Archive for December 2015
The Australia Day Regatta is regarded as the oldest continuously conducted sailing regatta in the world. It has been conducted each year since 1837 to commemorate the anniversary of the first European settlement of Australia. 2016 marks the 180th Australia Day Regatta. Originally known as the Anniversary Regatta, the regatta proper is held on Sydney Harbour where it began making it one of the highlights of Australia Day each year.
As well as competing in our GFS satellite events it would be good to have a strong GFS presence in the regatta on the harbour on Australia Day.
To compete you will need to complete the entry form which can be found here . Further information can be found on the ADR website https://australiadayregatta.com.au/ or the regatta program which is available at the club.
A great day to be out on the water and even with the call to sail Course 4 (and 4A for the reds) it was an enjoyable race followed by the regular rendezvous on the Deck of Knowledge to dissect the day’s sailing and world events.
Blue Division with a strong fleet powered down the harbour with Flashback and Solitude challenging for the lead. The Etchells again had a strong presence with Eggshells, Forte Forever and Foxy. Blue Chip again resumed their friendly battle with Eggshells. The ‘big’ boats – Irukandji, Clovelly Pacific, Gwhizz, StarElan and Lisdillon looked impressive as they made the rounding at Fort Denison. In the end Flashback made it home a couple of minutes before Solitude with Irukandji and then Eggshells not too far back. A well-deserved win on handicap for Eggshells was a fitting result with Blue Chip and Solitude next.
In White division the fleet kept together on the run toward the bridge. Tana made a narrow break and led at the Fort closely pursued by Umzimkulu II and Out of Africa clawing at their transom. The A team, Joka and Paca, kept in close touch for almost the entire race. Late gybes by Out of Africa and Joka to round Goat Island looked spectacular. On handicap Joka was successful from the Africans Out of and Umzim. O of A won the best dressed (????) or not crew award.
In the reds the match race series continued with Flair and Evo. Flair made a break at the start as Evo made a late headsail change. Evo clawed back ground all the way to Fort Denison and then Flair pulled away on the run home despite being challenged by all manner of craft including Wild Oats XI, a floating glass box, yahoos who appreciated our spinnaker work on their harbour cruise and a floating post.
I wish all at GFS the compliments of the season – have a safe and joyous Christmas and a happy New Year.
The Saturday sailing season resumes on Jan 9, 2016.
A good ESE to SE breeze gave the fleet a good start from the clubhouse. The addition of more than usual Harbour Cruise vessels possibly escaping the extreme Sailing event on the harbour added to the challenge.
Division 1 sailed Course 44 and it seemed at every time they appeared Solitude were flying their asymmetrical spinnaker. Not to be outdone Irukandji and Sweet Chariot took up the challenge. Forte Forever led the Etchells charge and were not far behind Solitude. The Elans had a close race and again the resurgent Etchells were well represented with Forte, Saints II, Foxy and Eggshells. The handicap result went to Sweet Chariot from Forte and Solitude. Young Obsession tricked everyone by turning up a week early for Down Harbour Race 4.
Division 2 had a good race on Course 38 an inner circle of Course 44 which kept both fleets relatively close. Flair won the start and led until Paca powered away to lead for the remainder. Umzimkulu II were always close and made a valiant effort on their final spinnaker run to bridge the gap. It was good to see Richard and his young crew in Evo sailing. Luckily for Flair, Paca waited in Humbug allowing them to bridge the gap and take the handicap result narrowly from Paca and Umzimkulu.
Again a good crowd materialised on the Deck of Knowledge to analyse the race. The range of food which appears is amazing and would probably out do the feast at a Twilight race.
The post-race discussion broadened to cover world issues such as how many times one sleeps on their boat, poles and wires, why Blue Chip is an honorary Etchells, 
will DJs Foxy appear in the results, ladies fashion, why a person steering an Etchells wasn’t sailing their own boat and the value of overdrive on a MGB Mark II.
The Twilight on 9th December went really well with a nice NE breeze despite a building storm. Results are HERE.
With folks settled into BBQ and post race re-sails – as you do – the heavens opened up and so undeterred everyone bolted inside to resume and complete the presentation.
For GFS sailors as for the US Postal Service “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”
Presentation goes on inside
Free fireworks and it’s not even NYE
Refugees from the weather
Storm is brewing
All good the wine is saved!
At last the summer weather made it to Saturday and with a good breeze made for a good race. The only difficulty being that I missed an email that informed me that the starters were actually not available and just up the road at Byron Bay! However, a stand-in crew stepped in to manage the start and racing continued on time.
Course 35 and 35A worked well and in Division 1 Solitude made a perfect start hitting the line at speed with less than a metre to spare they built on the lead and by Longnose point were well ahead. Irukandji continued to narrow the gap upwind. The Etchells group have made a comeback with the addition of Foxy. They finished one after the other after some close racing.
Division 2 was again under-represented and with Flair making a late start left Umzimkulu II and Paca to fight out the race on the water. In the strong conditions Umzimkulu were fast and kept in front for the entire journey.
Fortuitously, or not, Gwhizz suffered gear failure and returned to the club and agreed to record the finish (thanks Ann) and allow Flair to actually race after they had been stooging around sailing near the club (pictured) and in Humbug.
The added bonus was that the Whizzies were able to release the woman we has inadvertently left locked in the club and who is probably not talking to us anymore – sorry Louise.
Next Saturday race is Saturday Series Race 3 (changed date).
This changes comes into effect from Twilight Summer Series Race 1 (2015).
Sailing Instruction 25 Special Regulations
Part e becomes
(i) In Saturday racing, MPS spinnakers are allowable, i.e. a spinnaker may be set without a pole.
(ii) In GFS Twilight Series races, only a mainsail and headsails as defined in RRS 50.4 shall be permitted. Headsails shall not be set flying and must be tacked to the foot of a permanent forestay and fully hanked or attached to the permanent forestay by a luff groove device. No sail shall be set forward of the point of attachment of a permanent forestay.
The Sailing Instructions on the Yachts page have been updated to include this change.
