Sailquik (29582km):
1901 days ago 2 categories Inverloch, Vic.
The Iverloch Sailing Clubs annual Tarwin Race.
I woke at Sandy this morning to a dead calm. Not even a leaf movement. Yanakie AWS was reaading 0 knots but the Wilsons Prom AWS had 30 knots Easterly! How does that happen?
So we knew the wind was coming, and forecasts said it would arrive right around the race start time at around 10am. The windsurfing fleet start time was 10.30am. Ar 9.30 AM there was maybe 3-4 knots E. By 10 to 10 the wind was gusting over 15 knots. I ran to derig my 9m and rig the 7m. By 5 mins before out start, I was pretty confident I could plane upwind on the 110 Slalom board so that is what I chose. BUT, I didnt account enough for the massibe ebb tide running directly with the wind, and the first half of the race was upwind all the way. Consequntly, I suffered regular non planing periods which felt like I was going backwards. In the gusts, I was making reasonable ground upwind, and I knew the forecast was for the wind to strenghten to 20-25 knots so I perservered. By the time I got within sight of the turning mark I was planning all the time, but running aground in knee deep soft mud as the cannel is so very narrow. Getting my legs unstuck out the the mud really sapped my energy. Once around the turn mark it was hang on and hiho!! 2hr and 10 mins to get up there and 35 mins to get back with peaks of 28 knots and going super broad. very exillerating and a bit scary!
I was almost last to the top mark and passed about half the boat fleet on the run back. That downwind run made it all worth it.
That and the great company and lunch the sailing club ladies put on.
It was definitly a 40+ Easterly speed day back at Sandy, but by that time I had missed the tide and was pretty stuffed anyhow. It will be interesting to see what the Invy guys did at Area 45.
IS110, 2018 KA Koncept 7.0m, Tribal 34cm WeedSpeed. Posted from GW-52 GPS.
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