Montyzoomer 2012

Carefully planned racing events at HNYC include great care over tide tables and calendar and then like to assume that events in May will enjoy reasonable weather. So! When the Race Officer and the Rear Commodore looked out of their curtained windows in the days leading up to this week-end's racing, not only might they have been forgiven for thinking this was not May but also, they still had to get back to Hoo from The Walton Backwaters to join the carefully planned racing event. Only the carefully planned weather was against them.

Chas in Aurai went out to play on Thursday and managed 7kts plus on 3 full reefs and a postage stamp genoa, could not see in the mist, even with radar on, gusting winds with rain meant you could not see the radar screen. Chas also thought he may be short of racers if Chica and Sputnik got stuck, so it was great relief for Aurai to hear VHF talk of Bryan and Wil making a dash for a Bowers Quay parking space and Christine's catering on Friday evening.

Wil's Saturday morning weather was beautifully arranged until somebody rearranged the last remaining upright stanchion on Chica with an ill timed hat in the water rescue, leading to one of those sickening crunch moments, not a good omen but having come this far the race must go on.

One by one a fine fleet of club boats joined with Sea Gas boats at and around the start line, in very light winds. Tony Lavelle struggled to sail back across the start line before the start as tide was stronger than wind! While Sputnik, decided a simple strategy of parking on the start line was best and then all they had to do was turn to windward and be first off.

Ali Baba and Sisu were much more conventional and sailed across the line and Sputnik's lead was short lived. Aurai and the rest were fashionably late across the line and the race was under way. On a falling or ebb tide, no need to take to the shallows and everyone set off down the fairway. The bigger boats were soon in their stride and the fleet strung out, routing choices, rather than boat speed seeming to set the order and a win some lose some sequence meant the lead and places back through the fleet changed frequently but only by a few hundred yards.

Tom in his "new" Elizabethan kept in the hunt for much of the race.

Tracking to the Montgomery wreck Aurai, Sisu and Ali Baba bunched up and then spread out again with Aurai and Sisu staying close to each other and Ali Baba shooting off into the distance. Again routing choices worked for some and Aurai took the lead past the container port, now retaining this lead to the line. After some very fickle winds mid-race the wind strengthened and everybody got home in sunny conditions almost perfect for sailing, well done Wil.

Afternoon Tea was taken aboard a Chica, Aurai, Sputnik sandwich with Skip involved. Audoin, Sunrise and Ali Baba crew arrived by magic carpet and later, still all rafted up, an enterprising shopping run by Tony and Wil produced food for dinner and all enjoyed a steak dinner with trimmings after several opening courses.

Photos from the day

Great Fun

Charles Hessey

Tom Fisher has also sent me a link to his blog entry on the Montyzoomer

Date Published 14th May 2012