Passion X

Now that sailing has finished for the season and future competition is uncertain the question is “What is next?’
On the 13th March we headed down to Geelong for the Laser Masters National and World titles.
The World Titles were cancelled allowing the foreign competitors to head home early before borders closed but the Nationals went ahead. With each passing day the news of the spread of the virus was more sobering and I was relieved when they called an early halt.
We were unsurprised by the cancellation of the Greenwich Flying Squadron sailing. It is a small club with a very large patronage so the personal space is very limited at the best of times.
Last Saturday we had the final Laser race of the season at Gosford and Middle Harbour Amateurs had already decided to cancel the season as from Sunday.
Sunday was a strange day as we were discouraged from attending Church but did meet for possibly the last group coffee session although very well spread apart.
Prior to going to Geelong I had enjoyed two days on Passion X single handed. The first was a beat to the heads under No3 jib and full main in 18 knots and the second was a sail around our normal Wednesday course area under asymmetric spinnaker alone. I was anticipating what was to come and now we are there.
Today I did the annual engine service and Passion X s ready to go and go she will. we plan to spend the latter part of the week in isolation in Refuge Bay and hope that this will remain acceptable for the future. Clearly with borders shut we cannot go interstate but if smaller districts are closed will we still be able to get to the water?

Playing with the mainsail on a single handed sail

Flying the asymmetric alone

Of late Humbug seems to have been our downfall on many a night and tonight went according to that record. Despite a respectable start and arriving in Humbug near the front of the fleet we were becalmed and passed on both sides. Much Ado V, Joli and Meridian seemed to exit Humbug more or less as they arrive while Jackpot and Utopia went through our lee with ease. From behind the rest of the fleet came charging through with breeze and in particular the heavier Fireball and Ausreo kept going with momentum into the fresh breeze around the corner while we sat waiting and waiting for it to arrive. By the time the breeze filled in to our position everyone except Agrovation had sailed past and we were chasing their wake across to Cockatoo Island. Sweet Chariot went wide around the Island and made up ground on Ausreo, Fireball and Lisdillon who was in tight to the island. It was a wall of Black division yachts too wide and high for us to sail through so we followed on the stern of Lisdillon who was following Ausreo and Fireball. It took forever to get clear air and for the work to Goat Island we were alongside either Ausreo at first or Fireball later. Lisdillon was caught on the wrong side of a shift to drop back rather quickly as we had the previous week as what goes around comes around. Indeed our tracks up to Goat Island against the tide show we were on the lifting tack all the way so that at Goat island we were right on the stern of Fireball. On the reach home we got a tiny break when the wind freshened from windward and we were to windward of Fireball and while it was a tiny break it was just enough for us to hold to the finish line. Up front the only yacht we could see was Jackpot who never made up the time spend alongside Passion X in Humbug on the way out and while they did draw away seven minutes it was not enough to beat their handicap against us.  When we crossed the line just ahead of Fireball we were suprised to see Sweet Chariot charging up Humbug and charging up the handicap positions to be fifth on handicap. Fireball was close enough to beat us on handicap so we filled the seventh position.
Up front Much Ado V scored the double first and fastest and it was finishing time order through Joli, Utopia and Meridian as these leading yachts escaped the dying breeze towards the end of the race.

The Black fleet in Humbug courtesy of Ian Sanford and the GFS facebook page

The more than fifty yachts that braved the threatening weather were rewarded with a rainless sail in very pleasant conditions. Perhaps the only downside was the lighter than expected breeze which faded early favouring the faster yachts that were home in the fresher winds.
After a break last week for antifouling we were keen to get back on the water and see if a really clean bottom would make any difference.
Conscious that we have been well up on the start line all season and slow to accelerate off the line we held back so that we could approach the line with speed and were rewarded by being first into Humbug. Jackpot was right on our transom and threatening to go high so we went higher than usual to protect our wind. Unfortunately that took us to windward of a green fleet yacht and up into the wind shadow and now Jackpot drove down hard for better wind and to cover Much Ado V who was driving through well to leeward. That let both Jackpot and Much Ado V through to battle it out for first fastest all through the race. Down the back of Cockatoo Island Meridian did an excellent job poling out thier genoa and went through inside Passion X while Joli came up with breeze threatening to do the same. We did manage to squeeze around the end of Cockatoo Island behind Meridian and settled down for the windward work to Goat Island. The choice of the tacks up the windard work was not one of our better performances particularly compared to Lisdillon who picked a couple of shifts very nicely to get a good gap ahead. Off Long Nose Joli passed ahead on starboard and then tacked hard to port to cover us which they did very nicely. Below Fireball was making good progress while we were blanketed by Joli so we lost both and rounded Goat Island with plenty to chase. On the reach home we took a course close into Snails Bay and while Fireball and Lisdillon got first use of the breeze we managed to sneak out from below particularly as the wind went very square from behind. Back towards Long Nose the breeze was dying and we drifted better than Lisdillon and Fireball as well as making up a little ground on Joli. We were by ourselves going back through Humbug and drifted slowly to the finish line for a fourth on handicap.

The three fastest times leaders shared out the handicap results and the dying breeze protected our handicap position from the yachts behind even if our margin over Sweet Chariot was only 6 seconds.

If we could set the whisker pole a fast as Meridian and pick the shifts as well as Lisdillon we might get onto the podium.