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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
 Posted - 31 October 2008 : 8:31:05 PM
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This afternoon I went down to North Harbour and set the Hagar for the twilighter race. It was blowing from the west and predicted to swing to the south. I motored into the wharf and picked up Rod and crew. We were then informed that the Manly YC had cancelled the race because of a strong wind warning.
So we motored up the harbour and waited for the southerly change. Both of the CYC & Ammeters we out in force and racing.
The change arrived and we hoisted the old number three jib and took off down the harbour. The front was gusting up to 34 knots and settled down to be in the 20's and really nice.
The MYC Committee are bunch of cats, fat slow and soft! Always talking about public safety and liability nonsense.
It is a pitty that the other clubs are so far away.
Chris. |
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Dumaresq
Main Sheet Hand
117 Posts |
Posted - 31 October 2008 : 9:23:55 PM
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Unfortunately I think you will find that for clubs these days are not allowed to start races when the wind is above a certain speed from memory over 30 knots, this is set out by NSW Maritime.
They more than likely cancelled due to the fact that with the internet and other means of tracking weather, Clubs can see what they may expect in the near vicinity especially for instance when they are tracking a front. The one that came through tonight was in Sydney bang on 6:30 which is around the time you start.
I don’t agree with cancelling races due to the conditions, but these days with all the crap that goes on you have to cater for the more inexperienced people whom may not be able to cope with such conditions.
At the end of the day it is the skipper and crew’s decision whether or not to start or continue to race. They are the only ones who know when it is beyond them to keep sailing. We had to make the same decision at Hammo this year in the long race and I’m glad that we did retire although it was embarrassing motor home at least we lived to fight another day.
I see that North Head had gusts close to 30 nearly all afternoon.
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Stuart
http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/nthhbr/?albumview=link
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Edited by - Dumaresq on 31 October 2008 9:25:27 PM |
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4Seasons
Helmsman
723 Posts |
Posted - 01 November 2008 : 9:13:03 PM
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| I'm with you Stu,,EH |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 02 November 2008 : 07:06:43 AM
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There are two reasons to be ticked off with these clubs, firstly we are not children, although we act it sometimes, we can make rational decisions, and when it has been 25 knots plus a lot of the inexperienced yachts in the fleet just do not front up. And on these really strong days it is always the older guys who have done lots of ocean racing who enjoy it.
Secondly, how are people supposed to get experienced in handling their yachts in the big conditions if they cannot do it in the relative safety of Sydney Harbour? Crews need to learn how to change head sails and reef mains in rough conditions because at some time in an offshore race or delivery they will be hit by a weather front and rough conditions of some kind.
The ocean is a dangerous place, and that is one of the reasons that we go there. It is a test of of physical and mental strength and we like to be tested.
When my brother and I were teenagers and were learning to sail a fourteen foot skiff, we used to come home from school on a Friday night and if there was a big southerly blowing we would reef the main and with a small jib and go out on the harbour and race the ferries into to the evening and it was always dark when we came in. There was no insurance nonsense and we learnt a lot about boat handling in rough conditions with lots of rides and swims, as well as scaring be bejesus out of the ferry skippers.
Chris. |
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Dumaresq
Main Sheet Hand
117 Posts |
Posted - 02 November 2008 : 9:47:27 PM
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I understand where you’re coming from, but it still comes down to the fact that the races are ultimately controlled by NSW Maritime.
What stopping you from going out and practising in a blow? Just because the race is cancelled doesn’t mean you can’t leave the dock to do your own thing. Maybe you should have an understanding with the older guy’s that if the racing is cancelled we you still race and take our own times for the sake of it like at NHSC. (Just don’t go fudging the numbers the same way that you normally do).
I personally wouldn’t be practicing my reefing and changing headsails during the race, it takes to bloody long time and the race would be over by the time we changed to another sail.
One thing you must remember is that all water activities are governed by the NSW Maritime and they have guide lines on which races can be conducted. Like it or not there the rules I agree with most of them, you have to remember that some of them are there for safety reasons and not just for the sake of pissing people off.
What would have happen if one of the more inexperienced crews got into strife close to north head with a big southerly blowing? Let’s say they lost their rig and couldn’t clear it so therefore it’s not safe to run the engine, I don’t think Manly yacht clubs yellow tinnie would have enough grunt to tow a yacht downwind in 30 knots let alone upwind.
When you go sailing you should not expect that other people will come and risk their lives rescuing you just because you wanted to go racing on a very windy day, you’d probably say that nothing would happen to us but let me tell you from past experiences never assume that boats are bullet proof and accidents do happen.
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Stuart
http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/nthhbr/?albumview=link
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4Seasons
Helmsman
723 Posts |
Posted - 03 November 2008 : 3:19:01 PM
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| Like i said,,I'm with you Stu......EH |
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Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 03 November 2008 : 5:51:35 PM
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Hi all,
Its an interesting topic. When 30 knots plus hits Lake Macquarie, our colleagues at Belmont can't get off the marina or their moorings, but the intrepid sailors at Toronto sail off a sheltered shore. As a result LMYC call off their race but RMYCT carry on. I agree with Stu that the race should be abandoned under these conditions. Inexperienced sailors will not participate and some yachts e.g. Dragons are just not designed to sail in these conditions. The aim should be to give all competitors a chance.
Adrian |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 04 November 2008 : 11:23:21 AM
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I concede to your argument Adrian, because the yachts moored in Manly are in a similar situation as those up at Belmonte, while North Harbour is similarly situated at Toronto with some shelter.
However all the rules and soft foot shuffling will not train yachtsmen for offshore encounters unless you are prepared to have a go in the moderately safe confines of Sydney Harbour. Remembering that both the CYC & the Armatures raced on the day.
Chris. |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 06 November 2008 : 1:53:26 PM
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This weekend sees Hagar back in the action and hopefully the tenderfoots at MYC will allow a start for the Friday Night twilighter race.
Sunday will also see a race at North Harbour SC with visitors welcome as we start at around 11.00am onwards. It is a handicap start with a shorter inside course for the smaller and slower yachts.
Chris.` |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 07 November 2008 : 7:43:55 PM
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This`evenings twi-lighter race with MYC started slowly in a light north easterly. We took a risk and sailed the long course running square and then tightening up off Dobroyd to reach up to the Sow and Pigs, where we jibbed and reached across the Obelisk on the opposite tack. We came out of this in a good position and quickly reeled in about eight yachts and chased the remaining four yachts still in front. In the final work up to the Manly finish line we lost about three spots and passed another one or two to finally finish about fifth or sixth. It was a satisfying result as these lighter breezes are not to the Hagars liking with the breeze not filling in to our full potential.
Chris. |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 09 November 2008 : 9:15:19 PM
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My my, I do not know what has happened to the web-site, nasties or new work? No doubt John will inform us in time.
Today's race at North Harbour was a marathon 5 hour event to Drummoyne and back and passing outside most of the Harbour Islands. And naturally it is known as the annual Islands Race. We traded places with David Parsons, in his Carmen 31 for most of the race and only got the better of him in the work up the harbour and gave him the slip off Clarke Island on the return. We swapped places about seven times and ran away to be second over the line from the leader of the Division Two yachts.
We were informed by the tender driver that the Dumeresqe boys found that when they got aboard their yacht, that they had no rudder! It had either dropped to the bottom or been stolen. They will have to dive for it and it is about 25 feet, or more where they are moored near us.
Chris. |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 15 November 2008 : 05:04:47 AM
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The twiligher race at Manly was an interesting affair last night with a very strong northerly blowing. The committee selected a course which is the longest and less frequently sailed. It favoured the larger yachts, many catching and passing us towards the end if the race. We sailed reasonably well to finish mid fleet somewhere.
Chris. |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 18 November 2008 : 6:07:37 PM
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There seems to be something wrong with the web-site at present, this is the third time that I've attempted to at this story, anyway, a check of the twilighter results from last Friday showed that we came eighth. This result is much better than I had expected. Rod also reported that the wind was reading from 24 to 26 knots at the bottom mark of the course and there were some very nasty bullets. I was steering and she was a handful to keep from rounding up in the big squirts. The wind was a gusty northerly and was trying to go over to the west.
Chris. |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 24 November 2008 : 4:36:21 PM
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Hurrah!!!
It ruddy well works again!!
Last Friday night saw an acute shortage of crew and so I took the opportunity to take the sail maker out to the Hagar to be measured up for some new rags. The twilighter race was a very light one with about 10% of the fleet not finishing and the big boats again went well. So we did not miss much.
However Sundays race at North Harbour was one to be remembered, and forgotten. We had just about everything thrown upon us that mother nature could muster. Plus the fact that it was a top of +14 degrees Celsius with constant fronts and rain squalls coming through.
We started underpowered with a 30 to 40 knot weather prediction and had the old number three as well as a reef in the mainsail. It started raining and the breeze dropped out and before the start and into the first leg. We shook out the mainsail reef and went up to number one jib on the second leg. This was fine for about fifteen minutes and a squally front came out of Middle Harbour as we were sailing into the Balmoral marks. We had to drop the number one and re-hoist the number three as well as reefing down again. All this took time and in the meanwhile the boats that went off first got around the top mark and reached downwind with the change. We continued to play catch up for the rest of the day but had lost a lot of distance on the second leg. The good outcomes was the boat speed upwind of 6.2 knots with the reefed main and small jib. We are firmly of the opinion that the main is blown out as it is now three and half hard seasons old and is of a soft cruising cloth. We also got a high speed off the GPS of 8.3 knots under main & jib and we did not bother with the kites with only three hands aboard and with the wind ranging from 12 to 36 knots. Which was exciting at times. But it was darned cold! Don't we know!!
Stewart has retrieved their rudder which was on the bottom of North Harbour under their boat. But they are yet to re-fit it.
Chris. |
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admin
Forum Admin
44 Posts |
Posted - 25 November 2008 : 07:08:40 AM
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Hi Chris ... the problem you were having was not so much a site problem but a flood control to manage folk who may try to spam post - I have increased the time on that now.
Regards ...
John |
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Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 25 November 2008 : 08:00:39 AM
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Hi Chris,
I tried to add a new topic yesterday but was asked to enter an anti spam question. But could not find it!
Adrian |
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Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 25 November 2008 : 08:12:11 AM
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Hi Chris,
I was able to add the new topic this morning. "E24 Synergy Too For Sale" but found I could not edit the topic to add photos. The site would not recognise me as the poster.
Adrian |
Edited by - Go Flow on 25 November 2008 08:14:18 AM |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 25 November 2008 : 10:34:01 AM
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Hi there Adrian,
How are you sailing at the Lake these days? There has been an access and posting problem since John began working upon and upgrading the web-site. It is beging to look good now and yesterday I was able to post something for the first time in a week or so. I thought that it had been hacked again but John has apparently just been fiddling with it to keep the baddies out. All good things come to those who are patient, I suppose.
Does anyone know it the E27's are coming up to the Nationals this year from Botany Bay YC?
Chris. |
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Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 25 November 2008 : 11:28:05 AM
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Hi Chris,
We have an E28 "Scotch Mist " sailing at Toronto. I'm pushing him to participate at LMYC in January,
Adrian |
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Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 28 November 2008 : 3:47:54 PM
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Hi there Adrian, Good to see that you are prodding your big boats along to the Nationals. We need all the completion we can get, otherwise we might have to start and race in a combined fleet of E24 & E26's. Now wouldn't that be interesting. I would love to see the look on the 26 sailors faces when the big sails of Hagar shadow them.
We are supposed to be racing tonight but knowing the afraidy cats of the Twilighter fleet with good stuff like lightening and thunder, they will most likely call the race off.
Chris. |
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SAILING REPORTS ON '30's
