Gold Cup - Race 3 - 2018

Friday 2nd November after getting in late I wake to the stunning Auckland morning. Into a day of repairs and prep before the lads get in.

Race Day 3rd November 2018

Forecast was 12 - 20 kts from the NW.

Course: Start between the Orakei Wharf or a Race Committee Boat and the yellow Orakei Buoy. Leave Rangitoto to starboard, leave Haystack to Port, north to Saddle leaving to Port, then home to finish between the Royal Akarana Yacht Club or a Race Committee Boat and the yellow Orakei Buoy.

Rough view of the course

Still struggling to get the starts dialed, debrief and log book makes it sound like race control was 5 min late, but the reality is we would have mucked up the start sequence with the actual start… a few Cats normally lead off but there was only one in the race and I think it started late which threw us.

We started the race with Main under 1 reef and the #3 jib. Once we got around Rangitoto deployed the FR0 (Fractional Zero), however we had jumped the gun and still sailing high to get past Rangitoto Lighthouse and once out of the wind shadow of North Head we were well over powered. So a quick furl-up of the FR0 and back up with the #3 Jib, only for a few minutes we passed the Rangitoto Lighthouse and beared away to a beam reach and the FR0 was redeployed. A fun and fast reach were we averaged 9kts to The Haystack Island (now we knew where it was… otherwise named Orarapa Island).

Dan Shand on the halyard. Ben Irving securing the #3 Jib. FR0 deployed playing catch-up.

Next was a humbling beat up to Saddle Island (East of Mahurangi West). Not sure on our logic in hindsight, but we decided to stick with the already hanked on #3 Jib, but shook out the reef to go full main. These decisions were normally made by looking at other yachts and not looking (feeling) our own, something we are improving as we begin to understand Marshall Law. It was a hard beat, with only Ben Irving hitting the target boat speed, but even then only on occasions. Getting a Ross 40 in “the groove” is not easy. We arrived at Saddle Island to far east and watched another yacht slip inside us. Our first time to this Island so we were unsure of the wind effects as the peninsula is very close to the north side of Saddle, as it transpired the wind changed in strength and direction making us tack two times more than expected and we went deep into Big Bay to give ourselves some space to calm down and prepare to launch the A2 for the run to Tiritiri Channel.

The fun bit, all that beating into the wind means you get to haul ass down wind after. The A2 is our big asymmetric kite flown off the 2 mt. extended bowsprit. Now I understand why people like Murray Ross designed boats, they fly off the wind. There was a bunch of hooting and hollering as we built speed, Ben Irving on the helm and we began regular surfs eventually reaching our top speed so far of 16kts. We were pushing it, the wind limit was close, then the halyard slipped about 2 mt. Note that this sail is on a snuffer so we are not prepped for a douse. Irving called it, and we got to action on a massive ease on the working sheet and somehow we got the halyard back to the masthead. We have since learned that the starboard halyard is thinner than the port, and that regardless due to the issues we were having we could have doubled the tail of the halyard back on itself so we were not relying on the jammer alone.

Hindsight. So only a few surfs down the track and we ended up loosing the halyard again but the wind was rising and it was time for an emergency drop. We eased the tack out (no martin-breaker on Marshall Law (yet)), dumped the halyard and managed to bundle the foot together and recovered the sail. Pissed we were now going slow and the fun was over we hoisted the #3 Jib rounded Tiritiri put a reef in and headed for home. The wind had got up, and the call for the reef was a line ball for the wind angle however we watched Carpe Diem an Elliott 10.60 chasing us in under full main, but constantly rounding up.

Finished licking our wounds. Battled up wind, set the kite for a hoon off the wind and blew out. Last in division by 30 min, results here. But did we have fun, hell yes. Was breakfast good, always?

Breakfast is very important.