Saucy Sausage returned to the Giesen Wines New Year Regatta at Waikawa Boating Club to try and better than their 2nd in Div Two from last year. Two days of Marlborough Sounds Racing promised to be interesting especially in a div two fleet that included three quarter-tonners, a Young 88, a Farr 1020 and a number of cruising boats.
Day One
Barely enough wind for the first race, pin end start, bad tactical call by the skipper, big hole, watch the fleet stretch away, massive wind shift, are we back in it…maybe not!
Race two, 10kts gusting 20kts, better start, stay away from the big boats, pick the shift, we’re ahead of the other quarter-tonners, concentrate on speed, good mark roundings, great kite run with the big gear, third on line, don’t know how that will stack up on handicap.
Wind filling in for the third race, harbour course, twice round Allports and then in towards Waikawa, good upwind, how close is too close to the island, wide for the wind, tight for the distance, positioned well for the final downwind to the finish, horrible shifts in the bay, hot run to hot run, broach over the finish line and breathe…
In the lead on handicap at the end of day one, equal on points with another quarter-tonner (Freaky – Farr 727), not much in it for the fleet with a drop on 5 races.
Day Two
All to race for, how’s the hangover, more wind, pull in the reef, life jackets on, and we’re off again. Covered by a big boat at the start, find the gap, tack away, where’s the top mark, how many legs are there on this trapezoid course, follow the big boat, round the mark kite up, gybing, hot run then back to the top, it’s getting gusty, reach, run, can’t hold the kite in the reach to the finish, hard work in the chop.
Last race, no idea how we are doing on handicap, more wind, change to the #3 jib, late to the start, suits us as we tack away into clear air, we’ve got the lift, dodge the ferry and round the top mark, was that a 35kt gust, small kite goes up, ride the quarter wave of a big boat, there’s another gust and we’re taking off, 10kts…11kts…12kts, keep the boat under the kite, late drop, perfect rounding, back up and down again, issue on the kite hoist, need to jibe anyway, reach hard to the finish and duck across the line.
A 5th and a 2nd on day two (with a drop) was enough for 2nd on Handicap Div 2, same as the year before. Suppose that means we need to go back and try again next year! Fun times.
Photo credits to Karmyn Ingram and an unknown member of the Sequin Crew. Full results here.