The 2015 Women's Keelboat State Championships
The day dawned with all the promises that were made. A rainy day and set to continue.
What didn't happen was the forecast winds, well at least to begin with..............
RO Les Swinton got things under way following the muffins and coffee on the Quarterdeck and by the advertised start time of 0930 the racing was underway. The wind was out of the north east and a little shifty, but well under the promised 30 knots (around 5 to 7 knots). A good length was set and ten Foundation 36's from the Swan River Sailing group headed up by the irrepressible Skip Lissiman roared out of the blocks. Well most of them did, but the 3 boats on a port (pin end) start forgot to tell Luke, the skipper on Check Point and we had to take some evasive action. Maybe we should have been just above the pin rather than just below it.
A well sailed race and really a testing period for the novitiates in the pack. With Jen Richardson(RPYC), Chelsea Hall (RFBYC), Carolyne Bush (FSC) and Jen Sims of SoPYC in the pack and a number of former skippers backing up new skippers from the major clubs it was wide open, but the betting was on a young lady with a pedigree and a team that had a strong smack of Mandurah in it. Freshie took the first race and well sailed Chelsea. No obvious mistakes made and only the new team from Geraldton took a little time but they were still acclimatizing to the river and the Foundies. (great to see them here, may be Esperance will join us next year)
The second race was fit for the running of the bulls. Everyone was at the boat end and the resultant charge down the line made me think of some of the more memorable Dragons starts or even Lasers (where did that come from?)
It was so full of testosterone I might have been excused for thinking I was on the start line of Div. One in the offshore fleet. Great to watch and photograph.. the start sequence tells it all. Again the roundings, particularly the top mark with boats going four wide shows the competiveness in the fleet. Its a pity that two OCS occurred in the start.. Jen Sims went back , but Kate Olsen(EFYC) thought she was cool and paid the ultimate price.. Jess Eastwell of SoPYC got up with Carolyne Bush of FSC second and Kirsten Norris, SoPYC third.
The third race began with the wind beginning to whine in the rigging of the spare start flag hoist on Check Point. A quick look up the river confirmed that whitecaps were in evidence and the start went underway with the genoa's being replaced with jibs and the course re-aligned to cover the shift in the breeze. Things started to look a little uncomfortable for some of the crews and flying a kite in the gusts that were coming through was not a good idea. But the leaders did and as such so did most of the rest. A couple of broaches were noted and one captured on images, but once again Jess Eastwell took the line with Chelsea Hall of RFBYC second and Jen Richardson of RPYC third.
The fourth race was sailed as a must do....the wind was rising and it was going to be a choice for the skippers as to fly a kite or not. The rain was in and the new front had dropped the temperature by a good five degrees with the wind chill factor as a factor not to be disregarded. Anyone dressed in shorts (and there were a few) was suffering. It was a case of sail and survive with most skippers electing not to throw up spinnakers, but the lead three of Chelsea Hall, Jess Eastwell and Jen Richardson managed to do that and fall over the line in that order, but not without Jess shredding a spinnaker in the last fifty meters and literally crossing the line dragging the spinnaker behind her.
All up it was Jess's conquest and SoPYC can claim the win. Jessica Eastwell has a strong match racing background and it's clear that she will bring strength to a team whereever she sails. Great to see her on the water this week.
Enjoy the images and I will be putting up a short video of the 4th race in a few days time.
What didn't happen was the forecast winds, well at least to begin with..............
RO Les Swinton got things under way following the muffins and coffee on the Quarterdeck and by the advertised start time of 0930 the racing was underway. The wind was out of the north east and a little shifty, but well under the promised 30 knots (around 5 to 7 knots). A good length was set and ten Foundation 36's from the Swan River Sailing group headed up by the irrepressible Skip Lissiman roared out of the blocks. Well most of them did, but the 3 boats on a port (pin end) start forgot to tell Luke, the skipper on Check Point and we had to take some evasive action. Maybe we should have been just above the pin rather than just below it.
A well sailed race and really a testing period for the novitiates in the pack. With Jen Richardson(RPYC), Chelsea Hall (RFBYC), Carolyne Bush (FSC) and Jen Sims of SoPYC in the pack and a number of former skippers backing up new skippers from the major clubs it was wide open, but the betting was on a young lady with a pedigree and a team that had a strong smack of Mandurah in it. Freshie took the first race and well sailed Chelsea. No obvious mistakes made and only the new team from Geraldton took a little time but they were still acclimatizing to the river and the Foundies. (great to see them here, may be Esperance will join us next year)
The second race was fit for the running of the bulls. Everyone was at the boat end and the resultant charge down the line made me think of some of the more memorable Dragons starts or even Lasers (where did that come from?)
It was so full of testosterone I might have been excused for thinking I was on the start line of Div. One in the offshore fleet. Great to watch and photograph.. the start sequence tells it all. Again the roundings, particularly the top mark with boats going four wide shows the competiveness in the fleet. Its a pity that two OCS occurred in the start.. Jen Sims went back , but Kate Olsen(EFYC) thought she was cool and paid the ultimate price.. Jess Eastwell of SoPYC got up with Carolyne Bush of FSC second and Kirsten Norris, SoPYC third.
The third race began with the wind beginning to whine in the rigging of the spare start flag hoist on Check Point. A quick look up the river confirmed that whitecaps were in evidence and the start went underway with the genoa's being replaced with jibs and the course re-aligned to cover the shift in the breeze. Things started to look a little uncomfortable for some of the crews and flying a kite in the gusts that were coming through was not a good idea. But the leaders did and as such so did most of the rest. A couple of broaches were noted and one captured on images, but once again Jess Eastwell took the line with Chelsea Hall of RFBYC second and Jen Richardson of RPYC third.
The fourth race was sailed as a must do....the wind was rising and it was going to be a choice for the skippers as to fly a kite or not. The rain was in and the new front had dropped the temperature by a good five degrees with the wind chill factor as a factor not to be disregarded. Anyone dressed in shorts (and there were a few) was suffering. It was a case of sail and survive with most skippers electing not to throw up spinnakers, but the lead three of Chelsea Hall, Jess Eastwell and Jen Richardson managed to do that and fall over the line in that order, but not without Jess shredding a spinnaker in the last fifty meters and literally crossing the line dragging the spinnaker behind her.
All up it was Jess's conquest and SoPYC can claim the win. Jessica Eastwell has a strong match racing background and it's clear that she will bring strength to a team whereever she sails. Great to see her on the water this week.
Enjoy the images and I will be putting up a short video of the 4th race in a few days time.