CYAA 2016 Winter Series Race 5 July 10July 12 2016

2016 Winter Series Race 5 Results and Aggregate Status

The Race 5 results along with the series aggregate and ML III Consistency trophy status are available onthe CYAA Web site home page.

News Break! News Break! Cowes Regatta Crew lists

Just in. A list of what CYAA member is on what boat has been listed on the Cowes Regatta Web Page.More news to follow.

Close calls were the order of the day for Race 5.Although the BoM Port Phillip forecast for Sundaymorning indicated 20 knot marginal racingconditions, let’s wait till Sunday was the Saturdaynight call from the HBYC and CYAA race committee.Take a look at the chart below to see whathappened.

RYCV saves the day.

An unforeseen problem at HBYC stopped the launching oftheir Shirley Freeman rescue boat. The rules are no rescueboat, no race. Through the agency of Ross Clark of Martini acall went to RYCV. Result the RYCV Thorsen was immediatelyfired up and on the water for our start. A note of CYAA thankswill be going to RYCV for this bail out.

No wind.

Although the Port Phillip northern waters were surrounded by seriouslylooking 35 knot wind fronts and cloud formations nothing, wind wise, washappening on the local waters. Hard work to make the start was seen withthe Tumlarens Dingo towing Ettrick from Royal Melbourne. The fleet countwent from 13 to 14 when Renene on her voyage from Sandringham wasthrough the distant haze. An The race committee had the AP startpostponement signal all set to go out when the HBYC house flag beganflying. Next wind ripples were everywhere and those wind findingTumlarens, one aptly named Zephyr in company with Avian began sailingpast the committee boat. That was it. We have lift off. Boom went thedynamite with a fast tie down of the AP flag and count down to an “asscheduled start 5 minute gun” began. It was let’s get them away before the

wind really kicks or dies again on the race committe boat.

Peter Johns on the helm of Frances.Not sure how his pre race pep talk is going

Renene appears from the gloom afterher voyage up from Sandringham

Corio Vertue with Andy Indrans on the helm.Back racing with the classics after a seriousmake over

Avian pretending to move at 10:18 am

Ross Clark and his Martini Sunbeamers at 10:21 am

10:24:14am Fleet watch the Committee boat attempts to disguise their activity

10:26:47am The Race 5 fleet has Pulse rate to match the time of day

10:24:40am Kingurra has twigged to what the Race committee is up to

10:28:50am I need 40 acres to slow her down calls Mercedes guest helmsman Mark Chew. The Tums and Bungoona arepowering up. Kingurra, in the distance, is looking ready for her on time start line attack.

Start on schedule

The fleet demeanour transformation as seen from the committee boat was remarkable. No more talking as skippersworked on their strategy to hit the line at speed with slightly sprung sheets. It was a clean start by five seconds.

Kingurra steamed through the fleet while Frances after some verbal assistance from Mercedes III soon cleared out.All went well till the fleet approached the top mark. The dying breeze from the land was 45 degrees knock. Thissituation persisted long enough to allow the fleet bunch up. Samething happened on the run to the RMYS D Mark.Spanking spinnaker runs were stopped by large wind holes everywhere. Cyan had the best outcome as shemaintained a full spinnaker from her fast top mark rounding set to the RMYS mark D rounding.

10:29:13am Frances, with her main let out is moving fast while Mercedes with her heavy stern, is working hard to keep helmpressure and not fall on Frances.

10:30:12am All tense on the Tumlare Zephyr as Anne Batson hits the start line under the race committee boat and gives gas to Avian

All’s well on Kent Bacon’s Renene after Reg, the cabin boy, has preparedrations to splice the main brace

10:30:52am Bungoona and the Tumlare Dingo hard atwork in the fleet leaders dirty air. Huia, in the backgroundis begining to move

Craig Brown and Ian Rose checking the headsail trim on Cyan

A well insulated Chric Havre has Akuna allset for the weather ahead

10:30:33am Gordon Tait has the TumlareEttrick chasing the other Tums

Shorten course called.

Watching the northern clouds of the front develop over the city while the fleet were on a tight reach for the first lapof the assigned course the time had come to get the fleet home before the forecast front hit. The other factor was

that after almost an hour the fleet leaders had covered 4 miles. Another lap would put half the fleet outside therace finish time limit. Out went the Code flag S with the two hoots for shorten course signal. Only one complaint

from many freezing skippers and crews was the result.

Lines honors went to Frances. Corrected time went to Renene. Corrected time places were almost the inverse ofthe elapsed times. Here’s some photos of the CYAA fleet as they crossed the finish line.

Back in the 1961-62 season there was H28 class racing and Huia (from Brighton then) was a feared competitor, wellequipped and sailed compared to some of us just learning what racing really meant. Cotton sails were still used withonly a few venturing into the new world of synthetics.

Kingurra leads the fleet to the top mark. Martini has clear air and is giving the fleet a sailing lesson

Frances takes Race 5 line honors

Kingurra gives the race committee a bow wave of thanks to the race committee

Mark Chew bring Mercedes III home with her big windward scallop trying to escape from the stern

Snap shot of the fleet headingover from RMYS Mark D to thefinish line. Here we see Zephyrholding off Avian to lead theTumlaren fleet home

With expert crewing by Mal Botterill and PeteJerabek, Avian is bought home in fine style under thehelm of Roger Dundas.

Zephyr with Anne Batson, helming under the direction ofKaren Batson, greets the judge .

Ettrick took a punt on a shy kite but that localwind kept heading her. Another lap was the call

But for that big wind hole was the word from Martiniafter giving the fleet a big fright

Big smiles all round from a well rugged up Dingo crew

Bungoona and her hard worked crew gives the race committee a big bow wave kiss

Corio Vertue, all happy after their welcome return toClassic Yacht racing

A closely watched Cyan completes to course ingrand style.

Huia chased Akuna down on the run from RMYS D Mark to the finish line.

From Rob Cook, Secretary of the Paynesville Maritime Museum the followingwords on his experience with Huia were received last Friday.

“ Back in the 1961-62 season there was H28 class racing and Huia (from Brighton then)was a feared competitor, well equipped and sailed compared to some of us justlearning what racing really meant. Cotton sails were still used with only a few venturinginto the new world of synthetics.”

Huia under the care of Tony Willmott is back racing. Here she is, not far off hull speed asshe crosses the Race 5 finish line

Not sure if Chris Havre has seen Akuna in this pose. Her highly reputed designer, Charles McGregor from the US,would have been proud of that hard working chine.