The Flying 15 State Championships 2024
sailed at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht club
Easter 29th March
http://www.sportspage.com.au/yacht_clubs/rfbyc/Flying15states2024/Flying_15_Consistency.htmIt's Good Friday and the weather has been perfect for the last few weeks. The promise of a fair breeze by mid morning is quite possible so the regatta should be a cracker. The old stagers are there and the younger guns are warming up with the usual calisthenics involved with such an effort.
I'm only to do the first day of this event due to a clash with other expectations, but it is a pleasure to watch the F15's at work and today promises to be a good one.
The race day began, as most of them do, with a gathering of the competitors slightly before 11 am with the lunches being consumed while they caught up with each other and traded goss wile doing so. There was a ruffle of a breeze over the water, but it hadn't made its mind up as to what and how as yet.
A wander around the grounds showed me where the boats were and I identified the blokes ( Hoggy and Big Wal ) who were running the rescue/safety boat. That done, I turned over the silver classics trophy that had been recovered by the archives department to Sharon's safe keeping and kept the camera working.
The afternoon started with us towing a couple of lucky boats out (and back) and we stooged around the prospective start line area while the RO sorted out his needs. No need to rush around getting photos, there will be plenty of time for that later on. At the advertised time the racing began with a fine 8 knots to keep the fleet busy with a length of 1.1 kms on 370 degrees. Which basically had the top mark up around Brickies A & B all the way from near Bond.
Away they went, with a surprise at the top mark. Andrew and Anne Knowles and 'A- Squared' rounded first; they must have picked a blinder but they had the lead on the favoured Jerwood/Sheridan combo and then proved it by holding on all the way around the # 2 course of a double sausage. A surprise yes indeed, but the breeze was freshening and the RO's warning of not causing grief on the start line seemed to have had an affect as the line for both starts was uncommonly placid. (Or was it that age is dimming the fire of some of these F15 sailors.)
The second race was a little quicker as the wind had swung as had the course and it was shortened thanks to a lack of room at the top end. No matter, this time Nick and Brad offered no chances and again led from start to finish. Mind you there was some fun and games at the top with the usual crowding in the middle of the pack, but being in the lead group keeps you out of that problem. Not far behind the leaders, the Swan / Elliot combination on Phar Lap held sway over the Packer / McAullay team with Firefly who just beat David Yu and Chris Nelson on Tuffan Up into third place.
The racing concluded, we gathered up the boats to take back and headed toward the pens. A small note that Jerwood and Sheridan were nearly home, by the time we made it over to the club with out boats in tow. Gosh they can sail well.
I hope that the rest of the regatta goes well and that the visitors from Esperance and Geraldton do well in the regatta. My thanks to Big Wall and Hoggy for the ride, it was a pleasure to go out with people who knew racing on the F15's and could find a good spot for photos for me. Appreciated!
My thanks to Sandy Dunn, the SoPYC rep and to Seth Eggleston the RFBYC rep as they kept me fed, watered and on a boat. As always, thanks to Sharon Skinner.. doesn't matter where she is the sail admin.. Sharon has it running flawlessly.
Enjoy the photos as there are few more for you to enjoy and there will be some video going up in the next day or so, when I can find the time.
The results are in and may be found at http://www.sportspage.com.au/yacht_clubs/rfbyc/Flying15states2024/Flying_15_Consistency.htm
https://www.sportspage.com.au/yacht_clubs/rfbyc/Flying15states2024/Flying_15_Championship.htm
I'm only to do the first day of this event due to a clash with other expectations, but it is a pleasure to watch the F15's at work and today promises to be a good one.
The race day began, as most of them do, with a gathering of the competitors slightly before 11 am with the lunches being consumed while they caught up with each other and traded goss wile doing so. There was a ruffle of a breeze over the water, but it hadn't made its mind up as to what and how as yet.
A wander around the grounds showed me where the boats were and I identified the blokes ( Hoggy and Big Wal ) who were running the rescue/safety boat. That done, I turned over the silver classics trophy that had been recovered by the archives department to Sharon's safe keeping and kept the camera working.
The afternoon started with us towing a couple of lucky boats out (and back) and we stooged around the prospective start line area while the RO sorted out his needs. No need to rush around getting photos, there will be plenty of time for that later on. At the advertised time the racing began with a fine 8 knots to keep the fleet busy with a length of 1.1 kms on 370 degrees. Which basically had the top mark up around Brickies A & B all the way from near Bond.
Away they went, with a surprise at the top mark. Andrew and Anne Knowles and 'A- Squared' rounded first; they must have picked a blinder but they had the lead on the favoured Jerwood/Sheridan combo and then proved it by holding on all the way around the # 2 course of a double sausage. A surprise yes indeed, but the breeze was freshening and the RO's warning of not causing grief on the start line seemed to have had an affect as the line for both starts was uncommonly placid. (Or was it that age is dimming the fire of some of these F15 sailors.)
The second race was a little quicker as the wind had swung as had the course and it was shortened thanks to a lack of room at the top end. No matter, this time Nick and Brad offered no chances and again led from start to finish. Mind you there was some fun and games at the top with the usual crowding in the middle of the pack, but being in the lead group keeps you out of that problem. Not far behind the leaders, the Swan / Elliot combination on Phar Lap held sway over the Packer / McAullay team with Firefly who just beat David Yu and Chris Nelson on Tuffan Up into third place.
The racing concluded, we gathered up the boats to take back and headed toward the pens. A small note that Jerwood and Sheridan were nearly home, by the time we made it over to the club with out boats in tow. Gosh they can sail well.
I hope that the rest of the regatta goes well and that the visitors from Esperance and Geraldton do well in the regatta. My thanks to Big Wall and Hoggy for the ride, it was a pleasure to go out with people who knew racing on the F15's and could find a good spot for photos for me. Appreciated!
My thanks to Sandy Dunn, the SoPYC rep and to Seth Eggleston the RFBYC rep as they kept me fed, watered and on a boat. As always, thanks to Sharon Skinner.. doesn't matter where she is the sail admin.. Sharon has it running flawlessly.
Enjoy the photos as there are few more for you to enjoy and there will be some video going up in the next day or so, when I can find the time.
The results are in and may be found at http://www.sportspage.com.au/yacht_clubs/rfbyc/Flying15states2024/Flying_15_Consistency.htm
https://www.sportspage.com.au/yacht_clubs/rfbyc/Flying15states2024/Flying_15_Championship.htm