Forty knot freezing cold southerly and swells forecast for Cook Strait, owners and crews trembling, can the Latitude Race, and send the fleet of five boats on a brilliant 25nm Round the Harbour race. Well done Pedro, Mr Race Officer!
Terrible starts by all with most 20 sec behind the line (remember that number). Korokoro bound.Ā Blinkup first with their kite ā oops, no tack line ā flag #1.
Great downhill run withĀ BlinkĀ andĀ RevsĀ perfectly positioned on the fingers of the gusts;Ā WedgetailĀ playing tortoise imperfectly positioned between each gust.Ā Ahhhhh!
Broach #1, broach #2 āĀ BlinkĀ trying hard to win the prize for the biggest cockup!!
Div A boats close around Korokoro. Next up ā navigators nightmare! Which of those marks near Seaview is the right one ā orange, yellow? Wrong one, all gybe, back to Jesse Street!Ā VendettaĀ andĀ WiseguyĀ catch up a little!
Great beat over to Mahina Bay, slalom around the west of Ward Island, Hokey Pokey Slablets onĀ Wedgetail, and up to #1 Leading Light. Great conditions!Ā BlinkĀ andĀ WedgetailĀ pulling away from Revs;Ā WedgetailĀ slowly running downĀ Blink.
Two-sail reach across to Worser Bay, quick gybe and 17kn sleigh ride down to Soames.
VendettaĀ still hanging on,Ā WiseguyĀ is still coming, andĀ KairahiĀ takes the lead forcingĀ BlinkĀ to gybe ā broach #3, broach #4.Ā Broach #5 ā no, notĀ BlinkĀ –Ā Wedgetail. Mutiny ā Meric kicks Bex off the handlebars!!Ā RevsĀ rounds Worser Bay ā chicken sh.t kite!
Soames āĀ BlinkĀ goes for the Rum. Plays fly-in-a-bottle. Broach #7, gybe, tack, east, west?????WedgetailĀ slips through!
Long beat to Shoal pile.Ā WedgetailĀ slaps relentless cover onĀ Blink, Hokey Pokey Slablets passed around again. Closing on Halswill,Ā WiseguyĀ around #1 LL.
Wedgetail pulls away from Blink, rounds Shoal Pile and an EBYMBC RIB to port (an OS moment), and then ā¦ is Blink setting up for a starboard rounding? Wedgetail crew looking back, going slow, loosing time. Yes,Ā BlinkĀ rounds to starboard. Course checked. Photo indicative only; text says port!! Ā Bar discussion coming up!
Flukey around Jerningham,Ā BlinkĀ blows a kite,Ā RevsĀ rounds Shoal Pile to ā¦ no didnāt see which way. Hill in the road.Ā WiseguyĀ around Worser Bay
Great race course Pedro, great raceĀ Blink, all had fun.Ā WedgetailĀ line honours and 1stĀ on PHRF.
And the big winner on Club was ā¦Ā RevsĀ overĀ WedgetailĀ by 16 seconds (Chrisy ā remember that late start, and the slow sailing in Evans Bay). Commiserations to Tony and the crew on Blink ā the Rum prize for biggest or most cockup(s) was a cruel hoax.
Congratulations to Mark and the crew onĀ Revs!!!!!