Coastal Classic

The next event on the sailing calender is the Coastal Classic, this goes from Auckland to Russell and is the biggest race in NZ.

It starts on the 24th of October and is run over labour weekend, After the race the boat has to be sailed home, so its afull on weekend of sailing with a big party when you arrive for those that have the energy.

Our baby is due on the 22nd October so I wont be doing it this year.

Dad is working hard to get the new keel on Mixtmotions for the race.

I am not sure he will be competing.

Simrad 100 on Zgy

Simrad 100 on Zgy

Simrad 100 on Zgy

Race Results, Simrad 50, 19/07/08, MixTmotions came Fourteenth across the line and fourteenth on handicap

SHORTHAUL 50 DIVISION 2 - SPORTBOATS Start Time: 19/07/2008 9:05:00
Boat Name Type Sail No PHRF Finish Time Elapsed Pl PHRF Pl
Cool Change Ross 850 K8359 0.76 19/07/08 15:52:00 0 06:47:00 1 0 05:09:19 2
Mercenary Lambert SR26 k5716 0.73 19/07/08 15:55:04 0 06:50:04 2 0 04:59:21 1
Grunty Chicken E7.9 k8716 0.76 19/07/08 15:56:28 0 06:51:28 3 0 05:12:43 4
Jagged Edge SR26 K6772 0.73 19/07/08 16:11:01 0 07:06:01 4 0 05:11:00 3
Cadiberra Don Jones K9284 0.77 19/07/08 16:13:12 0 07:08:12 5 0 05:29:43 5
E-Nine elliot 9 k394 0.78 19/07/08 16:47:45 0 07:42:45 6 0 06:00:57 12
Moving Violation Elliott 7.9 K8054 0.745 19/07/08 16:52:03 0 07:47:03 7 0 05:47:57 9
* Drop Dead Fred Ross 930M K5005 0.755 19/07/08 16:55:55 0 07:30:55 8 0 05:40:27 7
* Travell'N Man SR26 K5820 0.72 19/07/08 16:56:28 0 07:39:28 9 0 05:30:49 6
Hot Property Elliott 9 K6821 0.75 19/07/08 16:58:53 0 07:53:53 10 0 05:55:25 10
Gaucho SR26 K6086 0.725 19/07/08 17:00:55 0 07:55:55 11 0 05:45:02 8
Lightfoot Ross 930 K4893 0.745 19/07/08 17:02:11 0 07:57:11 12 0 05:55:30 11
Whats News Young 8.4 K8205 0.775 19/07/08 17:05:12 0 08:00:12 13 0 06:12:09 13
Mix T Motions RICHARD EDLIN K8081 0.725 19/07/08 17:58:07 0 08:53:07 14 0 06:26:31 14
Faster Coyote Elliott 770 K8370 0.745 DNF
Mr Kamikaze Elliott 7.9 K5932 0.73 DNF
R N B Young 8.4 k8401 0.775 DNF
Radio Active Eliott 7.9 K6744 0.745 DNF
Elliott 7 Elliott 7 T4047 0.73 DNS
Suburban Reptile R930 class K5145 0.755 DNS
Rattle N Rum SR26 K8039 0.755 DNS
Train Smash SR26 k5595 0.725 DNS
* Redress awarded

Shorthaul 60 Race Results for MixTmotions 3/08/08, MixTmotions was Tenth across the line and Fifth on handicap

SHORTHAUL 60 DIVISION 2 - SPORTBOATS Start Time: 3/08/2008 9:05:00
Boat Name Type Sail No PHRF Finish Time Elapsed Pl PHRF Pl
E-Nine Elliott 9 K394 0.78 03/08/08 16:23:31 0 07:18:31 1 0 05:42:03 2
Hot Property Elliott 9 K6821 0.75 03/08/08 16:35:49 0 07:30:49 2 0 05:38:07 1
Cool Change Ross 850 K8359 0.76 03/08/08 17:02:43 0 07:57:43 3 0 06:03:04 6
Cadiberra Don Jones K9284 0.77 03/08/08 17:04:36 0 07:59:36 4 0 06:09:18 8
R n B Young 8.4 K8401 0.775 03/08/08 17:04:41 0 07:59:41 5 0 06:11:45 10
Jagged Edge SR26 K6772 0.73 03/08/08 17:07:08 0 08:02:08 6 0 05:51:57 3
Grunty Chicken E7.9 K8716 0.76 03/08/08 17:07:20 0 08:02:20 7 0 06:06:34 7
Drop Dead Fred Ross 930M K5005 0.755 03/08/08 17:14:46 0 08:09:46 8 0 06:09:46 9
Train Smash SR26 K5595 0.725 03/08/08 17:21:52 0 08:16:52 9 0 06:00:14 4
Mix T Motions Richard Edlin K8081 0.725 03/08/08 17:25:42 0 08:20:42 10 0 06:03:00 5
Gaucho SR 26 K6086 0.725 03/08/08 18:06:15 0 09:01:15 11 0 06:32:24 11
Faster Coyote Elliott 770 K8370 0.745 DNF
Rattle N Rum SR26 K8039 0.755 DNF
Lightfoot Ross 930 K4893 0.745 DNS
Mercenary Lambert SR26 K5716 0.73 DNS
Moving Violation Elliott 7.9 K8054 0.745 DNS
Radio Active Elliott 7.9 K6744 0.745 DNS
Suburban Reptile R930 class K5145 0.755 DNS
Travell'n Man SR26 K5820 0.72 DNS
Whats News Young 8.4 K8205 0.775 DNS

Results Simrad 100 sailing on ZGY 6/09/08, ZGY was third across the line and seventh on handicap

SMALLBOAT 100 DIVISION 1 Start Time: 6/09/2008 9:25:00
Boat Name Type Sail No HCAP Finish Time Elapsed Pl HCAP Pl
Elliott 7 elliott 7 T4047 0.725 06/09/08 18:56:56 0 09:31:56 1 0 06:54:39 2
Assailant Ross 780 T3233 0.72 06/09/08 19:28:30 0 10:03:30 2 0 07:14:31 6
Zgy Chris White K6835 0.719 06/09/08 19:33:00 0 10:08:00 3 0 07:17:09 7
China Doll Reactor K1574 0.665 06/09/08 20:08:41 0 10:43:41 4 0 07:08:03 4
Crocodile Elliott 770 K6576 0.724 06/09/08 20:10:04 0 10:45:04 5 0 07:47:02 10
Umeme II Reactor K1964 0.654 06/09/08 20:34:02 0 11:09:02 6 0 07:17:33 8
Saint Fintan Reactor K5472 0.636 06/09/08 20:41:33 0 11:16:33 7 0 07:10:17 5
Munetra Raven 26 K1674 0.616 06/09/08 20:42:36 0 11:17:36 8 0 06:57:24 3
Hot Prospect Marauder K4394 0.652 06/09/08 20:47:55 0 11:22:55 9 0 07:25:16 9
Yorick Compass 790 K4159 0.59 06/09/08 20:48:13 0 11:23:13 10 0 06:43:06 1
Energy Elliott 7.4 T4000 0.69 DNS

The sunset as we approach Browns Island, ZGY is in her element, plenty of wind to make her go fast uphill

Crocodile just after we over took them just before Navy Buoy

simrad 100

Approaching Navy Bouy with Assailant and Elliot 7 in front of us

Simrad 100 (our race summed up)

We sailed this race on ZGY

Predictions of light winds didn't come true (thank God) and we started in about 15-18 knots of wind, A spinnaker start and it was straight up with the masthead kite. We started toward the back but quickly began working our way through the fleet, our tactic was to start with the pole on the starboard side and head out into the Rangi channel avoiding the traffic jam and fickle winds around North head, We found ourselves in a good position surrounded by five pied pipers by Rangi light these were behind us. Being on the right hand side of the rhumb line was advantageous because it meant we could move onto it with more speed and increased angle.

We were closely watching crocodile who had chosen a course closer in well to the left but it wasn't until Navy Buoy that we used our advantage coming back onto the rhumb line and pulling ahead of them. There were two boats ahead off us now which we think were Elliot 7 and Assailant.

Around Navy Buoy we dropped the kite a little messily and were hoping for more reaching conditions so we could keep sailing with the big sails, but unfortunately the wind was about 30 degrees and forward of the beam. 

We sailed on with two sails for a while before I suggested trying the fractional gennaker, shortly after mentioning this the wind seemed to majically come around more onto the beam, up went the sail and away we went, alot more speed and alot of weather helm (a bit of a struggle to hang on to really), we weren't quite able to steer our course, but it was decided the increased speed was more important. The wind was quite strong at this stage and the boat was rounding up on the gusts, heading downwind a bit more prevented this, but sent us further afield. We had our sites set on Assailant who were going remarkably fast considering they were two sailing reaching, however we were going a little faster and gaining on them all the time, nearing Waiheke we were hoping the wind would drop a little (in the lee of the island) so we could get back on the rhumb line but it didnt it increased. We considered dropping the sail but then suddenly I was able to lay our course and we scraped inside gannet rock, close enough behind Assailant to almost make out the name on her hull. Then we were really in the lee, the genny came down and there was time to pack both it and the kite away and have some lunch and a drink of water. Assailant was creeping away again enjoying the light conditions, we were going to have to work hard to hang on to our gains on the rest of the fleet until we could get back into some stronger wind. Tacking down the Waiheke Channel seemed to take a while, Assailant made alot more ground on us and were quickly well in the distance, we gave up hope of catching them, and were anxiously watching the boats behind us thankfully still a fair way back.

Finnaly we said good by to the Waiheke island coastline and began beating our way towards Browns Island in a stiff chop and a strong headwind, conditions ZGY loves!, the boats behing us faded into the distance and Assailant appeared to be growing slightly larger (or was it just our imagination). The wind seemed to keep getting stronger and stronger so we put in a reef, still feeling a bit overpowered, we put in another and with two reefs in we were sailing very well and not rounding up. At Browns Island light darkness fell and the wind dropped, we immediately shook out both reefs and headed for bean rock we were sailing as high as we could while still keeping good speed on the boat but still not quite able to lay it, the wind was shifted backwards and forwards so we were constantly altering our course to make the most of any gains that were afforded us, we lost sight of Assailant in the darkness. But looking behind us we could see a speckling of lights from the rest of the pack. As we rounded Bean Rock Assailant tacked in front of us they werent very far ahead of us at all! and may have had difficulty picking out the finish line. Tom and I knew exactly where we we going and tacked in, we had come very close to catching them and must have made a heap of ground up between Browns and Bean Rock, we crossed the finish (sailing close to the committee boat shouting out our boat name) about three minutes behind them (a remarkable catch up).

Overall a great race.

We await the results.

Simrad 60 (our race summed up)

Racing in the second simrad 60 was again delayed, this time for 24hrs

(another Gale warning), eventually we got underway on the Sunday.

when we went to put up the mainsail we discovered it had three large rips in

it, this was concerning as the forecast indicated we could expect up to 35

knots of wind. 

Anyway we werent going to give up that easily so we put it up and carried

on, a fairly bad start and a poor performance to the first mark (navy buoy).

The wind was forward of the beam and we were sailing with cracked sheets, we

should have been able to carry a full main in these conditions but even

after putting in two reefs we were overpowered.

Anyway we readied the fractional kite for the next leg - from navy buoy to

gannet rock. We had a few dramas getting it up, including gybing the main

unintentionally.

Around us boats were broaching, one had lost its mast, and there were

several kites that had blown out or been wrapped around the forestay (lets

just say it was a bit windy).

When we got our situation under control we took off, looking behind us we

were no longer coming last and we were quickly gaining on everyone (most of

which were two sail reaching) in front, the ride was exhilirating and the

boat felt in total control, so much so that I cleated off the sheet and had

a rest, right at the back of the boat (to keep the nose up), while Tom

steered. 

We were laying gannet rock and sailing right on the rhumb line, it seemed a

short time before we were at gannet rock, and preparing to drop the kite

(bummer, the fun was over).

Dropping of the kite was copybook, I looked behind to see about 20 boats

rounding gannet together, at this point in the race we were doing very well

indeed.

Then we were hard on the wind to the finish, a long beat. The boat again was

performing poorly and we were making a lot of leeway, and losing speed, all

our good work was soon undone and we found ourselves well back in the fleet

again. 

We ended up getting 5th on handicap in our division out of eleven boats, I

was pleased with this, as the boat was obviously not sailing well to

windward.

Dad is on the case again, and we will probably get a new keel and rudder

made also a new mainsail (the carbon one is rotten), this will mean we wont

sail in the last Simrad, the Simrad 100.

Consolation for Tom and I is sailing ZGY in the final race, ZGY is sailing

very well, so hopefully we can get a better result on it.

And if the modifications are done properly, we will be back on Mixtmotions

soon with competitive potential.

The start of the Simrad 60, Ben and Tom are bringing up the rear.