Post by jonathantwite on Mar 23, 2016 13:45:46 GMT
Do to work, Neha and I have moved to Mansfield, which means that Painted Lady has emigrated up the A60 to Sutton-In-Ashfield sailing club on Kings Mill Reservoir. Due to a severe bout of Blue-Green Algae last summer, this years sailing started in January instead of having the usual one month break. The weather hasn't been too kind though, meaning not too much sailing has been done.
A few weeks back, I went out for my first try on a cold, gusty F4+ day. The buoys on the reservoir are all identical, and the numbers on them are essentially unreadable - the only way is to remember which buoy is where. After falling in backwards in a lull, I had no one to follow and soon found myself at a buoy I didn't want to be at and highly confused. Retirement quickly followed. The second race was much better and good fun, but at about three-quarter distance, I messed a gybe and got the mast-head stuck firm in the mud...
On Sunday, I ventured out again, this time in a patchy F2 against an Enterprise, Feeling Foolish N12, Comet and Laser. A very short startline and a gust just before the gun had me hitting the startline buoy and so starting at the back of the pack. By the start of the second lap I had passed the Comet and Laser and was catching the Enterprise and 12. I reached the first buoy just behind the Enterprise - the 12 was quick in a straight line but wobbling all over the place going round the corners - and suddenly realised that this race was for the taking. Both boats over took me on the beat on the next lap as the wind had changed and they, pointing higher than me, didn't have to tack, on the final lap, the 12 forced the Ent to tack on a Port-Starboard and I went straight through the middle. I held on to cross the line first and win by a decent margin. Second was the Comet that no one had seen miles back...
The second and third race followed a similar pattern to themselves: when the wind was light, I was reaching quicker than both the 12 and Enterprise. When the wind blew up a bit, the 12 was faster offwind, the Enterprise pointing higher upwind. In the second race I finished seconds behind the Enterprise and so won again on handicap, the third race started with the 12 building a big lead, before the wind died off and he sailed into a big hole. I crossed the line 30 seconds behind him, completing a very surprising set of results...
I now have a reputation that I may never be able to live up to...
A few weeks back, I went out for my first try on a cold, gusty F4+ day. The buoys on the reservoir are all identical, and the numbers on them are essentially unreadable - the only way is to remember which buoy is where. After falling in backwards in a lull, I had no one to follow and soon found myself at a buoy I didn't want to be at and highly confused. Retirement quickly followed. The second race was much better and good fun, but at about three-quarter distance, I messed a gybe and got the mast-head stuck firm in the mud...
On Sunday, I ventured out again, this time in a patchy F2 against an Enterprise, Feeling Foolish N12, Comet and Laser. A very short startline and a gust just before the gun had me hitting the startline buoy and so starting at the back of the pack. By the start of the second lap I had passed the Comet and Laser and was catching the Enterprise and 12. I reached the first buoy just behind the Enterprise - the 12 was quick in a straight line but wobbling all over the place going round the corners - and suddenly realised that this race was for the taking. Both boats over took me on the beat on the next lap as the wind had changed and they, pointing higher than me, didn't have to tack, on the final lap, the 12 forced the Ent to tack on a Port-Starboard and I went straight through the middle. I held on to cross the line first and win by a decent margin. Second was the Comet that no one had seen miles back...
The second and third race followed a similar pattern to themselves: when the wind was light, I was reaching quicker than both the 12 and Enterprise. When the wind blew up a bit, the 12 was faster offwind, the Enterprise pointing higher upwind. In the second race I finished seconds behind the Enterprise and so won again on handicap, the third race started with the 12 building a big lead, before the wind died off and he sailed into a big hole. I crossed the line 30 seconds behind him, completing a very surprising set of results...
I now have a reputation that I may never be able to live up to...
