Australia Day Weekend, Part 1

After last week's 18 race, there was some hard thinking to do about our rig. It had looked bad and felt even worse, so we pooled our ideas of what needed to be done and on Thursday, it was time for some serious tuning. To aid the process, I contacted Michael Coxon of North Sails, who made the sails. He was coming down to the club anyway, so we agreed to meet.

I got the boat set up for him to look at and we had the bend numbers for the rig, so that we could see if the set up still matched the sail design. We got off to a bad start because he thought I had a crucial bit of equipment and I thought he was bringing it! So, rather than measure, we pulled the main on. Even before we began, it was clear something wasn't right as the bottom of the mast bent the wrong way!

Once the sail was set and a few strings were pulled, it became clear that all was not well. It looked awful. However, worse was to come as Cocko watched and pondered. Then he pronounced. The mast wasn't bending properly, due to a bad joint which was allowing movement. Therefore, instead of a nice even bend, we had all the bend in one place and no control over the sail. The solution was simple - take the mast apart and glue it back together. Sounds simple, but it needs 4 people to pull it apart and I had a day until the next race.

Thinking on my feet, I realised that the club had some spare masts which they were going to sell. Quick negotiations followed and we are now using a mast previously used by The Rag. This only left the minor issue of changing all the rigging over and setting it up in the boat. Friday was spent checking the rigging and getting it onto the new mast but the fun bit was still to come.

Being Australia Day, there was a race on Saturday, to take place in a crowded harbour with the whole fleet wishing they weren't there! So, for ma, it was an early start and I arrived in the boat park at 9.15am, to find half the fleet already there. For me, there was no time to lose and I proceeded to get the mast into the boat. Then came the fun part. I guess I sent close to 2.5 hours of tightening and loosening and tightening and ...........until, finally, the tensions were correct. Then, with the boat on it's side, came the need to measure the bend. It seemed remarkably close to where it should be and then, just when they were needed, the team arrived. We pulled on the sail and it looked great. So, time to see if looking good was the same as going fast!

The race was sailed in the strangest of conditions. A fairly light breeze from the East, or was it NorEast.......or was it ENE or was it...........who knows! A laid course with a mark under Shark Island, a mark at the entry to Rushcutters and a big naval vessel parked in the middle of the course!

We had a reasonable start and worked our way up the beat. It seemed we struggled for height at times while at other moments, we seemed very quick. Then we found some height and then we missed some shift. It wasn't going to be an easy day in the office. However, we rounded the first mark about 10th and sailed a decent run , although struggling to find an overtaking lane. The second beat was more of the same. At one point, we were next to the boat that outpoints the whole fleet, Asko, and we held them for a couple of minutes. then we hit a difficult patch, lost our rhythm and they just popped out from under us. Ouch! We probably lost a couple of boats and were battling for 12th down the next run but then it all went a little pear shaped.

On the next beat, we played the shifts as badly as I have ever done. I know you are meant to tack on headers, but it seemed every time we had to tack, for ferry's, islands, headlands etc, we tacked into a header. One tack saw us coming to at nearly 180 degrees to the direction we had come in on! Another couple of boats lost and the back of the pack snapping on our heels. At least we could hold our own downhill.

The last beat was tough and we lost a lot of distance but fortunately, no places. So we cruised to the finish and picked up 16th place. It felt far worse, even in a fleet of 26 boats. Our cause was helped by 3 OCS (over the line at the start) and a big crash between Fisher and Pykel and Noakes Youth, that saw F&P's pole enter the side of Noakes and out through the floor. Very messy!

So, the verdict is out on the new rig. It clearly wasn't slow, but the conditions weren't really right to make an assessment. We have a few minor tweaks to make before the regular Sunday race, which should be in a traditional NorEaster so, hopefully, more will be learnt.

However, the one thing that was great was having the team back together. The whole boat worked far better and it was great having Scott back up front. So, a short break for some sleep and it is back to the boat park for Part 2 of the weekend.

A finish....and only slightly injured!!

Sunday was always going to be a tough day. While my body was almost mended, a surfing accident involving bare feet and sharp rocks resulted in Scott not being able to sail. In his place we had Archie Massey, well known and successful I14 sailor partaking in his first race 18 race and certainly his first visit to the bow department! To compound matters, the forecast was for bottom end of No2 rig but the conditions when rigging said No1. The fleet chose No1 rigs and and so the die was cast.

Once onto the racecourse, it seemed to be the right decision. We had a little fun and games as Archie, 12kgs heavier than Scott, used his extra leverage to pull apart his trapeze system and do a quick dismount and swim before the start. Fortunately, we got up and running quickly enough and added a few extra knots into the system so a to avoid such happenings again.

For once, we lined up nice and high with time to burn and held on to our lane reasonably well. Archie was getting nervous as well were all pushing up on the line but having not had a single individual recall all year,w e knew it would either be a general recall or they would let us go. Celebrations of our good start were cut short by the third gun and sure enough, it was a general recall.

The next start was not as clean. While lining up, we noticed that where there had previously been less wind on the left of the course, now there seemed to be a fair amount of pressure everywhere. A few quick tweaks to the rig and we were ready to line up, but we lost control of the bow, ending up in a right mess that should have broken our pole but somehow didn't. Instead, it made sure were were at the back of the grid. Even worse, when tacking to clear everybody else seemed to have the same idea and we were chewing dirt for quite some time.

Finally, we found a lane and attempted to settle. A couple of good shifts followed by a couple of bad ones and we weren't pretty at the first mark, but set off in pursuit with me determined to prove to Archie that we could be quick downwind even with his extra bulk. And sure enough, by being a little smarter and a little faster, we made some serious gains.

The next beat wasn't pretty. We were at the top end of the wind range for the rig and it was not working well. It was the first time we had raced in that sort of stuff and it really highlighted some serious shortfalls in the rig that if we correct, should improve performance in lighter stuff as well. Having stumbled up the beat, we set off down the run with high hopes but they were short lived as the first gybe led to an opportunity to inspect the bottom of the boat. It really did show that it doesn't matter how good you are, if you haven't practiced sailing an 18 as a team, you are going to struggle.

We got up and running again and had some great rides but going for a gybe drop was, on reflection, a tad ambitious. This time resulted in another first for me. I managed to fall from the top of the wing and get my legs either side of the tiller. Ouch! While the "crown jewels" weren't trapped , everything else in that region took a bit of a hammering and it was just as painful as if they had been caught! I probably couldn't ride a bike for a few days, being rather bruised in the saddle area!

However, despite the mess and pain, we got sorted and sailed the last lap in great solitude to gain a hard fought finish. We might have been DFL (dead f###ing last) but 6 boats didn't survive. There were 2 broken masts and various tales but I think for some, the conditions simply knocked the resolve out of them. On returning to shore, my family, who had been watching on the ferry, told us that one of the sponsors had been saying that it was the toughest day we could have experienced. I certainly think that the 14-18 knots with No1 rig is harder than 22+ with No2. Talking to the experienced boys, it seems that it was a "big day in the office" for everybody.

The big learning to come out of the sail was that we need to work on tuning. I have been too accepting of the fact we were learning and that the boat had a reputaion for going well with the No1 rig but Archie has identified various areas we need to sort. So, it looks like I have a week of bimbling ahead.

Next weekend is a big one. We are racing on Saturday in the Australia Day race, followed by Sunday with a regular race. Lots of time to try new settings and ideas.

If I wanted to sail full time, I'd do an Olympic Campaign......

Aside from Olympic sailing, I don't know of any sailing that is as serious as 18 footers. There are a few "old school" types who believe practicing is cheating but we have ignored them as we needed to play catch up. The problem is, the top teams are out there all the time. Fiat and 7 train at least 2 days a week, with coach and sailmaker in support. Macquarie have a coach and sail regularly. All three have big time rig/sail programmes with North. Then there are the Ullman teams with Akso and The Rag doing the most work. All have new, different masts this year, with Club Marine also having a new rig. These 6 boats seem to have a bit of a jump on the fleet at the moment.

So, to address the balance, some have been training. We missed the pre-season stuff but have been fairly regular Thursday evening players. Thursdays usually sees between 3 and 6 boats out and a few others are out on other occasions. So, imagine my shock when I arrived at Double Bay last night, at the normal time, to find the park totally crowded out. It seems that a few people are getting the idea that practice makes.......less mistakes! In total, I think there were 10 boats in the park last night, although one never left the shore as they were trying to set up a mast to fit some second hand sails they had acquired.

And what a night everybody had chosen. Thursday evenings are usually 8-12 knots, with only one night requiring little rig and even then, it was marginal. But last night it was different. We had 20+ knots from the South East, flat water and an empty harbour. Game on! A few had some strange idea about sailing with big rigs and they got hammered. We went with the majority and obvious choice, little rig and we had a specific goal in mind.

Although our tacks have been safe, we have been very slow out coming out and up to speed. I have needed to use too much helm to pull us away and this has killed our speed. 20+ tacks per race was leading to 30+ boat lengths being lost - over 100 metres per race. We needed to gain those valuable metres back. First stop was the front of the fleet. I have found that most of the top people are only too happy to help with tips and advice. In particular, Cocko on Fiat and the Rag team have been of great help and yet again, they gave us some things to try.

Setting off from the club was interesting as it was a run out to the harbour, something which we don't get often. Puffs were hard to spot but once we had made a little progress, it was clear that there was some big black gusts around. Once clear of the moorings and with Scott getting very excited, the kite went up. Just as we were settling, a black one made it's presence felt! It started with a slamming 20 degree shift and then just built - not slowly but with all the subtlety of a sledge hammer. 3 months ago and we would have swum just trying to latch into the gust but this time, we were up and running.

Running is probably not quite the right word. It doesn't quite encapsulate the shear power, speed and ferocity of what was going on. And then, in front of us, was the Manly Ferry wake. Harrier jump jets use something known as VTOL (vertical take off and land). On that basis, 18's should be added to the list of armaments that should not be sold to certain countries. Besides being a dangerous weapon (see below), they are certainly well suited to VTOL! Probably having Scott in the boat added to the drama as all he wanted was big air and lots of speed. Trying to make an 18 do the same thing as his kite board seems to be a recurring theme with Scott!

With Kirrabili fast approaching, we went for the drop. I am not exactly sure what went wrong because we haven't made a mess of a drop before but at that speed, whatever went wrong led to 2 events, linked but totally separate. I don't know whether the capsize came first or Scott's teeth making contact with the D1's at a bit higher speed than there maximum working load, but while standing on the upturned hull I couldn't help notice that Scott's white rashie was going orange and he was spitting little bits of......material. He didn't appear concerned, even though he had spent $10,000 on his teeth in the last few months!

Anyway, we got the boat up and headed upwind. Wow! The boat was flying but it was shifty and slamming. And then we tacked, trying a few of our new found knowledge. The helm remained light throughout and we simply accelerated out of the tack. Astonishing! To prove it wasn't a fluke, we tacked again. Same thing! A few tacks later and it was all grins, even if one was slightly bloody! Mission accomplished.

We were very conscious that my body has been struggling to stay together, Scott's mouth was damaged and it was boat breaking weather so we didn't stay out long. However, it was the most exhilarating and useful session I can remember. Ashore, it seems that everybody else had stories of wild rides and big grins. John Harris, skipper of The Rag summed it up by saying "Now that's why we sail these boat"!

So, AOL is still in one piece but a tradition has been maintained. One of the crew got hurt, but for once it wasn't me! We had a great evening and a quick burger and beer in the bar gave lots of time for recounting tales of high speeds and big black gusts.

Roll on Sunday!

Happy New Year.............

So, the season of goodwill is now out the way and Sydney returns to normal. The Olympic sailors have left town, which means that my phone has stopped ringing with people begging for a ride on the Bladerider. A few were even angling for a ride on the 18, which reminds me just how cool the whole thing is. It is too easy to fall into the way of life and just take it for granted. In the same way, it is too easy to think that with a couple of good results, 18 sailing has been well and truly mastered! The first 2 races of the year showed just how much work is still to be done.

Back from the holidays and with a practice session under our belt, we felt ready to really rock and roll. We lined up for the first start, found our hole and as the gun went, the guys congratulated me on the start. The 3 boats to leeward were clearly over and once they peeled off, we were in the driving seat, except there was no second gun. WTF! All three of us are puzzled but what can you do. Next time we sail the fleet, not the line!

Worse was to follow as we seemed to be slow, or was it just because we were eating everybody's exhaust fumes. Tacking for clear air sent us deep to the wrong side and it got worse. Either we sailed the wrong way in clear air or we ate dirt. Downwind was a precession but we did have speed and the gaps closed. We started the second beat with hope and the will to attack. But then it became obvious. We had no speed and the problem was the jib.

The whole time we had been sailing the boat, we had been attaching the jib sheet to the sail incorrectly. I spotted this on the current World Champs boat (Fiat) before we rigged so corrected this. However, it didn't occur that the different way would prevent the sail being sheeted properly and sure enough, as the breeze increased, we couldn't sheet in hard enough. In fact, we couldn't get the last 50mm in. Under powered and unable to point, all the good work downhill was wasted by a really stupid mistake. I felt that I had let the guys down.

On the run, Jamie did what he could to sort out the sheeting and while he improved it, we were still 30mm off where we needed to be. Plus we hadn't sailed some of the run flat out. So we limp around at the back, , getting our worst result for months.

The following Thursday we practiced with the new No2 main. It is so sweet and so was our boat handling. Only fly in the ointment was that I damaged my hamstring on a bear away but it wasn't going to stop me. With the forecast for Sunday calling for 20 knots, we felt ready for whatever is thrown at us. And what did we find on Sunday? 18 to 20 knots. Perfect!

So we head out to the start in good spirits, ready to take on whatever is thrown at us only to be hit by something we haven't come across before. We bear away at speed, dig in a little and pop straight out without thinking. Then, very soon after (1-2 seconds) we come to an abrupt halt. We hadn't spotted the kite coming out the bag and we were suddenly doing a good impression of a trawler. To capsize or not............not as the case turns out but by the time we were sorted, we were well into the start sequence and upwind of where we needed to be. A quick bear away and fast reach followed by a gybe and we were lined up at the wrong end of the line, third row of the grid and with 10 second to go. Another fine mess!

So, yet again, we have to tack and go the wrong way to clear our air. Coming back, we are well down but we seem to be going well, even to the point of thinking we had speed. Then we hook into a good shift and we are climbing through the fleet. We got the top if the leg wrong and round with more ahead than we would like. A good hoist and a couple of gybes later, we had a good lane into Rose Bay and the gybe mark. A few boats were swimming and after another slick gybe from the guys, we set off on the tightest reach for the bottom mark, reeling in boats all the time.

I think by the time we dropped the kite, we had taken 6 or 7 boats through good handling and a little speed. Better still, we are close up behind a group and on a charge. Everybody is being pushed low and we drop some way low of the mark. On heading up, we realise we are a little short of the mark and have to pull away again. WE get to the mark and harden up and out I jump onto the side. But where I think the rack should be there is fresh air and I am heading to the middle of the boat. The rest was inevitable, although the problems we encountered shouldn't have been. A very slow recovery and some further stupidity from "Surefoot Simon" saw us heading in with some muscle in my shoulder damaged enough to stop me raising my hand above my head.

I was devastated. The guys had sailed really well and we were actually very competitive. We swam from a silly mistake that I probably couldn't repeat if I wanted to. We all had friends watching and I felt I had let the guys down. My body keeps breaking and it isn't funny any more. I sit here typing this with a shoulder that nearly works, a damaged hamstring, a damaged thigh and bruising all over! It takes too long to recover, a bi-product of getting older, and I hate it! It feels that all the good work I did to get my body into a state to take the stresses and strains of my lifestyle has all been undone!

The festive break gave me a chance to catch up with my Moth sailing. I treasure the time I get in the boat and look forward to after the JJ (18 worlds) when I can spend more time in the boat. It is a truly addictive experience but at the moment, I am only using it for joy rides. While the boat handling might be going OK, for the first time I did some tuning against somebody who is close to the pace and I realised that the boat is currently set up for ease of sailing rather than speed. After some chats from Rohan, I have been sorting a few new bits and settings and cannot wait to try the boat again.