze freshening. We had some other boats on the start line with us. A stingray, Hobie 20, QB3 and I can’t remember what else.

I got a terrible start. I was just gobbled up by every one. I got to the 1st mark equal dead last. I had no idea where I was going, but I had plenty of boats to follow. I know the AHPC boats laminated a map of the island and course. It was a long up wind leg to the 2nd mark. Gary was very low and footing off, the Vipers were hard on the breeze and making good time. Simon was doing well and was pointing high. Neil on his borrowed Mosquito was low and following Gary, and he had it flying.
I managed to break free of last group and set my sights on Neil and Simon. Even though Gary and Neil are locals, I decided to stay high along with most of the fleet. I finally managed to reel Neil in and get within 100 meters of Simon before we followed the coast line onto a reach.
It was a blast, a flying reach that went on for ever. I made even more ground on Simon and had left the rest of the group a fair way behind.
I noticed that the 3 lead boats were under spinnaker. I was confident that I could carry it if I trapped.
To my shock as I hoisted the spinnaker I watched the starboard trap wire go up. I pulled the spinnaker back in and tried again. The same thing, the trap wire stretched on it’s elastic half way up the side stay.
I dropped the spinnaker again, threw the sheets and tried to work it out. I undone what I could and tried to re run things but to no avail. By now every one had passed me and I was dead last all by my self, this time.

I sailed on until I turned around the permanent mark and decided to pull the spinnaker up again. Up went the spinnaker and the trap wire, but it didn’t matter; I only needed the port trap wire now. I had just found out why the spinnaker looked funny in the race before. I just wished I had noticed the trap wire back then.

Any way I got out, put my back foot in the foot strap and hung on. I needed to point high, but there were a lot of gust, and I kept on having to bear away, quite literally my heart has racing. I made up boat after boat; I was heading lower but moving very fast.
It got to a time when I had to drop it, and I just reached in to the next permanent mark. This time we were heading up the channel between the mainland and the island. I guess it would be between 100 and 50 meters wide, with an Easter crowd all out on their boats and ferry running between them.

By the time we rounded the mark into the channel you could throw blanket over us. It was very close, but there was very little wind being in the lee of the island.
Small gusts would blow through, and some one would get it and make a move. Some one would either catch up or some one would pull away. I don’t know how the Hobie 20 did it, but they came up from behind and just kept sailing away form all us us.
I was falling back and was getting frustrated again. I knew not every one in the race, was in the F16 race, but we were still racing.
I realised that I was sheeting on too tight; I eased up and started to catch up again. Shane on the Taipan had a great race, Neil pulled away, and Peter just stayed in front.
I didn’t realise Matt had troubles and capsized and was well behind.

Apparently James and Leigh did the 2nd fastest time ever around the island.

Back to the shore, sign off, unrig, shower and hit the club house for a few drinks and Chinese.

The boys and I had our fill, said our good byes and ferried back to our beds. I couldn’t remember being so tired. (Except for the night before) I defiantly slept well.

Regards Tony

Sunday morning I got up, and met the crew at the club house. The usual was going on, repairs, coffee, talking ect.
As we were discussing finishing our AGM from the day before, the pro advised us, there was sufficient breeze to get some early races in. So we canned the meeting and headed out. Only to be greeted by a postponement flag. The wind shifted left, shifted left again, and then left again and then left some more. Eventually settling near enough to 180 deg from the where the original course was set.
So while we waited for the course to be set, some of the boats were out practicing, others just sat and waited. I took the time to have a few runs up and down. I had a test run against Brett and Kingsley for a while. They were noticeably faster, but they couldn’t get over the top of me. They ducked underneath me; we exchanged pleasantries and headed in different directions. I thought that was good enough, so I turned around headed back to start boat and waited with everyone else.
I guess it was more than an hour before we got the go ahead.
Race 6
Wind up around 12 to 15 knots.
I don’t remember the start at all. But what I do remember is pulling on my down haul and nothing happening. It was stuck fast and I couldn’t budge it. I thought tacking would free up whatever was jammed. This made no difference at all, so I was resigned to sail the complete race with a full baggy, wrinkly sail. When I got to the top mark I wasn’t last, but I’m not sure where I was.
I sailed down, got near the bottom mark, dropped the spinnaker and decided to lean over the front beam and see what was wrong.
The down haul on this boat runs under the front beam. I could see two of the blocks that cross each other were getting intimate, but there was nothing nothing I could do could budge them. Once again I had no choice but to sail without a down haul. I sailed the race in dead last position, it was painfully slow. I remember getting to the top mark and getting a hurry up from the rescue boat.
I finished 10th out of 10 and headed straight to shore to fix the problem.
Unfortunately race 7 was the last race for the morning and I didn’t get out there.
Race 8
The wind was building again to 15 knot gusts.
Everyone started except Tony who was still in hospital. The news filtering back was that he had blurry vision and he could read the top line on an eye chart. We were heartened by this and we all wished his wife well.
Marcus had gone out cat rigged. I guess there was a little controversy over changing his sailing configuration, but promised not to get too involved with the boats vying for the championship. No one really had any problems with it. It might of been the national titles, but it was held and being raced in good spirit.
The Vipers lead the way with Marcus right there on their tails. I could only imagine what he would of been like if he decided to get involved. Gary wasn’t letting anyone get away but the breeze was getting out of his preferred range. Simon was a little further back, then myself and the the three mosquitoes’ of Peter, Matt and Neil.
Matt had to do some running repairs on his broken spinnaker pole earlier on. Matt is one of the most eager sailors I have ever met. I’m not sure what happened to Shane on the Taipan, I know he was having rudder troubles early on.
It was an enjoyable race for me; I enjoyed the extra pressure, weighing in at 81kgs. I still sailed downwind with precautions, trapping out sometime and sitting in on other legs. My gybes weren’t that scary any more, although they were a long way from being efficient enough to make ground on the more practised sailors.
The mosquito guys are proof that quicker boats are not quicker if sailed poorly. Even though I was on an optimised F16 and I had my eyes on the slower optimised boats, the reality was I was racing the Mosquitoes. It only takes one slip up and those guys are all over you.
(note to myself) “practice more” “maintain boat”
I ended up coming 7th, 2.37 behind Simon and 27 seconds behind Peter on his Mozzy.
The last race. Race 9
Started in approximately 15 knots.
Only 7 boats on the start line.
From memory, there were only a couple of points separating James & Leigh , Brett and Kingsley and Gary. They all needed to beat each other to win the regatta.
From the start the Vipers looked like they had the jump on Gary. Gary didn’t like the wind in that range and had everything maxed out and still was over powered.
I was having my usual race with the Mosquitoes of Matt and Peter. I could beat them upwind, but downwind they sat inside and went low and fast. I was trapping downwind and heating it up as fast as I could. I wasn’t scared anymore; I was looking for every puff I could find. I just wanted to give it my all just once.
Heading down wind for the last time, I beat Matt around the top mark and Peter was a fair way back. I gybed straight away and Matt kept on going. I found gybing while trying to do it flat out was a bit of a problem. If I couldn’t get my foot in the strap, I would slide forward and my front foot would stop on the centre board. Valuable time was lost trying to get the foot in the strap.
We crossed once, I was in front, we crossed again and I had to take his stern. That was a bit scary, because I was riding a gust and heading up wasn’t an option, so I had to throw the sheet. It seemed like we were in a gybing dual, we crossed once more and again I was behind but by a little more. I decided to sail onto the lay line. Without much thought I jumped in, threw the tiller, hooked up and jumped out and proceed to pull the boat over on top of myself at 100 mph. Still scratching my head how I did that.
I didn’t finish that race either, but I wasn’t fazed, I went out going as hard as I could.
Later that night after a few drinks, Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club put on another great meal. The presentation was had, and a good time was had by all.
In the excitement of getting through as many races as we could, we never got around to finishing the AGM.

1 AUS108 Viper J McDonald 10.00 1.00 1.00 [5.00] [4.00] 1.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 2.00
2 AUS123 AHPC Viper B Goodall 13.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 [3.00] [3.00]
3 400 Formula Cats Aust G Maskiell 14.00 4.00 3.00 1.00 1.00 3.00 [4.00] [4.00] 1.00 1.00
4 AUS405 Zen S Porteous 25.00 3.00 [5.00] 4.00 [5.00] 4.00 3.00 3.00 4.00 4.00
5 1790 Bee Alert P Nikitin 43.00 6.00 6.00 7.00 7.00 6.00 5.00 [7.00] [7.00] 6.00
6 AUS403 Vertigo M Towell 44.00 12.00S 4.00 3.00 3.00 12.00S [12.00S] 5.00 5.00 [12.00F]
7 1775 Karma Cat N Maskiell 48.00 [12.00S] 9.00 6.00 6.00 5.00 8.00 6.00 8.00 [9.00]
8 1705 The Tiger M Stone 50.00 5.00 8.00 [9.00] 8.00 [9.00] 7.00 8.00 6.00 8.00
9 AUS404 FCA T Jenkins 61.00 12.00F 7.00 12.00S 10.00 7.00 6.00 [12.00S] [13.00F] 7.00
10 AUS029 Lil Bro S Kershaw 67.00 12.00S 12.00F 8.00 9.00 8.00 [12.00S] 9.00 9.00 [12.00F]
11 AUS406 Lone Wolf 2 T Barrett 77.00 12.00S 12.00S 12.00C 12.00C 12.00S 12.00S [12.00S] [13.00F] 5.00

Congratulations to everyone involved. As I write this my car, boat and gear has only been back since 19/5/09. And despite my results, I still had a great time. I got to meet the people I have spoken to over the years and a few others.
I’m convinced formula racing is a winner, in particular F16 which has a great future ahead of it.
I look forward to next year.
Regards Tony Jenkins.

"I’m convinced formula racing is a winner, " Our Spring regatta is mostly A class and spin boats. We give the A's their own start and run all the spin boats together. A few people absolutely refuse to participate, but most of us have a great time. There just isn't enough difference between F18 and F16 to warrant separate starts.

If people complain, Give them a reason to come and bring their mates!!!

We offer seperate prizes at our open (160-180 boats) for ANY fleet with 6+ boats. They may start within a "fleet start" but we give them prizes.

We set 2 totally different courses at each end of the lake. On the fast course (SCHRS 1.13 and below) we offer the following

1, Single handers (so this is The F16's, A's Shadows and the like - usually about 25-30 boats)
2, F18's (usually about 20)
3, Spitfires (usually about 12)
4, Fast handicap which inclues Hurricane 5.9, FX1 (2 up), Tornado and N20.

We also make it clear that the 2nd and 3rd starts are not set in stone - when we get more F16's than Spitfires(and the F16's want to sail as a fleet vs all Single handed in start 1), they might get relagated to the Fast handicap. If another class puts a big effort in over a couple of years, they might well get a start and some others starts get put together. THere is competition for starts, but WHATEVER happens, >6 boats get a couple of prizes.

It's worked for the last 20 odd years!!!!!!!

Most boats we had was 202 and we ran out of beach!!!!