WINTER BOULDER BANK Race 3

Crew :- Kev, Steve, Jenna, Howdie, Patrick and his daughter Sophie,
Fine with light breezes forecast for the 11am start.
We started in a light 4-5 knot southerly, with kites, and managed to sneak out in front of the 11 boat fleet, Blackout and Zenith worked away close in to the bank Ballistic headed out to sea, while Wild Thing and ourselves worked down the middle, all 3 options looked good at times with the breeze dying to a drifter, which meant a lot of work keeping the kite full.
We had extended out to around a mile lead over Wild Thing in 2nd, at the Cable Bay Marine reserve mark, but no sign of it? I then remembered seeing it being towed in the harbour by the pilot boat about a month ago, not been relayed yet?
As on water R O I made the call for all boats to round the inner reserve mark, we had lost a little time here with an extra gybe looking for the old mark but rounded well ahead of Wild Thing, Blackout 3rd, Ballistic 4th.
The breeze still light and fluky with more holes than before it was obvious we wouldn't make it back to the finish or the shorten course options of finishing half way back at Boulder north, another on water RO call to finish off the radio ariel north of Snapper Point.
This turned out a good call as the breeze was dying right away now, we had anchored C V off the radio mast as the finish line spending the next 40 minutes finishing the fleet with a few drinks and hot savouries. Wild Thing finishing 2nd, Blackout 3rd, Ballistic 4th, and turned out a 1st on handicap.

We have had good speed in the light breezes over the winter, 4 guns from 5 races, Blackout taking the other in the 1st harbour race .
Well done team

I will miss the next race in a fortnight, off to Samoa for a wee break and looking up my family, My Great grandfather although born at sea grew up in Samoa before going to sea aged 12.
His father a sea captain was based in Apia, later owning a store there. Im looking foreword to meeting family there.

Winter Harbour Cans Race 2

Down on crew again but Aaron & Juliet made the trip over from Waikawa to help out, along with Bruce Lines who usually sails on Bootlegger.
Patrick invited his friend Tony and their 2 - 9 year olds Haden & Mathew, plus Howdie and myself.

A 15 boat fleet enjoyed the12 - 14 knot SW and  up wind start off Nelson Yacht Club. with a short beat to the top mark set near Haulashore Is and the entrance,

Not a great start as we had pre race problems with jib sheets, sorted we made the line (just) but at the leeward end, our tack back on port saw us cross ahead of all but Blackout.
Blackout rounded about 5 boat lengths ahead of us, they had opted for a fractional gennaka, we gybe set our masthead kite, running them down half way up the harbour to the bottom mark.
We slapped a loose cover from here on in beating back down the harbour, out the entrance for a 2 sail reach out around the Approach beacon, another kite ride up the boulder bank to Boulder middle, back to the harbour for another lap and finish.

Blackout and Zenith fought all the way for 2nd place, Zenith winning out with superior up wind speed.
4th place was also a fight between Wild Thing and Galralda the Giant Slayer, Wild Thing winning it in the end.
3 guns in 4 races so far, not bad. 5th on handicap in this one.