![ORCV-logo_G_[OCEANRACING]_PNG](/images/stories/ORCVLOGO/SCREEN/PNG-GradientFlag/ORCV-logo_G_%5BOCEANRACING%5D_PNG.png){kind=logo}
ORCV Melbourne Winter Series (MWS)
The Love In.
You know, the fact that everyone is simply so happy to have got a race in on the weekend and enjoyed it immensely at that, is just really wonderful. The Committee is very much delighted with the outcome and thanks you all for your attendance in the cold. So, herewith, is some more of the love in.
Back in Hemingway, Robin Hewitt praised PYT for hanging in there and getting a result, despite 'going fishing for a while', as Dan Jeffery put it. Robin said of Dan and Trish's effort, "Full marks to them, as eventually the new West wind came in to give a magnificent finish." Out on Pretty Young Thing, they were possibly more concerned with how agonising a wait it would have been on the Committee Boat, but were very keen to "pass on our thanks to them for waiting so long!" Consider it done, Dan and Trish. Everyone is thrilled you persevered and think you'll do well in the M2G.
Now, just how we could talk about love, without going to The Love Boat, themselves?
You're very much correct. We couldn't!
Below, they're in a procession with Young Ones in front and Alibi, just astern of them.
Chris Furey, who classes himself as, 'possibly the oldest Bowman on the Bay', sent us these observations from the pointy end of Nutcracker.
"It was another excellent day's sailing on the Bay, Sunday - and on an interesting course for a change. I am no great fan of the endless windward-leeward racing we see these days." Here, Here. You all know of my love for the old Olympic Course...
"There was no real venom in the breeze, I think we saw high 20s a few times early on, but mostly it was around the high teens to low 20s. An ideal day for yacht racing. Close racing was once again the order of the day in Division Two. Well deserved line honours winner, Gienah, flew upwind and is always quick downwind (Ed. More than likely due to her RP lines!!!). Faster uphill than we have seen her before. We were undecided about whether we could count 10 or 11 on the rail. Any which way you look at it, it is a big crowd for a 36footer!"
"The Young 11, Young Ones, was really fast downwind on that first windy run, as expected and quick too up the long beat. She hung on when the breeze lightened off for a well sailed race. We should apologise to them for our helmsman’s momentary lapse of concentration on the first run, when we spun out in an unexpected broach and forced them to do the same, before they righted and shot past us. That was the only time I got my feet wet all day!!!"
"Beyond Outrageous got wound up on that hard run to Spoil Ground, where they rounded second or third, but then they struggled to find height uphill in the fresher stuff and so, slipped well back as the race progressed."
"Alibi made up a lot of ground upwind, because they listened to the weather Gods, who predicted the wind would go left. Accordingly, they went hard left up the long beat and made up heaps on a favourable shift, despite having just four souls on board. Billy Scott from Alibi told me later that they went that way to 'minimise the number of tacks for their aging crew'. Whatever the reason, Denis is always a cagey sailor and they earned another AMS win. Nutcracker has now had four consecutive 2nds on AMS and we are wondering what we have to do to win one?" Ed. 'The old handicap pondering problem'...
"We had our usual close tussle with INSX all around the track, but got a nice break on them after Gellibrand, climbing high in the shifty upwind stuff at the top end (of the Bay) to go from one boat length ahead to around 100m ahead at the 'weather' mark off Port Melbourne and then comfortably held them off downwind and up the final short beat to the finish."
"Fortunately, we were back in the SYC bar before any of the ominously predicted nasty weather showed up. Thanks to the Race Officers for a well constructed course, which made for the most enjoyable sailing. See you in a fortnight for yet another dose. Maybe it’ll be ever so slightly warmer then?" Ed. Hhhhmmmmm, to that.
Gienah - Div2 Line Honours winner. She's a Seaquest (RP penned) 36, as too, is the very-new-to-the-Bay, Mistress. I'm looking forward to hot racing between them, as their crews get used to the boats...
So then, to Gienah, who as you see above, got the gun on Sunday. Stuart Addison is aboard Gienah and we asked what new features they had done to ensure their win and in doing so, got an idea of the counting issues that The Love Boat has just explained to us, above...
"It was great to have Gienah back on the racetrack, after a couple of weeks off. We've recruited well in the off season and we're starting to form a really solid crew.
- On the bow we have the Zac. He's an Architect, who's recently moved down from BrisVegas and now questions his sanity half way through every winter race. Getting him over the line ahead of all of us, seemed to dull the pain for a little while...
- Behind Zac is Monster (Marty). He's big, hairy, punctual to the point of frightening and at a lazy 6 foot 3 or 4, pretty inspiring to see on the end of a halyard.
- Office is either Leah or Michelle, as Boys just can't do two things at once.... St Kilda Artist, Jaromir Krejcik, is backing them up.
- Nathan Edwards has gone from the bow of Cadibarra (VII and VIII) to a long stint with the Finger and now trimming for us. He had a short layoff (Ed. not really - it was rather extended...), which included getting married, starting an engineering degree and a it seems, soon a family too. (We spotted Nate back on the water a while ago, which you can see all the way back in Book 'em Danno.)
- Backing up in the trimming department, seems to be a roster of computer systems engineers in PK, Kim and Gav, who was recently deported to England, but he's madly applying for a visa to get back in time for the M2G. (think we know what he likes doing...)
- John Rea is the man mountian on the main - gotta be one of the best story tellers afloat, after campaigns on Drakes Prayer, Voltaire and even the Foster's 18ft Skiff.
- I'm mainly focussed on the tactics and keeping things running smoothly with the crew.
- Signing the cheques, but thankfully not his name in the water, is Captain Rod Miller. He's both a four-striper aboard the good ship and in the air, as a long-haul pilot. Many years of high-end, J-Class racing overseas, makes him the amongst best helmers I've ever had the fortune to sail with." That certainly is some pedigree, Stu!!!!
"Being a forming crew, we were pretty unsure about the forecast, but looking at the models Saturday night, we were confident we'd have a great day afloat and as it turned out, it was. INSX, Nutcracker and Young Ones all had a cracking start and managed to round DMG ahead of us. It was there that we settled down to a good 5 miles of tweaking and Nathans awful jokes (Ed. and OMG are they or what!!!!!!). We seemed to find an extra gear a third of the way in to it all and rounded P3 very narrowly ahead of Young Ones, who were having a great race. That's how things stayed until the last run, where we split gybes with Young Ones, going to the Western side of the course and us to the East. Thankfully for us, a little extra tide and pressure helped us pull away a little, for a much anticipated whiff of gun smoke."
"It was really great to have a little success, as a reward for all the training and hard work we've put in. During our debrief afterwards, we felt there were a few things we could have done better. However, its very much a step in the right direction. Thanks to the ORCV for a great race again and we are certainly looking forward to a fortnight's time, where we can do it all again." Oh yes you can and now you'll be watched even more closely!!!
Tablet time for the Naviguessers and mathematicians out there - here are Gienah's uphill and downhill tracks and polars...
Uphill.
Downhill.
Many, many thanks to all our contributors (both in this article and elsewhere) and we'll find some more stuff to rave on about, soon enough...
The full MWS results to date are HERE. The next race of the MWS is Race Six, on August 29.
So. If you would like to go for a run with the Colts or any of the other sections represented by the Bay's best, you can. Individual entry for MWS races is HERE and the M2G is HERE - remember that Cruising Divisions are offered for the latter event.
© John Curnow, ORCV Media
Please contact me for re-issue rights.
 |
|
 |
|
Thank you to David Judge and Peter Brucker from Hobbo's for ensuring Steb had a ride and we, therefore, had imagery. Many thanks to Tony Dawson on the day of his 60th Birthday for preparing the boat to go out before his gala lunch. |
 |
|
|
The Colts (Sydney 38s) are having
their own fight within the battle -
many thanks to Ullman Sails for
providing the prize.
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
