Trouble Sleeping? Go yachting!

by John Curnow on 18 Jul 2011 Go yachting! At least that’s what one of the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s Flag Officers had to say, once they were back in the pen after their two-race outing yesterday as part of the Winter Series on Melbourne’s Port Phillip. ‘There would have been 39 crews who would have got their Z’s last night, you know. It was a lot of exercise and I heard many, many people talk about going off to the gym to be better prepared, moving forward.’

‘It’s funny how after two races on a windy day, the beer and chips taste even better. Don’t know how, but they do!!! For me the quote of the day had to come from Ninety Seven, of whom one crewmember said of their keel displaying activities, ‘Two kites, a sheet and a brace was the cost of the day!’

The Ninety Seven incident, which certainly was a long and arduous affair, caught the attention of others, too. Principal Race Officer, David LeRoy from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, when comparing it to Chutzpah’s effort two weeks ago in Race One, said ‘It was right up there in terms of the degree of difficulty!’

‘In Division Two, Toecutter 2 seemed to be in a different league and it was great to watch the exceptionally close battle that ensued between Chutzpah and Challenge. Challenge departed in the second race with steering damage, which I understand may have been the direct result of the running over-deep syndrome that Chutzpah was afflicted with last time’, said David. ‘The maximum gust was 28 knots and it was mainly 17 to 18 for the day.

Whilst the gusts not only flicked around a bit, they were short in duration, but the downside was that they were moving across the water quite fast. We were about to get the first race underway at 010 and just before the start, we were forced to move it to 350 degrees. In the second race, we got off towards 355 and then had to do a change of course to 345, which we alerted them to at the bottom.’

Today certainly belonged to the 50 and 30 footers. At the front of their respective divisions, the leaders not only handled the blustery conditions well, they keep advancing their lead. In Division One, Cougar II got going and kept going, easily accounting for over 20 knots of boat speed on the way downwind. ‘We had five new crew on today, so we’re really happy with the two guns for line honours and wins in IRC for both races, especially after a good spell away from it all. It’s really pleasing to pull the wins when you’re effectively racing the clock’, said her owner, Alan Whiteley. Grant Allen was driving her today and doing tactics was 470 Olympic Gold Medallist, Mark Turnbull.

Race Director, ORCV stalwart, Robin Hewitt, said of the day, ‘It was a pleasant morning with a nine knot Nor’easter, which changed ten minutes before the start to match the forecast 15-20 knots and shifted more West of North. Cougar II was a standout leader for both races. The windward leeward courses provided plenty of downwind drama, with several spectacular, full issue wipeouts. If anyone wishes to seek advice on disaster recovery, many of today’s participants have the complete experience.

‘Then, to cap it all off, there was a Man Overboard incident aboard Godzilla. Thankfully, all are OK. They were under kite at the time and only went about 50 metres before they had completed their turn and came back for their displaced crewmember. Well done to the crew for their great work. Also, full marks to Joint Venture and Spirit of Freya for standing by and what a polished example of seamanship obligations, even if not eventually required’, said Robin.

It is always safety first at the ORCV and the Flag Officers were delighted that 10 years of ORCV training and education programmes have been of use. ‘It proves that the skills learnt at things like the Safety and Sea Survival Course are invaluable and just as useful in the Bay, as they are at sea. Perhaps this is why we’re seeing a lot more Bay sailors doing the course these days. The next one is on for September 17 and 18, 2011.’ You can go here for details and an enrolment form.

Robin continued once again after that by saying, ‘The starts were potentially dangerous due to 'barging' and it was noted that many boats were approaching the start line from windward of the Committee Boat. Please understand, that this is a no, no. Today, a very near, major incident was averted by the quick action aboard Toecutter 2 and the intimidating, solid construction of the Committee Boat.’

Now if ever there was a segue, what you just read, was it. From onboard Cloud IX today, Jeremy Walton, gives us an account. ‘Apparently, communications skills are important in yacht racing. After a challenging start, which left me wondering if I should have just stepped off onto the Committee Boat and the resultant 720 we performed, we headed off towards the mark and all appeared to be going quite well. Actually, we had made up quite a lot of the ground that the start had cost us.’

‘So the spinnaker comes up on deck. I hook it on and with Andrew ‘Burga’ Burggraaff on the mast and things are looking good for the set when we go around the mark. Now this is where that communication bit apparently comes into play. Burga and I have talked through our section, I am going to undo the Velcro, sneak the tack out to the end of the pole and he is going the hoist. Fully sorted you would have thought - just as we did. Right?

Unfortunately, we forgot to actually talk to the brains trust back in Fantasy Island and the office crew about what was actually going to happen as we went round the mark’, Jeremy informed us.

‘So, anyway, I sneak the tack, Burga goes the hoist and up until about halfway, it is looking good. It’s just a bit of a pity that no one else onboard was even thinking about being ready. No brace or sheet on a winch, in fact the former was still tied to the life line. So communication is really important if you don’t want to make mistakes like this. Also, not doing it directly in front of the media boat will help, as they got plenty of shots. I gather they did scoop up the main part of the spinnaker and take it back to its maker, so I think I’m meant to say thank you…’

‘In the end, I am happy to report that other than the spinnaker, which is now in two bits, rather than the traditional one, along with a few bent items on deck, we suffered no serious damage and far more importantly, no one was hurt (physically). The only good thing, if you can call it that, was that the kite split whilst under water, so at least we did not have to hear it tear...’

Jeremy finished with, ‘I am going to move back to the stern. I would have thought that I lost my Foredeck Union ticket today!!’

So then, to the results: In terms of Line Honours for both races, the two divisions could not have been more different. Division One had six to seven minutes separating the leaders, where as in Division Two it was more like 10 to 20 seconds.

Race Two, IRC Div1 was one by Cougar II, with Chutzpah and Challenge following. Div2 was Alibi, The Secretary and then INSX. The Australian Measurement System (AMS) Div1 was Jazz Player from Chutzpah and Challenge and Div2, it was Toecutter2 over Alibi and The Secretary. Performance handicap was Rush from Jazz Player and Chutzpah in Division One. Division Two was Alibi, The Secretary and Magazan 53.

Race Three saw the leaders of both divisions get away from the pack a bit more and in Division Two, Addiction got through to get the gun, after a good, solid performance. IRC Div1 went to Cougar II again, with Jazz Player and Goldfinger getting on the podium. IRC Div2 was INSX over Magazan 53 and Alibi. AMS Div1 went to the omnipresent Jazz Player who really is having the season and half, so far. Chutzpah and Dry White also placed. In Div2, the well-sailed and hefty hitting Toecutter 2 got the points from Addiction and Magazan 53. Performance handicap for Div1 went to Jazz Player with Stampede and Spirit of Downunder placing. Addiction took out Div2, whilst Magazan 53 and INSX featured on the board, too.

With three races completed of the seven race series, the board already has some standout performers. Jazz Player leads both IRC and AMS in Division One, but has Chutzpah right there in second place in both measurement categories. Goldfinger holds third place in IRC and Lou Abrahams’ Challenge third in AMS. The quiet achiever, INSX, who have achieved the lowest pointscore in the Winter Series for the last two years and thus won the Lord Warden Trophy, currently holds IRC Div2. Alibi and The Secretary are there on the podium. AMS Div2 has the standout achiever in Toecutter 2, who with three first places so far, looks to be making an emphatic statement about who’ll get the silverware this year. Addiction and The Secretary are a little further afield, but taking the minor placings, none the less.

In the Performance Handicap System, Jazz Player leads from Spirit of Downunder and Chutzpah, whilst Addiction holds the Div2 lead over The Secretary and Biddy Hu II.

Race four will be conducted on Melbourne’s Port Phillip on Sunday, July 31.

More information at the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria website

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