The scores from last weeks Greenwich Flying Squadron first race of the season were updated to include Dump Truck after a minor correction to the entry list. That gave Dump Truck a well deserved fastest times and third on handicap. Meanwhile Passion X was moved down a place to sixth so that puts the record straight.
As for false hopes 65 yachts lined up for the start of the twilight race and only ten percent finished inside the time limit of 2015 hours. The talk around the deck at the post race BBQ was that some were just metres from the finish line but a miss is a miss and we and Much Ado V were lucky that the front runners failed to finish. Both of us were lined up at the start on the Hunters Hill side mark when the breeze died and to make matters worse headed us. I could not say windward or leeward mark because in the absence of breeze sails were on different sides of the yachts and only the tide was giving the appearance of wind. We sat there for five minutes as the lucky ones carried a little whiff of breeze up to Onion Point and into the run out tide of Humbug. At the last minute Dump Truck make a late appearance which left Much Ado V sideways across the starting mark from which position it took a long time to extricate themselves. Somehow Dump Truck caught and passed us while we jostled with the Blue fleet around Onion Point . Eventually a bit of wind camo over the Greenwich and carried us out of Humbug where we could see the tail enders of the Black fleet rounding Cockatoo Island to port. Meanwhile back in Humbug Much Ado V was still becalmed and providing us some consolation from our own miserable position.
Around Cockatoo Island we could see the Blue fleet who were heading straight to Goat all becalmed and before long we had worked the Balmain shore to be crossing tacks with the Blue fleet yachts. Now we could see Jackpot, Joli and Utopia all reaching home down Snails Bay while we still had an island to round.
Rounding Goat was a triumph of hope against reality as the flags on the bridge gave hope of some approaching wind while the reality on the water was nothing.
At this stage we had no idea that the lead Black fleet yachts were becalmed in Humbug and discussion with the Blue fleet neighbours was about who was going the start the motors first. With just seven minutes to the cut off when not even a hurricane from behind would carry us home we retired. A day later and it is blowing 25 knots to 40 knots on the harbour which breeze would have resulted in an abandoned race.
The ominous calm before the start
Dump Truck and Passion X on opposite tacks going nowhere fast
The early start fleet already on the way home
Catching the Blue fleet