“FF Sake” sailed by Ashley Smith & Crew win the 2015 Australian Championship
Race 1 & 2
Honours split for Day 1 with Aussie Falcon winning the first race and Sake the second.
The wind was blowing early today and racing started on time, the first race being a windward – leeward course, the work was quite uneventful, with the wind in the east blowing about 18 – 20 knots, however, when we turned the corner and started the run a squall came through blowing 30 – 35 knots, never been so fast in my life in a fifteen, several of us came to grief as the waves tried to control the direction of the boat. Fflashpoint broke her mast but will rig a spare one from one of the competitors. The wind then eased back to what it was at the start, with some strong gusts passing through from time to time.
The second race was a windward-leeward, triangle, windward leeward the wind settled around 18 – 20 knots but the Moreton Bay chop made it tricky, the first run had its moments, but the second reach of the triangle was glorious!
A day of excitement and good sailing.
Race 3 & 4
Ashley Smith had to change crews as Mathew Williams had crushed ribs so Adam Kingston stepped into the breach. Flashpoint managed to acquire a mast and was back on the water, although not quite as well tuned as they may have wished, they still managed a second in race 3.
Both races had similar conditions, about 17 – 20 knots with the odd strong gust, also the occasional lull for good measure. The wind coming from the SSE made the waves more choppy, showers impaired visibility considerably.
Course 2 the Windward leeward, triangle, windward leeward was the selection for both races. Sake won both races quite convincingly to take the overall lead before the only drop comes into play. In the race 3 Fflashpoint was second and Ten Pound Note 3rd. In race 4 the order was Sake, Ffast Lane 4, and Aussie Falcon.
Race 5 & 6
Day 3 of the Championship proved fickle, everyone was refreshed after the lay day, but several wind shifts across the course caused much place changing.
Race 5 was sailed in about 10 – 15 knots but the wind had some =major shifts and if you were on the wrong side of these you were down the pan (me!). Ashley & Adam in FF Sake were on the right side to win the race followed by Ffast Lane 4 and Ten Pound Note third.
Race 6 was a windward-leeward course and the race was abandoned when the leaders were half way up the second work, after some mark realignment the race was re-started, Aussie Falcon came out on top with Ten Pound Note second and ff Sake third, third being good enough to win the title and have a rest day on Day 4.
Race 7
I am not sure if everyone wanted to win this race or pack up their boats early, but we had 2 general recalls before the dreaded black flag was aired. The black flag had an immediate impact with the whole fleet well behind the line
The wind was the lightest of the week but around the 10+ knots with the windward leeward course, again many shifts and it was a question of getting the right, the winner was Ten Pound Note, Bubbles second and Aussie Falcon third.
The Silvers were won by Karen & Russell Dawes in Eagle Eye, Secret Fifteen received the Classic Trophy.
The UFFA FOX TROPHY for the invitation race was won by AUSSIE FALCON sailed by Dale Collings and Glen Scheen.
A very tough day at the office for the 18 boats competing in the Australian Championship at Sandgate Y C Queensland.
The start was scheduled for 1030am and so the fleet drifted out of Cabbage Tree Creek to wait an hour for the wind to fill in, meanwhile we were surrounded by rain clouds and some heavy showers. The wind filled in and the RO got the race underway in about 20 knots and teeming rain which made the course a white-out. The fleet could not see the marks and many thought the windward mark was the leeward mark, so several boats tacked away to search for the weather mark to see some boats round what many thought was the leeward mark! In fact it would have been possible to lay the weather mark on a single tack from the committee boat. Some exciting downwind sailing took place until the wind faded again, everyone kept moving but it was slow going, another rain storm brought back the 20 knots and we were off again, once the rain passed the wind died, changed direction causing the last work to be a run and the run a fetch. Due to the dying wind 5 boats failed to finish within 30 minutes of the winner.
Silver boat Eagle Eye sailed by Karen & Russell Dawes came second with Bubbles – Ken & Lee Bubb third.
