Passion X

For our part the order of the title for this post was reversed as the wind taketh away on the way out of Humbug but giveth back in plenty on the work to Goat Island. To be fair, it was probably not fair as the win back was massive compared to the loss but then it felt good to be lucky.
Some of us had a long day as we took our sail maker out for a review of the rig just after noon and enjoyed a couple of hours of test sailing in 12 knots. The conditions were ideal for a test sail and I will share all the advice we received. Number 1 was to keep the vang on to windward as we do not have a mainsheet traveller. He observed our mid leech was laying off before the head so that was easily fixed. Number 2 will be harder to implement as he suggested a couple of gorillas on the mainsheet. One for letting off and one for pulling back on. Now non of our crew are young enough to be described as gorillas but we will try our best. Number 3 was a small increase in mast rake to increase the windward helm. I am not sure about this last one as we are pretty well behaved and I don’t want to round up more in the gusts so we will see how the vang sheeting goes for a few weeks.
In the race proper we started on time if a bit low on the line. We made good progress to Onion Point but again got buried in Humbug with the fleet behind. As the course was to leave Cockatoo to starboard we went low only to be headed on what is normally a broad reach into the corner of the island. All the fleet except Flashback and Lisdillon charged off from further to windward leaving us close to the back of the fleet.
Around Cockatoo Lisdillon came with following wind threatening to go inside at the point and we could not have that. (You do understand Andrew) As soon as we could I headed away from the wind shadow of Cockatoo into clear air.
Now this is where the wind giveth back as we had pressure and angle to burn hitting our target speeds of 7.1 knots SOG on more than one occasion.
The tide was flowing out at this time and being mid stream did help with the boat speed but it felt good to be catching the fleet quite quickly.
By Goat Island only Jackpot and Dump Truck were ahead and we were pleased to be sandwiched between the Ker 11.3 twins.
Flashback loomed up around Goat and went East from the gap while we went deep and benefited from breeze through the gap.
As good as the breeze from behind was we could not make an impression on Jackpot and their secret supplementary crew. Over our shoulder Much Ado V was menacing and drew alongside at the turn into Humbug. Here our master strategist, Kevin, insisted on a run deep to the shore and a risky beat alongside the moored yachts. By sheer luck we managed the corner at Onion Point having skirted the becalmed fleets in mid stream still battling the outgoing tide.
At this point a nose in front of Much Ado V stretched out to a minute 23 seconds which hardly seems fair but we will take it all the same. Flashback was just another 20 seconds behind. Out in front was Dump Truck a full four and a half minutes ahead and Jackpot over one and a half minutes in front of us so the closest battle of the evening was for third to fifth fastest. Lisdillon and Sweet Chariot were just a minute behind this group and rightfully claimed third and first place on handicap.
Now Christian Beck on Dump Truck was back on board after last Wednesday winning the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award and could clearly do no wrong this week. The green hulled mean machine picked all the shifts out of Humbug and was so far up the beat to Goat that our big wind shift made little impact. Indeed we were still lifting towards Long Nose on starboard when they hooked into the next lift on port heading into Snails Bay looking like a winner. Perhaps they have the gorillas on the mainsheet that we need.

Nice photo of Passion X taken from a passing ferry

Passion X just ahead or Much Ado V off Onion Point on the way home

I had a lot of trouble finding a clear air lane last night and it shows in the results.
Dump Truck had a crew of professionals on board at that stopped us getting a clear start. We were low on the line and a header made it tight to clear Onion Point so with a mixture of dirty air and pinching we were mid fleet into Humbug. We drifted past Flashback but they and Fireball hugged the shore out of the tide and took the long way but fast way out of Humbug. Sweet Chariot was giving us heaps of dirty air and I made the mistake of trying to lift into the breeze off Greenwich Point which never came. Fireball cleared out to leeward and Flashback climbed out from under us giving us another dose of dirty air.
We has already caught the early fleets and that made finding a clear lane doubly difficult especially when they ignored us when we were on starboard tack and then called starboard on us when we were on port and possible clearing. So we spent the work dipping port tackers and dipping starboard tackers or tacking under starboard tackers. Some of the dips were three yacht deep so long detours.
Now I had the GoPro running for the whole race and can see the ironic grin on my face as we tack away from starboard tackers we had dipped while they were on port.
In this toing and froing we lost track of Much Ado V, Dump Truck and Flashback. Around Goat we had a slow run as the broad reach in pressure turned into a tight beat in fading breeze and post race Flashback’s skipper tells me they had a good run around the island.
We did better on the run home catching Sweet Chariot in Snails Bay and setting our sights on Fireball. Now Fireball did everything they could to stop us passing to leeward and it was touch and go as we went to leeward on the way to the finish line. We seemed to put our nose in front only to have Fireball charge back with wind to windward. At the last minute we nosed ahead by a second to rescue some credibility on the night.

Below are some photos captured from the GoPro video feed

Flashback pinching up to give Passion X dirty air on the way to Goat Island

Fireball doing everything possible to stop Passion X passing to leeward

The finish line coming up

Is that the finish line

I felt sorry for the Ker 11.3 twins, Dump Truck and Much Ado V last night. Well sorrow is too strong a word and perhaps some empathy is more appropriate for as much as I appreciated lifting up from behind Dump Truck, I did not appreciate all the fleet behind lifting above us.
In the sub 4 knot conditions we made a good start at the leeward end of the line and were first into Humbug on top of the earlier fleets that were still parked.
Dump Truck and Much Ado V caught us on the drift through Humbug and the three of us made it out into the clear still conditions off Greenwich Point.
It was here that the breeze lifted some 60 degrees allowing us to lift well above Dump Truck and Much Ado V.
We were half way to Goat Island and becalmed when the breeze lifted further and freshened from behind to a few knots bringing almost all the Black fleet up to our position. We were being passed by past Commodore Geoff Lucas in his Cavalier 28 Capriole when Dump Truck tacked onto a southerly shift and drew away. Jackpot and Flashback had joined the fray and it made for close racing around Goat Island. Much Ado V recovered from the adverse wind shifts on the way to the island to draw alongside and so the fleet parked on the South side of Goat Island waiting for developments. In the dark and quiet conditions pleasantries were exchanged between boats and issues of lack of steerage discussed.
Flashback managed the rounding best and established a lead of a few boat lengths with Dump Truck and Passion X in close pursuit. The two leaders seemed to reach away with fresh breeze on the quarter but we all stacked up in Humbug drifting across the line stem to stern.
Just as we crossed the line all Hell broke loose with an unexpected Southerly squall bringing the fleet home.
The biggest challenge of the evening was taking the sails down in the 20 knots conditions with the late finishers all coming in from behind. We had to go a long way up the Lane Cove River to find a safe place to drop the sails.
The bonus for the night was beating Much Ado V across the line. I don’t know by how much and am waiting for the official results to be posted but we might be in the hunt for the series fastest times result and it would be nice to know.

Here is the update on the post following the error I found in the rating certificate. The yacht is only 12.07 metres long, not 12.7 and I hoped it would make a difference. Hope was a futile emotion as the revised updated rating came through this morning with a revised rating of 1.111. That is a mere one percent reduction and is at odds with my estimate. I don’t have a VPP program but based on engine power required to propel the hull I have calculated a decrease in length of the amount of the revised certificate should have resulted in a three percent reduction in speed and hence rating. This applies right through the speed range which I have modeled with 5, 10, 20 and 30 Hp power available at the engine. I would think that if an increase in waterline length of 630 mm is only going to add 1% to the rating why not go for the longer length. Perhaps that is why all the new fast yachts have plumb stems As I said in the initial post there is no respite in the rating wars as far as Passion X is concerned. Our IRC rating came through and we were rated at 1.122 now revised 1.111 to the same as a First 45. Black Sheep, a First 45,  rates 1.108 so we would have to give this 45 footer some time. This is no surprise as the ORCi ratings are similar. We appear to be rated just a little faster than the Sydney 38’s and an A40 which we have a lot of trouble matching. A J133 would have to give us a few seconds but they usually clear out by many minutes.  The revised IRC certificate suggests we should have a crew of 10 and all of them on the windward rail. That is about 320 kg more crew than we typically have on board. That is about 16% more righting moment and would be significant but we are not going to find that many crew. The rating does suggest we have yet to find the right groove for Passion X in terms of pointing angle and boat speed.

Revised IRC rating for Passion X

Passion X incorrect IRC certificate

We were holding down second fastest place in last night’s windy twilight race when we decided to take out the reef in the mainsail. After losing a little ground in the reefing process it seemed like a good idea during the run down the side of Cockatoo Island but once we rounded the island and headed back to Humbug into the 22 knot winds we were not so sure.

At the start the wind came in stronger and longer than forecast so we opted for the No 4 jib and a full main. Within minutes we were reefing the main as the freshening breeze hit the fleet. We were not the only ones caught with too much sail area but we had the luxury of having the small jib up and a few more options.
The more heavily canvassed yachts made good progress on the reach off the start line and we were blanketed by a good portion of the fleet running through Humbug but we went low and carried the gusts further.  Much Ado V was leading the fleet with Flashback to leeward and Jackpot behind. We did well on the beat to windward to Goat Island despite Much Ado V increasing her lead and Lisdillon nipping at our heels.
Around Goat we made the decision to take out the reef and in the process let Much Ado V slip further away and Lisdillon pass us to leeward. The extra sail area helped up reestablish a few boat lengths lead over Lisdilloon but on the run the light weight Flashback surfed up alongside.
Heading back to Humbug Lisdillon was footing just as fast and was a few metres to windward behind on our quarter making a tack difficult. Flashback was low and chanced their arm to scrape through on port in front and then it was tack for tack all the way home.
Due to the large mainsail I was forced to feather the boat up into the breeze and that was not as quick as bearing away for speed. Also with the short tacking we did not settle down and get the best out of the boat.
Lisdillon managed to work to the front of our little group of three while we managed to tack below Flashback on the last throw to the line and pinch up to just beat them across the line.
We will never know if taking the reef out cost a place to Lisdillon or saved a place from Flashback but I will think twice before taking the reef out next time.

Well done to Much Ado V for the win on fastest time. For our part we were happy with the third.

We are back. It has been a long almost four weeks and while the travel and competition in the Laser Masters World Championships in Split were enjoyable it is good to be back home.
The trip did not start off well when I slipped on the launching ramp at Middle Harbour Amateur Sailing Club and cracked some ribs and it was well into the holiday before I could sleep on my left side. As the conditions in Split were very light the cracked ribs were not a problem and I did much better in the stronger conditions anyway.
I was contented with my second place in the first and windiest race and with my 7th overall. The charter boats were in impressive condition and I was pleased to return mine in pristine condition.The big disappointment of the tour was that our fellow travelers were not well and Kevin was unable to sail. He put on a very brave face but it must have been a big disappointment to him too.My first activity on arriving home was to visit the doctors as I succumbed to the bugs on the last few days of the trip and was pleased that I made it home before it hit hard.

Now putting all that aside tonight despite bugs and jet lag we pulled off a win on time and handicap. The breeze had been forecast to build but with a lot of cloud cover during the day the breeze was later and lighter and died earlier. We took a vote and elected to go with the big genoa. A deciding factor was the strong crew we had on board and the knowledge we could reef the main if need be.

We won the start from Jackpot in the hands of new owners but with the gun dealer team on board. An interesting new competitor was Much Ado V which is another Ker 11.3 seemingly in the Beck fleet. It will be fantastic for GFS if Dump Truck and Much Ado V can match race around the course every week.
Having our nose in front at Onion Point gave us a clear air advantage which we used to maximum advantage and we were able to keep in front for the whole race. A few forced tacks away from leeward shores when the breeze was lifting gave us some concern but we had enough of a gap to hand on for our first fastest times in the Black fleet.
We do not sail ORC but to be fair on ORC Jackpot
would have won.
Much Ado V has an even more challenging ORC rating than Passion X so we were very pleased to beat her over the line.
The balance of the fleet were at the mercy of the dying breeze which dragged out the time differences and allowed our first handicap win of the season.

The new No 4 jib is getting quite a work out and I am already happy to hoist it if the breeze is forecast to be above 18 knots. Today the forecast was for 23 knots so we started the long reach to Cannai Point with the No 4 jib and a full main. Ignoring the larger quick boats, Ichi Ban, Margaret Rintoul V and Duende, our usual competition, Blue Chip, Marloo and Sorcerer, set larger genoas and reefed mains. While the wind was strong we did well keeping ahead of these last three but when it lightened we were caught by Blue Chip. At one stage we hit 14.8 knots boat speed in a 35.4 knot wind gust which was some quite exciting sailing. At quite long periods the breeze dropped back to the 13 knot range where we were a bit too comfortable. There was even one point when Duende and Margaret Rintoul V were becalmed and we caught right up to be alongside their position. Simultaneously Sorcerer and Marloo caught up to us as we lost the ground gained during the 30 knot wind stage.
We rounded Cannai Point hard on the tail of Blue Chip and for a while in the very strong wind we held our own. Sorcerer behind had trouble in a big gust and lost a lot of time in a round up.
While we had the sheets cracked off to get down to the channel mark we held our own but as the wind headed Marloo came steaming through and Blue Chip built up a handy lead. We chased these two through Rose Bay and due to course uncertainty rounded the Point Piper mark on the way back to the finish line. It was not out of our way and Marloo had rounded it and headed off to round the island. Sorcerer which had now caught up to our tail also ran away as if to round the island. We were still beating to the finish when Marloo and Sorcerer changed direction and followed us home. They both made up a lot of ground on the hard beat home but the course was too short for them to catch the time they had lost in their respective detours.
I believe that with our handicap we would have beaten Sorcerer and Marloo on the day but judging by the finish times I think they threw away places to Duende and Blue Chip with their detours.
We were very happy with our second on handicap but more so pleased that the time differences were shorter than usual for windy conditions taking into account the short course. The angle of breeze suited us with a lot of the early beat back free enough to crack sheets and the stronger wind on the downwind leg also suited our light hull weight.

Maximum true wind speed 35.4 knots

Maximum boat speed 14.8 knots

On Starboard approaching the Harbour Bridge

After the disappointment of Wednesday in not getting the Gopro camera to work I spent time on Thursday connecting and disconnecting the network settings and learning how to not interfere with the phone blue tooth connection to the car multimedia. That solved I decided to try the camera in shutter button only mode on Friday and that worked well.
Friday’s conditions were benign and we set the black No 1 Genoa from Passion. It is just under 40 % LP and will do until it wears out and we get a slightly larger one that clears the shrouds. In the meantime we get a small deflection in the foot of the genoa when strapped on tight.
The small fleet and pursuit start means a very relaxed sail and with our share of luck we passed the fleet before Long Nose and stayed in front for the rest of the race. We seemed to have a private breeze along the Hunters Hill shore where we passed most of the fleet. We passed within a few metres so it was a most unusual breeze for which we claimed  we paid for “premium” breeze.  When the breeze filled in across the course Pistol Dawn made a good impression of being a serious threat at stages but in the end our longer waterline and generous sail area won the day.

After the race I switched off the instruments so that the wifi would not interfere with the go pro and paired the mobile phone for a quick review of the footage. It was all there in 17 minute blocks and post race it has given Elaine and I a lot of amusement revisiting the race. On review we were a very professional crew who managed the yacht with little fuss. Elaine is looking forward to some footage from some wild days when the conversation might not be so civilised but for now the record is clear.

After tacking to round Goat island with the city of Sydney in the background

It was another very pleasant day on Sydney Harbour with winds from the South averaging 15 knots with a maximum wind speed on our instruments of 22 knots. In anticipation of a freshening breeze we set the No 3 genoa and full main which we carried for the day.
We rounded the downwind mark at Cannai Point level with Marloo and just in front of Sorcerer with Blue Chip a couple of minutes ahead of our group of three. With the wind freshest at the rounding mark the big Sorcerer quickly climbed over us or more correctly we dropped below their line. Expecting the breeze to quieten in Rose Bay we kept the full main although at times it seemed to be doing very little work.
We had good breeze in Rose Bay where the course had us reaching and here we seemed to gain a bit on Sorcerer and Marloo who had a quiet patch off Point Piper. The reach home was a very comfortable angle and the race was one of the quicker ones of the season.
Our time difference to our competitors was instructive. Sorcerer was clearly quicker than usual and that showed in the results with their second place but showing what a mixed bag the handicaps were we had our best time relative to Ichi Ban but they won the race on handicap.
Against Blue Chip our time difference was exactly our average right down to the last second but considering the wind it was our best result in those conditions. Against Marloo our results were even better with an elapsed time 2 minutes 49 seconds better than average for the season but on handicap we could only beat them by 47 seconds.
Against Kookaburra we also had our best result for the season by some three minutes and at least that one showed in the handicaps.
Duende is on average 16 minutes 30 seconds faster than us and today they were only 14:53 in front so it was disappointing to see the finish 1:15 in front on handicap.
On balance I thought we did remarkably well and deserved a result near the top of the fleet behind Sorcerer. It is the best we have done in those conditions except for when our competitors have had mishaps on the water.

We do appear to be paying for the one first place on handicap in the third race of the season in light winds with no offsetting correction for the second last place the next time it was light. Also our string of last places when there was only three or four starters do not appear to have improved our handicap. And while a better deal on handicaps would look better in the results what we need is a few minutes faster boat speed so we can have some company on the beat home.

With Elaine away for the whole day I used the time to visit the club early and swap equipment audits for a fellow club member and then sail the regular Balmain Friday Afternoon pursuit series. It is a very pleasant dash around the islands west of the bridge and with a fresh 16 knots of breeze it was all over in less than 60 minutes.
Some of the time in the past two days was spent setting up a new data page for the Raymarine cockpit plotter to show VMG to windward in big bold numbers and we did hit a full 6.0 knots in a couple of gusts when we were feathering into the breeze so I am hopeful that the full main and No 4 jib will be a useful combination in these fresher conditions. The drawback is that if the breeze dies we become under powered so there was a lot of discussion on board of how quickly we could change the headsail up.
Everyone agreed we had the appropriate rig up for the day and with the short footed jib tacking was very civilized. There was a few stronger gusts up to 18 and possibly 20 knots and we saw 9 knots of boat speed on the broad reach along the Hunters Hill foreshore. To help in the gusty conditions we kept the vang loose and the leech of the mainsail well twisted. Upwind we cranked on the backstay but eased it on  the downwind legs a la Etchell style.

At the end we caught all but the one yacht so we must have been doing most things right.

By contrast on Wednesday when we had the larger No 3 jib up the winds were a couple of knots stronger today and that seemed to make a lot of difference. Also today there was more reaching while Wednesday was dead into the wind one way and dead square the other way and that is not our sweet spot.

And while Elaine was away for the day she would have wanted to thank all the crew for keeping me occupied and happy for the day.

The weather was perfect for a sail on the harbour and we were given our first true beat to the top mark for the season.
The breeze had already kicked on to fifteen knots by the time we were selecting sails so we opted for the No 3 genoa and full mainsail. With this rig we had a comfortable beat to windward regularly hitting 7.3 knots but occasionally slipping back to six and taking time to rebuild up to 7 knots. Blue Chip demoralized me by blasting away to windward as would be expected of a yacht with a 200 mm deeper bulb keel that weighs an extra 100 kgs. Their extra hull width possibly help them with more form stability too and I struggle to understand why the ORCi gives us similar ratings.
The top yachts in the Division 1 that started 5 minutes behind had I believe gained about a minute or two on us by the time we were abeam of their top mark so I am disappointed we are not in that division.
By our top mark at Cannai Point we were a couple of minutes behind Marloo and Sorcerer and hoping for some gain on the downwind leg. It was not to be as the wind was too light for our small headsail compared to the big overlapping ones on Marloo and Sorcerer. The breeze did lighten on the run home and that was not helpful with the small headsail.
We sailed pretty well to our speed targets hitting 8.5 knots on a beam reach on the way back to the finish line but our competition kept their distance ahead and we finished last by 3 minutes 57 seconds. Our handicap did bring us home 12 seconds in front of Duende who seemed to get on the wrong side of a couple of shifts.
Our tracks to windward look pretty impressive in terms of angle to the wind in a slack tide but the reality is that we were well beat. We were 4 minutes slower than our average result to date against Blue Chip and 2 minutes 13 seconds slower on average against Sorcerer. Against Duende and Marloo we were 15 seconds better than average but even being better than average against Marloo left us over a minute shy on handicap.
We could not have carried any more sail to windward although we could have carried a reef in the main and the full genoa and then taken the reef out at the top mark. A couple of knots lighter and we would have carried the No 1 all day and a couple of knots stronger and the No 3 would have been fine down wind. On the square run home the extra two knots of wind would have added 0.8 knots of boat speed.
We have just three races left before some of us travel to Croatia for the World Laser Masters championships and it would be good to have at least one race with the breeze in our sweet spot before we finish for the season.

I should have checked the photo before I left the yacht for the evening but if you look hard you will see the tacks in the tracks

Today we were the only yacht to have a decent sail on Sydney harbour in winds that peaked at 33 knots. We had the new No 4 jib on board and were waiting for the start of our regular RANSA Winter Wednesday race when we found ourselves alone. We pulled into the RANSA jetty and confirmed the worst that the race had been cancelled. Being all dressed up with nowhere to go we sailed most of the course anyway. Our peak speed broad reaching was 12.3 knots in a 32 knot gust. At this stage we had one reef in the main and the brand new No 4 jib hanked onto the forestay.
For the tight reach back to Steele Point we put in the second reef and also tried beating to windward for a while. The peak wind gust during beating was 33 knots in Rose Bay.
It would have been nice to have had a race as the wind angle would have been to our advantage and we would have gained a better appreciation of our performance. All the same we had a very enjoyable afternoon in the sunshine and wind.
Alas the forecast for Friday is even stronger and Saturdays safety audits may have to be shifted to a less windy day.

What was supposed to be a quiet day ferrying the completed boom over to Passion X and fitting it on the mooring turned into quite an adventure. Joe Walsh decided I should bring Passion X into the public wharf at Margaret Street instead. Now that was after I had paid my $9.00 parking fee and as I had not expected to move the yacht today I had left the battery for the new electric outboard motor home. Rowing to Passion X was downwind so that was OK and the trip across to Margaret Street, tie up at the mooring and loading of the boom all went smoothly. In the short time it took to transfer the boom however, the tide went out leaving Passion X stuck on the bottom. Fortunately the local mooring barge was moving at that exact time so I threw them a line and they pulled us into deep water in a moment.
Message to mind the depth indicator is very accurate. If it says 2.45 metres it means 2.45 metres.
By now the wind had picked up to a full 25 knots and at the very top end of the range for picking up the mooring in Greenwich but that was successful at the second rounding and the depth indicator did not go below 4 metres.
The final task was to row ashore against the 25 knot breeze and the full flow of the tide. Now this is exactly when the electric outboard will be useful but alas the battery and tiller control were far away at home. By skirting the shore and rowing in the lee of the Greenwich ferry wharf I made it back safely. Despite all the dramas of the morning it was a remarkably quick process so I had time to pick up the sails from the loft and spend a couple of hours at the Sydney International Boat show. Now the wind on the pontoons was so strong it was not pleasant so it was a quick visit and a quick trip home before the evening traffic and a well earned snooze in front of the TV.

Proof positive of the breeze when I was rowing back to the GFS clubhouse

After a disappointing result on Wednesday it was good to have the boom replacement project to keep me occupied for a couple of days. Also as the weather turned out it was a good Friday afternoon race to avoid as the breeze was gusting 30 knots as the fleet raced past Joe Walsh’s rigging yard where I was doing the boom replacement.
On Wednesday at RANSA we were eight minutes behind the similarly rated Blue Chip around the course despite having the sails looking very well set. We could not say that if we did this if we did that we would have been quicker and the crew lamented that we are sailing at the back of the fleet alone in Div 1s while the Division 1 fleet we raced in with the old Passion had some very close racing.
What could we have done better? If we had carried the No 1 genoa downwind we might have gained a minute but would certainly have lost it on the way back. We did not need a reef in the main either in practice or by reference to the ORCi speed guide. We did get up to the recommended speed to windward on several occasions but could not keep up to the speed consistently.
Perhaps the breeze at 16 knots is just in our “bitter” spot. That has to the the reverse of “sweet” spot so at lighter wind conditions when we can carry the No 1 genoa all the way we might be more competitive and at stronger breezes we can make up a bit of time downwind.
This week our competitors carried full sail around the course and flogged us on handicap. That is all except Duende who had their own set of special circumstances with a too early pole out of the genoa which cost them a lot of time.
So the boom change project was much needed therapy and all the sails are in for a quick check while we are off the water. The boom change over was not straight forward as I had to drill the old boom bag track off the bent boom and transfer it to the new boom. The new internal guide for the single line reefing system had to be riveted inside the track with five countersunk head 3/16 rivets and then drilled to match the holes in the boom bag track.
The new boom has an internal sleeve fitted around the 3.5 metre mark and that meant the second single line reefing system had to be converted to a single continuous line rather than than the version with the internal slider and purchases. On completion the boom has the first reef with internal purchases and the second and third reef lines as single continuous lines. The third reef line has 45 metres of 10 mm line so it is a pretty long route to get in the third reef.
Joe Walsh was very generous with the use of his premises to do the work and also the advice and help with fasteners and tools. It is nice to have company around when you are working all day.
For a bit more therapy I might take the Laser out on the weekend and try the new carbon fibre top section but Saturday looks a bit fresh.

We finished the week and the West Harbour Winter Series on a good note with a fastest times in the Sunday race, a second on handicap behind a well sailed Mount Gay 30 and a second on ORCi behind a well sailed Fareast 28. Both these smaller yachts carried spinnakers on the short square runs while we were content to defend our fastest times place with the full mainsail and the 110% genoa hauled out to windward.
The extra crew helped today as we were able to tweak the controls to better suit the varying wind conditions. Among the controls we tweaked a bit more was the backstay which we wound on a bit harder than usual to flatten the full main to good effect.
Kevin said our result was because we did not set the spinnakers and I agree as the running legs were too short for our level of experience and flicking the 110% genoa back and forth was very effective in using the wind shifts downwind.
The result on ORCi is one I have calculated myself as the scorers have entered a zero instead of a decimal point with the result that we are the highest handicapped boat ever in the history of sailing. We are not that good and the corrected result will show our second place with quite a bit of time to spare on the rest of the fleet. This is our first good result on ORCi and a timely bit of encouragement.

Our result on Friday was a second fastest and second on handicap but we were outclassed to windward by Another Planet. With one reef in their main they were over canvassed for the over 20 knot conditions but we were more over canvassed with two reefs. While we blitzed the rest of the field our performance relative to Another Planet left me a little disappointed.

In the Winter Wednesday race at RANSA we also had strong breezes and while we stayed closer to the fleet than usual it was only close enough for a fourth place. We had one reef in the main and the 110% genoa for the downwind leg and again did well against the fleet rounding ahead of the J133 and the Sydney 38 as well as Sorcerer and Marloo. Blue Chip, the Sydney 38 had too much sail up and finished the race under jib alone but the time their main came down we felt we would have had their measure on handicap. The heavier yachts, Marloo and Sorcerer powered past us on the wind and for a second week a late knock gave us a slow finish relative to the yacht ahead who had already rounded the last mark.

All the big boys pulled out this week except for the consistent Duende but we stayed quite close in the downwind leg and they did not gain enough ground on the windward work to beat us on handicap. The surprise of the day was to have The Red Hand cross behind us five minutes after the start but then they gybed over to port tack and raced away only to retire on the trip around Shark Island.  We very much appreciated them indicating they would go behind as they were the starboard tack boat and we were still nursing a slightly bent boom through the gybes. We did granny the last gybe rounding of the day as the wind was over 25 knots at the time.

We need to improve our windward performance in strong breezes if we are to have any chance of consistently performing well on ORCi. To that end I invested in the speed guide and polar plots from the ORCi VPP software and have some very interesting guides for sail setting.

The Speed guide for Passion X confirms that we need to reduce sail area aggressively for windward working in 16 knots and over. The new No 4 jib should get a very good work out once it is finished and on board. I feel going for the No 4 before we put the second reef in the main will give us better overall upwind and downwind performance so that is something for us to look forward to.

The other finding from the various rigs I examined with the ORCi VPP was that a 62 msq jib set flying will be a great asset for next year’s Sail Port Stephens with some good speed improvements in 8 knots and under and a very wide effective wind range from 45 degrees around to 120 degrees. In all breezes it fills the gap between the jib being most effective to the point where the spinnakers are most effective.

It was a good note to finish on and this week we will change over the boom for a bigger stronger section and not be so worried about the gybes.

For the record our mistaken handicap and corrected finishing time of around 15 weeks