Lake Bonney Yacht Club Sailors were competing for Club Championship points on Saturday. After a solid week of strong winds, skippers were met with 2 to 7 knot variable easterly breeze.
Race 1 got away with very shifting wind which split the fleet a bit with 4 boats getting clear. Tight racing continued in the top 4 boats with the shifty breeze making for many lead changes. Results for race 1 were the light air flyer Aero dinghy "Just" Stephen Thomas 1st, ILCA7 "Blade" Chris Stevens 2nd and Contender "Pushing limits" 3rd.
Race 2 was interesting with a few boats "On course side" at the start. 2 of the 3 offenders returned to start line to exonerate the starting penalty. The 3rd offender "Blade" continued to race gambling on being ok. Unfortunately, this cost valuable points to the boat’s score. The race was very tightly contested with some great passing moves made on the windward mark within the lead group. The breeze became very light and patchy on the last couple legs of the course with a close finish.
Race 2 result was 1st "Just “, with Contender "Bandit" Beau Delaine 2nd and "Pushing Limits" 3rd.
Congratulations Steve with being across the line in both races.
A fantastic afternoon of shifty, patchy light air sailing was had by all with many a story being discussed in the clubrooms after.
Next weekend is Handicap races 3+4.
Hope to see all members, competitors, followers and visitors there.
Come join us and enjoy our fantastic sport and facility. New members welcome.
i hope no one farted...whhwwooooo
The Trevor Stevens Perpetual Trophy has been run and won in very skill testing high wind strength. Race officer Chris Stevens set a long course to North Lake attempting to capture all angles of sailing with an average 20 knot west nor west wind. A couple of boats capsized on the first short leg close to club but then all settled into the testing conditions. The beam reaching and square running of the first 3 of legs getting to the eastern shore was fairly uneventful except for some very fast fun.
The turn mark opposite Camp Kedron (the furthest leeward shore) had huge 1 to 1-5 metre waves for all to deal with. "Bandit" revelled in the big waves and high wind of the windward leg gaining a massive lead with the rest of fleet a bit stretched out by now and sailing well to the turn mark (gauging pylon off Flewellyn beach at North Lake). By this time Bandit was half way back to the town side of Lake Bonney, sailing straight down the middle of lake. Everyone had a hell ride sailing a reasonably easy broad reach at high speed back down to the turn mark off Bluebird cafe. With 3 boats already finished, the wind swung west south westerly and piped in at 25- 30 knots creating a bit of difficulty for the remaining boats on course. Multiple capsizes and fatigue had these boats retire as DNF.
When all the gear was back on their jinkers and in the boatshed some great story telling of events and disasters was had over a couple of bevvies in the clubhouse.
Results for the race were
1st Contender "Bandit", Beau Delaine, by 11 minutes from ILCA7 "Blade", Chris Stevens 2nd and Contender "Pushing Limits", Geoff Ling 3rd.
Commendations to Steve Thomas and Joel Edson for battling the course and enduring the last squally wind conditions of > 25 knots.
Thanks to race management staff for a great day on the water in big conditions.
Thanks to Grant Schwartzkopff for capturing the day in photos.