Compass Yacht Group
Regatta Report 2009
What a weather pattern! What a forecast! Yet we had a Compass 28 sail in from Bateman’s Bay, a Northerner 28 from Jervis Bay, a Compass 29 from Botany Bay and another from Port Hacking. For the BBQ we had 40 dauntless people really enjoying themselves. Vaucluse Yacht Club who normally get $1800 a night gave it to us for free as well as provided a Start Boat and start line. Three cheers for VYC and their encouragement of our Class Group.
Well the BBQ went ahead in light drizzle with everyone under cover and warm. New friends were made and email tags converted to faces. We compared notes, the year’s experiences, the birth of new babies and news of where children are up to. Xena of VYC and Lynne and others provided nibbles to help the chat and wine along.
It was great to catch up with Richard and Anne (Solange C28) from Pittwater who incidentally offered their weekender at Elvina Bay for the Friday dinner for our Easter Sailaway this year. Roger (Djaraluda C28) was there, Michael (Amelia N28) from Jervis Bay came as did Jim and Tish (Pumpkin C28).
I won’t name all the names, it was good to see such a great roll up and thank you to all who sent their apologies or best wishes to everyone for the night. Don Lees our Patrone came for the weekend and Shaun flew up from Melbourne for the event and raised $100 for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Thanks everyone, I must make contact with Ian (Southern Raider C29) at Paynesville and see how he has fared in the fires.
Several people unsure of racing took the opportunity to crew-up on other boats for the race. It was a grand night. Graham Buckley won the Lucky Door Prize of a GME VHF radio compliments of GME and Doug Cameron.
I awoke early with wind howling through the shrouds and misty rain. Repacking the boat for a hard race took ages. There was much agonising over sail selection, Doug (Saltair C28) loaded a small #3 on his roller. I (Maeling C29) decided on a #2 for the reaching start with a #3 ready if we were overpowered on the work. Roger skippered Maeling for the race and positioned us well for the start, with 30 seconds to go he tacked for the run to the line, suddenly we ran into a private lull and watched the rest of the fleet go over the line. This year we had 12 boats, 3 C29s, 1 N28 and 8 C28s. The wind had moderated to about 12 knots on a relatively calm Harbour.
Roger powered us through half the fleet which on the reach to Shark Is were pretty well bunched except for the two Don’s in Hellangone C28 which had jumped across the start line. The run to Clark Is was pretty uneventful except for the Fairy Penguins playing. Tightening up for the close reach from Clark Is to Obelisk the race started to get interesting. Pumpkin had to go about for a Manly ferry as Anna N28 chased down the Dons. Moerlina C28 and Secrets C28 were next, with Goose C28 and Maeling C29 following. Last in the fleet was Gandalf C29 who had engine problems coming from The Spit, was late for the start and did not choose to moor at Watson’s Bay.
At the YA mark at Obelisk, the Dons led and were able to pass ahead of an incoming freighter while the rest of the Fleet had to pass astern. Lady Bay was the killer. A strong tide and a fluky breeze brought us all together. The Dons struggled with their #1 and small winches and fell aback doing a 270° turn. Maeling struggled to lay the mark on port tack, while other boats came down with the tide on starboard.
The beat to finish was hard but there was no change of positions and Anna won on scratch. Finishing order below
C28 Anna
C28 Secrets
C28 Moerlina
C28 Goose
C29 Maeling
C28 Hellangone
C28 Pumpkin
C28 Saltair
C28 Skylark
C29 Sammie
C29 Gandalf
Well after the race was over everyone grouped on the VYC balcony and marvelled over the good weather while having lunch. We presented the Don Lees Shield for the first six months of the year to Anna, to be passed to Sammie for the second six months. Cheers and thanks to those who attended and made for a great weekend.
But it was not all over yet. As we motored away from VYC, Doug and I found we had forgotten to give out the consolation prize of 2 bottles of wine to each yacht. Another little job to manage our way out of.
The raft-up came together will with boats having fenders rigged to port. We couldn’t help putting out Pumpkin’s new Rocna anchor out as our bower. Pretty quickly we all settled down under boom tents and tarps as the drizzle started. The night was a continuing group of parties moving from boat to boat, trying to include new people as well as catching up with old friends. Around 10pm the rain settled in an dampened everyone’s spirits.
Sunday morning I slept in until 7.30 when I went to bail 200mm of water out of the dinghy. Faces started to appear and silent greetings swapped. Dave (Skylark C28) went on a photographic expedition with a big cover for his camera.
By 9.30 we had anchors up and broken the raft to say “Cheerio” to the Pumpkins who stayed behind while the rest of us hightailed it for Spit Bridge. Exiting Middle Harbour we encountered on of those rain squalls, so heavy that they flatten the sea but rounding Middle Head it eased and we close reached up-harbour
Geoff, Lynne and Shaun Raebel
Maeling C29