Royal Yacht Club of Victoria Yearbook 2020

race started in a fresh northerly with
The
weak southerly change forecast to
a
the fleet overnight. It was apparent
reach
on that navigating the transitions
early
or changing pressures between
(holes
systems) would be the key to
weather
in the race. As we made our way
success
down the coast and past
further
Bay, the stronger breezes
Bateman's
earlier in the day subsided and the
from
broach an hour out from the
spectacular
where we seriously thought about
Heads
as we were unsure about
withdrawing
rudder damage. I'm glad we
potential
Two saw many changes and
Day
movement throughout the
significant
The majority of yachts were
fleet.
their way through light and
battling
winds and it became a game of
variable
and ladders as the respective
snakes
worked to connect gusts of
navigators
and keep their boats moving south.
wind
our own battle within the Sydney 38
In
the key question was whether
Division,
basically follow to the East of the
to
line as many of the fleet elected
rhumb
do; take an inshore approach and
to
for coastal advantage; or head
hope
following Cozmanoche, and look
offshore,
a faster approach angle later in the
for
an offshore strategy early in the
adopted
which saw them in the lead
race,
much of Day 2, but
throughout
cost them on the approach to
ultimately
Rock, needing to cover more
Tasman
to return to the rhumb line, and in
miles
behind early in the race but
fell
to stage a late comeback,
managed
TSA Manoagemenot and closing
passing
margin significantly on the front
the
a third of the way across Bass
About
the breeze returned about the
Strait
with gusts around 30 knots
downwind
steep seas overnight. It also didn't
and
receive from our instruments in
we
when to change over.
deciding
the race. Over the whole
throughout
we were inseparable; the lead
course
back and forth many times. It
changing
like an arm wrestle that lasted for 3
was
days. Neither boat prepared to give
1/2
inch; every mistake punished by a
an
change. It felt like the world's
lead
match race at times and we
longest
that ultimately, the boat and crew
knew
blinked first would end up on the
that
end of the fight. The intensity
losing
Storm Bay and up the Derwent
crossing
in dinghies, who would have
competing
that a 630 mile ocean race
thought
R Y C V Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
runners in the last few hours.
time that our instruments failed,
same
it extremely difficult to steer
making
slowed dramatically. Before that,
fleet
we had our own dramas with a
however,
with making the best sail selection,
help
we rely significantly on the data
where
the battle between
Ultimately
and ourselves raged on
Cinoqu¾anote
decided to push on.
only to take it up to a new level.
served
spent most of my sailing life
Having
race. TSA Manoagemenot (Sydney 38)
could be so captivating.
less pressure. Mille Sabozr ds¨ (Sydney 38(
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