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Howdy Gang.
Well, another ripper day on the water last Sunday. Again, the weather wasn't supposed to be great, with 20 knots plus down at South Channel, it was a bit iffy. As it turned out, the big hill gave us some shelter and the rain held off nicely, so with nice flat water, low cloud to keep the sun out of your eyes and 10 to 15 knots offshore, it was a near perfect SBSC sailing day. 
   
After an on water start for the Keelboats, RO Dave Brewer, ably assisted by Super D in Start, Andrew 'Stocksey' Stocks, Stu Scott, Paul Martin and Bruce Mansfield in the RHIBs reset the course for us just inside the mussel farm. A brief moment of panic ensued before we left the sand when Ross M informed us that they intended to run a starboard course to keep it close to the beach ala Glen Lazzar style. This turned out to be a complete furphy, which I put down to Ross waging some psychological warfare against Bill M in the Impulses. Some people will stoop to any level!
   
All up we had 23 boats head out including 10 Sabres. That's numbers we haven't seen for quite a while. As well as 3 Impulses, 2 420s, 4 Cats and a Quest, we also had Dave and son Luke venture out in their Nacra 5.9. They were planning to just go for a sail but were having such a good time that they decided to join in the race, great job.
   
Race one had the experienced one's head left to the beach as normally that's where the lifts are. Not today though, as some stray gusts and knocks left them way behind, even 'The Maestro' Rick P ended up way back (even behind me !!!). Mark L cleaned up as the only boat in Div 5, as did Greg and James in Div 4. Ross led Bill and Duncan a merry dance in the Impulses with a couple of 420s and Jameson F in his Laser ( with a bigger sail he has jumped up a class). The 2 'A' Class cats of Ewan C and 'A' Class Anthony were chasing or being chased by Nick B in his Taipan, not necessarily in that order! Meanwhile, Wayne J and Andrew 'Doc' Taylor were cruising around in the Quest with Doc looking very comfortable at the helm. I didn't see the headphones or coffee, but I'm sure they were there at some stage,
   
Race two saw the wind pick up a bit, and with those same shifty conditions, the places changed around quite a lot. Rick found his groove and left all of Div 2 in his wake far behind. Talking to him afterwards, I asked if he was playing 'possum' in race one. He said "No, I just picked some good shifts in race two and wondered why no one else cottoned on". That's Rickspeak for, "So long Suckers!". He also said, "In Race one I couldn't pick a shift and didn't know where I was going wrong ". That's Petespeak for, "I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time!".
 
Race two also saw Bill pip Ross (sweet revenge), Katrina M take advantage of the heavier wind to grab third from Fiona M and a few boats pull out and live to sail another day, including the 2 'A' Class guys, leaving Nick to take out both races. As usual, some of the best sailing was getting back to the beach with some great reaching and then the offshore wind giving that nice calm landing, right when you need it after a hard slog.
 
All up, a great day's fun with only one casualty. Poor Luke M broke his mast mount just before race one started. A real shame as it would have been great conditions for his Moth, as opposed to the other weeks where he spent a lot of time ploughing into the back of some big waves. As he said, that probably contributed to the breakage. 
 
Great to see Norm K out on the water even though it didn't meet his 20 knot and 20-degree rule, and John W stepping off his Keelboat and into his Sabre for a change of pace.
 
Thanks again to the Race Team for a sterling job as usual. Next week we have Stu Scott as RO again, with Super D assisting (we all know she runs the show), Simon H, Norm K, Ben Griffin and as it's another on water start for the Keelboats, we have Brett from 'Summer Breeze' on the RHIBs. 11.15 at the dock guys and gals.
 
That's all for this week. Cheer, Pete Chippy 

 

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Howdy Gang.
What a ripper day last Sunday, eh? For a day that promised so little, it turned out to be an absolute cracker! The forecast was for strong winds and a fair bit of rain, and we did get the rain, just not at race time. I got to the club about 12.30 and sure enough, it was pelting down, and everyone was hunkered down in the training room or upstairs checking the radar (what a fabulous tool), with no one looking too keen. Then right on cue, the rain stopped, the Start boat and RHIBs appeared from the channel, and it was a mad scramble to rig up and hit the water. Well, more a case of the water hitting us as the onshore wind was sending some pretty big waves onto the beach. But in true SBSC style, it was one in all in as everyone helped each other holding boats or handling trolleys. Special mention to Katrina M, who stayed in the water, sometimes neck deep, holding boats so skippers could climb in until she was the last but one left when Nick M and Matt W returned the favour.
   
Once out past the channel mouth, I and a few others, headed out to the mussel farm area to look for the start boat. Where the b'jesus was it? Had they turned tail? No, a quick look back showed it about 200 metres off the beach with the start line ready to go and the orange flag up. The toughest sail of the day was trying to get back there in time!
 
Race one was one for the heavy weather experts. Enter Katrina M again. After her good effort last week, she showed her form and was first around the top mark only to be rounded up by The Maestro, Rick P, Jumpin' James T and Fleet Fiona M ( OK I'll stop now ) as she couldn't catch a wave on the reaches. The wind eased a bit and by the end of the race the sun was out and the waves had flattened a lot, bring on race two. A slight course adjustment as the breeze swung a bit more Northerly and we were off. The lighter wind made it a lot more comfortable for Bill and Ross in the Impulses and Zack and Finn in their Lasers, a bit different from last week. At this stage I reckon those Cat boys wished they had strayed off the beach as it would have been right up their alley (no pun intended) and Di J would have been more than happy in her Sabre. She did look pretty comfy holding the tiller in the Quest though. Greg L and James E were in their element buzzing the fleet Tasar style and Matt W, freshly back from Tassie was happy just cruising around with Nick M in a 420.
 
As we all crossed the line, RO Glenno Lazzar asked if we were up for a third race. Too right! was the unanimous cry. So with the wind backed right off , the RHIBs brought the wing and top marks in really short and off we went again. Rounding the top mark with the Quest at one point, a mighty BOOM of thunder had us look seaward at a huge storm approaching, only to have it slide happily away over MMYC, sorry neighbours. The breeze held in nicely, no chocolates for Katrina this time though, and it was back to the beach. The same camaraderie had us all off the sand, packed up and upstairs just in time for the heavens to open up and give the grass a nice watering.
 
Talking to Mono Martin later in the week, He said at Sandringham they had multiple 38 knot squalls coming through with thunder and lightning all day with not a thought of starting a race. I guess those weather Gods must have heard our pleas, finally!
 
A Huge thanks to RO Glenno L and Super D on Start, Jess L and Simon H in Woodsy and Grace L and Doc T (yes him again) in Sutherland. A great job to set up the course in tough conditions. And did you notice that the results were up on Sailor App before we were up at the bar? Well, that was Geoff E waiting in the wings for his communique from Super D while she was still on the water so he could bang out those results ASAP.
 
Speaking of results, over the Ditch in NZ, Stu Scott and Ewan Campbell did us proud coming in 11th in the Foilers and 15th in the Classics respectively at the A Class worlds. Ewan didn't get the silverware he wanted so I hope you all stocked up on that Marlborough sav Blanc!
 
That's all for now team, next Sunday is an on water start for the KBs so as well as Stu Scott, fresh from NZ as RO you will have Super D, Dave B, Bruce M, Ben G and a special helper from Fransiska running the show- enjoy!
 
Cheers, Pete Chippy 
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Well blow me down Gang, quite literally! What a difference from last week to this week. From a nice sunny day with 8 to 10 knots and flat-water last week, to a grey, squally mess with 15 to over 20 knots and some waves that Mick Fanning would think twice about. This week was a complete turnaround. Which one was better/more fun sailing?  That's a question only you can answer, although I reckon, I can guess which way Di J would lean. It was a pretty gutsy effort to even rig up, but to sail out, tip in before the start, climb back in and complete race one and most of race two showed the great tenacity that we know Di for. I wonder if she felt like asking Wayne J and Glenn L if she could jump over to the Quest as they went past with their extra 150 or so extra kilos keeping them flat. Maybe grab the tiller for old times' sake- please?!
 
The rest of the fleet weren't having a particularly easy time of it either, with the Laser gang unanimously saying that three laps was a bit much on a day like that. Greg L and James E in the sole Tasar were absolutely in their element, as was Katrina M in her Sabre. Always a strong wind specialist, she was right up near the front for both races, just behind Rick P and James T, who claimed 1,2 then 2,1 respectively. Great work guys. 
 
Ross M and Bill M in the Impulses really felt that extra sail area, with Ross having a swim and Bill opting for a granny tack at one of the gybes. Keith managed to hold it upright this week, but at least last week he waited until he was over the line before tipping in, unlike moi, who got all around both races, battling monster waves, screaming reaches and runs, surfing like the afore mentioned M Fanning - only to fall in 50 metres from the finish-Doh! And let Keith slip past- Doh, Doh!!
 
Although I didn't see him, I heard Luke M was out there belting along on his Moth, having a great time flying over waves, crashing full bore into said waves, and generally showing some exceptional skill in a boat not really made for those conditions. The apple didn't fall far from that tree for sure.
 
Race two done and not even I was sad when we didn't get a third race! But the fun wasn't over yet, we still had to get back to the beach, and that seemed a loooong way. Most people jumped out in deep water to avoid coming to grief on the shore, Bill even had pod of dolphins escorting him home. With plenty of willing hands, every one made it back up to the yard to pack up and collapse in an exhausted heap with no casualties and plenty of tales of derring do at the bar. Yes, it was wild, but what a great day everyone had. If you weren't there, well, you know, STBY!
 
Thanks, heaps to the race team of Geoff, Super D, Doc T, Paul M, Joe V and James A who all did an awesome job, pulling up anchors in those conditions ain't easy. Paul, Joe and James were all last minute ring ins as well to fill gaps that appeared in the roster. Perhaps if you aren't intending to sail, or decide on the day not to, you could put up your hand to swap out and let someone else sail. Doc is a ripper for this, he often rings mid-week to offer his services on a rhib and it's greatly appreciated.
 
Now for something completely different. Good luck to Stu Scott and Ewan Campbell over in NZ for the A Class Cat Worlds. Stu said He is hoping for a podium finish in the Foilers but not sure with such a strong international fleet. Ewan said He expects to bring home the silverware in the Classics, and if they don't let him, he's going to poison all their grapevines!
Keep an eye on their progress via the usual channels and perhaps stock up on some Marlborough Sav Blanc too.
 
Next week is an on water start for the keelboats and the Race Crew is RO Glenn L, Asst Super D on Start, Grace L and Luke Marcasani on Woodsy and Simon H and an as yet un-named volunteer from KB Summer Breeze in Sutherland. Meeting at the boat dock about 11.00. 
 
That's more than enough for this week, see you on Sunday. Cheers, Pete Chippy.
 
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Kon-ni-chi-wa Gang. I'm back from the land of the Rising Sun, where among other places, I visited the site of the 2021 Olympic sailing venue, Enoshima. And guess what? Glass - not a ripple! Just goes to show, my wind predicting skills are not just confined to Safety Beach.

Having said that, last Sunday was one out of the box. Sandwiched between a wild Saturday and a torrential Monday, we had an absolutely cracking sailing day. 21 plus boats hit the water under the watchful eye of RO Rick Potter and Asst RO Mono M. The RHIB crews of Doc Taylor, Simon Haslett, James Thorne and Mark Lawrence had it about as easy as you could possibly get with a steady 8-12 knot breeze that never wavered more than 5 degrees from dead North all day.

With a nicely mixed fleet of Lasers, Sabres, Tasars, Quests, A Cats and a few others, including Alan, a visitor from Lysterfield, in his beautiful hand-built, classic timber Moth (not the foiling kind!), we all lined up for our respective starts. All that is except the Lasers, who played follow the leader and headed off with the Div 2 boats, knuckle heads!

For race one, the smart money suggested going straight up the middle, and with only a few minor shifts and gusts to play with, that held pretty true. One trick I learned to slow yourself down is to not cleat your halyard in properly. This works extremely well to lower not only your sail, but also your boom to the extent that it is really hard to get under during a tack. I'm constantly working on these methods of moving myself further back in the fleet to maintain conversations with the other skippers as they streak past. I didn't see Fiona M or Di J in her newly acquired Sabre as they hit the front and stayed there, leaving the rest of the div 2 boats, including Glen L and Wayne J in one Quest and Jamieson F and Dad Jamie in the other Quest to swap around and finally have a dead heat across the finish line.

Race two had the breeze a bit less so that same smart money said, " Head for the cliff!". Anybody that went out to sea soon realised they were in a no win situation as the wind coming over the hill gave more pressure and a lift as well to push the cliff dwellers up to the top mark while the rest just sat and watched.

After swapping the lead several times with Ross M in race one, Bill M had to pull out of race two, leaving Duncan M (what's with all the M's?) to chase Ross around the course in the Impulses. All of the Lasers and a couple of the Div 6 cats retired as well, so race two was a much smaller field, but that didn't diminish the memorable feat of (drumroll please), A Class Anthony taking out his first ever win!!! Look out Stu and Dave, Tony is coming for ya!! A nice little increase in the wind right at the finish gave us tail enders some excitement for the last few hundred metres, with Keith B holding on through the finish only to go for a swim right after the line, then having to be informed that he hadn't rounded the bottom mark, sigh.

Last but not least, lots of people kept asking "what's course 3 look like, where can I find it?" Well, it has been sent to you. It's on the Sailor app under documents/sailing instructions, same for the roster. You can find it on the SBSC web site under 'On Water OTB course diagrams'. It is also normally on the notice board next to the sign in desk, but they seem to have gone walkabout. They will be found and put back. It's early in the season and I'm sure we will all find our sea legs soon, so in the meantime, patience people and keep asking those questions. Off The Beach Homepage

Club Championship this Sunday 9th Nov. Geoff and Super D on Start, Doc Taylor and Nadine Huels on Sutherland and I'm still chasing replacements for Mal W and Catherine S who won't be joining us this season. Don't worry Geoff, I'll find someone.

Cheers, Pete Chippy
 
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