Championship Race 3

    

                          I played amongst the big boat league this week, to get that refresher course on racing for sheep stations and all that stuff!

                          The dinghies played off in the distance,little orange triangles way over there.......

The yachts paced up and down - the  intimidation game before the start... Yeh that worked... !!





Intriigue was in a rush.. things to do .. places to go.. you know how it is.. 

 




Doctor's Orders was playing with a full deck..

                                                                                   

Lex and Sue were under Orders...


 

Maria was on her way 'to the far side'

                                                                                  



 
                                                                               


Solitaire was ready to test Lynes mettle ..



with lots of tacking and waves over the bow..

the start boat crew had the flags flying

.. and these guys were anticpating .. No Problem..



                                                                                



there was some Port and starboard movement..

 

till they all headed off into the blue..





Take a good look here, 'cause these guys come and go as quick as a blink...

 

Mike was taking the whole thing with customary calm..



Jan and Rick were welcome hands..





 



while Wistari sailed the angles..

Aga was doing a sideways shift..




Intriigue was first to throw a kite..

                                                                                         

Miss Behaviour cruised along .. in no particular rush..


Intriigue set course for home ,



                                                                               

                                                                                         

                            .. and No Problem won on Handicap... so no complaints here...

                                                                              

                                                                                 



 






 



Head of the Harbour

Club Championship No 2

         
                                        

                                          Ah! Championship

                                 The day the gremlins come out..
 
                     
                Championship days seem to bring out the devil in skippers.

Mild mannered reporter types become obsessed with that ephemeral thing called "air space"  ...or lack of it .... my space, no space, lack of space, not to mention large black and yellow buoys lost in space!!

                      but first ....
                                on deck early and calm as can be..

                    Marchello was prepared for any conditions at sea
                                                           

 

                   on the big boats .. everybody was feeling the tension...

 

                                ...   the line up was tidy and tight

 

ready for a bit of competition

                           ..the dinghies were looking like a well teamed fleet

                          Solitaire saw  Lynne and her "follow me" flag..
     

 

Miss Behaviour had the pre race blues...

 

Wistari made a rare appearance

                                                            

                        The start was loud, with calls and shouts..

                               closely packed, "up, up , up," "air, air, air"

                            The pocket rocket slipped through the fleet

                                   some took the road less travelled

                           while Wistari went for cover amongst the shipping

                        ... with five minutes of fame they disappeared

                                        But 'over the other side '
                                                  

                                      twin pacers fought it out,                               

                                 Jackson, Maria, Ray all tussled at the buoys

     
                                          John was searching for a sign...

 

                                     .. and eventually he found ..
                 
                                               Yacht Bank Buoy

 

 

there was teeth gritting stress...

 

                                              the action tense ...

                                             Race 2 countdown

                       .....  and the fleet are synchronised on port

                            ... all except Ray
               
                                            ... on starboard tack..

                  
                                     it could have turned nasty,

                                        the camera was poised...

                               but skill and dexterity won the day ..

                                                       
                              that is .. every sailor displayed skill and dexterity

 

Now-

there was a little bit of this and a little bit of

                                                           
     

                                                      that ...

                        We watched Miss Behaviour come home with a kite

and do you remember how it all looked at the start ?

 

 

                                          well...   forget that ..
                                it never looks like that at the finish..

it's a lot more relaxed ..