Sunday 5 April 2015

San Fernando 2015: Maysak Makes Mean

The Course: from the Club Facebook

Typhoon Maysak meant we couldn't go to San Fernando, so the Sailing Office sent us on an Category 1 offshore course of about 360 miles, around virtual marks to the south of Hong Kong (at left), which the club called "Not the San Fernando Race".
A predominantly light winds race, Force 1-4, with occasional 6, which I characterised as "a mix of frustrating and exhilarating". To which someone said "that's pretty much the description of any offshore race", to which I say "True 'dat".
We had a couple of times where boat speed was 0.0 knots.
But we also had a great first night under A2 spinnaker with winds up to 25 knots, boat doing 12-13 knots (top score was AK with a burst of 13.7 knots), and a nice morning reach, winds 15-18 knots and steady boat speed over 10 knots.
We won our IRC Premier Cruising division, and came 4th overall.  Great crew work and camaraderie.  No major damage, save a blown A1 kite on the last afternoon, quickly retrieved.
Some photos, with various thanks to Angel, TC, Jonno, Ken and Guy (Club Facebook photos here):
Pontoon, RHKYC, 1 April.  TC, Mark, Jonno, AK, Ken, Forse, Dan, Noel, Kiwi

Pre start: watch that sheet!  Kiwi, Forse, Noel, TC, Jonno, Ken, Dan, Mark, AK
Light winds past Waglan Island.  And Jonno's cool shades...
More light winds driftin'... Noel, Kiwi, AK, TC, Shifty, Ken

Kiwi and AK on helm, light winds racing....


Kiwi on the job

Noel and TC check the AIS as Kiwi trims: plenty of shipping on the course...

TC, Mark, Dan (aka "Shifty")

The two old buggers: Ken and Forse

Arriving back in the Emerald city of Hong Kong, evening, 3 April

Canapes on the boat, 3 April, RHKYC pontoon

Dan, Ken, TC, Forse, Jonno, Mark, AK, Kiwi

Prize giving, RHKYC 4 April.  Pixie, Forse, TC, Kiwi, Dan, Ken, Mark.
(photo-bombed by the man in blue...)
[PS: some folks were asking about the name "Xena"; where did it come from.  Here's a post on that]