The 2020 Applecross Cup Series
Despite the hiatus caused by the pandemic sweeping through the country, we have managed to avoid the worst and the sailing has recommenced. Just in time too, as the school kids need the experience on the water quickly. We'll be covering the series and I'll invite you to enjoy the photographs as we go.
Day Eight. The 13th of September 2020
There are two young sailors whom I have a lot of respect for.
Stand up Harry and Xavier, skipper and crew of the last Pelican on the river. Sailing "Combat" they took on the river with a fresh sou wester and put in three good races, where the bigger boats were either breaking kit or retiring prematurely. Sure, they were the only Pelican on the river, but doesn't that say something for them? Not prepared to quit sounds about right and after 2 hours of being hammered by the 15 + knot sea breeze they retired with their honour intact.
I was the driver today for Bel, a snapper for the Windsurfers and we had a bit of fun chasing the boats around, not getting too wet, but the pitch of the waves made it a slightly bumpy ride.
The rest of the day was a testing time for the F 15's as they prepare for the states to be held shortly. 16 or boats were counted on the water, though 3 or 4 hadn't officially signed on and were testing both their equipment or their crew. Nice to see though. Of the boats Nick Jerwood teamed up with Brad Sheridan had to work to keep Greg Tonisson and Mike Dunbar off their tails with Hamish Carnachan following up with a strong third. A couple of boats had to retire with gear breakage and one was heard wondering whether the fellow who sold him his old boat had kept up the maintenance on the vessel. Well it was only the rivets on a spinnaker pole (for crying out loud).
Moving on and again the 125's were on the water providing strong competition, with the sole Pelican who's only ambition was to get off the line before they did so not be drafted by the 5 bigger boats as they tore past him. But they were in keen racing mode and with a brisk breeze, they fairly sparkled on the water. Ryan Sherburn and Kimberley Lanter did a fine job to keep Georgette Keating and Lachlan Putt in second place but they had father + daughter combo Alex and Charlotte Obeirne keeping them both honest as they were hard on the heels of both of them.
Then to the Bic Techno with brother and sister Conner and Caitlin Shaw slogging their way around the course. Hard work with those big wings, but someone had to do it and Caitlin managed to take the win. This leads onto the Windsurfers and the man of the series and probably in WA Tim Gourlay was comfortably ahead of Denis Jones in second with Kelvin Usher taking a good third. It was noticed that they were ripping around the course today with great speed and the angles that they were sailing were as good as you could get on a 125. Surprising yes, but I had one come at me out of the blue when we were filming along the edges of the course and the speed he had was amazing.
Many thanks to the start team and volunteers who made the day, in fact the weekend a success and congratulations to the sailors who competed over the two days.
Stand up Harry and Xavier, skipper and crew of the last Pelican on the river. Sailing "Combat" they took on the river with a fresh sou wester and put in three good races, where the bigger boats were either breaking kit or retiring prematurely. Sure, they were the only Pelican on the river, but doesn't that say something for them? Not prepared to quit sounds about right and after 2 hours of being hammered by the 15 + knot sea breeze they retired with their honour intact.
I was the driver today for Bel, a snapper for the Windsurfers and we had a bit of fun chasing the boats around, not getting too wet, but the pitch of the waves made it a slightly bumpy ride.
The rest of the day was a testing time for the F 15's as they prepare for the states to be held shortly. 16 or boats were counted on the water, though 3 or 4 hadn't officially signed on and were testing both their equipment or their crew. Nice to see though. Of the boats Nick Jerwood teamed up with Brad Sheridan had to work to keep Greg Tonisson and Mike Dunbar off their tails with Hamish Carnachan following up with a strong third. A couple of boats had to retire with gear breakage and one was heard wondering whether the fellow who sold him his old boat had kept up the maintenance on the vessel. Well it was only the rivets on a spinnaker pole (for crying out loud).
Moving on and again the 125's were on the water providing strong competition, with the sole Pelican who's only ambition was to get off the line before they did so not be drafted by the 5 bigger boats as they tore past him. But they were in keen racing mode and with a brisk breeze, they fairly sparkled on the water. Ryan Sherburn and Kimberley Lanter did a fine job to keep Georgette Keating and Lachlan Putt in second place but they had father + daughter combo Alex and Charlotte Obeirne keeping them both honest as they were hard on the heels of both of them.
Then to the Bic Techno with brother and sister Conner and Caitlin Shaw slogging their way around the course. Hard work with those big wings, but someone had to do it and Caitlin managed to take the win. This leads onto the Windsurfers and the man of the series and probably in WA Tim Gourlay was comfortably ahead of Denis Jones in second with Kelvin Usher taking a good third. It was noticed that they were ripping around the course today with great speed and the angles that they were sailing were as good as you could get on a 125. Surprising yes, but I had one come at me out of the blue when we were filming along the edges of the course and the speed he had was amazing.
Many thanks to the start team and volunteers who made the day, in fact the weekend a success and congratulations to the sailors who competed over the two days.
Day Seven. The 12th of September 2020
Here today and gone tomorrow with yet another day put aside thanks to the inclement weather. That was day six.
However the first day of the finals opened up bright and clear with an easterly that had the distinct wish to wander where ever it would. A number of the international class boats moved off the beach and were supplemented with additions from RFBYC and RPYC. RO Les Swinton found himself with the chance to fire up on the dot at 0930 and the first set of Optimists were sent on their way with a parents? drone buzzing over head. The intermediate Optimists set off next with the Bic's chasing each other across the line after the Optis started and then it was time for the Lasers make their way onto the start line with a small but dedicated pack of full rig specialists rushing off the line.
The Radial and 4.7 Lasers were packed together for urgencies sake and they responded by nearly pushing the starter into over drive as they surged up and down the line. No fear exhibited and by a whisker, the recall flag was left untouched. And then the 29ers staged their own start with three very eager skippers making their way out onto the water. The fleet was underway.
Two races down and we had the top mark waltzing between the east and south with the mark layers sprinting between the two preferred mark placements. Then the hint of a southerly stepped up to the plate. Not a complete change of direction, but the waltz turned into a rumba with big gusts coming down the right.
Race four and then all was put in place with a re alignment of the buoys. The chatter on the radio from the other clubs had us convinced that we had the issue addressed as they were undergoing problems of their own. The race began and shortly madness reigned as a new breeze came up the river. The Optimists, Bics and Lasers were reaching up and down the course and the solitary Moth was soaring across the course on speed runs. Nearly got wiped out by an Optimist that turned right in front of him, but he made an agile jink to prevent a mutual destruction and the Optimist skipper lived to tell the story of his escapade.
The RO had no choice but to hang out the finish up and go home flags. Suitable in my mind, as we had been on the water since 0900 hrs and we were starving.
Enjoy the images and the presentations will go up tomorrow.
However the first day of the finals opened up bright and clear with an easterly that had the distinct wish to wander where ever it would. A number of the international class boats moved off the beach and were supplemented with additions from RFBYC and RPYC. RO Les Swinton found himself with the chance to fire up on the dot at 0930 and the first set of Optimists were sent on their way with a parents? drone buzzing over head. The intermediate Optimists set off next with the Bic's chasing each other across the line after the Optis started and then it was time for the Lasers make their way onto the start line with a small but dedicated pack of full rig specialists rushing off the line.
The Radial and 4.7 Lasers were packed together for urgencies sake and they responded by nearly pushing the starter into over drive as they surged up and down the line. No fear exhibited and by a whisker, the recall flag was left untouched. And then the 29ers staged their own start with three very eager skippers making their way out onto the water. The fleet was underway.
Two races down and we had the top mark waltzing between the east and south with the mark layers sprinting between the two preferred mark placements. Then the hint of a southerly stepped up to the plate. Not a complete change of direction, but the waltz turned into a rumba with big gusts coming down the right.
Race four and then all was put in place with a re alignment of the buoys. The chatter on the radio from the other clubs had us convinced that we had the issue addressed as they were undergoing problems of their own. The race began and shortly madness reigned as a new breeze came up the river. The Optimists, Bics and Lasers were reaching up and down the course and the solitary Moth was soaring across the course on speed runs. Nearly got wiped out by an Optimist that turned right in front of him, but he made an agile jink to prevent a mutual destruction and the Optimist skipper lived to tell the story of his escapade.
The RO had no choice but to hang out the finish up and go home flags. Suitable in my mind, as we had been on the water since 0900 hrs and we were starving.
Enjoy the images and the presentations will go up tomorrow.
And the presentations.
A rogues gallery for sure, but winners are grinners and many thanks to our sponsors Boating Hardware and Schweppes for their support of the event.
A rogues gallery for sure, but winners are grinners and many thanks to our sponsors Boating Hardware and Schweppes for their support of the event.
Day Five. The 23rd of August 2020
If you wonder what happened to day four, well put it down to a pretty blowy sort of a day, but not like this Sunday.
A Westerly was in evidence, but it had a mind of its own and the RO Les Swinton was hard put to keep the course aligned. In fact the mark layers were working hard for most of the afternoon as the wind spun through its axis 4o degrees one way for a race and came back to its original setting of 260 degrees for the next. The breeze was itself around the 8 to 12 knots with occasional gusts and lulls to keep the sailors on their toes.
One lonely Pelican. Its getting to the point that I'll be framing that photograph of this Pelican and declaring it an endangered species. But the skipper and his crew were having a whale of a time starting with the 125's and although he cheerfully admitted to not being able to beat them, the incentive was there. Love the skippers style.
The 125's had a four pack on the water with a mix of clubs out there for some decent competition to the SoPYC teams. Then of course the Flying 15s. My word, you would think that the worlds were still on and the boys and girls were in strict training. Both of the Dunbars are now on the water up front and I guess it wont be long before they buy one between themselves. They will have to sell the "Pirate Boat" but that shouldn't be too hard. The RO was so impressed he gave the F15s an extra race at the end of the day and it was relished by the remaining half a dozen or so who had stayed on the water in the hope. Bad luck to Chris and Thor who broke a main halyard and had the sail drop on them rather spectacularly up near the top mark. They retired and weren't seen again. Otherwise there were two visitors from Freshie and they did very well with Hamish Carnarchan taking one race away from the Jerwood boat ( Nia has been replaced by Shero by the way). Well done to them.
And then there's the windsurfers, they were in their element with enough breeze to keep them going and there were a few very tired people who eventually made their way back onto the beach at the end of the day. I actually escorted one of the Bic Techno's back in as her driver was exhausted after 4 hours on the water. But the rest of them were sailing well and the Lanes (Ian and Jade) were doing a fine job holding up the banner for the club. If I remember they were F15 sailors at one stage. Good on them for making the transition.
And a last word with those foiling windsurfers. Nearly took one out as he passed behind me when I was manoeuvring the boat. They are fast, very fast and like the Moths you don't hear them coming until they are on you. I respect their right to be on the water, but I do ask that they try not to be too close to me when I'm photographing. I apologised to him after the day and learnt that the foils are rated up to 30 knots. So clearly that's what he was trying to do. :-)
Enjoy the photos.
A Westerly was in evidence, but it had a mind of its own and the RO Les Swinton was hard put to keep the course aligned. In fact the mark layers were working hard for most of the afternoon as the wind spun through its axis 4o degrees one way for a race and came back to its original setting of 260 degrees for the next. The breeze was itself around the 8 to 12 knots with occasional gusts and lulls to keep the sailors on their toes.
One lonely Pelican. Its getting to the point that I'll be framing that photograph of this Pelican and declaring it an endangered species. But the skipper and his crew were having a whale of a time starting with the 125's and although he cheerfully admitted to not being able to beat them, the incentive was there. Love the skippers style.
The 125's had a four pack on the water with a mix of clubs out there for some decent competition to the SoPYC teams. Then of course the Flying 15s. My word, you would think that the worlds were still on and the boys and girls were in strict training. Both of the Dunbars are now on the water up front and I guess it wont be long before they buy one between themselves. They will have to sell the "Pirate Boat" but that shouldn't be too hard. The RO was so impressed he gave the F15s an extra race at the end of the day and it was relished by the remaining half a dozen or so who had stayed on the water in the hope. Bad luck to Chris and Thor who broke a main halyard and had the sail drop on them rather spectacularly up near the top mark. They retired and weren't seen again. Otherwise there were two visitors from Freshie and they did very well with Hamish Carnarchan taking one race away from the Jerwood boat ( Nia has been replaced by Shero by the way). Well done to them.
And then there's the windsurfers, they were in their element with enough breeze to keep them going and there were a few very tired people who eventually made their way back onto the beach at the end of the day. I actually escorted one of the Bic Techno's back in as her driver was exhausted after 4 hours on the water. But the rest of them were sailing well and the Lanes (Ian and Jade) were doing a fine job holding up the banner for the club. If I remember they were F15 sailors at one stage. Good on them for making the transition.
And a last word with those foiling windsurfers. Nearly took one out as he passed behind me when I was manoeuvring the boat. They are fast, very fast and like the Moths you don't hear them coming until they are on you. I respect their right to be on the water, but I do ask that they try not to be too close to me when I'm photographing. I apologised to him after the day and learnt that the foils are rated up to 30 knots. So clearly that's what he was trying to do. :-)
Enjoy the photos.
Day Three. The 26th of July 2020
If we could get the Nor easters to co operate then maybe the day could have been better. However it was a good day on the water and despite the low numbers with the 125's and the Pelis, we had good numbers with the F 15's and the Windsurfers with a couple of Techno's joining in as well.
The sky was as black as the ace of spades to the north and the wombling nor easter wasn't going to give the RO much help. May be 5 to 8 knots and enough to get a fleet going was the call, so the Pelis started up and eventually crossed the line. Right behind were the F15's and they rapidly overtook the smaller dinghies. Fun and games as despite their low numbers, the 125's were rocking away from the line and then the Windsurfers lined up.
Jeepers, they sail a flat line on the start. I ended up retreating behind the pin to prevent from being punctured by some furiously pumping sailors. Away they all went so I spent little time at the bottom mark and then over to the finish to get some smiles captured. The next race was well away and the F15's had doubled in fleet numbers and faces that I hadn't seen for years started popping up. Oh look, there's a Dunbar out on the water and he's sailing on Greg's new boat and there's Chris Patterson sporting the magnificent growth on his top lip. Who is that beside him? Oh, that's Thor, his old side man from the 505 worlds. Another team up for the future and I wonder if new sails are in the offing. Thor was adamant that this was the first time on a F15, but he did pretty well for a newbie.
Everything went quiet for a short while and an AP was hoisted. A new breeze made its way over Kings Park and Les Swinton fired up again with a shorter course. Good enough and away they went yet again. It wasn't fast sailing but if you missed the breeze, you went out the back door very quickly. A bit of luck had them turning over the race pretty quickly and as the next race began, you could see the rain beginning to fall down at Freshwater Bay. Not a nice thought as the black skies to the north began to move our way. Yes it was going to be wet.
A quick retirement had me on the hard stand by 1600 hrs and the gear was put away before the rain commenced. My cameras just don't like to get wet.
Many thanks to the sailors for their hard work and to all the volunteers who were out there. Well done.
As usual these images are for sail. Enjoy and I'll see you in a couple of weeks.
The sky was as black as the ace of spades to the north and the wombling nor easter wasn't going to give the RO much help. May be 5 to 8 knots and enough to get a fleet going was the call, so the Pelis started up and eventually crossed the line. Right behind were the F15's and they rapidly overtook the smaller dinghies. Fun and games as despite their low numbers, the 125's were rocking away from the line and then the Windsurfers lined up.
Jeepers, they sail a flat line on the start. I ended up retreating behind the pin to prevent from being punctured by some furiously pumping sailors. Away they all went so I spent little time at the bottom mark and then over to the finish to get some smiles captured. The next race was well away and the F15's had doubled in fleet numbers and faces that I hadn't seen for years started popping up. Oh look, there's a Dunbar out on the water and he's sailing on Greg's new boat and there's Chris Patterson sporting the magnificent growth on his top lip. Who is that beside him? Oh, that's Thor, his old side man from the 505 worlds. Another team up for the future and I wonder if new sails are in the offing. Thor was adamant that this was the first time on a F15, but he did pretty well for a newbie.
Everything went quiet for a short while and an AP was hoisted. A new breeze made its way over Kings Park and Les Swinton fired up again with a shorter course. Good enough and away they went yet again. It wasn't fast sailing but if you missed the breeze, you went out the back door very quickly. A bit of luck had them turning over the race pretty quickly and as the next race began, you could see the rain beginning to fall down at Freshwater Bay. Not a nice thought as the black skies to the north began to move our way. Yes it was going to be wet.
A quick retirement had me on the hard stand by 1600 hrs and the gear was put away before the rain commenced. My cameras just don't like to get wet.
Many thanks to the sailors for their hard work and to all the volunteers who were out there. Well done.
As usual these images are for sail. Enjoy and I'll see you in a couple of weeks.
Day Two The 12th of July 2020
If you are wondering where Day one went, the day was deemed unsuitable for sailing and was let go. Pity as I'm sure that the 15's would have had a hoot of a day! However.
The day commenced with a stiff nor easter in evidence and a fair bit of fun was predicted. I'd managed to get Lyndon Duthie (I hope I got the Christian name right) to drive for me and I was pleased with the knowledge that he was able to impart to me during the day. School holidays were in full swing and I'd be correct to say that half the sailors were either up North or snuggled up in front of a roaring fire some where in Denmark or Margs. No matter we had about 40 starters with a huge bunch of foilers joining us. That and a good bunch of Optis as well.
Race one got away disastrously with the Optimists crowding up next to the boat and spilling over the line with no hope of getting back. General recall. Well that let the Lasers loose on a nor easter that had begun to drop and they had no problems making the day theirs. Away they went with a particularly strong section in the standard rigs, great to watch. Three 29er's came out to play and with 2 Duthies in the event our interest was strong. A couple of Bics (Open Skiffs) got going and then the foilers ( Moths, Waszps and a maverick foiling cat ) came out to play. Sure enough the cat was only there to annoy the starters (which he successfully did) and cleared off to do something else.
But we had 4 or 5 waszps and an equal number of Moths all of whom were waiting for a decent breeze. ( well you see the Moth can get up at about 6 to 8 knots of breeze, but the Waszps need at least 10 to 12 knots ) Madness on the start line as there was a clump of Waszps floundering on the line and mixed amongst them were a couple of Moths. Not a good sight. Only the smart ones learnt as they were the ones at the back who fired up and shot through the pack on the line. And talking of getting it right.. Will Boulden was out there and doing a fine job, but forgot to put numbers on his sail. Ergo no results. His Freshie mate Sam Gilmour put numbers on and was scoring well.
The Optimists were set off again and everyone of them had to complete the full course which slowed everything down a little.
Back to the racing and race two was in a light breeze, so we ventured up to the top mark for some shots and along the traverse to the wing mark for the outside of the trapezoid. Not much happening on a soft day. Over and done with reasonably quickly and apart from the odd gust on the water it was still fairly slow with the Waszps crawling along and the Moths popping up and down as their pilots got them up on the foils.
Race three was as slow as race two and the clock was already ticking thanks to the foobar in the 1st race. But the battle in the 29ers was entertaining as the Duthie pair were trying haul back Mia Lovelady who was blazing through the water. Aiden was sailing with a laser sailor up front and was doing ok, but not as quick as he'd like to be. The lasers were ever entertaining with Michael Compton, Pat Scally and Caitlin Shaw doing well for their side, though I suspect that Caitlin cursed the 10 in race two, probably OCS. She may have rolled Patrick with a better score.
Race four had most of the foilers giving it a miss as the breeze just wasn't there but Sam Gilmour stuck it out and took a win for the race giving him a solid lead for the first day. The 29ers stuck it out and Teyah Duthie snaffled a win in the 4th putting her in a better frame of mind, I suspect for the rest of the series. The Optis and the Open Skiffs rounded off the day and RO Les Swinton was seen throwing the junior sailors small snacky things from the bows of the start boat. The lasers knew better and promptly headed in to the shore as they peeled off the finish line with Grant Lovelady taking the standards, Mike Compton the radials and Toby Coote the 4.7's.
In the Optis, Aaron Teo was first and the Intermediate Optis, Flynn Walford did a fine job to take the win. The Open Skiffs had James Heggart take the win, though the results don't say who actually took first. I just counted on my fingers to give him the win.
Please enjoy the images and I look forward to seeing you on the water in a fortnight.
As usual these images are for sail :-) and I have a special going ….. $50 for three
The day commenced with a stiff nor easter in evidence and a fair bit of fun was predicted. I'd managed to get Lyndon Duthie (I hope I got the Christian name right) to drive for me and I was pleased with the knowledge that he was able to impart to me during the day. School holidays were in full swing and I'd be correct to say that half the sailors were either up North or snuggled up in front of a roaring fire some where in Denmark or Margs. No matter we had about 40 starters with a huge bunch of foilers joining us. That and a good bunch of Optis as well.
Race one got away disastrously with the Optimists crowding up next to the boat and spilling over the line with no hope of getting back. General recall. Well that let the Lasers loose on a nor easter that had begun to drop and they had no problems making the day theirs. Away they went with a particularly strong section in the standard rigs, great to watch. Three 29er's came out to play and with 2 Duthies in the event our interest was strong. A couple of Bics (Open Skiffs) got going and then the foilers ( Moths, Waszps and a maverick foiling cat ) came out to play. Sure enough the cat was only there to annoy the starters (which he successfully did) and cleared off to do something else.
But we had 4 or 5 waszps and an equal number of Moths all of whom were waiting for a decent breeze. ( well you see the Moth can get up at about 6 to 8 knots of breeze, but the Waszps need at least 10 to 12 knots ) Madness on the start line as there was a clump of Waszps floundering on the line and mixed amongst them were a couple of Moths. Not a good sight. Only the smart ones learnt as they were the ones at the back who fired up and shot through the pack on the line. And talking of getting it right.. Will Boulden was out there and doing a fine job, but forgot to put numbers on his sail. Ergo no results. His Freshie mate Sam Gilmour put numbers on and was scoring well.
The Optimists were set off again and everyone of them had to complete the full course which slowed everything down a little.
Back to the racing and race two was in a light breeze, so we ventured up to the top mark for some shots and along the traverse to the wing mark for the outside of the trapezoid. Not much happening on a soft day. Over and done with reasonably quickly and apart from the odd gust on the water it was still fairly slow with the Waszps crawling along and the Moths popping up and down as their pilots got them up on the foils.
Race three was as slow as race two and the clock was already ticking thanks to the foobar in the 1st race. But the battle in the 29ers was entertaining as the Duthie pair were trying haul back Mia Lovelady who was blazing through the water. Aiden was sailing with a laser sailor up front and was doing ok, but not as quick as he'd like to be. The lasers were ever entertaining with Michael Compton, Pat Scally and Caitlin Shaw doing well for their side, though I suspect that Caitlin cursed the 10 in race two, probably OCS. She may have rolled Patrick with a better score.
Race four had most of the foilers giving it a miss as the breeze just wasn't there but Sam Gilmour stuck it out and took a win for the race giving him a solid lead for the first day. The 29ers stuck it out and Teyah Duthie snaffled a win in the 4th putting her in a better frame of mind, I suspect for the rest of the series. The Optis and the Open Skiffs rounded off the day and RO Les Swinton was seen throwing the junior sailors small snacky things from the bows of the start boat. The lasers knew better and promptly headed in to the shore as they peeled off the finish line with Grant Lovelady taking the standards, Mike Compton the radials and Toby Coote the 4.7's.
In the Optis, Aaron Teo was first and the Intermediate Optis, Flynn Walford did a fine job to take the win. The Open Skiffs had James Heggart take the win, though the results don't say who actually took first. I just counted on my fingers to give him the win.
Please enjoy the images and I look forward to seeing you on the water in a fortnight.
As usual these images are for sail :-) and I have a special going ….. $50 for three
The 2019 Schweppes
Applecross Cup Series
The Schweppes Applecross Cup series has replaced the well known Solo Series but fortunately we still have the Schweppes people helping the club out with some great sponsorship. The event starts on the 12th of May and flows on from there. I will endeavour to follow the entire series so look forward to some great times on the water.
There will be more to follow.
As usual these images are for sail :-) and I have a special going ….. $50 for three
There will be more to follow.
As usual these images are for sail :-) and I have a special going ….. $50 for three
Day Eight The 8th of September.
The second day of the finals.
Wondering where the wind was.
It's not very often that you get two good days in a row in early September and despite a glorious day on the beach, the prospects were slim of a breeze at all. Hughie, the capricious god of wind was kind enough to offer a light nor easter in the morning and it was enough to get the fleets onto the water and under way. I was with the Canning river course in the morning and the Pelicans and Optimists were queuing up for the races. We had some untimely interruptions from the blowflies of the river who treated the Canning as their private race track, but fortunately no harm to the sailing. (see the photo)
RO John Rooke had the first race underway and it was looking good until the breeze faded and it was only a timely call from the top mark that rescued the day and stalled a possible abandonment. A fresh set of gusts had arrived and the race was finished just in time. Over on the seniors course with PRO Les Swinton in charge it was similar and he was anxiously watching the pressure bands out of the north to keep the boats flowing.
The flags were raised and we went in for lunch.
( by the way .. many thanks to Christina Heydon, the international judge who was on the junior course today. She gave up her lunch to sit down with the young racers and talk them through the situations that developed on the course during the morning. Lovely to see.)
Just when all was given up, when all the card games had been played and the canteen was running out of food; Hughie relented and within minutes a Westerly swept in. Not as good as yesterday, but it was enough to start a race on.
By 1400 hrs the racing was under way and I was on the course with Emma Jones and Sharon Compton who had kindly offered to ferry me around as the rib I was on was in use for the Oppy green fleet. The racing continued unabated for the next 2 and a half hours and both courses finished their quota of 4 races. Sure the course were a little shorter, but just as energetically fought for with the masters dominating the full rigs in the lasers and the radials just chewing each other up, with Michael Compton and Stefan Elliot Shircott tearing it up with Caitlin Shaw missing out on a better placing thanks to being off the course for a while in Europe. No matter, good to see the three of them doing well.
The Wind surfers and Techno's were in fine form and along with the 125's were adding a fine splash of colour to the photos but I do have to raise my hat to Vice Commodore Michael Cook who has resurrected his sailing career and is sailing with Sailing Captain Terry Newby on a F15 and to Graeme Lillingston who (at Great Grand Master status) decided to go out with Greg Tonnison and help him sweep the pool in the 15's.
However the day was finally done, the boats packed away and results were held to a packed Quarter deck with every one ready to line up and hear the results. Over and done with thanks to both Schweppes and Boating Hardware for their support over the regatta.
Thanks also to Les Swinton and John Rooke who managed their start teams, the mark layers and safety boats (all of them) and to Karen Lingard who ran the canteen pretty much on her own except for the help on the last weekend. And to Scott Nunn our sailing administrator, well done. But thanks of course to the sailors and next year we hope to see more of you.
As usual the images are for sail and I'm still offering $50 for three or $20 each.
Please note that two cameras were used and some will be out of sequence.
And further.. I'm a sailing photographer.. If something goes past, close and fast, I'll pull the trigger and record what I saw. If its an idiot on the water.. I'll simple record their actions for your derision. If it looks fast and they can sail, well and good.
Enjoy the photos. The presentations will go up tomorrow.
The second day of the finals.
Wondering where the wind was.
It's not very often that you get two good days in a row in early September and despite a glorious day on the beach, the prospects were slim of a breeze at all. Hughie, the capricious god of wind was kind enough to offer a light nor easter in the morning and it was enough to get the fleets onto the water and under way. I was with the Canning river course in the morning and the Pelicans and Optimists were queuing up for the races. We had some untimely interruptions from the blowflies of the river who treated the Canning as their private race track, but fortunately no harm to the sailing. (see the photo)
RO John Rooke had the first race underway and it was looking good until the breeze faded and it was only a timely call from the top mark that rescued the day and stalled a possible abandonment. A fresh set of gusts had arrived and the race was finished just in time. Over on the seniors course with PRO Les Swinton in charge it was similar and he was anxiously watching the pressure bands out of the north to keep the boats flowing.
The flags were raised and we went in for lunch.
( by the way .. many thanks to Christina Heydon, the international judge who was on the junior course today. She gave up her lunch to sit down with the young racers and talk them through the situations that developed on the course during the morning. Lovely to see.)
Just when all was given up, when all the card games had been played and the canteen was running out of food; Hughie relented and within minutes a Westerly swept in. Not as good as yesterday, but it was enough to start a race on.
By 1400 hrs the racing was under way and I was on the course with Emma Jones and Sharon Compton who had kindly offered to ferry me around as the rib I was on was in use for the Oppy green fleet. The racing continued unabated for the next 2 and a half hours and both courses finished their quota of 4 races. Sure the course were a little shorter, but just as energetically fought for with the masters dominating the full rigs in the lasers and the radials just chewing each other up, with Michael Compton and Stefan Elliot Shircott tearing it up with Caitlin Shaw missing out on a better placing thanks to being off the course for a while in Europe. No matter, good to see the three of them doing well.
The Wind surfers and Techno's were in fine form and along with the 125's were adding a fine splash of colour to the photos but I do have to raise my hat to Vice Commodore Michael Cook who has resurrected his sailing career and is sailing with Sailing Captain Terry Newby on a F15 and to Graeme Lillingston who (at Great Grand Master status) decided to go out with Greg Tonnison and help him sweep the pool in the 15's.
However the day was finally done, the boats packed away and results were held to a packed Quarter deck with every one ready to line up and hear the results. Over and done with thanks to both Schweppes and Boating Hardware for their support over the regatta.
Thanks also to Les Swinton and John Rooke who managed their start teams, the mark layers and safety boats (all of them) and to Karen Lingard who ran the canteen pretty much on her own except for the help on the last weekend. And to Scott Nunn our sailing administrator, well done. But thanks of course to the sailors and next year we hope to see more of you.
As usual the images are for sail and I'm still offering $50 for three or $20 each.
Please note that two cameras were used and some will be out of sequence.
And further.. I'm a sailing photographer.. If something goes past, close and fast, I'll pull the trigger and record what I saw. If its an idiot on the water.. I'll simple record their actions for your derision. If it looks fast and they can sail, well and good.
Enjoy the photos. The presentations will go up tomorrow.
Day Seven The 7th of September.
First day of the finals.
And then the Seabreeze came in.
A typical lazy early spring day with a cold morning and little chance of a decent breeze on offer until after lunch. However the PRO (Les Swinton) had other ideas and had the troops out on the water with the first smell of a southerly. Around 1130 hrs, both fleets were out on the water with the mark layers scurrying up and down, laying out marks for the dominant breeze out of the Canning and so it was to be.
The first two races were held in the available pressure and then gradually the sou-wester kicked in, a few fluctuations to begin, but “wait a while” was the call and sure enough, up the river came the sou wester sweeping the sou easterly away and the courses were re aligned for the racing. By the end of the day the boats on Melville Water were racing in 14 to 19 knots of pure pleasure and even the Pelicans and Optimists were honking along in the mouth of the Canning with enough pressure to satisfy the purists.
It was great to see some of the returnees from overseas campaigns back on the water, but at the same time we can regret the absence of some of the Flying 15 regulars who are in the UK battling for world supremacy. :-) The Moths were a different kettle of fish (sorry guys) as they didn't have enough pressure to get out and start foiling, so we missed them for the day. Hopefully the promise of a decent breeze on Sunday will be enough to entice them onto the water. There's also the promise of a few more 125's coming out tomorrow as well. According to the gossip, a number of them have jobs on Saturdays and need the money to keep sailing. Fair enough.
As to the results, well its early days so lets say that the good guys (and gals) were doing well. But they had the required five races in and the fleets off the water by 1630 hrs. A fine day for all.
Many thanks to SoPYC and particularly to the coaching team who freed up a rib for me to get onto the water. As ever the support for the day was fantastic and the mark layers and start teams were on the ball. Please remember that I use more than one camera when I'm working, so some images may be out of sequence.
The images for Sunday will go up on Monday.. its a long day on the water so please be patient.
As usual the images are for sale . The special is $50 for three full sized images.
First day of the finals.
And then the Seabreeze came in.
A typical lazy early spring day with a cold morning and little chance of a decent breeze on offer until after lunch. However the PRO (Les Swinton) had other ideas and had the troops out on the water with the first smell of a southerly. Around 1130 hrs, both fleets were out on the water with the mark layers scurrying up and down, laying out marks for the dominant breeze out of the Canning and so it was to be.
The first two races were held in the available pressure and then gradually the sou-wester kicked in, a few fluctuations to begin, but “wait a while” was the call and sure enough, up the river came the sou wester sweeping the sou easterly away and the courses were re aligned for the racing. By the end of the day the boats on Melville Water were racing in 14 to 19 knots of pure pleasure and even the Pelicans and Optimists were honking along in the mouth of the Canning with enough pressure to satisfy the purists.
It was great to see some of the returnees from overseas campaigns back on the water, but at the same time we can regret the absence of some of the Flying 15 regulars who are in the UK battling for world supremacy. :-) The Moths were a different kettle of fish (sorry guys) as they didn't have enough pressure to get out and start foiling, so we missed them for the day. Hopefully the promise of a decent breeze on Sunday will be enough to entice them onto the water. There's also the promise of a few more 125's coming out tomorrow as well. According to the gossip, a number of them have jobs on Saturdays and need the money to keep sailing. Fair enough.
As to the results, well its early days so lets say that the good guys (and gals) were doing well. But they had the required five races in and the fleets off the water by 1630 hrs. A fine day for all.
Many thanks to SoPYC and particularly to the coaching team who freed up a rib for me to get onto the water. As ever the support for the day was fantastic and the mark layers and start teams were on the ball. Please remember that I use more than one camera when I'm working, so some images may be out of sequence.
The images for Sunday will go up on Monday.. its a long day on the water so please be patient.
As usual the images are for sale . The special is $50 for three full sized images.
Day Six The 11th of August.
Quality, not Quantity
I do like it when you see a class stay for the entire five races and the Pelican class stayed the whole way through. Shows a bit of stickability. Sure, there weren't many of them, but they were out there hammering away at each other.
However RO Les Swinton had a job to do and with a swirling nor easter and the promise of it dying off, he had the course nice and long to begin with and then shortened it up as the day progressed. This time, they went for the triangular courses with all of the classes enjoying the run down the wings during the early part of the day. But good things don't last for ever and so did the breeze. By the 5th race it was down to a whisper and only a lucky gust that came through got the diminished fleet around a shortened course.
However there was a masterclass on show with Tim Gourlay the recent lightweight windsurfing world champion showing just what you can do with the breeze and its nasty habit of changing without notice. Another series of bullets on show and what a learning experience to be had. The 125's were another full on mob and I'm pleased to see that some of the older Pelican sailors have transitioned into the class and are showing their craft already.
The flying 15's were there, just, but with the grey nomads of the fleet enjoying the warmth up north or bouncing their grandchildren on their knees, it was up to John Hassan to rampage his way through the fleet and in his own words " get to the front and then find my way back again."
Well done the mark layers, volunteers and other sods and bods. It was a nice day out on the water.
Enjoy the photos and I'll be back in a couple of weeks.
Quality, not Quantity
I do like it when you see a class stay for the entire five races and the Pelican class stayed the whole way through. Shows a bit of stickability. Sure, there weren't many of them, but they were out there hammering away at each other.
However RO Les Swinton had a job to do and with a swirling nor easter and the promise of it dying off, he had the course nice and long to begin with and then shortened it up as the day progressed. This time, they went for the triangular courses with all of the classes enjoying the run down the wings during the early part of the day. But good things don't last for ever and so did the breeze. By the 5th race it was down to a whisper and only a lucky gust that came through got the diminished fleet around a shortened course.
However there was a masterclass on show with Tim Gourlay the recent lightweight windsurfing world champion showing just what you can do with the breeze and its nasty habit of changing without notice. Another series of bullets on show and what a learning experience to be had. The 125's were another full on mob and I'm pleased to see that some of the older Pelican sailors have transitioned into the class and are showing their craft already.
The flying 15's were there, just, but with the grey nomads of the fleet enjoying the warmth up north or bouncing their grandchildren on their knees, it was up to John Hassan to rampage his way through the fleet and in his own words " get to the front and then find my way back again."
Well done the mark layers, volunteers and other sods and bods. It was a nice day out on the water.
Enjoy the photos and I'll be back in a couple of weeks.
Day Five The 14th of July.
A Day to Sail Well.
With the ever present nor easterlies and a sunny day, the fleets were on a good start. RO Les Swinton had his team swinging the course into place and surprisingly, only one change all day.
We had a good show of the Optis and despite the school holidays there were still a lot of young people on the water. And the slightly older people were there as well, and some of them were driving those winged chariots the I - Moth.
A good course ( # 1 ) was fired off and the sailing commenced with Conor Nicholas, fresh from his victories in the northern hemisphere taking a laser onto the course with a brand new sail.. so new he had to beg permission from the sailing administrator to go out as a blank sail. Expectedly it took him a couple of races to settle it in, but he was away after that and then borrowed a Moth to have a little fun later in the day. Overall the fleets were light but tight and we didn't have that lag that we had at the start of the regattas back in May. Once the younger sailors had worked out where the wind was, then away they went and although the boat end was crowded by most of the fleets it worked itself out over the course and good sailing for all.
My special regard for the mothies though. Followed them from the days when John Ilett was still driving one of his Blade Riders and it's good to hear from Bugs that the skippers are still trying new things.
The end of the day came too quickly and I must thank Emily Jones (125 sailor) who drove for me and did a remarkable job of getting me into corners and responding to requests for good shots. Any time Emily!
Thanks also to SoPYC and the team who put me on the water and for the bevvie back in the bar.
Enjoy the photos and remember that they are for sail.
Day Four The 23rd of June
A Two Faced breeze .
The day began with a gentle nor easter that rattled the shrouds of the boats being set up on the shore line and a bunch of Wind surfers were making their way over from Mounts Bay YC to join the rest of their mates who had set out from SoPYC. It was going to be an easy day despite the dire warnings of a big blow that had given some of the F15 sailors enough reason to mow the lawns on Sunday rather than go for a yot. Probably scared off the volunteers as well, but that's another matter. We had enough for the day.
The RO had it in mind to put the full five races in today and with a breeze and a slightly shorter course than normal he set the boats away. The Peli section had a rather ragged first start with one of the boats hiding behind the start boat, but they managed to correct that mistake and caught up after a while. The 125's were out in force and I would suggest that the mob from Royal Freshie were in fine form and it was hard work for the rest of the fleet to pull them back over the day. The F 15's as mentioned were a bit light on, but Nick and Brad were there, intent on redeeming themselves and Jen Simms popped up again on Double Nickle doing a fine job on the foredeck. Hiking too!
The Windsurfers were doing well, though at the first startline I was surprised by the lack of pumping that would have given them height off the line and I had to back off quickly as they came out flatter than a pancake lens. Still a good start to photograph. Race two went in the same fashion with perhaps a little more breeze and then the big black cloud rolled in and brought a bit of pressure with it. Most of the sailors dealt well with it but two guest wind surfers had to be pulled off the freeway and taken ashore at SoPYC.
Then the clouds cleared and the breeze died … this time though it was out of the west nor west and you could see the odd drop of rain down at the bottom of the river. The day was good though and very easily we slipped into the fourth and fifth race. Well we didn't slip into the fifth.. the wind came back with a little rain at times and this time people were tired. But most of them stayed and despite all, the racing continued. But the safety boats were now at work with a couple of boats that needed help and a couple more wind surfers who had probably been on the water a little too long. No problems, we took them ashore along with the help of the RP coach who was along for the day.
In all a good day on the water and congratulations to everyone who fronted on the day. A testing afternoon and a breeze that switched around. But you don't expect everything to be easy, do you?
Oh, by the way .. these pelicans at the beginning of the slides... flew majestically over me and settled into the small bay near the members bar at the club. Nice one.
A Two Faced breeze .
The day began with a gentle nor easter that rattled the shrouds of the boats being set up on the shore line and a bunch of Wind surfers were making their way over from Mounts Bay YC to join the rest of their mates who had set out from SoPYC. It was going to be an easy day despite the dire warnings of a big blow that had given some of the F15 sailors enough reason to mow the lawns on Sunday rather than go for a yot. Probably scared off the volunteers as well, but that's another matter. We had enough for the day.
The RO had it in mind to put the full five races in today and with a breeze and a slightly shorter course than normal he set the boats away. The Peli section had a rather ragged first start with one of the boats hiding behind the start boat, but they managed to correct that mistake and caught up after a while. The 125's were out in force and I would suggest that the mob from Royal Freshie were in fine form and it was hard work for the rest of the fleet to pull them back over the day. The F 15's as mentioned were a bit light on, but Nick and Brad were there, intent on redeeming themselves and Jen Simms popped up again on Double Nickle doing a fine job on the foredeck. Hiking too!
The Windsurfers were doing well, though at the first startline I was surprised by the lack of pumping that would have given them height off the line and I had to back off quickly as they came out flatter than a pancake lens. Still a good start to photograph. Race two went in the same fashion with perhaps a little more breeze and then the big black cloud rolled in and brought a bit of pressure with it. Most of the sailors dealt well with it but two guest wind surfers had to be pulled off the freeway and taken ashore at SoPYC.
Then the clouds cleared and the breeze died … this time though it was out of the west nor west and you could see the odd drop of rain down at the bottom of the river. The day was good though and very easily we slipped into the fourth and fifth race. Well we didn't slip into the fifth.. the wind came back with a little rain at times and this time people were tired. But most of them stayed and despite all, the racing continued. But the safety boats were now at work with a couple of boats that needed help and a couple more wind surfers who had probably been on the water a little too long. No problems, we took them ashore along with the help of the RP coach who was along for the day.
In all a good day on the water and congratulations to everyone who fronted on the day. A testing afternoon and a breeze that switched around. But you don't expect everything to be easy, do you?
Oh, by the way .. these pelicans at the beginning of the slides... flew majestically over me and settled into the small bay near the members bar at the club. Nice one.
Day Three The 9th of June
Blown out of the water Apparently.
The weather gods aren't being kind to the sailors this weekend and it was decided that the smaller vessels wouldn't be happy with the predicted weather and to be honest I wasn't looking forward to it. Cameras don't like water either and I would have been camped on the start boat dodging the rain. So the decision was made to defer sailing to another day.
Blown out of the water Apparently.
The weather gods aren't being kind to the sailors this weekend and it was decided that the smaller vessels wouldn't be happy with the predicted weather and to be honest I wasn't looking forward to it. Cameras don't like water either and I would have been camped on the start boat dodging the rain. So the decision was made to defer sailing to another day.
Day Two The 26th of May
Almost perfect.
Another brilliant day on the river with lots of sunshine and just enough breeze to keep the F15's and the Pelicans happy. It seems as though this late autumn is going to stay around for ever. The east nor easter was just enough to help the 15's when they threw up their kites and on the occasional gust they fairly soared. By the same token there were enough times when the breeze died and the windsurfers really had to work hard to get anywhere.
RO Les Swinton and his merry crew were underway promptly and the race team managed to get 4 races in over the afternoon. Very satisfactory for all and not one squeak was heard out of the younger members of the sailing fraternity as to be tired and wanting to go ashore. Though the trip back to the shore was a slow race for the Peli fleet as they were tacking up wind for the whole way.
A quick comment on the visitors from Freshie, we had the Packers over; Ron and Phillipa and just to round out another boat Brad Sherwood joined the fleet as well. Sailing well Phillipa managed to stay at or near the front for the day and was helped by the omission of another F15 sailor to nominate for the event. However the SoPYC team led from the front and Greg Tonnison teamed up with Jen Simms to produce very consistent sailing.
Denis Jones, the new coach at SoPYC did his bit and brought a bunch of Windsurfers along from Mounts Bay. My word, they work hard don't they. Hope that we see a little more of them.
Almost perfect.
Another brilliant day on the river with lots of sunshine and just enough breeze to keep the F15's and the Pelicans happy. It seems as though this late autumn is going to stay around for ever. The east nor easter was just enough to help the 15's when they threw up their kites and on the occasional gust they fairly soared. By the same token there were enough times when the breeze died and the windsurfers really had to work hard to get anywhere.
RO Les Swinton and his merry crew were underway promptly and the race team managed to get 4 races in over the afternoon. Very satisfactory for all and not one squeak was heard out of the younger members of the sailing fraternity as to be tired and wanting to go ashore. Though the trip back to the shore was a slow race for the Peli fleet as they were tacking up wind for the whole way.
A quick comment on the visitors from Freshie, we had the Packers over; Ron and Phillipa and just to round out another boat Brad Sherwood joined the fleet as well. Sailing well Phillipa managed to stay at or near the front for the day and was helped by the omission of another F15 sailor to nominate for the event. However the SoPYC team led from the front and Greg Tonnison teamed up with Jen Simms to produce very consistent sailing.
Denis Jones, the new coach at SoPYC did his bit and brought a bunch of Windsurfers along from Mounts Bay. My word, they work hard don't they. Hope that we see a little more of them.
Day One The 12th of May
One of those days.
Lots of sun, and just enough breeze to get a Moth foiling. And they really don't need much at all. 6 knots will do the trick, though they battled to keep up and going. More to the point it was perfect for the younger sailors in their Optimists and meant that the lasers and the 29ers were on their mettle to sail cunningly as there wasn't enough pressure to make it a fast day. We even had a visiting sailboarder, (though they aren't till Day two) and he joined the Moths and 29ers in a mixed fleet start.
RO Les Swinton had the boats off and away at 1300 hrs with the full course unfolding before our eyes with a trapezoid for the quicker boats and the Opti's belting around the windward leeward track. Normally you worry about the angles that the Moths and 29ers sail, but they weren't quick enough today and I was able to keep up with them on their way around.
The radial laser fleet had a few of the regular suspects with Mike Compton, Caitlin Shaw, Zac Littlewood and Stefan Elliot-Shircore to mention a few. These guys ( sorry Caitlin ) were content to battle it out with each other but paying attention to the niceties of the startline will cost you heaps if you don't do so. In the Standards one bad score would take you from winner to third over all and boy didn't Ethan McAullay learn that one. He had a couple of hungry tigers on his tail who were happy to shoot a perfect score of seconds and thirds to snap up the first two spots. Well sailed to Marcel Vos and David Whait. Nice to see Andy Whittell come up from the south to join us on the river. In the 4.7's, the battle was between Toby Coote and Mia Lovelady both recording single figure race totals and sweeping off all the bullets, though Toby did well in the light airs taking three of the four.
The Opti's were firing with Antun Janekovic stealing second spot from Sam Williams while James Ferguson racked up a convincing 2,1,1,1 to take the lead in the senior class. In the Intermediates, the third of the Duthie clan Murray, scooped the pool with consistent sailing to take the lead from Noah Karantonis and Charley Stay.
And just a little reminder to the young Opti sailor who asked me how many more races there would be after the second race. I suggest you addressed that question to the Race Officer, not a bloke with a camera. I have no idea what the RO will do.
And the Duthie's were in force with the 29ers as Aiden and Teyah driving their own boats took on Ben Horten who started with a run of firsts and despite a third in the fourth race was still well in the lead over the day. Amongst the Moths, only Michael Kilduff managed to ruffle the scorers feathers and that in the third race as there just wasn't enough consistent breeze to keep them up despite the various dashes past the camera you may have seen.
I think that a little more wind would have been appreciated, but RO Les showed restraint in not calling for the fifth race as a lot of people still had Mothers day commitments to fulfil.
Early days yet. Bring on a decent breeze please.
One of those days.
Lots of sun, and just enough breeze to get a Moth foiling. And they really don't need much at all. 6 knots will do the trick, though they battled to keep up and going. More to the point it was perfect for the younger sailors in their Optimists and meant that the lasers and the 29ers were on their mettle to sail cunningly as there wasn't enough pressure to make it a fast day. We even had a visiting sailboarder, (though they aren't till Day two) and he joined the Moths and 29ers in a mixed fleet start.
RO Les Swinton had the boats off and away at 1300 hrs with the full course unfolding before our eyes with a trapezoid for the quicker boats and the Opti's belting around the windward leeward track. Normally you worry about the angles that the Moths and 29ers sail, but they weren't quick enough today and I was able to keep up with them on their way around.
The radial laser fleet had a few of the regular suspects with Mike Compton, Caitlin Shaw, Zac Littlewood and Stefan Elliot-Shircore to mention a few. These guys ( sorry Caitlin ) were content to battle it out with each other but paying attention to the niceties of the startline will cost you heaps if you don't do so. In the Standards one bad score would take you from winner to third over all and boy didn't Ethan McAullay learn that one. He had a couple of hungry tigers on his tail who were happy to shoot a perfect score of seconds and thirds to snap up the first two spots. Well sailed to Marcel Vos and David Whait. Nice to see Andy Whittell come up from the south to join us on the river. In the 4.7's, the battle was between Toby Coote and Mia Lovelady both recording single figure race totals and sweeping off all the bullets, though Toby did well in the light airs taking three of the four.
The Opti's were firing with Antun Janekovic stealing second spot from Sam Williams while James Ferguson racked up a convincing 2,1,1,1 to take the lead in the senior class. In the Intermediates, the third of the Duthie clan Murray, scooped the pool with consistent sailing to take the lead from Noah Karantonis and Charley Stay.
And just a little reminder to the young Opti sailor who asked me how many more races there would be after the second race. I suggest you addressed that question to the Race Officer, not a bloke with a camera. I have no idea what the RO will do.
And the Duthie's were in force with the 29ers as Aiden and Teyah driving their own boats took on Ben Horten who started with a run of firsts and despite a third in the fourth race was still well in the lead over the day. Amongst the Moths, only Michael Kilduff managed to ruffle the scorers feathers and that in the third race as there just wasn't enough consistent breeze to keep them up despite the various dashes past the camera you may have seen.
I think that a little more wind would have been appreciated, but RO Les showed restraint in not calling for the fifth race as a lot of people still had Mothers day commitments to fulfil.
Early days yet. Bring on a decent breeze please.
The 2018 Applecross Cup at SoPYC
A good roll up for this weekend has me looking at the Laser Radials with interest as Radial world champion Zac Littlewood has put his name down for a run. Now we know Zac is defending his local title, but David Luketina is going to let a challenge go? I don't think so. Look at some of the 4.7 sailors that have come up the ranks from last year and Caitlin Shaw, Connor Shaw and Michael Compton are all quite eager to have a crack at the top spot and Michael in particular is going to be a handful.
James Stewart is putting up his hand in the full rigs and should do well, though he does have Oliver Pabbruwe and Ken Fujimoto to contend with. I'll look forward to meeting this years crop of 4.7's and I'm pleased to see Mia Lovelady taking dad's old boat "Grunt and Groan" out for a run.
The 15's have a small entry field, but the Jerwoods will be having fun with cross town rivals Philippa Packer and Dean McAullay from Freshie with another four boats vying for the placings.The 125's are going to have fun with a reasonable field and I take my hat off to the Browning family with three family members in the fleet. Four 29ers will be battling it out with former Peli man Aiden Duthie crewing up with sister Teyah. They will be having problems with Axel Fleet and Jack Luketina, another pair to read the riot act all by themselves.
I'm looking forward to the Nacra 15's; only two but we have Shannon Dalton teaming up with match racing hot shot Will Drew. Another string to his bow, or is he just out for a great afternoon? The Moths are out on Saturday with the Worlds coming to Perth next year and everyone is getting a bit more interested. Seems like Perth is a popular place to race and noted match racer Matt Jerwood recently bought a brand new Moth to play with. Then we have a few of the regulars, Max Puttman, Matt Jahn, Phil Lloyd and Glen Oldfield.
Then there's the Optimists and without a doubt we'll have fun. Lots of them and all ready to do their duty. Just hope we have enough breeze for them on Sunday. And believe it or not, there's another Duthie coming up through the ranks and Murray Duthie will be pushing his luck in the Intermediates this year.
I don't know enough about the cats to make a comment, so I'm on a learning trail here, but having seen the classes on the water over the years I know they are going to be quick and the angles are going to be big on a windward leeward course. Just hope that there's enough breeze for them all.
My heroes to watch this year are Oliver Pabbruwe, Stefan Elliot -Shirco, Ona Rafart and Michael Compton. They have agreed to take the Hobie Waves out on Saturday to build the fleet up a little and will then take to the water on Sunday in their regular fleets.
See you on the water
James Stewart is putting up his hand in the full rigs and should do well, though he does have Oliver Pabbruwe and Ken Fujimoto to contend with. I'll look forward to meeting this years crop of 4.7's and I'm pleased to see Mia Lovelady taking dad's old boat "Grunt and Groan" out for a run.
The 15's have a small entry field, but the Jerwoods will be having fun with cross town rivals Philippa Packer and Dean McAullay from Freshie with another four boats vying for the placings.The 125's are going to have fun with a reasonable field and I take my hat off to the Browning family with three family members in the fleet. Four 29ers will be battling it out with former Peli man Aiden Duthie crewing up with sister Teyah. They will be having problems with Axel Fleet and Jack Luketina, another pair to read the riot act all by themselves.
I'm looking forward to the Nacra 15's; only two but we have Shannon Dalton teaming up with match racing hot shot Will Drew. Another string to his bow, or is he just out for a great afternoon? The Moths are out on Saturday with the Worlds coming to Perth next year and everyone is getting a bit more interested. Seems like Perth is a popular place to race and noted match racer Matt Jerwood recently bought a brand new Moth to play with. Then we have a few of the regulars, Max Puttman, Matt Jahn, Phil Lloyd and Glen Oldfield.
Then there's the Optimists and without a doubt we'll have fun. Lots of them and all ready to do their duty. Just hope we have enough breeze for them on Sunday. And believe it or not, there's another Duthie coming up through the ranks and Murray Duthie will be pushing his luck in the Intermediates this year.
I don't know enough about the cats to make a comment, so I'm on a learning trail here, but having seen the classes on the water over the years I know they are going to be quick and the angles are going to be big on a windward leeward course. Just hope that there's enough breeze for them all.
My heroes to watch this year are Oliver Pabbruwe, Stefan Elliot -Shirco, Ona Rafart and Michael Compton. They have agreed to take the Hobie Waves out on Saturday to build the fleet up a little and will then take to the water on Sunday in their regular fleets.
See you on the water
Saturday the 8th of September 2018
The day started reasonably with a nor wester that slowly gained confidence as the day turned into the afternoon and the menagerie of multi hulls and the F15's had a good day on the water because of it. Well almost, as the final race turned soggy as the rain which had been pouring on the city all the time, slowly moved across onto the river. Along with a sudden wind change into the sou west we had not one but two race abandonments of the fifth race as the breeze then flicked back into the nor west 20 minutes later.
The I moths were surely the clowns on the course with rapid falling being the name of the game and they delight in bashing up the camera man with soaring runs aimed at his boat. I noted a few of the old timers from the early 2010's with some new faces I need to learn. The F 15's were predictably out for a good time and I was delighted to see the Freshie team of Philippa Packer and Past Commodore Dean McAullay giving the SoPYC boats a run for the money. The mixture of cats, both foiling and regular were worth watching and some of the runs could have been specy if we'd had a little more pressure. My pleasure was watching the Hobie Waves and the mixture of sailors pushing them around and Michael Compton needs to check his family genetics as he's surely got octopus genes. He had the main, jib and spinnaker flying beautifully on a couple of down wind runs. Hard to do? You bet.
Enjoy the photos and
I'll see you on the water.
The day started reasonably with a nor wester that slowly gained confidence as the day turned into the afternoon and the menagerie of multi hulls and the F15's had a good day on the water because of it. Well almost, as the final race turned soggy as the rain which had been pouring on the city all the time, slowly moved across onto the river. Along with a sudden wind change into the sou west we had not one but two race abandonments of the fifth race as the breeze then flicked back into the nor west 20 minutes later.
The I moths were surely the clowns on the course with rapid falling being the name of the game and they delight in bashing up the camera man with soaring runs aimed at his boat. I noted a few of the old timers from the early 2010's with some new faces I need to learn. The F 15's were predictably out for a good time and I was delighted to see the Freshie team of Philippa Packer and Past Commodore Dean McAullay giving the SoPYC boats a run for the money. The mixture of cats, both foiling and regular were worth watching and some of the runs could have been specy if we'd had a little more pressure. My pleasure was watching the Hobie Waves and the mixture of sailors pushing them around and Michael Compton needs to check his family genetics as he's surely got octopus genes. He had the main, jib and spinnaker flying beautifully on a couple of down wind runs. Hard to do? You bet.
Enjoy the photos and
I'll see you on the water.
Sunday the 9th of September
The day started with a sunny disposition and lots and lots of boats on the water. I bumped into a Laser sailor who should have known better, it was a nice day so he tried to put his name down to race. Oops should have done so earlier. Still, I got a photo of him.
We had a nor wester that was a little inconsistent and it stretched out the first race to its elastic limits. While they were sorting out the results of a down wind finish, the breeze rotated into the west and freshened up a little, making it great for racing. It took a while before all was sorted out and once they were settled, then the racing began again with the first race being wiped due to problems with the scoring at the finish line.
The first two races were excellent and they ran in good time with the fleets finishing well inside the limits. A change in the breeze had the mark laying boats rolling their sleeves up and changing the angles to accommodate the increasing southerly bent in the breeze. The next pair of races saw a few changes as the boats settled into the sou wester and started to really punch through the small chop. I had to retire a little early in order to get some images ready and prepare for the presentations, but the sailing continued almost through till 4 pm and the boats headed into the shore to clean up ready for the presentations.
My thanks to my drivers on both days and of course to SoPYC for helping me get onto the water. The volunteers and start teams all need to be mentioned and thanks to the sailors themselves.
Enjoy the photos.
The presentations will be put up on Tuesday.
The day started with a sunny disposition and lots and lots of boats on the water. I bumped into a Laser sailor who should have known better, it was a nice day so he tried to put his name down to race. Oops should have done so earlier. Still, I got a photo of him.
We had a nor wester that was a little inconsistent and it stretched out the first race to its elastic limits. While they were sorting out the results of a down wind finish, the breeze rotated into the west and freshened up a little, making it great for racing. It took a while before all was sorted out and once they were settled, then the racing began again with the first race being wiped due to problems with the scoring at the finish line.
The first two races were excellent and they ran in good time with the fleets finishing well inside the limits. A change in the breeze had the mark laying boats rolling their sleeves up and changing the angles to accommodate the increasing southerly bent in the breeze. The next pair of races saw a few changes as the boats settled into the sou wester and started to really punch through the small chop. I had to retire a little early in order to get some images ready and prepare for the presentations, but the sailing continued almost through till 4 pm and the boats headed into the shore to clean up ready for the presentations.
My thanks to my drivers on both days and of course to SoPYC for helping me get onto the water. The volunteers and start teams all need to be mentioned and thanks to the sailors themselves.
Enjoy the photos.
The presentations will be put up on Tuesday.
Combined Presentation images from the two days.
The 2017 Applecross Cup at SoPYC
Owing to a clash last year I wasn't able to attend, but this year I am happy to be associated with the Applecross Cup again. The sailing should be magnificent and over the two days we should see a good number of the "off the beach" classes out belting around the water.
I've been assured that the final race of the event will be the best as the "Dash for Cash" will have all the fleets taking off from a mid river start over fixed marks to a box finish. What ever happens, they'll be sailing for bragging rights for the winter season.
I've been assured that the final race of the event will be the best as the "Dash for Cash" will have all the fleets taking off from a mid river start over fixed marks to a box finish. What ever happens, they'll be sailing for bragging rights for the winter season.
Sunday the 19th of March
A slightly better day was on offer today with a sunny outlook forecast. But the wind was not much different. Fickle, out of the south and flicking into the east periodically. Moments of boom and bust today... no doubt about it.
The first two races, I was out on the laser/420/125/29er course and having a good time with a family who had a large and rather woofy hound that proceeded to love me to bits until she was brought to heel by her mum. For the next 2 hours we were moved around the course and this time I was able to get some looks into the front of the fleet. Most appreciated. RO Les had the game under way and we were able to look at one or two additions from yesterday as new sailors joined us having dispensed with their Saturday commitments. But it didn't stop the winners of yesterday from continuing.
Lunch was called and the fleets retired onto the beach and an hour later we took off again to see if we were going to see any seabreeze at all.. not likely unfortunately and so on they pressed with the sou-sou easterly course with the breeze dropping in and out to make it harder for all. If you knew the river it was an advantage.
Then the dash for cash. Low numbers in the first three categories didn't bode well for the racing and then lo and behold , three feisty radial sailors : Zoe Thompson. Zac Littlewood and Stefan Aydon -White decided to take the race apart. Match racing from the beginning, the three span and twirled their Lasers behind the line beguiling all those who were watching and setting a fine example of sailing prowess to their sailing friends.
With seconds to go Stefan managed to drop his mast in the water and watched in dismay as both Zac and Zoe took off, still battling. In fact as often happens -- their battle allowed Stefan to catch up with them and thanks to a bit of bad luck after the bottom rounding, Zoe found herself on the wrong side of a shift and was dropping away. Stefan was still gaining on Zac as they approached the line, but an extra spurt of speed had Zac over the line with Stefan close behind. Zoe retired to the beach having seen the boys fighting it out for the one/two and the thought of packing up the boat earlier was irresistible. ( well that's what I saw) and Zoe may have a different idea. I welcome her input, but I was delighted by the spirited display the three of them put up.
Many thanks to all that drove me around the courses and to SoPYC for the event. And the volunteers who made it happen. Good Sailing.
Enjoy the images.
A slightly better day was on offer today with a sunny outlook forecast. But the wind was not much different. Fickle, out of the south and flicking into the east periodically. Moments of boom and bust today... no doubt about it.
The first two races, I was out on the laser/420/125/29er course and having a good time with a family who had a large and rather woofy hound that proceeded to love me to bits until she was brought to heel by her mum. For the next 2 hours we were moved around the course and this time I was able to get some looks into the front of the fleet. Most appreciated. RO Les had the game under way and we were able to look at one or two additions from yesterday as new sailors joined us having dispensed with their Saturday commitments. But it didn't stop the winners of yesterday from continuing.
Lunch was called and the fleets retired onto the beach and an hour later we took off again to see if we were going to see any seabreeze at all.. not likely unfortunately and so on they pressed with the sou-sou easterly course with the breeze dropping in and out to make it harder for all. If you knew the river it was an advantage.
Then the dash for cash. Low numbers in the first three categories didn't bode well for the racing and then lo and behold , three feisty radial sailors : Zoe Thompson. Zac Littlewood and Stefan Aydon -White decided to take the race apart. Match racing from the beginning, the three span and twirled their Lasers behind the line beguiling all those who were watching and setting a fine example of sailing prowess to their sailing friends.
With seconds to go Stefan managed to drop his mast in the water and watched in dismay as both Zac and Zoe took off, still battling. In fact as often happens -- their battle allowed Stefan to catch up with them and thanks to a bit of bad luck after the bottom rounding, Zoe found herself on the wrong side of a shift and was dropping away. Stefan was still gaining on Zac as they approached the line, but an extra spurt of speed had Zac over the line with Stefan close behind. Zoe retired to the beach having seen the boys fighting it out for the one/two and the thought of packing up the boat earlier was irresistible. ( well that's what I saw) and Zoe may have a different idea. I welcome her input, but I was delighted by the spirited display the three of them put up.
Many thanks to all that drove me around the courses and to SoPYC for the event. And the volunteers who made it happen. Good Sailing.
Enjoy the images.
Saturday the 18th of March
A slightly wet day loomed as I shot out the door at home to get down to the club to see how the day was to unfold. The rain was intermittent and most of the competitors were setting up in a cheerful frame of mind though a number were complaining that they were cold..... Oh well.
I was invited to join the jurists on the water for the day and without complaint I jumped on board with Richard Goldsworthy to visit the slightly bigger boats. That is the 420's, Lasers, a few 29ers and a bunch of 125's. I looked around for the Vipers, but from my understanding they'd forgotten to get the message out and no one knew until very late in the day. A pity I guess.
As the day progressed, the showers kept on moving through and a wind shift after the first race had PRO Les Swinton hoist an AP and change the course around. And then they began again in about 10 to 13 knots out of the south. Not much of a change as the breeze was already heading that way, but the PRO was on the ball.
I then moved onto course one over near Canning River and had some fun with the Peli's and Opti's. RO John Rooke was in charge and had the juniors moving through their paces smartly, though some of the younger sailors weren't too savvy of what the courses were and one lonely Pelican was watched as it followed the Optimists in the last race , having decided that it liked (or was familiar) with the course they were on. That is until a friend in another Pelican sailed over and said "follow us".
Enjoy the pictures.
A slightly wet day loomed as I shot out the door at home to get down to the club to see how the day was to unfold. The rain was intermittent and most of the competitors were setting up in a cheerful frame of mind though a number were complaining that they were cold..... Oh well.
I was invited to join the jurists on the water for the day and without complaint I jumped on board with Richard Goldsworthy to visit the slightly bigger boats. That is the 420's, Lasers, a few 29ers and a bunch of 125's. I looked around for the Vipers, but from my understanding they'd forgotten to get the message out and no one knew until very late in the day. A pity I guess.
As the day progressed, the showers kept on moving through and a wind shift after the first race had PRO Les Swinton hoist an AP and change the course around. And then they began again in about 10 to 13 knots out of the south. Not much of a change as the breeze was already heading that way, but the PRO was on the ball.
I then moved onto course one over near Canning River and had some fun with the Peli's and Opti's. RO John Rooke was in charge and had the juniors moving through their paces smartly, though some of the younger sailors weren't too savvy of what the courses were and one lonely Pelican was watched as it followed the Optimists in the last race , having decided that it liked (or was familiar) with the course they were on. That is until a friend in another Pelican sailed over and said "follow us".
Enjoy the pictures.
The 2015 Applecross Cup at SoPYC
A roaring success for the Applecross Cup last weekend.
Sailed under trying conditions that had RO's PC Les Swinton and Bernie Kaaks on their toes, moving the marks to fit into the conditions as the breeze wandered around the river. Sailing at the top of the river in Melville Water East, the easterly breezes gusted down the river on Saturday until eventually the seabreeze made an appearance giving the RO's a chance to try for the sixth race of the event giving everyone a soft day on the Sunday. Well that was the theory.
Then the Westerly's came in on Sunday morning and an AP went up to let the breeze settle in. It took a good half hour before the start boats went out and a decent breeze was in evidence with a chop in the water that made it hard work for the dinghies and the foilers. Still they fronted up. The plan was two in the am and two in the pm but the Optis and Peli's had to play catch up on an abandoned race from the day before so they packed in a five race session with possibly slightly shorter courses to help them through the time frames required. Nevertheless, all was completed and full marks to all the sailors involved in the event.
Hard work from the mark laying teams and volunteers and yes the same faces yet again...what does it take for other members to get themselves interested in helping their club grow. I see it all over the river clubs and the clubs on the seafront. It's only those that are prepared to put in the effort to help the younger people grow that will benefit the clubs in the long run.
Of interest .. Keith Swinton sailing a Moth ..... Conor Nicholas sailing a Moth ...
Enjoy the images
Sailed under trying conditions that had RO's PC Les Swinton and Bernie Kaaks on their toes, moving the marks to fit into the conditions as the breeze wandered around the river. Sailing at the top of the river in Melville Water East, the easterly breezes gusted down the river on Saturday until eventually the seabreeze made an appearance giving the RO's a chance to try for the sixth race of the event giving everyone a soft day on the Sunday. Well that was the theory.
Then the Westerly's came in on Sunday morning and an AP went up to let the breeze settle in. It took a good half hour before the start boats went out and a decent breeze was in evidence with a chop in the water that made it hard work for the dinghies and the foilers. Still they fronted up. The plan was two in the am and two in the pm but the Optis and Peli's had to play catch up on an abandoned race from the day before so they packed in a five race session with possibly slightly shorter courses to help them through the time frames required. Nevertheless, all was completed and full marks to all the sailors involved in the event.
Hard work from the mark laying teams and volunteers and yes the same faces yet again...what does it take for other members to get themselves interested in helping their club grow. I see it all over the river clubs and the clubs on the seafront. It's only those that are prepared to put in the effort to help the younger people grow that will benefit the clubs in the long run.
Of interest .. Keith Swinton sailing a Moth ..... Conor Nicholas sailing a Moth ...
Enjoy the images