4 boats fronted up for the series deciding last heat of the Special Trophies on a trophy Sydney day, so it was big main, no2 genoa, big kite. We knew the 18 footers 2nd last race of the worlds was on up the harbour so were aware to keep well clear.
The forecast was 8-12kts East, tide coming in all race to about 4pm but not a big tide range delta so not a great issue, but the breeze sagged at times even up harbour, and veered +/-25 degrees at will needing constant watching upwind and downwind all race.
At the start it was about ~8kts E and we got away well with clear air and speed – of course SF was just to windward of us then AOE to windward of them, with BV coming through a bit lower and later.
In that wind we had speed and height to burn and even though SF controlled us across to Bedlam with a gunwale to gunwale separation of 10 foot or less at times, we footed through underneath to keep clear air and then tacked back onto port after they did to try and get the gong to Searles. We just got the gong after tacking under them again once more, then called water which of course was given – another close tack under them from port to stbd ensued then after the next lee bow tack onto stbd then back to port we jagged a left veer in the breeze and a bit more pressure and were able to cross SF coming out of Abbotsford Bay when we went across to the Chiswick shore, and held that to get around Drummoyne Pt about 200m clear. AOE was hanging in well along with BV.
There were 2 more changes of lead up the Drummoyne and Woolwich channels past Cockatoo then it was back on stbd with a right veer and in building wind SF footed out from under us across Greenwich and were gone as expected but we held on reasonably to Shark Is and kite set for home. From Clark to Goat Islands the harbour was a complete washing machine and, along with a cruise ferry doing a u-turn right in front of us, keeping speed up and the margin to AOE sailing well downwind was not easy. A few gybes got us to the finish to get the 2nd on scratch behind SF and the hcap win. AOE hung on well all day to get the 2nd on hcap, SF 3rd, BV 4th.
For the series, the placegetters were decided by countback with first tied up on 7 points. With two heat wins, 1st in the series went to Axis Of Evil, 2nd to Resurgent and 3rd to Still Festering. Well done to all to keep the series alive to the last race.
At the start it was about ~8kts E and we got away well with clear air and speed – of course SF was just to windward of us then AOE to windward of them, with BV coming through a bit lower and later.
In that wind we had speed and height to burn and even though SF controlled us across to Bedlam with a gunwale to gunwale separation of 10 foot or less at times, we footed through underneath to keep clear air and then tacked back onto port after they did to try and get the gong to Searles. We just got the gong after tacking under them again once more, then called water which of course was given – another close tack under them from port to stbd ensued then after the next lee bow tack onto stbd then back to port we jagged a left veer in the breeze and a bit more pressure and were able to cross SF coming out of Abbotsford Bay when we went across to the Chiswick shore, and held that to get around Drummoyne Pt about 200m clear. AOE was hanging in well along with BV.
There were 2 more changes of lead up the Drummoyne and Woolwich channels past Cockatoo then it was back on stbd with a right veer and in building wind SF footed out from under us across Greenwich and were gone as expected but we held on reasonably to Shark Is and kite set for home. From Clark to Goat Islands the harbour was a complete washing machine and, along with a cruise ferry doing a u-turn right in front of us, keeping speed up and the margin to AOE sailing well downwind was not easy. A few gybes got us to the finish to get the 2nd on scratch behind SF and the hcap win. AOE hung on well all day to get the 2nd on hcap, SF 3rd, BV 4th.
For the series, the placegetters were decided by countback with first tied up on 7 points. With two heat wins, 1st in the series went to Axis Of Evil, 2nd to Resurgent and 3rd to Still Festering. Well done to all to keep the series alive to the last race.
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