Batemans Bay regatta

[Lick the Knife]

Hi all,

I am intending to take the F16 Blade to Batemans Bay Anzac Weekend, along with another from north of Sydney and F16 "Altered" from Canberra. Should be a fun weekend, would be great to race some other spinnaker cats, at this great location, so get it out of the shed.

Regards Gary.

[Lick the Knife]

Hi all,

just back from Batemans Bay, great weekend of racing in a mixed division of Hobie 20,18's,16's, Nacra 5.2,14square, Taipan 5.7spin,4.9cat rigs and maybe some others. The total number of boats, OTB mono's and Trailable mono's was pretty BIG, enough to make having eyes everywhere essential, with speed and course variations between different classes causing a few close calls and some very tight mark roundings.

3 F16's attended Bill on "Altered", Phill on FCA Blade 404 and yours truly on FCA Blade 400, all cat rigged. All courses for Div 5 mixed cats over 14', where to be one triangle two windward and returns. With 2 races Sat and Sunday.

First race Saturday saw a light shifty seabreze between 5-12 knots, with swell up to 2m. After a poor start I worked through the fleet, placing first over the line and on Yardstick, in great conditions for the one up Blade.

Race 2, wind died before the start, leaving windless holes around the course, max wind was probably 5 knots. Some parked for hours, I parked less than most but a Hobie 18 managed to get past on the second beat, running back to the finish the spinnaker varied between collapse and hull flying squirts down the swell, I managed to be first over the line but placed 3rd. on Yardstick. Had fun though as others wallowed in swell, with care I was able to lay on tramp with feet on leeward hull and fly a hull past , they where amazed .

Sunday dawned with offshore gusty winds. Forecast to increase to 20-25kts or more. But they did flatten the swell. As we headed off the beach into the bay the wind increased, at the start it was gusting 20 kts. and shifting 20 degrees. The start was hot with everybody wound up, the individual recall flag went up, was I over? I was locked in the middle of the line with Hobie 16's revelling in the breeze either side of me, a Hobie 16 near the boat went back, so I decided to keep going. Managed to work the shifts and get to the windward mark ahead and hold off the Hobie 20 and 18's on the two sail reaches of the triangle, as some really wild gusts came through . Then next beat worked shifts to my advantage again, down the run I sat in running deep and trying to avoid cleaning up Monos, gusts where getting worse , as I approached the bottom mark I had to gybe in a huge gust possibly over 25kts. but I didn't get the boat to S back in gybe and the main sent me over , as I pulled the kite in and righted I saw many other Monos' had joined me, it was a BIG gust. I righted the boat to race with Hobie 16's for the next lap to the finish. With the 20 and 18's ahead. I found out at presentation I was O.C.S. at start so it was all for nothing .

Many boats headed back to the beach while we waited for the next start with the wind bullets continuing. Not long before the start it moderated some and I put in a good beat to lead at the first mark with the depleted fleet chasing. To my surprise it was light enough for me to carry the spinnaker whilst trapezing on the reaches of the first triangle, with a early drop below the bottom mark as another gust approached. Another good beat working the shifts saw me extend the lead, down the next run it was only just enough to trapeze with spinnaker around 12 kts. I was enjoying myself now as no strong bullets where evident and with less boats on the course I could give it full throttle . Last run it was not even strong enough to trapeze , so I sat in and cruised to a good win over the line and on Yardstick . Just goes to show, sticking it out does pay some times.

Thanks to Bill and Phill for making the sacrafice of going in before the last race . So I could enjoy almost perfect F16 one up conditions on my own, you know I don't like sharing the lime light. So I finished with 2 firsts a third and a OCS to come third on Yardstick for the regatta, no drops. Phill and Bill learnt heaps and are getting faster each race, they had some close tussles between each other over the weekend and it won't be long before they are pushing me I am sure.

There will be full results and photo's on the BBSC site soon, here www.bbsc.org.au

I have attached a photo of F16's on the beach.

Regards Gary.

[Lick the Knife]

Hi All,

results as follows

Division 5

Race

1

Race

2

Race

3

Race

4

Boat Name Class Division Sail No points points points points Total

Get it Wet Hobie 18 5 16530 3 1 3 3 10

Bullet Proof Hobie 20 5 303 2 4 2 2 10

Formula

Catamarans F16 5 AUS400 1 2 15 1 19

Oxyuranus Taipan 5.7 with spinn 5 Aus059 5 7 4 5 21

Silk Hobie 17 5 6411 7 5 5 15 32

Second

Obsession Hobie 18 5 16937 15 15 1 4 35

Altered F16 5 5000 8 8 7 15 38

Taipan 4.9 Taipan 4.9 5 277 4 6 15 15 40

Blade F16 5 404 6 15 6 15 42

Chinchilla Hobie 17 5 6359 15 3 15 15 48

Bannana Hobie 18 Multi hull 5 14308 9 15 15 15 54

Who Dares Wins Nacra 5.8 5 829 10 15 15 15 55

Woo Hoo Taipan 4.9 5 127 15 15 15 15 60

Toccata in Sea Nacra 14 5 15 15 15 15 15 60