Trying to keep up

With all the recent sailing that’s been happening, it’s just a little hard trying to keep up with all the regattas and then we have the unbelievable race 8 in New Zealand for the Americas Cup  .

Rigging at Port Kembla Sailing Club on Lake Illawarra

A couple of weeks ago, I went down to Lake Illawarra for the  second round of the Flying Eleven states. On behalf of Allen Brothers England and LIROS Ropes Germany, DeckHardware has been supporting the junior classes, so we took the DeckHardware RIB down for the weekend.  Mel took over a thousand photos on the Saturday and then spent Sunday at home doing  a lot of editing.  Conditions wise, it couldn’t be further from the first round on Pittwater.  Pittwater turned on a good southerly so there was plenty of standing on the centreboards, Lake Illawarra was  the opposite with the winds struggling to get above 8knots over the weekend.  The race team did a good job to get in the races that they did.   Our DeckHardware ambassadors Aimee and Bella led after Pittwater and to finish up second overall and first all girls is a credit to their teamwork and their parental support both off and on the water.   From what I saw over the weekend, all the sailors enjoyed the event, it was pretty close results wise and there was  plenty of speculation  as to the placings until they were published. 

Just after a Flying Eleven start, some go left and some go right

Following the  Elevens, it was back to the Farr40s for more of the same. Unfortunately only 6 boats sailed this event, but the closeness showed just how keenly fought the racing was. First and second tied on point as did third and fourth.  Watching just how close the racing was is why I enjoy being a race official.  Make a small mistake and you lose a boat length or two and you are out the back door. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone claw their way back after say, an OCS. It’s just too close speed wise with plenty of pressure on the tacticians.

Always good racing and great to watch

The third weekend in a row out on the water, strange given the current global situation was to watch the Sydney Harbour Regatta. For something a little different DeckHardware provided Middle Harbour Yacht Club the use of the RIB as a photography boat.  Marg Fraser -Martin has been taking photos both inshore and offshore at MHYC for a few years now and we have a great rapport between us.  We spent the weekend going from course to course [there were seven] and from top mark to gate rounding’s trying to capture some of the action.  Marg took well over two thousand photos over the weekend from sports boats to sports yachts and harbour racers. Then throw in the 18’ers on the harbour and there was plenty of action afloat.

Here’s a couple of Marg Fraser Martins photos below

Always plenty on , on Sydney Harbour

And then one gets a call from a prominent Medalist sailor, “I’ve run out of fuel can I get a tow home?’

And at the end of the weekend, it’s under the Spit Bridge and heading for the boat ramp queue.

There has been of course a sailing event over the Ditch in Auckland, well done to the Kiwis with a little help from an Aussie or two. They certainly had the faster boat towards the end. Lets see what happens in the coming months as to the next one.

That’s nearly it for the summer Downunder season for me , although we still have the  Allen/Liros/DeckHardware sponsored Flying Eleven and 16’Skiff Nationals on  in the coming weeks. Then the Annual Batemans Bay Regatta over  the ANZAC weekend  with everything from Sportsboats, multihull, monos and Sailability. Always a great weekend on the water down south.