Hi Everyone , Well its just around the corner now yes Easter is here so make room for the easter eggs and to much food but also dont forget that there is no Sunday Juniors or club racing this Easter Sunday but everything will be back on Sunday the 28th of April so I hope everyone has a great easter break .
The last junior sailing camp ran this week with a great bunch of kids turning up and even though the winds were around 18 knots which made us pack up and move up to soverign we still had some great sailing with many thanks to our assistant instructors and volunteers for showing the inexperienced sailors who to sail the conditions , all we need them all to learn now is some better jokes because trust me some of them were definitely forgettable .
8.30 AM Sunday Juniors ;
With this being a school holiday Sunday we were expecting a pretty cruisy sunday with probably 10 junior sailors but you guessed it we ended up with over double the numbers which meant more boats down so that we could accomodate everyone , so with 3 lasers , 7 teras and the Taz we slowly got everyone on the water . There was an innitial shock from both the sailors and the safety boat crews when the saw me sailing a laser with a couple of first timers yes thats how busy it was as I hate sailing 4.7 lasers especially when tacking and yes I did get two bumps from the boom but still had some great fun teaching the new kids sailing . The course was a bit close at first but after the crews stretched her out we stopped having collissions . The wind was from the south east at around 6/8 knots so it was perfect conditions for a bit of reaching and tacking and gybing . It did build towards the end of the session but everyone just seemed to handle the change well with a few bow waves evident and hiking out just to coax that extra bit of speed from the boat . With the wind from the south and the water temperature getting a bit chilly we didnt think anyone wanted to practice capsize drills but you guessed it as soon as we said yes there were boats over everywhere with lots of laughing and smiling faces even some of the first timers jumped in and joined the fun.
10.30 AM Sunday Training;
This session was a bit down on numbers because of the holidays but we still had a mix of lasers , Teras and bics out for a training session in winds around 6/9 knots S/E . Abbey and Eddy continued their battle in the laser 4.7s and Alex and Addy were out in the bics with Alex just struggling with getting the bic to go upwind ok and occassionally downwind . In the Teras Ben was just having one of those days and ended up pulling out early being too cold from too many swims , Ben sailed a tera instead of his laser because he thought the winds were going to be too strong for him but you guessed it the wind increase didnt eventuate but at least he got on the water . Abbey is absolutely smoking close hauled lately and is just un catchable when her mind is on the job which gives Eddy the challenge of improving her upwind so she can keep pace with Abbey all in all a great training session .
1.30 PM Youth Rcae ;
With the winds building again from the S/E to around 10/14 knots we set a course starting at the club and running down to the southern side of the canal making a very close close hauled upwind and a broad reach back . Everyone made the start well with Eddy and Abbey son pulling away from Kaleb ( laser 4.7 ) and Addy and Ollie close behind . The fleet slowly pulled away from Ollie mainly because he has missed sailing for several months so he was a bit rusty but still had a good sail . Abby was first around the top mark but had to go back as she rounded on the wrong side as did Eddy who also had to go back then the did the same at the start line mark and I made them go back again which resulted in Addy who was also smoking the upwinds and down winds ( must have been saturdays training ?) jumping to the lead but once abby and Eddy started going around the buoys the right way they soon caught her and were over the line abbey 1st and eddy 2nd with Addy 3rd overall but it was addys day on handicap with a 1st overall , Kaleb finished 4th with Ollie 5th .
1.30 pm Open Race ;
With Casey and Glen in Charge of the race start apparently everyone behaved themselves and the recall flags remained in the bottom of the boat ? and with the start set near the canal and A mark down near runners it was a good upwind slog followed by three downwinds back to B then back to A and of up to the top of ephriam for C mark for two more laps . When I set this section I tried to set it so that C to A would be on the edge of no sail and when I asked Peter how that section went he said it was perfect as everyone had to throw a couple of tacks in . I expected the first boats back in around an hour but you guessed it the wind went from a solid 12/14 knots to 7/9 knots resulting in the first boats back tacking over an hour and a half to complete the course . Greg cleared out on Tom and Peter finishing just on a minute and a half ahead and Tom 20 seconds behind him with Ben a further minute behind the leaders . Kate took my advice before the start and went 4.7 so I will take the blame for her lack of speed as I was thinking the winds were going to build not drop off that mother nature is so untrustworthy !
UPCOMING
CLOSED EASTER WEEKEND BACK ON THE 228TH APRIL
CU on the water
John Murphy
The last junior sailing camp ran this week with a great bunch of kids turning up and even though the winds were around 18 knots which made us pack up and move up to soverign we still had some great sailing with many thanks to our assistant instructors and volunteers for showing the inexperienced sailors who to sail the conditions , all we need them all to learn now is some better jokes because trust me some of them were definitely forgettable .
8.30 AM Sunday Juniors ;
With this being a school holiday Sunday we were expecting a pretty cruisy sunday with probably 10 junior sailors but you guessed it we ended up with over double the numbers which meant more boats down so that we could accomodate everyone , so with 3 lasers , 7 teras and the Taz we slowly got everyone on the water . There was an innitial shock from both the sailors and the safety boat crews when the saw me sailing a laser with a couple of first timers yes thats how busy it was as I hate sailing 4.7 lasers especially when tacking and yes I did get two bumps from the boom but still had some great fun teaching the new kids sailing . The course was a bit close at first but after the crews stretched her out we stopped having collissions . The wind was from the south east at around 6/8 knots so it was perfect conditions for a bit of reaching and tacking and gybing . It did build towards the end of the session but everyone just seemed to handle the change well with a few bow waves evident and hiking out just to coax that extra bit of speed from the boat . With the wind from the south and the water temperature getting a bit chilly we didnt think anyone wanted to practice capsize drills but you guessed it as soon as we said yes there were boats over everywhere with lots of laughing and smiling faces even some of the first timers jumped in and joined the fun.
10.30 AM Sunday Training;
This session was a bit down on numbers because of the holidays but we still had a mix of lasers , Teras and bics out for a training session in winds around 6/9 knots S/E . Abbey and Eddy continued their battle in the laser 4.7s and Alex and Addy were out in the bics with Alex just struggling with getting the bic to go upwind ok and occassionally downwind . In the Teras Ben was just having one of those days and ended up pulling out early being too cold from too many swims , Ben sailed a tera instead of his laser because he thought the winds were going to be too strong for him but you guessed it the wind increase didnt eventuate but at least he got on the water . Abbey is absolutely smoking close hauled lately and is just un catchable when her mind is on the job which gives Eddy the challenge of improving her upwind so she can keep pace with Abbey all in all a great training session .
1.30 PM Youth Rcae ;
With the winds building again from the S/E to around 10/14 knots we set a course starting at the club and running down to the southern side of the canal making a very close close hauled upwind and a broad reach back . Everyone made the start well with Eddy and Abbey son pulling away from Kaleb ( laser 4.7 ) and Addy and Ollie close behind . The fleet slowly pulled away from Ollie mainly because he has missed sailing for several months so he was a bit rusty but still had a good sail . Abby was first around the top mark but had to go back as she rounded on the wrong side as did Eddy who also had to go back then the did the same at the start line mark and I made them go back again which resulted in Addy who was also smoking the upwinds and down winds ( must have been saturdays training ?) jumping to the lead but once abby and Eddy started going around the buoys the right way they soon caught her and were over the line abbey 1st and eddy 2nd with Addy 3rd overall but it was addys day on handicap with a 1st overall , Kaleb finished 4th with Ollie 5th .
1.30 pm Open Race ;
With Casey and Glen in Charge of the race start apparently everyone behaved themselves and the recall flags remained in the bottom of the boat ? and with the start set near the canal and A mark down near runners it was a good upwind slog followed by three downwinds back to B then back to A and of up to the top of ephriam for C mark for two more laps . When I set this section I tried to set it so that C to A would be on the edge of no sail and when I asked Peter how that section went he said it was perfect as everyone had to throw a couple of tacks in . I expected the first boats back in around an hour but you guessed it the wind went from a solid 12/14 knots to 7/9 knots resulting in the first boats back tacking over an hour and a half to complete the course . Greg cleared out on Tom and Peter finishing just on a minute and a half ahead and Tom 20 seconds behind him with Ben a further minute behind the leaders . Kate took my advice before the start and went 4.7 so I will take the blame for her lack of speed as I was thinking the winds were going to build not drop off that mother nature is so untrustworthy !
UPCOMING
CLOSED EASTER WEEKEND BACK ON THE 228TH APRIL
CU on the water
John Murphy
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