For the Winter Wednesday at RANSA we had no expectations as circumstances conspired to leave us with just two men and two ladies on board. In deference to the crew size we had no option but to set the No3 jib and do the course as best we could.
From the gun it was apparent we were under canvassed for the run to the heads. Looking across the fleet we appeared to be last in very quick time. Some of that was due to the fleet being well to windward and getting first use of the breeze and some was just lack of sail area.
We did get a few gusts from behind to keep us in touch and as we approached the top mark we had a better angle which made up a little ground. The fleet was suprisingly closely bunched at the mark so we rounded wide and headed for the shore until we could call room to tack against the rocks.
This was our lucky break as the breeze lifted on port tack giving us an instant gain over the early tackers.. We were almost at Steele Point before the breeze knocked and Fidelis who looked hopelessly far below tacked and crossed. At this stage we carried on for clear air and when we did tack we were lifted on starboard.
Imagine our surprise to see Cuckoos Nest cross not far ahead and to find Joli and Meridian in close company. Somewhere in that leg we passed Allegro and Brittania. We did not have it all our way as Joli and Meridian got a good port tack lift into the mark at Rose Bay but we were happy to be close given our rig.
The wind was a bit fickle around Point Piper with an easy reach giving way to a very tight work to the mark. When we did round the mark a lot of the fleet was in the wind shadow and going nowhere. We went as straight out as we could considering the fleet with Cuckoos Nest deepest and when the wind returned Kevin held out our tiny jib to good effect. Years of sailing NS14s with tiny jibs seemed to pay off as we rounded the island ahead of Crosshaven.
This is the time when we needed a good rounding but our top battern caught on the backstay. Earlier in the day I had replaced the top battern because it was fractured and the replacement was a heavier one. It is ideal for 12 knot but at that stage of the race and in the shadow of the island it would not pop through. On the new boat we will have a very large backstay flicker but for now it is one of the problems we must manage.
Depite the battern issue we held our position in the fleet but lost ground to those who had rounded just ahead. The lightening breeze was not favourable to catching the fleet and we looked behind at Fidelis making good progress.
Congratulations to Joli for the handicap win and for winning the wrath of the handicapper. For our part our successive 12 places followed by a 6th has returned some handicap to us in time for the tail end of the season. Only Allegro who did not have a good day, fared better at the handicappers hands and so they will be hard to catch on the pointscore.
Meanwhile back on the boat building site I have been getting ahead of myself just a little. I was so keen to start the radius chine planking that I took off before finishing the painting in the water tanks. So now it is a race to see if the water tanks will be painted before the hull is planked from the stern to the tanks.
It seems that the planking is winning as of tonight the starboard first layer is completed up to the water tanks and there is still two coats of epoxy paint to go. For my penance for being impatient I spent the last hour today sanding inside the starboard tank. There is still a lot I can do before gluing in the planks. There is plywood to be cut to width and then hand fitted to the final positions. I have been preparing eight a side so that would get me past the tanks once the painting is finished. I am reluctant to do more as the radius is tightening up quickly and soon it will be too tight to plank with 6 mm and I will change to four layers of 3 mm ply.
