Tamar Cove/CST Composites B14 World Championship - Day 3
by Mark Barnes 4 Jan 2018 11:17 PST
2-6 January 2018
B14 Worlds at Bell Bay, Tasmania day 3 © Jack Anon
A Day for Sending and hanging on in Big Winds
The dogs would be testing their chains today as the biggest scheduled breeze of the event was forecasted to come in around race time accompanied by sunshine and flat water.
With two races today, races 5 - 6 of the Tamar Cove CST Composites, B14 World Championships. Breeze forecast was for 18 – 32 knots. Class limit is a gust of 25 knots for 30 seconds or a single gust of 30 knots.
Race 5 and the big guns were unleashed screaming into PDYC, with little to chose between the top six boats. At the top it was Bonus (Bangers/Louis) from Team Harken/Sandiline (Nick/Toby) and Team GUL/North Sails (Barnsie/Lauren) in third with several trailing in close formation. Down the run, some big lines of breeze chased the fleet. Bonus and Team Harken/Sandiline locked horns, jousting with the breeze as Team GUL/North Sails went off the course in a monster gust dropping the kite to granny round, finally dropping them to sixth by the leeward mark.
Taking up the chase, The Hitcher (Robbie/Ben) recovering from a swim on the beat, with The Bandit (Gen/Dylon) and Snatch (Craig/Nick). As the breeze increased towards the class limit, the Team Harken/Sandiline got the jump on Bonus. Now with some big gains and losses, the front six compressed with Snatch getting the jump on the group into second. Another team on a charge was Rocketship (Adrian/Martin (Nat Champ)). Behind this group all other teams took at least one swim.
At the finish Team Harken/Sandiline closed out the race followed by Snatch and Bonus.
Once the stragglers had been hovered up, the depleted fleet held on for the breeze to get under class limits. Finally after about 30 minutes, the charge was on again, this time led by Bonus followed Team Harken/Sandiline and Team GUL/North Sails. Down the run in the increasing breeze the front pack sung with daggerboards being seen. Team Harken/Sandiline went deep and took the lead. Bonus piled it in on the drop, The Hitcher took up the charge with Bonework (Dad/Dave) followed by the same group of protagonists.
As the front runners in close formation closed in on the windward mark on lap 2, the breeze increased to 30+ knots. The safety boats and judges boats gave chase to advise the fleet the race had been abandoned prior to sending down the last run in touch and go conditions. All were peeled off at the windward mark, but Team Harken/Sandiline decided to send it and survived to the end of the leg, fighting their way back upwind to shore where the rest of the fleet had been helping returning teams to get their B14s ashore. The fleet survived intact after a very fruity day on the water, awaiting another salivating day tomorrow.
The event looks to be a feast for the heavier crews, but Saturday could prove to be a feast for the lighter crews, but will come to late for them to place a challenge. Top youth is Dylon Cardwell crewing The Bandit and top girl Lauren Keil stand in crew in Team GUL/North Sails.
The fleet retired to shore for the "Bugger the Bone" party and more great food from the club galley.
Tomorrow looks likely to be 12 – 18 knots with races 6 – 8 to be run. So could be a big day on the water for Team Harken/Sandiline.
Results can be found here.