BURNSCO SUMMER SERIES Race 5

Another typical Nelson evening, warm, with a nice 14 knot sea breeze, but would it hold in or like last week, die away by 7pm?
Crew :- Kev, Patrick, Steve, Aaron, Jenna, Knoxy and Maria - a Swiss visiter.

Not such a good start, 4th onto the pile line and sucking up dirty air behind, Blackout, Wild Thing, Red Line.
We fell away to leeward once out the entrance, slowly breaking through to leeward of Wild Thing, Blackout had tacked onto port early, looking for flatter water, we were happy heading out, the out going tide with us but as usual lumpier, which the lighter boats struggle with.
All 3 had tacked onto port early, we ploughed on with the tide, wanting to get the best out of it on the next board as well. there is also usually more breeze out at the tide line.

We tacked onto port, a long way to weather of the others, faster and high, the tide was working for us now, Blackout was the 1st to head out they had been well ahead of us all when they headed into the Bank,
We had made up a lot, as Blackout  was now 100 metres behind, not long after we dropped both hight and speed, so tacked back out to the breeze/tide line to cover both Blackout and Future Feedback now on the lay line to the top mark.

We rounded 150 metres ahead of Blackout & Future Feedback back in 3rd, kite up, we headed for home, running as flat as we could to avoid the tide.
A lot of traffic as we entered the entrance with all 3 divisions arriving back together, but we managed to work our way through pretty well, for a 1st on line finish. AND another handicap win! 3 on the trot.
We all know what will happen to our handicap next week.

NZ BOAT SALES 3 ISLAND SERIES Continued

After another Anchorage raft up (Wild Thing & Clear Vision) the shot hook made yet another appearance which took at least one player out early.
Another major clean up and another large bag of rubbish we were out off Pitt Head for the 11:00 start.

This was meant to be a kite ride home? instead we had 10-12 knots of easterly.
Bunj got us off to another good start we were soon leading the 3, 30 footers out of the Park, some spots of rain now and breeze dropping, not the sunny kite ride I had promised?
An hour or so latter the rain eased, then sunny but still no wind, we had held our lead all through this despite the other 3 with Code 0's,
The 1400 radio sked had Blackout and C V side by side with 0-3 knots NE, Wild Thing and Redline 500 metres behind.
The breeze slowly backed to the north, we were all hoisting kites, this is what we wanted at the start?

The lighter boats took of in the early stages as the breeze built, Wild Thing had sailed past to leeward, Redline had closed up on us carrying breeze up to us, Blackout 3-4 miles ahead.
As the breeze built too 14-16 we started to hold our own, Wild Thing almost catching Blackout at the finish,  we had closed up in the latter stages to only a mile behind them, Redline a mile behind us.

A fun weekend and nice sailing, thanks to Bunj and the team

NZ BOAT SALES 3 ISLAND SERIES Race 3 & 4

After getting over the frustration of NOT ONE of the C V crew available to race across the bay to Tonga Island, finishing at Torrent Bay Saturday, Torrent Bay - Nelson Sunday.
The Dream team (Vanuatu trip June) stepped up sadly Callum & Des couldn't make it, but Bunj, Vicky & boyfriend Mitch,  and my son Mitch joined me after I assured them great sailing and a good (normal) night at Anchorage.

An outside start at 10:15 with a strong incoming tide, 4.7m at 12:24, Bunj on the helm today, Oldest takes priority, in our team.

1st off the start with Wild Thing sporting their Code 0, were quickly catching us in the light fluky NE, however they were gracious enough to overlay Boulder south mark letting us around 1st.
Still very light for the next couple of hours but swinging to the north, the light 30 footers Wild Thing and Redline with their code 0's sneaked away but falling to leeward, Blackout 200 metres behind us,

The forecast was to be a 20 knot NW so out to weather we were happy with, but sooner rather than latter,
The breeze did swing NW freshening to 12 -13, time for a sail change to number 2 headsail, the father/son foredeck team worked well through the change and we were back in the grove, Wild Thing had opened out a one mile lead over Redline, another mile or so back to C V, but we were closing the gap slowly

Inside the marine farms we carried on looking for a lift up the coastline and tide now going out will push us up the bay.
The lift wasn't there but the tide was as the next cross out to sea had us closer to the other 2 who were now neck and neck.
Next cross off Kaiteriteri we cross ahead of Redline, with Wild Thing close by in 3rd.
Off Adel Island we decided to head back out to sea as we were in 18 knots off the shore, only 13-14 inshore but flatter water,
Bad move, Redline had stayed in, found a nice lift up the Island then came out on a huge port tack lift to cross 200 metres ahead, they tacked on our bow covering us, as we should have done to them before?
We managed to climb out from behind them to clear air taking back the lead off Pitt head we rounded Tonga close to a mile ahead of Redline, Wild Thing another mile behind in 3rd, poor old Blackout was a long way back in 4th,
The farther son team sorted the kite all going well for a loverly kite ride down the pack to Torrent, were  the raft up with Wild Thing would be another challenge?

BURNSCO SUMMER SERIES Race 4

Another nice warm sea breeze 10-12 knots
Crew:- Kev, Patrick, Steve, Knoxy, Alix, Jenna, Aaron.
Not a great start at the club end, with Redline to leeward exposing ourselves to a now famous Redline luff, however we managed to brake clear getting onto the pile line behind Future Feedback, Ballistic, Blackout.
1st mark out the harbour entrance, Pile 0 was hard on the wind so a little west in it tonight, Blackout rolled over Ballistic, ahead and to leeward, we had good boat speed and hight and had closed up the game as we rounded Pile 0 Future Feedback 1st, C V & Blackout neck and neck, Ballistic in 4th.

We,l along with Blackout had gone a little further out to sea and seemed to be in slightly better breeze, Blackout to weather of us but we were matching their speed.
Future Feedback tacked out to cover us both, but tacked on our bow although their tack was good we managed to bear off, build boat speed and break through to leeward, then into high mode and slowly climb up onto their bow, nice, that was it for F F as we were on the lay line, giving them no where to go, but suck up dirty air.

We rounded the top mark, in 1st, 100 metres ahead of Blackout, Future Feedback another 100 behind,
Kite run to Boulder middle, then a bad kite drop?
That bad we ended up trawling the lot in the water, Blackout managed to slip around the mark inside us taking over the lead.

Sorted again we couldn't make up the lost ground, rounding the top mark 200 metres behind but still with a good gap back to Future Feedback, this was it too the finish with the breeze dropping off  to 4-5 knots at the finish.

Another 2nd, we could have had this one except for our kite drop, however another win on handicap, we have now moved into 1st overall in series.

Saturday. Tonga Island race with overnight stay, then race home Sunday. very short of crew, (None) anyone keen to come, for a fun race & a night in the park?

BURNSCO SUMMER SERIES Race 3

After a great weekend of sailing at the Lake Brunner regatta on the West Coast where I sailed on the Noelex 22 Christabel, with Knoxy and Juliet (Waikawa)
4 Nelson Trailer yachts attended,  Elliott 6.5 Geralda (Sam Maitland), Eagle (Howdie), and The Hairy Navel (Matt & Hollie), a great weekend on and off the water.
Best results - Howdie 3rd overall in A division, Matt & Holly 3rd equal line honours B division.

Back home and onto C V.
At last a sea breeze, but it would be dying out throughout tonights race.
Crew:- Kev, Patrick, Steve, Knoxy, Jenna, Matt

A good start at the club end, Blackout at the pile end with a gennaka  ahead of us as we headed out the entrance into a choppy sea due to the ebb tide.

We settled into 2nd for the beat to bolder north, rounding 100 metres behind Blackout, Future Feedback, in 3rd, 200 m behind us, the 2 Ross's and Wild Thing fighting it out 4th - 6th place

The run too Bolder middle and back to Bolder north, Blackout opened out too 200 metres with just the run back to the entrance, now in only 8-10 knots of breeze.

We ran as flat as we could on the way back to avoid the outgoing tide, Blackout was out in the breeze line but running into tide, Future Feedback also running higher along the breeze line in the tide and carrying breeze up to us they were looking threatening, however we stuck to our game plan and flopped our way to leeward,

The gybe on the lay line to the entrance, we run flat once again trying to avoid as much tide as we could,
Blackout was coming in hot but pushing more tide, we were now only 30 metres behind, but Div 2 & 3 traffic to work through to the finish, Future Feedback now 5 - 600 metres behind.

And that's how we finished, a good night. 2nd on line, and a 1st on handicap.

BURNSCO SUMMER SERIES Race 2

A funny old day weather wise? hot and sunny but breeze up and down, even a hint of westerly (forecast).

Down on crew tonight . Kev, Knoxy, Matt, Jenna, Charlie.

Pre race the breeze  a nice 12-13 knot NW, we went for our #2 light jib, Future Feedback with 7 onboard  a #1 so things would again be interesting.

Only 6 in Division 1, so plenty of room on the start, however we still managed to get hooked by the Ross 930 Ballistic,  start horn and a general recall, What? Talking with the start crew later, 4 boats over, C V close to over but they couldn't see our bow for Ballistic, Blackout late so safe.

The other 2 divisions get away, then back to our start, the breeze now touching 19 in the odd gust.

Ballistic again to leeward pushing us up, Is he picking on me? or do we again want the same piece of water?

Were off, 4 of the 6 starters over, Ballistic and ourselves ok, a little bit of gamesmanship as we approach the pile line but we powerd on over them and 1st out the cut. NICE

We encounter a nasty slop in the cut and the breeze dying, BUGGER we are on a #2, as the tide had been going out the slop was tricky without the power of our #1, the tide now coming in, so we tacked out to the right, side-on to the slop and out of the tide.

The breeze had stayed light, the other divisions ahead with very little so a change to #1 genoa, better now, and on the starboard lay line to our first mark the Approach Beacon, now only 5 - 6 knots of wind.

Despite the sail change we were still looking good, in fact looking like we would get the rest on starboard at the mark, (We wouldn't mind that).

Blackout came out early, lee bowed us, and then it happened, a big wind shift to the left 

From 1st to last? fighting it out with Blackout and Redline, watching Wild Thing getting further ahead, Future Feedback and Ballistic fighting for 2nd, 3rd, we 3 trying not to be last boat.

As happens in sailing the rich got richer, as we drifted flopped our way to the shorten course, Boulder middle we watched the front 3 heading home with the tide, while we weren't going anywhere against the tide.

We managed to round Boulder middle ahead of Blackout and Redline, opening a big gap, with the tide assistance.

We heard the "Well Done Wild Thing" from the start/finish box, we were only half way home?

As we rounded the Approach beacon and hoisted the kite for the run to the entrance the breeze kicked back in from the WSW we were now powered up struggling to make the harbour entrance kite cracking and flapping.

I was pleased when it was all over, miles behind the front 3, Again Wild Thing had had a blinder.

PLEASE! Give us a 15-16 knot sea breeze SOON.