Winter Series Racing...
May. 11th, 2015 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
khiemtranSunday was the first race of the Winter Series, and coincided with a strong wind warning for Sydney Closed Waters...
Due to the conditions, only two of the Mirrors came out to play. Frenchy, who you can see off in the distance, and Shearwater. The forecast 25 knots was a bit too much for Liem, so I had Stan, the club rear-commodore, as my replacement crew - possibly the most overqualified "forward hand" in the entire fleet.
One of the interesting aspects of sailing races is that the competitive sailing starts long before the start of the actual race. As the clock ticks down, everyone tries to make the most of the time to gauge which part of the course might be best to start on while making sure they can still get back in time to be ready for the start. Here we're testing the wind on the port tack. Sometimes racing back towards the start line can be just as tense as racing for the finish.
The Mirrors will start with the faster Pacers and Tasars. In our various training races, the Pacers have left the Mirrors behind in lighter winds with their bigger sails and longer hulls, but in the stronger winds, the odds will have evened. The Tasars are a bit out of our league, but all the Mirror crews are hoping to knock off a Pacer or two in the final results.
Thanks largely to Stan's guidance, we absolutely blitz the start. We hit the line at speed, at the preferred end and on the favoured tack, just as the final horn goes. For a few minutes, we actually lead the entire field, not that I knew it because I was concentrating so hard at trying to sail as close to the wind as I could. Here you can see the first of the Tasars finally overhauling us after our flying start...
With their bigger sails and streamlined hulls, the Tasars drive past us. Our real battle will be with the Pacers, and there's no sign of them yet.
The race is on a windward/leeward course with two laps, which means we have to fight our way up to a windward mark, then race back downwind, then repeat once more.
Here you can see the first of the Pacers has caught us on the upwind leg. As we were on a starboard tack (the wind was coming from the starboard side of the boat), we had right of way as we crossed. I didn't see it, but apparently they lost control shortly after crossed.
As we head up to Shark Island, the wind increases to a good twenty knots. You can see Stan is really working to keep the boat flat. Also note the water at my feet from all the spray that has crashed over our bow.
After we round the top mark, the game changes completely. Heading downwind requires far less physical exertion than the upwind battle, but far more finesse as we try to ride the wind and the waves. Upwind, the boat pretty much knows how to balance herself, and all you have to do is help her keep herself upright. Downwind, you need to take on more of a guiding role, to show the boat how to ride the waves.
Downwind, we also have more time to look around, and it's obvious that the red sail of Frenchy is nowhere to be seen. There are also no Pacers anywhere near us, so it looks like we're clear in front. We would find out later that Frenchy had retired with a broken jib and that none of the Pacers had made it to the windward mark before capsizing.
Rounding the bottom mark to start our second lap. Having done the whole thing once, we've got a lot of confidence that we can do it all again.
Although there are still a few tense moments as bigger boats start entering the course.
Just as before, the wind gets strongest just by Shark Island.
Downwind one last time, and we make to the finish line. A famous victory as the Mirrors get one up on the faster Pacers. (We won't mention the Tasars here, who are mostly all ashore already.) Sure-footed Shearwater starred to get us safely around the course.
The race officer on the starting boat tells us we're the last ones standing. Time to head in for a well-earned shower and lunch.
And, finally, the video highlights...
Due to the conditions, only two of the Mirrors came out to play. Frenchy, who you can see off in the distance, and Shearwater. The forecast 25 knots was a bit too much for Liem, so I had Stan, the club rear-commodore, as my replacement crew - possibly the most overqualified "forward hand" in the entire fleet.
One of the interesting aspects of sailing races is that the competitive sailing starts long before the start of the actual race. As the clock ticks down, everyone tries to make the most of the time to gauge which part of the course might be best to start on while making sure they can still get back in time to be ready for the start. Here we're testing the wind on the port tack. Sometimes racing back towards the start line can be just as tense as racing for the finish.
The Mirrors will start with the faster Pacers and Tasars. In our various training races, the Pacers have left the Mirrors behind in lighter winds with their bigger sails and longer hulls, but in the stronger winds, the odds will have evened. The Tasars are a bit out of our league, but all the Mirror crews are hoping to knock off a Pacer or two in the final results.
Thanks largely to Stan's guidance, we absolutely blitz the start. We hit the line at speed, at the preferred end and on the favoured tack, just as the final horn goes. For a few minutes, we actually lead the entire field, not that I knew it because I was concentrating so hard at trying to sail as close to the wind as I could. Here you can see the first of the Tasars finally overhauling us after our flying start...
With their bigger sails and streamlined hulls, the Tasars drive past us. Our real battle will be with the Pacers, and there's no sign of them yet.
The race is on a windward/leeward course with two laps, which means we have to fight our way up to a windward mark, then race back downwind, then repeat once more.
Here you can see the first of the Pacers has caught us on the upwind leg. As we were on a starboard tack (the wind was coming from the starboard side of the boat), we had right of way as we crossed. I didn't see it, but apparently they lost control shortly after crossed.
As we head up to Shark Island, the wind increases to a good twenty knots. You can see Stan is really working to keep the boat flat. Also note the water at my feet from all the spray that has crashed over our bow.
After we round the top mark, the game changes completely. Heading downwind requires far less physical exertion than the upwind battle, but far more finesse as we try to ride the wind and the waves. Upwind, the boat pretty much knows how to balance herself, and all you have to do is help her keep herself upright. Downwind, you need to take on more of a guiding role, to show the boat how to ride the waves.
Downwind, we also have more time to look around, and it's obvious that the red sail of Frenchy is nowhere to be seen. There are also no Pacers anywhere near us, so it looks like we're clear in front. We would find out later that Frenchy had retired with a broken jib and that none of the Pacers had made it to the windward mark before capsizing.
Rounding the bottom mark to start our second lap. Having done the whole thing once, we've got a lot of confidence that we can do it all again.
Although there are still a few tense moments as bigger boats start entering the course.
Just as before, the wind gets strongest just by Shark Island.
Downwind one last time, and we make to the finish line. A famous victory as the Mirrors get one up on the faster Pacers. (We won't mention the Tasars here, who are mostly all ashore already.) Sure-footed Shearwater starred to get us safely around the course.
The race officer on the starting boat tells us we're the last ones standing. Time to head in for a well-earned shower and lunch.
And, finally, the video highlights...
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no subject
Date: 2015-05-11 10:52 pm (UTC)In some scenes it seems like the ship is almost perpendicular to the water. Is that in fact the case, or is that effect caused by you leaning far out?
no subject
Date: 2015-05-12 07:45 am (UTC)Downwind, there was a bit more time to relax and chat.
I don't think we were ever heeled over that much, so what you saw was probably a trick of the camera lens. Most of the time the idea is to keep the boat as flat as possible, and watching again, I can see all the times where I could have hiked out more to get the boat flatter. When you can get it flat so that the water sprays evenly on both sides, that's when you really start to fly...
no subject
Date: 2015-05-12 02:18 pm (UTC)Now here's a nautical question for you I've been wondering for a while; not one applicable boats of this size, but I reckon you still might know the answer: If "forecastle" is pronounced "fo'c'sle", how are "sterncastle" and "aft(er)castle" pronounced? (My guess: "poop deck". ;^b )
no subject
Date: 2015-05-12 08:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-14 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-15 07:31 am (UTC)