Race in a nutshell: 26th October, 2011
Position PHRF Class 1 Spin: 5th from 9
Total Entries: 47
Distance: 6.5nm.
Max Speed: 13.7 knots
Ave speed: 6.0 knots
Time: 1 hrs 00 mins 01 secs
Weather Forecast: Cloudy with 10% rain. Wind WSW 14 knots Temp 13C
Weather Actual: Accurate.
Course: 10 (S) – 2 (S)- Milnerton (S) - 4 (P) - Finish (P)
Seas: Slightly Lumpy
Sails: Full Main (Quantum), No. 1 Genoa (Quantum), A2 Asymmetric Spinnaker. (North)
Crew: Trygve Roberts (Helm), Charles Crosby (Genoa/Spinnaker), Phillip Rentschler (Main), Craig Preston (Pit), Allesandro Napoli (Mast) Daniel Spratley (Bow), Total: 480 kg

Got to love those westerlies
Almost identical conditions to the previous week, saw 47 boats spread over five sub-divisions on Table Bay for another enjoyable twilight race. The only real difference was that the breeze was fresher. With the same seriously port biased start line, we cruised down the line on a port run waiting for a gap to appear and it did, but we were not quite as close to the pin as we would have liked. The good thing was that we had clean air. Hopefully it would compensate enough for the extra distance we had to cover. We held and overtook the A35 on the first leg which was a fetch, but the Melges cruised through from the pin end of the line to get to the first mark ahead of us.

As in the previous week, we went for a gybe set and held good speed down towards the Woodbridge mark, before gybing back towards the fleet, but keeping just to windward of any wannabe luffers. Despite the good speed the Melges still rounded just ahead of us, with the A35.

On the long beat back to the No4 mark, we worked the middle and left side of the course where we found some useful shifts, which gave us a decent advantage over the Melges to round well ahead of them, despite one fluffed tack, when the mainsheet jambed and promptly put us into irons. We lost maybe 30 seconds, but were quickly back to speed, whilst Phill wiped the egg off his face.

We had young Daniel Spratley doing bow (whilst Josh took the evening off to see Kings of Leon). He set to the task of switching to a smaller spinnaker for the tight reach to the finish, which we just managed to hold whilst trying to keep the boat tracking at a fair speed, to get another 5th place. I guess under the circumstances we are quite OK with the placing, considering the course configuaration and quality of competition. What is strange this year, is the distinct absence of South Easterlies. Trust me, I'm not complaining! As usual, it was a 'pack up in the dark' routine, so typical of early season twilight sailing.

Results:
1st Lobelia IMX40 SA2700 Gordon Kling/Rob Meek 1.145 185258 00:54:58 01:02:56 6.549 kn
2nd DockSafe Archambault 35 FRA34635 Alexandre Monat 1.1 185523 00:57:23 01:03:07 6.274 kn
3rd Windpower Landmark 43 SA3737 R Nanckin/P Gutche 1.25 184847 00:50:47 01:03:29 7.089 kn
4th Southern Storm Pacer 376 SA4227 Tim Dykins/Harry Brehm 1.19 185227 00:54:27 01:04:48 6.612 k
5th Regent Express Pacer 27 17 Trygve Roberts 1.08 185801 01:00:01 01:04:49 5.998 kn
6th Corum SA969 SA969 Jan Reuvers 1.21 185207 00:54:07 01:05:29 6.652 kn
7th Puma Unleashed Pacer 42R SA3800 Hylton Hale 1.255 185032 00:52:32 01:05:56 6.853 kn
8th Mini Mace Melges 24 SA 410 Nicholas Mace 1.085 185902 01:01:02 01:06:13 5.898 kn
9th Speed of Yellow J133 GBR5733R Patrick Holloway 1.155 DNC