Passion sails well with a specialist heavy air No 3 genoa in 20 knots of breeze. Wednesday Twilight at Greenwich Flying Squadron was no exception. We were a bit timid and reefed the main before the start. Izzi and Tartan, both fast reaching Northshore 28’s, had full mainsails for the reach down to Spectacle Island and rounded first. Surprisingly Worlds Apart with a double reef also rounded in front for the tight reach to Schnapper Island. Once on the work to Goat Island Passion showed how a short footed headsail helped to keep the yacht under control and allowed for short tacking on the many shifts. By the end of Cockatoo Island we had a good lead and were covering both sides of the course. It was just as well we were as Izzi picked up a big lift on the North side of the course and almost caught us. We tacked just above her line and managed to shave the point at Long Nose by the smallest of margins while the whole fleet had to tack away for a 200 meters drop on our position. For the reach back to Humbug we shook out the reef and managed to hold of the fast reaching Northshore 38 duo. A tidy work through Humbug ensured our third fastest time result in four races and a tidy third on handicap. This may be our last Twilight race in Passion as on Wednesday morning we launched Passion X and are scrambling to have her racing next week.

Tacking angles on the work to Goat Island. Guess on which one Izzi caught up.

This week Passion X has been introduced to its keel manufactured at Complete Steelworx at Somersby and lovingly faired by Dave.

Passion X is sitting alongside Wild Oats XI in her massive boatshed at Woolwich Dock. Yesterday as well the rudder was fitted with very little fuss. Photos below show the progress.

The rest of this week are scheduled for underwater painting and antifouling.

Keel Alignment – very accurate fit

Simon Smith directing the operation

Keel on with Nick the Dock operations man in the foreground

Keel being craned into position

The rudder and prop shaft in place

Today Monday 13th February Passion was lifted from its construction cradle through the trees and onto the semi which transported it to Greenwich Dock to meet up with its keel and subsequently its mast and rigging.

With much interest from the support crew and the neighbours the lift went without a hitch in the hands of true professionals JPM Cranes and Mark Anderson’s Boat Transport.

You can see the almost finished interior of Passion just prior to take off and the flight over Dave and Elaine’s house and onto the semi in the photos HERE.

Tomorrow the work of fitting the keel and rudder followed by spray painting and antifouling begins.

Tacking angles from today’s race

Tonight we set our No 2 genoa for the forecast 15 knots and established an early lead in the fresh conditions but then had to hang on as the breeze died later in the race.
We started lower on the line than the fleet and managed to keep our nose in front of Agrovation up to Onion Point. The run trough Humbug was tricky as to go low would have put is in the considerable wind shadow of Agrovation. The breeze went oversquare and caused an involuntary gybe which left us blanketed by the fleet Saoirse went low and we followed them until they decided to head up under the fleet leaving us as the sandwich in the middle. Somehow we picked up a bit of breeze from around Greenwich Point which was just enough to sail over Saoirse and under Agrovation. Ahead the crew spotted a patch of breeze which we sailed up to and then bore away to the corner of Cockatoo. Tashtego followed us out of Humbug and in a short space of time we had broken away from the fleet with Saoirse chasing us. Around Cockatoo Island Tashtego and Saoirse had a close race some 20 metres off our stern. On the work to Goat Island we were intent on not letting the fleet get to one side or the other or our position as the shifts were pretty big. With the smaller No 2 Genoa we could tack on the knocks and by Long Nose had a lead on the fleet. Agrovation was making her way through the fleet and by Goat Island she was on our heels.
The breeze had move light patches now and every time it went light we could feel Agrovation gaining. Fortunately there were enough gust coming through to keep us moving and we covered them through Humbug to get fastest time by a boat length.
We also scored a first on handicap with Agrovation third.
I like our No 2 genoa in 15 knots of breeze but once it gets below 12 knots we need more power. To compensate we move the mainsail draft through a very wide range of depths through the course of the race. I am hoping the new Passion X will have enough power to weight so that we can use a smaller easier tacking genoa more often. We will have to wait and see.

Our friends on Izzi sailed the Wednesday twilight race remarkable well. By good luck or canny choices thy carried a larger genoa while we had our smaller No 3 up for the windy conditions at the start. We still had the reef in the mainsail from last week and opted to leave it there for the gusty trip through Humbug. We were a bit under powered in the sheltered area around the start line but once into Humbug we managed to match Worlds Apart and take an early lead. Saoirse was sailing fast in the stronger winds and having a great battle with Worlds Apart but they both overstood the turn to Cockatoo Island and we stretched out our lead a little. We probably lost a little on the corner as we had to pinch hard and slow to clear the dock by an arms with. This was the first of three close shaves on the evening and we were considering renaming Passion after one of those razor brands. The next close shave was at the navigation mark on Balls Head. Tana and two Etchells were below us and we could see that they would need to tack onto port to avoid running aground. We had a Young 88 just ahead so it was quite crowded conditions. When Tana and the two Etchells tacked we opted to take their sterns and try to clear the point on starboard tack but Tana stalled and we were forced to make a big deviation around her stern which took us below the point. We hung on and pinched to just clear the point but the deviation and slow sailing brought Izzi right up to us. In the light conditions around Balls Head Izzi was powering along and had now passed Worlds Apart and Saoirse who were having a very close battle to leeward as we approached the Navigation mark at Goat Island. We took out the reef for the run back to Long Nose as the wind was moderating. We lead around Goat Island but once into the clear air Izzi poled out their large Genoa and powered past. The carried the poled out Genoa very high and managed to sail through our lee and from there with more sail area sailed faster to the finish.
We could see Worlds Apart and Saoirse not far behind as we crossed the line. We were happy with our result considering the condition and were pleased that Izzi had sailed so well for a first and fastest.
Back at the club ML and her team put on another great BBQ and the light drizzle could not dampen the spirits on the deck. With the first three handicap place getters opting not to stay for the BBQ and presentation we were the first to the prize table for another bottle of wind from one of our sponsors.

Tracks from a windy Wednesday with awful tacking angles on the way out off Onions Point

The weather patterns seem to have gone missing as we had one very mild regatta sailing Lasers in Adelaide. Not that I minded as the ribs are still healing from the fall down the companionway and I needed a rest from the boat building.
Our first sailing outing on return was the twilight at Greenwich Flying Squadron where for a third lucky week we scored a fastest time. It was lucky because we set the small No 3 genoa in anticipation of 20 knots of breeze and seemed to get a lot more. I don’t know for sure as we had the speed sensor out but the SOG went up to over 9 knots in one gust. The other lucky break was being too late at the start to put in a reef so we sailed full main through Humbug at a time when there was a lull in the breeze. Despite the awful tacking angles we emerged with a good lead and had overtaken the last of the bigger black fleet through Humbug. On the work to Cockatoo Island we put in the first reef and seemed to miss not one bit in the process to have out biggest lead of the night around Cockatoo. On the way to Goat Island we lost a bit of ground when a red fleet port tacker rounded up so we bore away to go below her only to have her bear away as well. There was no room to go back so we just had to bear away harder until they could stop. I think that was the end of the sloppy bits for the evening but by now Saoirse and Izzi were in sight. Fortunately for us they seemed to have a slow trip around Goat while we had a good rounding and hit our top speed of 9.3 knots approaching Long Nose. We left our reef in for the run back through Humbug as we had a good lead but it was a bit quiet for our passage and I suspect it was a bit windier for the following yachts.
We did not deserve to win on handicap and we did not but a third to Saoirse and Izzi was fair enough reward.

For the last two weeks we have managed to achieve fastest times in our Blue Division at Greenwich due to good starts and a clear run through Humbug. Last week our seeming race winning lead was extinguished by a new breeze coming down the course and only a lucky gust at the finish saved us. This week we escaped Humbug on the way out in a similar fashion and managed to hold onto a two minute lead all the way. At the start the breeze was a bit more East than last week and we could not make the start line of starboard if we sailed up the Lane Cove River. We had to run back to the fleet and gybe before the line of moored yachts so that we sat higher than all the fleet. With the bias on the line we had a good lead and could tack onto starboard at will. Even with freedom to tack we just shaved Onion Point of the way out which saved us a few more seconds. On the work back to Goat Island we were on the wrong side of two shifts off Greenwich and did not get back into phase with the changes until we settled into a longer leg along Snails Bay. I begged for wind to get above the concrete dolphins and we got just enough angle so that Frank, putting in a welcome guest appearance, could not reach out and touch it. A timely involuntary round up turned into a tack and had us back in phase. Worlds Apart was no longer steaming up to our stern as she had been coming into Long Nose.
We sort of held our own for the run back around Cockatoo Island with the only real excitement being a late swerve to windward to avoid the protruding yard arm of the monster moored at the South East corner of Cockatoo. I heard another yacht in the fleet made contact so I am grateful for the advance warning I had from the crew.
Back into Humbug we could see the earlier starters becalmed so we went below all the fleet and managed to shave Onions Point on the way back in.
So all was well on the last race of the season and we won the handicap as well.

The Christmas BBQ back at Greenwich was well attended by and well enjoyed by all with some very excellent prizes for the raffle donated by the generous sponsors. As much as I willed it Keith did not pull one of my numbers out of the hat and I had to go home without the Helly Hansen wet weather gear or the Back Vintage wind selection or the Wild Oats bags but we did win one of Back Vintage wines for our handicap win.

Last week we struggled all around the course buried mid fleet and without any lucky breaks. An involuntary gybe at the corner of Cockatoo Island caused be a wind eddy forced us too close along the shore from where we never recovered. We were too close in at the West end of Cockatoo Island and caught in the wind shadow. Tacking back through Humbug we could not get into phase with the shifts and had a pretty average result.
This week was a different story. We set the No 2 genoa in anticipation of a southerly front which came through just as the fleet was starting. The smaller overlap and more comfortable sail area meant we were quick to windward and tidy in the tacks. From the first tack we had Worlds Apart covered with Agrovation behind her. With clear air we could pick our course and at the same time keep a loose cover on Worlds Apart and an eye on Agrovation.
We did not see the rest of the fleet after we rounded Cockatoo Island and were enjoying our time at the lead. Agrovation sailed into the wind shadow off Long Nose and around Goat Island we managed to stretch out the lead on Worlds Apart when they were caught in a light spot in the lee of Goat.
The breeze had dropped away to seven knots as we approached Greenwich when it freshened from the South bringing Worlds Apart charging up to us and past us. There was little we could do as the breeze we were in was lighter and tighter and until the fresh breeze arrived we could not pole the genoa out to windward. Once Worlds Apart was past us we managed to get the genoa drawing and sat on their stern blanketing them as much as possible as we entered Humbug. Luck was back on our side as a fresh gust from behind gave us an inside overlap at Onions Point and with a dead square run to the finish we all had clear air. Being to leeward boat the angle of the finish line favoured us and we reclaimed the fastest times win by a quarter of a boat length. While we could see only Worlds Apart and Agrovation at the finish the freshening breeze brought all the fleet home and despite that we managed a third on handicap.

Congratulations to the Groves clan for winning the fastest times contest in the Blue fleet at Greenwich Flying Squadron. It was a tough battle between the three Jeanneau designs, Agrovation, the newer 379, Passion a 2006 Jeanneau SO37 special and the larger Worlds Apart, a 39i Performance. Agrovation was always going to be the one to beat. They have a nice set of Carbon sails and sail the boat well. Any time we can beat them we think ourselves fortunate and this was the case in the last race of the Spring series. We started in light conditions with a gust of wind in our starting sequence that ensured we all arrived at the line on time unlike the earlier fleets that had struggled to get into the starting box. We were sandwiched between Worlds Apart in front and Izzi to windward as we beat up the Greenwich shore line. We were close to the line of moored yachts when Worlds Apart tacked away leaving us clear air. To windward Izzi was preventing a free tack so we needed to go right to the prohibited zone before we could call for room to tack. We never called. Izzi tacked away when it looked like we would need to tack and suddenly we got a big gust from behind that lifted us around the last moored boat. That was the last reasonable gust for the next 20 minutes but we had a couple of knots of breeze and were out of Humbug unlike the rest of the fleet that were becalmed. We were almost at Cockatoo Island when the fleet struggled out of Humbug with new breeze from the East so while we tacked to the Island they were reaching along. I was instructed by the crew not to look behind and there were promised of blinkers for Christmas to keep me focused on where we were going. On the beat to Goat Island Agrovation took the Greenwich shore and seemed to be going at twice our speed. Once past Long Nose we were in similar fresher wind and we seemed to hold our own. It was look behind for all the run back to Humbug and I was relieved when we made it into Humbug with a few boat lengths to spare. Very cleverly Agrovation took the Onions Point tide into consideration and shot the point while we had stood off enough to give them clear air. Now we were side by side going for the finish line. Agrovation normally points higher than Passion so we were surprised that we could keep a good line with wind across the sails right to the mark with no room for Agrovation. At the last minute she tried to shoot the mark but the angle was just too sharp so she had to do a recross of the line. In the light conditions the recross cost a couple of minutes and must have been frustrating for the crew but they recrossed in second fastest place to seal the series. Worlds Apart had an unlucky series as they were in front several times only to be beaten on those occasions by the conditions. It might be the last Spring Series for Passion so it was  nice to finish on a high note beating our long time rival. Congratulations to Michael Murphy and family in another Jeanneau, French Connection, for blitzing the handicap series and to Alan Grundy in Farrst Company who came good once the hull was antifouled. Alan and family finished with two handicap wins out of the last three races.

The title sums up our Wednesday Twilight race pretty well. There was a strong incoming tide with a difference between low to high of 1.8 metres so that was a factor in the racing.
We had a fair start in winds that were lighter than promised and then lost our way in Humbug blanketed by the fleet. When we did escape the doldrums we were well at the back of the fleet on a tight beat to Cockatoo Island. A couple of massive headers sent us towards the middle of the island and and a massive lift came just as we had to tack away from the island shore line. A little earlier of a little later would have been ok but it was our special knock for the night.
We made excellent progress up the middle of the course and came quite close to the leaders, Agrovation and Worlds Apart between Balls Head and Long Nose. We tacked away on a header while Worlds Apart kept going and got the better part of the lift. Agrovation was further up at Balls Head getting a massive lift on port while we were heading at least 30 degrees lower. When we tacked at the dolphins our luck returned and we had the better part of the starboard work all the way to the Goat Island navigation mark. The good bit was passing Worlds Apart along the Goat Island shore and then to go off chasing Agrovation.
The run back to Humbug was square and very light in Snails Bay. The fleet was coming up with wind from behind and it was difficult to find a clear lane. We struggled over square but near Long Nose the wind swung in our favour and we regained our second place with Worlds Apart trying to take our wind.
Into Humbug we were held high by the leeward yachts while Worlds Apart, French Connection and Farrst Company had better breeze and a sling shot from the tide along the Onions Point shore. It was amazing to see the speed of the yachts close in to the shore compared to our speed less than 20 metres out. It was all we could do to limp towards the finish line with the wind dead behind in all the meanings of the word. izzi from behind made sure we had all the dirty air we could get but we just held them out.
So from looking like a second fastest we were relegated to fifth spot which becomes a drop for the series.
The tracks from the evening tell the story.

Shifty conditions on our Wednesday twilight race

A very big thank you to the loyal crew who turn up rain or shine for the twilight races at Greenwich Flying Squadron.
My thanks is directed at the crew of Passion but I am sure the other skippers at the club feel the same way about their crews.
We had 52 starters on Wednesday night despite the rain forecast and actual. The lack of wind was a deterrent to some crews who decided that a dry spot in the warm clubhouse was to be preferred over a wet drift out of Humbug. Others hung on grimly despite the lack of wind and the wet but were defeated not by lack of perseverance but by lack of wind. My congratulations go to those crews who hang on in the hope of finishing before the time limit.
The combination of comfort seekers and wind less crews meant that only 25 yachts finished and at the prize giving afterwards even the last place in some divisions scored a well deserved prize.
For our part in Blue division we made a good start and went wide at the exit to Humbug to be in the lead group working to Goat Island. In the process we caught a fair part of the Black fleet that had started five minutes earlier and the Green fleet that had started ten minutes earlier. As a consequence of going wide we needed to take the lifts to cover Aggrovation and Worlds Apart but were unable to go up due to a Green fleet yacht with no steerage. We were not particularly stellar working to windward as Aggrovation and Worlds Apart pulled away and we found ourselves in the dirty air of a new competitor in a nice quick Elan 37 and with Izzi just to windward of them. Fortunately we negotiated the dead patch around the lee of Goat Island a little better and came out with our nose in front of these two but looking at Aggrovation and Worlds Apart in the distance.
Around Goat Island Farrst Company picked up some following breeze and made gains on the fleet to win on handicap. Luckily for us the fleet went high for the freshening breeze but then had to bear away with nothing behind them.
Entering Humbug we could see Aggrovation and Worlds Apart becalmed on the Woolwich shore so we went a little higher and kept better breeze so much so that by the finish we were close enough to Worlds Apart to beat her on handicap by a few seconds into third place.
A third fastest and third on handicap seemed an unlikely result rounding Goat Island but we are not complaining.

Last Wednesday we managed a third fastest time and another sixth place on handicap but it was a surprise result considering where we were going around Goat Island.
We made a couple of mistakes. One of my crew suggested we needed a private blog for the crew and another for the competitors because the fleet seemed to have learnt from our prior blog that carting everyone up into the wind shadow in the lee of Greenwich is not fast. This week they all kept to the Onions Point shore and as a result we were blanketed. The real mistake was leaving the back stay on too tight. We need a degree of forestay sag to get the flow forward in the genoa. Indeed as the wind strengthens the sag becomes too much and then we need backstay but on last Wednesday I was concentrating too much on the mainsail shape to the detriment of our genoa shape. Apart from that it was not too bad a race. We made a couple of good calls where we passed izzi and French Connection and one bad one when French Connection went further into Goat Island and out of the tide. They had better wind angle and better speed going to the navigation mark at Goat Island and made a good break. Our luck was in the beat back through Humbug where we were behind French Connection and a big black fleet boat. French Connection called for water and I thought the big black fleet boat had called for water and said you tack. French Connection tacked immediately but the black fleet yacht carried on. We had already moved to go behind them so by the time they tacked we were right on Onions Point and heading right into the breeze. Now normally when the genoa is backed you think about tacking but I was sitting there hoping the tide would carry us around the point. Just as I gave up hope and called for a tack the wind lifted 30 degrees so we hauled the genoa back in and crept around the point ahead of French Connection and the black fleet yacht who had tacked away.
The other action that gave us third on handicap was Gwhizz going for a detour. They had sailed well for the night being as quick and often five degrees closer to the wind than Passion but they followed the Black fleet and by the time they decided that we were going the right way we were back in front of them. Gwhizz has been quick these last two weeks so I am sure they will give us a good run this week.
Full marks to Worlds Apart who gave us a sailing lesson and Aggrovation who kept them honest.

What more could you wish for? We had a pleasant warm Wednesday followed by a nice bit of breeze for the twilight race and then a calm evening for the BBQ back at Greenwich Flying Squadron. To add icing to the cake we had an exciting close fastest time win over our regular rivals, Aggrovation, Worlds Apart and Izzi.

At the start there was the usual disagreement as to how close we were to the start line but that was soon forgotten as we lead the fleet past Onions Point into Humbug. The following breeze in Humbug usually has the leading yacht blanketed by the fleet but to our surprise the fleet pushed up into the lee of the Greenwich shore leaving us clear air for a run down the Woolwich side. As we approached Cockatoo the breeze kept freeing so we could keep the genoa out almost to the corner so we had a handy 50 metres lead. We held our lead on the work back along the north side of Cockatoo and just cleared the piles on the ferry wharf by something less than a metre and in the process extended the lead to 100 metres. From this point the fleet started to peg us back.
In the lee of Balls Head the wind was particularly quiet and shifty. We could see the green division Tana in the doldrums ahead so we went wide but still came to a brief stop while the fleet behind closed the gap. Once through the wind shadow we skirted Goat Island giving the leeward side a wide berth. Now the whole fleet was closing with fresh wind from behind and they were fanned out across the course threatening from above and below. We did manage to sneak through with a small lead intact but now we had the reach home and the passage back through Humbug to contend with. From out of the pack Aggrovation came menacing us from above and Worlds Apart was menacing from below with Izzi surging on the gusts.
How close should we go to the shore between the Greenwich Point and the entry to Humbug? If we went too low Aggrovation would climb above us and if we went too high Worlds Apart would scoot around in the fresher air to Leeward. We managed to find a line that kept them both behind and were now hard on the wind heading to the Woolwich shore. We had just enough lead and were just high enough to be able to tack to port and then tack back under Aggrovation as they headed back to Onions Point. We could not clear the point and I had to tack away letting Aggrovation have clear air to attempt what I was not game to do. As it turned out they slowed trying to shoot the moored yacht off Onions Point and our two tacks were fast enough for us to hold on for an overlapped finish with our bow in front. Just behind Worlds Apart and Izzi finished fast while Gwhizz was just a minute behind and did well for a second on handicap.
The rare win on fastest times gives us a slight lead on the season fastest times series while French Connection seems to have the handicap result well in sight with just half of our points.
The observant ground support staff noted that Passion is sitting higher out of the water these days. We did take 200 kg of lead out after last season and some 100 kg of surplus equipment including a spare anchor and chain from the aft locker. Also the sails are all stacked on the bow instead of the main cabin so that gives her a distinct bow down attitude. On the night we were one light weight crew down so we were floating higher than ever. Well spotted Helen and Sue.

Tonight was one of the more tricky twilight races with some pretty big holes in the breeze and some large changes of direction.
We were early on the start line and had to slow down to stay behind the line while Worlds Apart came in below at great speed, tacked onto Port right in front of us and cleared our bow with ease. We tacked in their wake and followed them into Humbug. Aggrovation was first into Humbug and sailed low along the Woolwich shore. We got a squirt from behind and went above the fleet only to run into our own dead patch just as the fleet below picked up the new breeze around Greenwich Point.
On the reach to Cockatoo Island no one could match the speed of Aggrovation and we were sailing along in Worlds Apart’s wake. Along the Cockatoo shore we got our one lucky break of the evening with another private gust from behind in close to the island. A few yards to leeward Worlds Apart was in dead calm with Tartan and Izzi while ahead Aggrovation had her own good breeze. Tartan emerged first from the group and tried to sneak inside us at the west end of Cockatoo Island but we kept them out and went off after Aggrovation.
On the work to Goat Island we stayed in phase with the breeze and were not troubled by the following fleet but Aggrovation built up an even bigger lead.
Worlds Apart and Izzi followed us out of the lee of Goat Island and we had a very nervous run back to Humbug. Our line back to Humbug was a little oversquare with the breeze so we gybed the boom leaving the genoa poled out to starboard and sailed a slightly higher angle for a while then gybed back with the genoa still poled out but this time to windward. This allowed us to sail a slightly higher line into Humbug and enabled us to just hold out Worlds Apart.
Into Humbug we sailed square to the Woolwich shore then dropped the pole off the genoa and hardened up along the shore. It was pretty crowded at Onion Point with Black and Green fleet yachts converging but somehow we managed to keep Worlds Apart just behind us at the finish.

The third second place on fastest time has us in the lead on fastest times but perhaps we have used up all our luck for the season in the first three races.

For a light air night we had quite an interesting sail around the western islands. At the start we positioned ourselves at the club end of the line but in the light conditions had trouble tacking to the line at the start signal. That meant we had to take the stern of Takana and then the stern of Saoirse. All was not lost though as the yachts that carried on on starboard right up to the club found the same light air that had prevented us tacking quickly. And so it was that Aggrovation and Takana lead us out of Humbug by a small margin. Worlds Apart did not want to be left behind and made good time through Humbug to make it a foursome. There was plenty of shifts on the tack towards Cockatoo Island and on the work along the Southern shore of Cockatoo and it was Worlds Apart that prevailed. We were not far behind Aggrovation and with the big black genoa poled out felt we would catch up quickly. The out of the blue Izzi appeared and carried fresh air right down on top of the two of us.
From Spectacle Island to Clarkes Point there was nothing to separate Izzi, Aggrovation and Passion. Just ahead Worlds Apart was maintaining a handy lead she had taken at Schnapper Island.
Now some would call it luck and others cheek but our tacticians noted the breeze was fresher on the south side of the course and there was a large wind shadow in the lee of Onions Point so I was directed to take the long way along the Greenwich shore. As luck would have it the wind followed the shape of the shore and we were able to carry the genoa poled out for much longer than we had expected.
When we had to drop the genoa to starboard it was a big shift so we were now beam reaching to the finish.
In that cheeky finish we passed Izzi and Aggrovation to score a second fastest behind Worlds Apart.
Meanwhile back in the fleet the breeze had sprung up and the huge margin we had over the fleet disappeared and none of the early finishers featured in the handicap honours.