It is unusual for me to be happy with a ninth place out of thirteen but in the circumstances of today I am genuinely pleased that we finished that far up the fleet on handicap. Despite the breeze dying on us on the run home after the front runners were over the finish line we were only two minute out of second place. We started down the line on time but found the fleet lifting inside us on a very large and long progressive shift. Not wanting to tack away from the lift we found ourselves locked on the north side of the harbour waiting for a solid shift back. We were out in the outgoing tide and in clear air so the tacking angles look fine but not good enough. We came back from the shore on a small knock but were forced back to starboard on the long board out by a couple of starboard tackers including Rainbow. When Rainbow tacked away she took the long board all the way to the south shore and when she tacked back onto starboard looked a mile in front. By comparison our port tack into the top mark was much shorter than her long dig across the harbour so we came out not far behind. To our surprise we crossed the eventual winner Larrikin on the leg into the top mark and it was only her superb running speed that got her back to the front. Also behind was Izzi who together with Larrikin had looked to be a long way in front half way up the beat.

A big progressive shift off the start line was a setback and there were few opportunities to cover the fleet.

The sun sets on a great day on the water

On the run back to Steel Point the rhumb line out in a bit of tide had better wind strength so we overtook Rainbow and Agrovation. Rainbow chanced the inside run around Steel Point and managed to nose into the breeze well in front of Agrovation and us who were becalmed out wide from the point. On the run home from Rose Bay to the shortened course finish line we never caught Rainbow but did manage to finish within shouting distance of Agrovation in front and Izzi behind and well in front of Crackerjack and Viva. The conditions were perfect for a day on the water. We tweaked everything we could from moving genoa sheeting positions forward to loosening the cap shrouds to power up the main and while it was not enough to win the race it was enough for a great day.

With conflicting forecasts today I chose the big black carbon genoa only to find the wind picked up to over twenty knots for the start. It was too late to change down and perhaps it was just a front that would blow through so we took off on the reach to the top mark fully powered up.

The extra power kept us closer to the top of the fleet and in front of Enigma and Larrikin. Allegro was surprisingly close ahead and separated from us by only L’eau Co. It was a tight single leg back to Steel Point and the reef we put in just before the top mark helped us keep Passion under control. Running into Rose Bay the breeze lightened off but we left the reef in ready for the work to windward. With the benefit of a shift to the right we all but made the turning mark on a single board but some dirty air and a small shift back meant we needed a short work off the shore. We tacked back below the line of the big Margaret Rintoul V from division 1s which was steaming into the mark on starboard and had to contend with her dirty air for a short time. Along the work we had passed L’eau Co and overtaken the Division 2 Gwhizz  and Silky. The latter two started five minutes behind us but turned at the shorter top mark and had been ahead on the reach into Rose Bay. Now that we were on the broad reach to the top of Shark Island it would have been nice to shake out the reef but again caution prevailed as there were still some strong gusts on the course.  On the reach back to the bottom of the Island Gwhizz made up some good ground on us and carried a strong gust almost to our stern but once back onto the wind we pulled away again.

From the bottom of Shark Island we again benefited from a left shift which was against the predicted shift to the west so I was keen to hang on as long as possible. We did tack to port once we cleared the Division 3 yacht that wanted to tack around the turning mark for the trip around Shark Island. From here we took a long board out to the lay line to the finish. I was nervous out this far in anticipation of the shift back to the west and kept a bit of mark room in the bank. As we approached the finish the wind did progressively move west and we just cleared the finish line on a tight work.

In the end Izzi beat us across the line by a couple of minutes. It must have been Izzi that I mistook for Rainbow who did not show up for the race. Crackerjack was just over a minute in front and Allegro only three and a half minutes in front.

Fidelis won the handicap race from Viva and Amante. There are no surprises here. Fidelis loves the reaching conditions and Viva fronts up week after week waiting for a blow to show how fast she is so I am very pleased with our fourth place and the performance to windward of Passion under the conditions. At times I saw windward speeds of seven knots which is well above anything we have seen of recent times. The carbon fiber genoa and the reefed main seemed to be the perfect combination for balance and speed in the conditions and we were helped by an incoming tide.

All of the days tacks on one short section of the course

The result from Wednesday’s RANSA race was a surprising and disappointing thirteenth out of seventeen finishers. Until the results came through I was confident we had finished in the top half. The day had been very pleasant if chilled off by the seventeen knot westerly and we had already enjoyed spotting the dolphins in the harbour. Post race in bright sunshine we saw a seal resting in the water off Long Nose point with one flipper in the air catching the breeze.
It is tough doing a post mortem on a race where nothing went wrong and yet we placed at the back of the fleet. We selected the No 2 genoa which seemed like the right choice given the wind conditions and as the breeze lightened off at the end of the race we were catching L’eau Co with a smaller No 3 and Solange with a reef in their main. Also we were making time on Gwhizz which is a good benchmark for us. What I now appreciate is that the yachts with larger genoas and full mainsails also pulled away from us in the lighter conditions and a small loss of time meant a lot of places.
In the fresh conditions the fleet were well bunched at the top mark so while we were at the tail end we seemed to be ahead of our handicap. Allegro and Trim were just in front and unusually close to the back of the fleet. Allegro never recovered time but Trim shook our the reef and just pipped us on handicap. The big blue Viva was enjoying the fresher conditions and even she was over canvassed rounding up multiple times on the work back to Steel Point. Izzi with full rig finished a full five minutes ahead of us and managed a very good third on handicap.
In conclusion we gave away a little on the strong downwind leg by setting the smaller No 2 genoa but lost out more on the upwind leg in the lighter conditions.
What genoa will we set when next confronted by these thirteen to eighteen knot conditions?

Despite the forecast for no wind a light south easterly breeze sprang up as we passed a pod of dolphins on our way to the starting area. The dolphins were enjoying the sunny Sydney day and bow riding the passing ferries and breaking off to jump out of the water.
We set the black carbon genoa with the backstay very slack to induce a bit more luff round hoping to go quicker in the light reaching conditions and it seemed to work.
At the start we had observed the first fleet get off the line cleanly and thought that our fleet would behave but it was not to be. Living edged luffed Izzi in front of us right up to the start boat leaving us two second short of being able to bear away for the line on the gun. The go round was expensive as we were last off the line alongside Rainbow for a long loose work to the top mark just inside the Sow and Pigs. The work back to Rose Bay via Steel Point was tighter and here we picked up the back half of the fleet in the shifty conditions around the point. Into Rose Bay we crossed tack with Rainbow a few times until going our different ways to the far corners of the Bay and coming out almost on par. Crackerjack suffered in light air on the wrong side of the bay and fell well behind.
On the broad reach to the finish line we did better closer into shore than the fleet and made up ground passing Izzi and almost catching Rainbow.
The handicap result was a fifth place with a casual in the mix so we will score four points for the day. This is an excellent result considering the time given away at the start.

Tracks from a windy West Harbour Winter Series

Four of Passion’s crew for today alighted from a flight from the USA on Saturday morning and enjoyed a windy sunny Sunday back on Sydney waters.
Just as the West Harbour Winter series started at 1:00 pm the breeze gusted to 30 knots and held around the 20 knot mark for most of the day. Off the start line we reefed the mainsail without losing much ground to our over canvassed competitors. Some of the competitors called it a day early in the afternoon so we found ourselves with just a few competitors for company. On the odd occasion we were in the lee of a hill or island the breeze did fade away but not for long. The windy conditions and short runs kept most of the spinnakers in the bag for the day and we managed 8 knots on the reach under No 2 genoa and reefed main.
Conditions were a bit too windy to take advantage of the frequent wind shifts so for most of the fleet it was a matter of sailing as best as possible and waiting for the handicap results to see how they fared.

Finally the handicap results have been posted and we scored eighth out of sixteen starters. The good news is that we are now equal first of the GFS yachts with Lisdillon the new Reichel Pugh 36 and will need to beat her in the last race for an outright win.

Passion scored a handy second on handicap behind a very slippery Izzi today.

The forecast for a north westerly breeze direction was accurate but not the strength. Instead of the ten plus knots we were greeted with drifting conditions off the start line for a tight reach to the south head. We stayed on the windward side of the fleet and were rewarded with stronger and more consistent breeze than L’eau Co and Aggrovation who were not far to leeward. L’eau Co was well in front of us when they stopped in their own calm patch and it was this patch that Aggrovation sailed into. We had Larrikin creeping up behind us and were keeping high both for the wind and for clear air. Rainbow half way between us and L’eau Co missed the calm and was able to work out just ahead of us a the turn.

Panorama photo of the spectacular double rainbow over Sydeny taken on my HTC M8 from the mooring in Woolwich

The track back was much tighter than expected as the wind was shifting left. In the distance we could see the late starting fleet with genoas poled out so we went as high as possible to have room for the approaching header. In this position we were also keeping Larrikin at bay and did so until we had to free up for Steel Point. Larrikin did go over the top and managed to pass Rainbow and keep in front for the shortened course finish in Rose Bay. Rainbow hung on to beat us over the line and only L’eau Co and Aggrovation were behind but our handicap moves us up to second place.

The breeze freshened as we rounded the finish buoy and we had the best work of the day up the harbour to find a sheltered place to drop the main and genoa.

At the mooring the setting sun peeked out below the cloud cover and produced a spectacular double rainbow and bathe the city in golden light. A picture perfect way to end the day.

Dave at the helm and Cockatoo Ferry behind

The West Harbour Race 3 was started in a 3 knot breeze which quickly decreased to nothing.

After an hour of sailing (drifting idle like Coleridge’s painted ship upon a painted ocean) Passion had covered just under one kilometre and the race officials took pity on everyone and abandoned the race.

We had a very nice day on the harbour and provided some entertainment for the ferry passengers at Cockatoo Island. The drifting fleet also presented some challenges for the ferry masters to navigate at the Muster Station Wharf on the Island. All good

Winner on the day Aggrovation

We went back to the black genoa today as the breeze was forecast to be fifteen to twenty. For the first time we poled it out on the long pole and ran downwind very successfully to be just next to Larrikin and Allegro at the turning mark.
It had been a strange day and it was about to get stranger. On the downwind leg we had done very well in the middle of the course and we were battling it out with Britannia and Larrikin for second place behind the flying tiger. Inshore the fleet was becalmed and L Eau Co who had gone further to leeward was a distant last. Then it all changed. The freshening breeze from the south carried almost all the windward fleet past us while behind L Eau Co picked up a big westerly shift and was flying down on us with their genoa poled out.

Eventually L Eau Co’s breeze came down to us and we regained some respectability against the more southerly positioned yachts who had to gybe back to the mark. At this point Larrikin had the inside overlap and managed to come in on port to claim their mark room. On rounding we tacked away before Rainbow could point up to our line and got first use of a lift and on tacking back had made up ground on the fleet.
Two tacks later we heard a crunch under the hull and I felt Passion slow markedly. The helm became heavy and I feared we had a problem with the rudder.
Immediately the fleet started to draw away and now I suspected we had picked up some fishing traps. Kevin looked over the stern and thought he saw a black line. so we started tacking more to see if we could dislodge the object than to take advantage of any wind shifts.

A kilometer up the course we were still in trouble and I suggested to the crew that we might not be able to finish the race. One more tack and I saw a log appearing behind the transom but still stuck to the rudder. I climbed onto the boarding platform and reached down to wriggle the log around and as it came away we could see why we had been slow.
Our consensus estimate is that the log was 1.5 metres long. It was definitely forked at one end with each branch around 75 mm diameter and along the length were multiple branches with an outside diameter of around 300 mm.
I don’t know if it was the fork of the log or one of the many smaller branches that was stuck on the rudder but whatever it was it stayed with us through that kilometer of windward work and multiple tacks.
The really disappointing aspect of this encounter was that it occurred during the freshest part or the day and by the time we cleared it the wind had lightened and we were sitting to leeward tacking for Steel Point surrounded by the big yachts from the Division 1s.

The surprising result from the day is that we did not finish last. Rainbow managed to find some holes up in Rose Bay and had to tack for the Point Piper rounding mark in next to no breeze while we shot the mark without the extra tack. On the final run to the shortened course finish line we had breeze from behind that made our finish a little more respectable.

Another surprise of the day was the second place to L Eau Co who had been stone motherless last out the back on the first run but recovered with the fresh westerly breeze on the run and picked up another westerly shift on the work back. Aggrovation sailed well without any of our dramas to score a well earned first on handicap.

Wednesday was another light day with just enough breeze for a full length course in chilly conditions.

Again we sailed well downwind with our big genoa poled out but with more breeze around than last week we were mid fleet at the turning mark for the long beat home.

The breeze was forecast to swing left so I wanted to be on the shore side of the course on the beat back. As luck would have L Eau Co and Mercedes IV went right and got more breeze and a big right hander to bring them out well ahead of us.

We had a duel with Rainbow and Agrovation to get to the finish line first. We had Rainbow pinned below us on port going to the finish line but he pulled away enough to attempt a tack onto Starboard and I was unsure if he would clear us so I took the precaution of tacking below him but in the process could not make the finish line on Starboard. The line was so biased to the boat there was only room for a single yacht on starboard to pass the line so we had to wait for Agrovation to come steaming in behind Rainbow before we could tack to port for the cross. The maneuver cost us a minute and a half and one place on handicap but it was worth a lot more in the pride stakes.

With hindsight I should have headed away while on port giving Rainbow no room to tack to the finish line and that is what will happen next time. The alternative of playing chicken and having a collision with them mid tack is not worth the angst.

I am a fan of the West Harbour Winter series conducted in the area between Goat Island to the east and Schnapper and Spectacle Islands to the west. This is our second season and with every race the crew is more comfortable with launching and retrieving our big red white and blue spinnaker and in gybing it downwind.

Today was a typical event conducted in a light westerly breeze well below the forecast fifteen knots. Both our yacht instruments and the weather bureau seem to agree it was about seven knots at the good times.

We started near the boat and gave way to yachts that by rights we should have forced into the committee boat. For our efforts one crossed early and was disqualified for not returning but we had to eat the dirty air up the first work. The breeze swung to the right favouring the more northerly positioned yachts and that was not us so we had to tack away from the lifts on two occasions which do not look pretty on the chart plot of our course. As the day went on the breeze swung more to the north so the second work along the Hunters Hill shore was a single beat compared to the zig zag tracks of the first work.

Our tracks around the second heat of the West Harbour Winter series

The fun bits were flying the spinnaker around Schnapper Island and then carrying it tight along the Balmain shore.

Our twilight competitors Saorise and French Connections were left well behind on the first work and I assume they did not have spinnakers flying by the look of the elapsed times. A few light weight flyers from the blue division caught us and Gwhizz took a minute out of our time in conditions that suited them. The J 70 caught us on the downwind legs but we managed to stay with them from Goat Island all the way back to the finish line.

The last run to the shortened course finish line was very square and our big symmetric spinnaker worked better than the asymmetric on the J 70 as the conditions were too light for her to get up and plane.

Our sixth place on handicap was pleasing as was our elapsed time compared to our regular competition.

Today was spent planing back the ply doubler on the backbone to reestablish the “V” shape on the bottom.
Even with the aid of the Makita power planer it was still a lengthy job and much hand planing was needed for the final adjustment.

Power and hand planers make a lot of wood chips reestablishing the “V” on the bottom of our Didi 40 CR

I managed to finish from the keel to the transom including belt sanding the doubler to make sure it was flush with the ply bottom. Tomorrow weather permitting I will try to finish section from the keel to the stem.

The completed stern section of the backbone “V” of our Didi 40 Cr ready for final torture boarding

Dave in concentration mode on the day

In drifting conditions we scored first on handicap today. The conditions were ideal for Passion as we were able to pole out the big genoa to leeward at first and then to windward later on the downwind leg and the windward work was a short one to the shortened course finish line.

We started well at the boat end in less tide than the windward yachts and maintained our position near the front of the fleet for the downwind leg. Several times our competitors crossed us looking for breeze on one side of the course or the other while we kept a more conservative track. I moved the sailing angle around with the breeze quite aggressively to keep the air flowing over the genoa and that seemed to pay off rather more that chasing the breeze on the sides of the course. Amanti, Allegro and Larrikin all crossed within metres of us but suffered by going in too close the south head shore.

Fidelis managed to get out in front criss crossing the rhumb line while Britannia managed to pass us with a similar pole out to leeward and windward strategy. When I say pass us they just had the clear ahead position at the turning mark as we had to swing wide to avoid them. That allowed Allegro to round tighter and sail over the top of us on the windward return to a very shortened course. Kevin spotted a lift ahead so we tacked for the breeze and managed to cover most of the fleet. The extra width to windward allowed us to keep Passion moving to the finish line just ahead of Agrovation. In the short work to the finish line Allegro gained a minute and twenty seconds on us which shows how well she travels to windward.
For the first time ever we beat Amanti, a Sydney 36 cr over the line so we knew we would have a good handicap result. Agrovation managed a good second on handicap so it was a good day for the Jeanneaus.

As I took a break from boat building to contest the RANSA Winter Wednesday race the weather turned sunny and warm with just enough breeze to compete a shortened course finishing at the Point Piper mark.

We debated about which end of the line to start at. The easterly breeze could be seen filling in across the course from the north and from the east. The compromise position was that we would start at the boat end and use the better angle to get across to the north as quickly as possible. At the gun the breeze hit the boat end of the line and as it was a header we went with it as it was freshening ahead. The first tack back gave us a good position near the head of the fleet and from there we played the breeze as best we could. We wanted to stay in the tide and that did pay off when the breeze lightened but in the gusts the shore off Watsons Bay had better angles.

Agrovation played the shifts well and jumped out a minute or so on us while we were in close company of the three Northshore 38s Izzi, Rainbow and L Eau Co.

On the reach back we poled the genoa out to leeward and the wider slot worked well as we made up ground on Mercedes IV and Agrovation. By Steel Point we were neck and neck with Rainbow and L Eau and Co and just managed to hold them out for an inside position at the Rose Bay rounding mark.

About now what breeze we had dissipated. There was about two knots from behind to keep us moving and as we went high to protect our position we found a little more pressure which enabled us to leave Rainbow and L Eau Co behind. Agrovation went further north for the breeze but the extra distance they travelled brought them back to our position.

In the dying breeze the slower yachts on the day were punished with even longer times to cross the finish line so we did well to take a couple of places on handicap and finish sixth.
Our light No 1 genoa with the big overlap is well suited to the light airs and square running with the genoa poled out on our long pole so it was the right rig for the day.

Our small loyal crew of four enjoyed a quiet but entertaining afternoon chasing wisps of wind around the west harbour. The breeze was true to forecast at around three to seven knots with some very big shifts to reward those who went the right way. In our case the right was was to keep Passion moving and we succeeded on several occasions by going lower and faster to the new breeze. The highlight of the day was setting the big red white and blue spinnaker for the legs back from Goat Island to the shortened course finish at Cockatoo Island and in the process holding our the Adams 10 Boxer.
Early in the race we were hindered at the start but once away we started to catch the rear of the yellow fleet and were well amongst it after the run down the south side of Cockatoo Island. The downside from the hampered start was the leaders of the blue fleet catching us and giving us more than our fair share of wind shadow on the square run behind Schnpper and Spectacle Islands but to our delight we managed to round just in front of most of them and promptly worked away with some good lines up the north side of Cockatoo Island on the long work to Goat Island.
On the return from Goat Island to Cockatoo mark we were happy for an early finish as the wind died completely thirty minutes later. In our division we finished across the line ahead of five yachts and were rewarded with an eighth place on handicap out of the fifteen starters.

With the winds forecast to be around 20 knots we set a conservative rig of the No 3 genoa and a full main for the RANSA Winter Wednesday race. The course suited Passion better than last week as we were able to pole out the genoa and follow the wind around the course. The breeze for the downwind leg had a lot of holes and we rarely saw the forecast 20 knots. We rounded the turn mark behind Viva and L Eau Co and were promptly rewarded with a large lift that made us look good as we lifted above these two. When the wind headed we were forced back into L Eau Co’s dirty air as they were determined to pinch out from under us. We tacked away to take advantage of the knock and that is the last I remember of L Eau Co on the course. Izzi was a little ahead and the Jeanneau SO409 Solange was just behind so we had plenty of company to race up the course. The shifts to windward were so great that we were forced to tack on the knocks and the smaller headsail helped to get the tacks done in an orderly fashion. Around Steel Point we were unlucky to get a knock that required us to tack away from the rocks while those a few metres ahead had already cleared the rocks and could take advantage of the slightly more free work into Rose Bay. We got a little of this back in the approach to Point Piper where we kept some room in reserve and just cleared the mark while Izzi and Larrikin had to tack back for the rounding. Around the island Larrikin cleared out but we kept in touch with Izzi and just ahead of Solange. The last beat to the finish was in two parts. The first was a quiet before the storm when the breeze dropped to seven knots and we struggled to keep Passion moving with the No 3 genoa. This is probably where Larrikin gained time on us and certainly when Solange with a larger genoa moved up alongside and to windward. As the breeze freshened it lifted giving Solange a free kick. We in turn lifted inside Izzi and as the lift progressed we made up some of the ground lost in the light airs. Now the breeze honked in at 30 knots accompanied by icy cold rain. Ron had the mainsail dumped and flogging in the slipstream of the air from the genoa. I had the backstay on hard to flatten the main as much as possible and we enjoyed the ride to the finish line.

Shifty conditions for the Wednesday race

Big temperature drop with the icy rain squall

In the finish we had Rainbow, L Eau Co and Enigma well behind and were within seconds of Solange and just a little behind Izzi so we were happy with the result. On Handicap we scored 7th out of the 14 starters which is a big improvement on last weeks second last. We benefited from a clean bottom but the divers said it was in good condition and there was nothing to explain last weeks performance. I will stick to my proposition from last week that Passion does not like the broad reaches where we cannot set the pole.