We have a new spectator sport at the club – container racing. A loud rumble was heard from the start box (a new starting gun?) as three containers were blown off the port area directly opposite the club.
Two containers took the lead and started drifting across towards the Clyde Quay boat harbour, while one container sat precariously on the waters edge (a bit late for the start, or maybe it was a mark foy race?) They were about an hour late for the start of the 2015 Fully Crewed Central Triangle race (not sure that they had Cat 2 or a PHRF handicap) but their own race to Clyde Quay was on.
The Police Launch Lady Liz IV (the handicapper) did a valiant job getting a line onto one of the containers, but one managed to get away and made it to the finish line at the corner of Clyde Quay wharf and boat harbour breakwater. With quite an audience from the wharf and neighbouring apartment dwellers, a new spectator sport was born.
Meanwhile the third container finally started the race, slipped into the water and made it’s way rapidly across the inner harbour to join the line honours winner in the corner. Once a tug came to the rescue, two containers were successfully towed back to the port area, but the last one made a last gast attempt to escape further (did another lap of the course maybe). It got wedged between the rocks and the old tugboat, just on the other side of the breakwater from Wiseguy. The pilot boat then joined the race, and managed to free the third competitor (I mean container.)
So when it’s too windy to go rum racing come on down to the club and wait for the next in the series of Container Racing.
