The 2018 Bunbury - Return race.
70th Anniversary edition.
23rd of February 2018
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
This is the seventieth or platinum version and having done some reading about the yachts that did the first race, I'm pleased to hear that an H28 went for a run on the day. J. Fitzhardinge of Royal Perth took Nova out for a run and while he didn't scoop the pool, he showed that the Herreshoff 28 was a competitor. Of the 15 boats that took part in the event, some are still with us today and there have been some of the original fleet on show at RFBYC.
I've been invited to join the fleet on the start line at the Fremantle Harbour at 1700 hrs on Friday with the race start at 1730 hrs. If the sea state is viable, I'll follow the boats for a while and I'll work them as long as I have good light. Good luck and fair winds to the fleet and I'll try to cover everyone. (though I do realise that herding cats is easier)
I've been invited to join the fleet on the start line at the Fremantle Harbour at 1700 hrs on Friday with the race start at 1730 hrs. If the sea state is viable, I'll follow the boats for a while and I'll work them as long as I have good light. Good luck and fair winds to the fleet and I'll try to cover everyone. (though I do realise that herding cats is easier)
On the day.
It was almost a perfect day with a honking southerly that was already up amongst the 20's. Now mix into that a sea state that was based on a 3 metre swell and one and a half metres of wave action. Then send the boats out of the harbour on a screaming reach across the water until they hit the first turning mark with Bunbury as the destination. They knew it was to be fast, but the furious was in the mix as well and there were one or two sails with reefs in them. Certainly a jib and not a genoa, but the need for speed may have effected some changes. I wasn't on the yachts so I'll speculate no further.
The start was interesting with the two speed demons aiming for the pin and getting a surprise from a power boat that ducked through ( fortunately ) below the pin. It could have been interesting, right there and then. However they found themselves around the pin and onto the course proper. Room to move and open up their wings a little. The drag race commenced and DD was doing just fine. Running in a largish aluminium boat we forbore from following too far, as our wake would become a problem, but as far as south mole was our target and then follow the tail of the fleet.
Talking of the fleet, we had eighteen boats listed and a couple must have had trouble finding crew as only sixteen fronted. But those who went out were setting out for an all out dash down the coast.
We left the fleet as they disappeared up sun and the rest of the wooden launches that had come out to give them a send off turned around pretty much as we did. They were rolling as hard as we were and the helms on those boats had to be careful not to spill the champagne.
My thanks to Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht club and the team (thanks Suz) that put me on the water and to my drivers aboard Merve Finn ( now that's a name to remember ) Shawn and Mitch Daniels. Thanks to all of you. To the participants in the race and the events that occurred last night my heartfelt sorrow. No-one wishes to lose a friend.
I hope that this is appropriate.
Almighty Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.
It was almost a perfect day with a honking southerly that was already up amongst the 20's. Now mix into that a sea state that was based on a 3 metre swell and one and a half metres of wave action. Then send the boats out of the harbour on a screaming reach across the water until they hit the first turning mark with Bunbury as the destination. They knew it was to be fast, but the furious was in the mix as well and there were one or two sails with reefs in them. Certainly a jib and not a genoa, but the need for speed may have effected some changes. I wasn't on the yachts so I'll speculate no further.
The start was interesting with the two speed demons aiming for the pin and getting a surprise from a power boat that ducked through ( fortunately ) below the pin. It could have been interesting, right there and then. However they found themselves around the pin and onto the course proper. Room to move and open up their wings a little. The drag race commenced and DD was doing just fine. Running in a largish aluminium boat we forbore from following too far, as our wake would become a problem, but as far as south mole was our target and then follow the tail of the fleet.
Talking of the fleet, we had eighteen boats listed and a couple must have had trouble finding crew as only sixteen fronted. But those who went out were setting out for an all out dash down the coast.
We left the fleet as they disappeared up sun and the rest of the wooden launches that had come out to give them a send off turned around pretty much as we did. They were rolling as hard as we were and the helms on those boats had to be careful not to spill the champagne.
My thanks to Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht club and the team (thanks Suz) that put me on the water and to my drivers aboard Merve Finn ( now that's a name to remember ) Shawn and Mitch Daniels. Thanks to all of you. To the participants in the race and the events that occurred last night my heartfelt sorrow. No-one wishes to lose a friend.
I hope that this is appropriate.
Almighty Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.