Middle Harbour Yacht Club Winter Series Race 2

by Alana Whitting on 15 May 2012 Sydney City Marine Winter Series second race at Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC) was underway in conflicting conditions on Saturday 12 May – see the below on water ace report for further details on just how changing the conditions were throughout the race.

This second race of the series also saw the first foray of our Junior Sailing entrants aboard J24 ‘Whisper’ in the Sydney City Marine Winter Series, finishing fifth in Division 3 PHS. The Junior team are keen to build on their experience in this race and anticipate a larger crew for subsequent weekends.

This ten race Saturday series runs through to Saturday 14 July 2012 and offers two drops to series entrants. There will be no racing over the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend (9, 10 and 11 June).

Weekly place-getters will be rewarded with a great range of Winter gear from Sydney City Marine, with the Sydney City Marine Perpetual Trophy for the overall divisional winners.

Racing is on the ‘Sound of Sydney Harbour’, with a First Warning Signal at 1200 hours. Course lengths are specifically tailored to wind strength. The series offers IRC and PHS results and divisions are determined to ensure competitive racing delivered to all competitors.

Divisions:
Division 1 – IRC and PHS Spinnaker
Division 2 - PHS Spinnaker
Division 3 - PHS Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker/Cruising

Week Two Race Report - from our on water race reporter, Phil Clinton:

Hughie’s Winter Sailing Degustation weather. - That summed up the second race of the SCM Winter Series. It is not often that the BOM Forecast and Seabreeze Forecasts are so different. So it was with some fear and trepidation that the yachts left MHYC to head out into the sound for the race. BOM was forecasting 20+ knots and Seabreeze around 10 knots. Both forecasting West to South West. We all know what a winter westerly can bring. Gusts and directional swings. Even the Hugh George was so concerned she expelled her starboard course board into the water. About 30 mins later it was recovered and racing progressed.

So it was course 7 the South Westerly Course.

At the start it was blowing about 20 to 25 knots with some lighter gusts. So it looked like most yachts had opted for the number 3 headsail and a number were reefed.

A start near Manly Point with a work to the Rocky Point mark in Balmoral. The winds in Middle Harbour from the Grotto Bombora to the mark added further problems with yachts sailing away from the fleet then tacking to find the fleet had caught them. Kites up for the run to the Bombora and around the corner to Manly saw most yachts calling for their smaller kites. A relatively easy run without many broaches as the degustation dinner went from the first course to the second. A number of yachts were seen to be changing headsails on the run.

The work back was relatively straight forward until the yachts entered the twilight zone on Middle Harbour. What you learned from the previous work did not apply this time. So the yachts had to draw straws to see who got the lifts. There were a number of changes to the lead yachts. As the yachts rounded Rocky Point some even went for kites between there and Edwards Beach.

Most yachts had elected to carry bigger kites as the wind was now down below 15 knots. An easier run to Manly this time as the wind had swung to the left. More headsail changes on the run as Hughie was running out of puff and the breeze was below 10 knots. A much slower work out of Manly but a detour to the Cannae mark this time. The Middle Harbour lottery had not improved as we saw yachts pointing in the same direction but on different tacks.

The final run was straight back to Cannae in about 5 knots of breeze. So let’s change headsails again.

The final work back to the finish at Hunters Bay was a very slow and frustrating work. But with the race finally over it was good to head home in light airs and sunshine. The crew from 2Xcess said they only carry seven sails onboard, three headsails, three kites and one main. By the end of the race the light kite was the only sail not used during Hughie’s degustation winter race.


Results:
Division #1
IRC
Stormaway
MRZ
Wailea

PHS
Wailea
Stormaway
MRZ

Division #2
PHS
Another Dilemma
Ten8ious
No Friends

Division #3
PHS
Innamincka
Impeccable
Bacchus

The Start Boat is short one crew for next week. If you have not been on the Start Boat I recommend you give it a go. It is an interesting experience. So if anyone is available please contact the sailing office on 9969 1244.

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