Twilight sailing on Botany Bay...

[khiemtran]

Wednesday night, and I'm back out on Botany Bay, only this time I've got a GoPro...



As you can see, I'm in the Quba again. I'm wearing the camera on a head mount, which certainly makes it much easier to handle the mainsheet and tiller at the same time...



Unfortunately, I got the angle of the camera wrong and most of the time it was facing up at the sail or the sky. It's only in shots like these, where the boat has heeled in a gust, that you can get a decent view of the hull and the spray it was kicking up. The shots where I was really hiking out also ended up being mostly of water and sky - I'll have to try tilting the camera lower next time.



In the Feva were a nice couple from England, having their first experience of sailing on a bay instead of a lake. They only got here a week ago and were enjoying the sun...



One more photo showing off the GoPro's wide angle lens to good effect. It was great fun racing the Feva in the little Quba, but my arms were getting sore by the end of it...

Comments

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it is the angle or what, but it looks like you are going FAST!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

I was clocking about five-six knots upwind, which is about the Quba's limit without planing (i.e. when she starts skimming over the water instead of pushing through it). Not sure I actually got her planing though.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Same impression! I could practically feel it, sitting at my desk!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

The water looks so beautiful--golden and white, more ethereal than ordinary water (but plenty choppy, like ordinary water).

A head cam is an *excellent* idea. I'm sure you'll get the knack of aiming it where you want (these photos are gorgeous).

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was that special hour when the sun was just setting and the light was low enough to catch the spray. I like how the GoPro also freezes the spray in mid-air. All of these are actually video stills, so the resolution is not the best, but it lets you get the timing perfect.