03/05/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ & ๐ฒ, ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ
A ridiculous course to start the day - 308 which is a start at DB, then SKW, KB, DB, SKW, DB, GB, KB, DB with a finish at GB. In other words, big triangle, long sausage, small triangle, beat to finish or big samosa, spring roll, small samosa, bean sprout as we used to call it. The Class Sec pointed out to the Flying Fifteen RO that Sportsboats with asymmetric kites do not race triangles as this is how we sail and all it does is mandate where we gybe rather than let each boat dictate their own downwind tactics, but he didnโt seem to care. ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ
We got away on time at 1350hrs with Serendipity almost pulling off a port tack start to get out to the ebbing tide first. F.A.B. lead round SKW but was passed soon after by a flying Pawley and then Serendipity just before KB. For reasons only known to them, Serendipity gybed just inside KB instead of rounding the markโฆ F.A.B. was once again fast uphill and passed Serendipity half way up the beat whilst closing in on Pawley, but a cunning move by Serendipity to round TKS instead of SKW saw them speeding off downhill towards DB in first! To further confuse matters, Serendipity rounded DB but carried on under kite towards KI and that was the last we saw of her all day. ๐คฃ
Pawley rounded in "second" and FAB "third", however given it was a two day race F.A.B. took their time dropping the kite assuming the race had been shortened at Dock Buoy as would be the normal course of action for the RO to facilitate an easy restart on a two race day. Catch 22 rounded next closely followed by Toobogan and it was then that F.A.B. realised the race was still on! Toobogan must have thought the ebb was weakening and tacked into Kowloon Bay, Catch 22 decided a loose cover was best whilst F.A.B. pushed out into the harbour looking for the tidal gain. It came and she passed Toobogan about two-thirds of the way up to GB, rounding closely behind Catch 22.
A small gybing duel saw F.A.B. and Catch 22 rounding KB together, literally! Meanwhile Pawley serenely extended and took the first win of the day, one step closer to securing a first series win for the season. F.A.B. took Catch 22โs transom and powered over the top to claim second place on the water and handicap. By now it was all but half past three in the afternoon so Pawley, cruising round with a furled jib, and F.A.B. enquired of the RO if there was actually going to be a second race, "yes" was the response. A further enquiry as to why the first race was therefore so long (with the last boat finishing close on 2 hours later), and the RO glibly replied โbecause I wanted it to be". An interesting approach to race managementโฆ. ๐ค
The RO then signalled course 328 (start at DB, TKS, E1, TKS, DB, finish at GB) which perhaps would have been more suitable for the first race. For those new to race management, the logic is to get at least one race in and done. After waiting for the Etchells to slowly finish, the RO opted to change the course to 322 (start at DB, TKS, finish at DB), so one up and down. F1 in reverse, a marathon followed by a sprint!
F.A.B. crossed the fleet on port and found room to duck in at the boat before the gun and headed out into the still strong running ebb first. Unfortunately she overstood TKS allowing Pawley and Catch 22 to round in front of her. A blasting run saw Pawley clean up the day with a brace of bullets to take the series by a good margin, counting five firsts and discarding a second. F.A.B. came home second and Catch 22 took two third places for the day to secure second in the series. We all carried on under kite eager to get back for the Class AGM scheduled to held at 1730hrs, likely hitting our best speeds of the day once the beers had been cracked!
๐ธ: Enrico Kwong / Sidewinder
