After drifting around Goat Island in the Balmain Friday afternoon series we had a minute of chaos when a 40 knot gust came out of the storm clouds and flattened us. The one saving grace was that Avalon had already passed us and was directly ahead so I could see them lay flat with the breeze and prepare by having the novice sheet hand dump the main ahead of the gust. Dumping the main was not enough to stop us laying on our side so we had to dump the genoa. That got us back on our feet but heading for the rocks on the Balmain shore. Prudence called for a start of the motor to have steerage to get away from the shore which we did all within a minute of the gust hitting.
From 3:30 pm to 4 10 pm the breeze at Sydney Airport was above 19 knots peaking at 43 knots at 3:40 pm but it hit us much faster with no time to prepare by dropping the genoa. I had to do this once we cleared the Balmain shore under motor and while the wind was still blowing 30 knots.
Fortunately all was captured on the Gopro camera and so the minute of chaos is accurate. From the time the 40 knots hit to motoring into the wind safe from the Balmain shore was just one minute and the only damage was a single eyelet on one of the genoa piston hanks.
There was some damage to my pride as I had thought Avalon had taken down their genoa and retired also but alas they just soldiered on around the course under main and completed a shortened course while the rest of us retired. I am quietly hoping they get no wind for their twilight tonight but don’t blame me if that happens that is what is forecast.
There were quite a few firsts this afternoon. Our Grandson had his first yacht race and first as mainsheet trimmer at which he did a great job including handling the storm well. The second first is to be laid the flattest on record since Passion X was launched. Also a first was to start the motor in a race for safety reasons and the last first was to retire from a race for other than lack of wind.
Short and furious storm
In the thick of the storm
More of the one minute of the storm
Calm before the storm
About to hit
More water over the Gopro