This is the first strong northerly we have had at the lake for some time, and it is the second time I have had a good long sail in the boat in decent breeze. In essence it was a good shakedown of the boat. First up a few things structurally need work:<\/p>\n
1) The bolts on the rudder need lock nuts and tightening.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
2) The traveller cleat let go part way through a gybe, breaking the end of the traveller.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
3) The trailers dodgy welding (mine) came apart.<\/p>\n
4) I broke my sailing watch (well it was already sort of broken).<\/p>\n
Before the beginning of the race one of the new toe straps came undone sending me out the boat backwards. Luckily I was able to retie the toe strap and continue on. It was\u00c2\u00a0definitely\u00c2\u00a0a day when you needed both toe straps.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
The race started near the narrows, which had been blocked off by the footbridge for the Grand Prix. I got a good start, partly by starting a boat length in front of the impulse fleet. I know from times on the start boat that the majority of the impulse fleet nearly always starts a boat length behind the line. One day they will be on the line and catch me out.<\/p>\n
The first beat was tricky with many shifts along the course. I played a conservative card going through the middle of the lake and then towards the road before heading towards the mark. A lift was often found between the island and the mark which was worth having a shot at, but during the first lap this didn’t play out. At the top mark I rounded in second place behind Paul.\u00c2\u00a0
\nThe next issue was the second mark of the trapezoid course. I completely forgot about it, and if you look at the GPS track at about 2.5km I had to sail back a short distance to the mark. This cost me a couple of places in the race. At the moment I am concentrating in what is going on in the boat that my attention to what is going on outside of the boat is on auto pilot. If Paul hadn’t said anything I probably would have sailed in to the footbridge thinking I had to go down to St Kilda.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rest of the race saw me slowly slip backwards in the fleet. Tacking in heavy winds is still hit and miss with the boat often stalling as I push the boat around to quickly. At the end of the race Silke and Don were getting close to me, but a stronger breeze saw both of them slip behind again.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Due to the F1 GP there is no sailing at the lake. I will be able to take my time in the next two weeks and work on getting all the bits and pieces sorted out for the boat and the trolley.<\/p>\n
Everytrail GPS trip log:<\/a><\/p>\nSummer Series Race 6<\/a><\/h2>\n