Bicky on Ranger in Falmouth: win in Race One

Ranger ranging

News from Stevo: regular Crew Boss on Xena, Richard ("Bicky") Bicknell, is on Ranger in the J Class Regatta at Falmouth. He's in charge upwind/downwind trim.  Downwind they pop a 10,000 sq ft kite! (five times Xena's....).
Must be awesome to see four of these monsters battling each other.....
Race One: Ranger first on water and on handicap -- and that for the lowest hcp boat!
Check out the site here. The Race One (Ranger first).  Race Two (Ranger second). Race Three (Ranger second).

LATER: Ranger pipped Velsheda to overall Regatta win: they win on count-back, what's more, as both finished with 4 points!  Results, Report Race 5.

Xena racing update

We won't do the Raja Muda regatta, as it's a big logistic challenge and no guarantee of a Premier Division.
We're still committed to the King's Cup in Phuket, so that's a definite.
We may also do the China Coast Regatta, with the Hong Kong to Hainan Race on 18th October.
That's a Cat 1 race of about 360 miles, an overnighter.  If we do that, then Xena will stay in Hainan for a bit before delivery to Phuket.
The marina at Sanya in Hainan is great.  See piccies here.
A BTW: there's an update on the Tipsy Frenz sinking on the post immediately below.

Tipsy Frenz lost at sea...

Tipsy on the rally to Hainan Island last December, here
(Spencer Suen photo)

Below story in today's South China Morning Post.  Tipsy Frenz is well-known to us, a pretty Wauquiez 45s, moored close to Xena, raced against them many times, including in the last race to Subic.  The Skipper, Leon Chan, was our scrutineer for that race.

Luckily all well....
UPDATE (30 June): just came across this report from a few weeks ago.  With this nice photo from Guy Nowell.  There's longer report at the link:

UPDATE (21 June): at recent China Coast Regatta Committee meeting, Walder Ip, who was on Tipsy Frenz on that trip tells us: it happened at 2:30 in the morning.  Most crew were on deck, just 3 down below. The folks below reported water coming in.  It was investigated, but as they did, the water was coming in faster, pretty soon half-way up the companionway steps.
Walder phoned Alex Johnston, the Race Officer, on Satphone (the SSB was not working, because of battery being under water...).  Alex told us at the meeting that he could hear the water coming in, over the phone (!).
Tipsy set off their EPIRB and Alex contacted HK Marine Dept.  Mardep in turn contacted Taiwan authorities.
Water kept pouring in and the crew couldn't figure out where it was coming from.  To this day they still don't know what happened.  Skipper Leon Chan called for the "abandon ship" routine and all was prepared (here, the Safety as Sea Course kicking in).  They kept on looking for the leak until they couldn't any more for the water too high.
The two liferafts were deployed, with painters holding them to the boat.  When it was clear they would have to leave the boat, they stepped into the liferafts, at the same hight as the boat now was, just about under water.  By this stage, the Satphone wasn't working any more -- out of battery, I think -- and they set off their flares.
Meantime, back at the Yacht Club, Alex had set in train the emergency procedures, which involved all those needed coming to the Club and contacting the relevant authorities and monitoring the situation as best they could.
A Chinese commercial vessel was contacted and came to their aid.  Getting onto the boat was not a simple procedure, Walder says, with waves of 5-6 metres.  A couple of go-arounds before they could board, most on the lee, but a couple on the more dangerous windward side.
In the end, all safe on board the Chinese vessel, in the hands of friendly (mainland) Chinese merchant sailors. And delivered to Taiwan, where the local authorities treated them well and with professionalism.
The earlier South China Morning Post report is below the fold...

Prize giving, Koh Samui Regatta Day Five

Pete accepts the trophy for the win on Day Five.
(PF iPhone photos. Click to enlarge)

Judy with Qin Hill of Genuine Risk

Moonblue 2 crew gather the trophy for First
overall in the regatta in Premier Class

Brazilian dancers at the party;
a kind of cool Impressionist photo; well, I think it's cool...

Some nice photos on the water, Day Five

On the line action on Moonblue 2.  
(thanks to Samuipics.com)

The view we like to give the competition

Spinnaker hoist at the top mark

Winds around 20s knots

Crew Dinner photos

Last night, cocktails chez Vic and Pixie's

Before...

... and after

Trophies to date.  An eclectic and quaint choice for prizes....

Marcus and Pete

Liam, Sue, Judy, Mary

Last Day results...

... and it's a win for Moonblue 2!
As we went into the final day we needed either two wins or a second and a first (but not a first and a second, for then we would have lost on count-back).
We lost the first race by one minute to El Cayote, so it was all down to the second and final race, which we won by two minutes, giving us and El Cayote a total of 9 points each after our drop, and we win the Premier Division on count-back.  Great result, especially the trials in delivering the boat and our having to miss Race Day One completely.
Today they gave us two windward-leewards, course 16, simple double sausages.
In the first race, second upwind leg, another squall came through with winds of 40+ knots so downwind we decided on Main and jib only.  A couple of the IRC 1 types persevered with spinnakers, mostly out of control, broaching all over and a couple of shredded kites; one of the multi-hulls was dismasted.
The second race winds still gusting in from the NW, around 20 knots, we went round cleanly, good kite hoists and gybes.  We finished 11 minutes ahead of Cayote, for a win by two minutes corrected.
More photos later.

Last race day

We gave Cayote a cheer and they reciprocated.  Good competitors.

Our main competitor, El Cayote making way back to beach.
We were equal on points going out this morning.
We think we beat them in the first windward leeward, bit the second one too close to call.
Posting this from my iPhone as we make our way back...
UPDATE (2 June): results were: Cayote won the first race (a windward-leeward) by one minute and we won the second race by two minutes, for a win overall on countback)

Photos Day Four of racing on Moonblue 2

Owner-Skipper Pete Churchouse discusses the day's tactics with Grant

Katie, Gabrielle, Bethany, Parag, Roger and Coggs, on the way to the racetrack

Ah Wai, Mike, Marcus, Tony and Judy

Iris and Sue

Dropping the Main, we find it's got a tear near the head and has to be
repaired overnight.  Here it's being loaded onto dinghy....

.... and being taken ashore.

Another win for Moonblue 2

Results just in and we won the race (5 hour Islands course), by 18 minutes on corrected time!
Hurrah!
And we're leading on overall pointscore.
Hurrah!

Trophy time

Pete Churchouse, Judy, Mark and Ah Wai pick up the silverware
for second on Day Three, last night

This is the cute prize for Day Two first place, which
cunningly changes into an....

... ashtray.  Oh so politically incorrect!  Samui all over....
(thanks to Ah Wai for this and previous photo)

A few catch up photos: Lay Day

Yesterday just before the squall hit. Doug our "wind whisperer", Judy on
Main and Grunter querying something on the foredeck....

It got wild and wolly pretty soon.  Winds were in the mid 40s knots
At this stage we were under main only...

A cropped version of earlier photo: Genuine Risk, the Dubois 90
rushes past at, I guess, 28+ knots.... (see UPDATE, below)

Today's a lay day, so no racing.  A few woke up with sore heads, having been out on the town last nite till 4-ish....  A day of pottering round the Island and relaxing.  Save for the boys on FreeFire, Sam Chan's TP52, who had to try to get a boom fixed.  It bent in the squall yesterday, just after a gybe while still with jib, not kite, up. As I sit here at the Chawang Cove Resort, looking out at the bay and the boats, she's still boom-less....
So, I'd better finish off with a photo taken just now, from the terrace of our hotel, overlooking the boats in Chaweng Cove, Ffreefire at far left still without boom, Moonblue 2 third from left:

UPDATE (2 June): Geoff Hill, owner of the Dubois 90 Genuine Risk, which you can see at the end of our boom above, told me they hit 29.2 knots in that squall, so I wasn't far off in my guess. He says that they figured if they hadn't had to bear away to go through the Gate, they could've hit 32 knots or more.  The boat's set to go to Australia, be modified and competed in this year's Sydney-Hobart, going for Line Honours.  They had a few issues: the engine wouldn't drive the boat and the canting keel at the same time, so it was one or 'tother, but they've sorted that, I understand. (That had become an issue that the Race Office had to adjudicate on, as you can't race if you don't have a working engine; RO gave Risk dispensation).  Sailing legend Syd Fischer was on board, liked her a lot, and, I'm told, wants now to buy a share in her.

Genuine Risk planes past

Moonblue 2's boom points to the Dubois 90, Genuine Risk,
passing us on the horizon doing 28 knots.  Winds reached mid 40s knots

A cracking day on the water for Moonbue 2

A sea of red on Moonblue 2, finish Race 4

Everything sorted on the boat and they sent us off on a 30-miler round the Islands to the South. So: a long beat with steady breezes in the teens, sneak past the reef to port, round Ko Rap Island on easing pressure, up with A1 kite, round the island and north to the gate.
Then we get hit by a 40+knot squall, which lasted 45 minutes.  Winds too strong, so Jib up, Kite down, still stronger winds, so Jib down, powering along at 12+ knots Main only... wind eases, Jib up, eases more... A2 Kite up, Jib down, pole on... then pole down, Kite down, Jib up, to the finish.
Overtaken during the squall by the 90' Genuine Risk planing along at nearly 30 knots.
Finished at 3:00 pm and we may have just pipped El Cayote for first but, don't want to put the mockers on that by saying it...
UPDATE: well, I guess I did put the mockers on it, as we came second....

First overall today for Moonblue 2...

.... Not without some dramas, mainly at the top mark roundings, a few kerfuffles with spinnaker hoists and on windward leg the outhaul gave way. But all retrieved in due course for results in windward leeward courses of First and Second, for overall First on the day.
Missed Race Day One, so we sit on 8 points in three races.
No photos of today's racing on the regatta website yet, and stupidly I forgot to get a piccie of Pete with the first-place prize: an elephant carving that turns into an ash-tray.... so here's a photo of the beach last nite, from the Regatta website.

Sent from my iPhone
+852 9308 0799

Risk the winner?

My guess, seeing Genuine Risk at the bottom mark and working to the finish, is that she's go this race won. There's me putting the mokkers on it...

Sent from my iPhone

Rockpool race watch

Sitting at the Rockpool in south Samui watching the racing on the horizon and it seems like Genuine Risk has stolen a huge march on the others in IRC 0 on the downwind leg.

Sent from my iPhone

No Sailing for us today....

Not sure what the issue is, but we can see Grant still up the mast and Pete has radioed in that they can't get things sorted in time for us to make the startline this morning.

Sent from my iPhone

Sittin' on the dock of the Bay: Race Day One

We're sitting here at the Chaweng Cove ResortHotel bayside, waiting for the Moonblue dinghy.
Moonblue arrived last night around midnight with no engine and no Main after the Main halyard parted at a new splice put on by the Boatyard in HK.
Not sure if we'll make it to the startlne yet, nor in which division, as two boats pulled out of our Div.
09:50 race day one.

Sent from my iPhone

Waiting for the Blue Moon..

Sue, Kate, Marcus and Judy (aka "Bucket"), await arrival of Moonblue 2 at Chaweng Cove...

Rainy days at Kellett

My old boss, Ralph Evans and wife Maria join Jing and me on Xena at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht club. Sadly, the forecast was right - thunder storms and steady rain -- so we sit here sipping wines in Xena's cockpit.  Jing, Maria, Ralph.
(sent from my iPhone: I made them put their wine glasses away, not cool!)

Adastra -- "to the stars"...

Jing at IFC, as we head off to the Adastra launch party last night.
Owners: Anto and Elaine Marden.

At the Middle Island pontoon.  140 ft.  Designed by John Shuttleworth
The "stylish interiors" were designed by friend Inge Strompf-Jepsen:
see photos on the Shuttleworth website.

Beautiful evening at Middle Island

Jing, Gabrielle and Sytske on the barcalounge..

Stunning lines...

PF at the bow.  Ocean Park in background

Set the controls for the heart of the sun...

Crew welcome the 200-odd guests.

Pretty in blue...

Moonblue 2 in Samui

The famous Moonblue 2 party, King's Cup 2010

I believe, from Pete Churchouse, she's arriving in Samui today or tomorrow.
Practice starts on Sunday, racing on Monday.
Jing's not able to make it this time, as she's got to head off to Korea next week.  

Koh Samui

Moonblue 2 bunkering outside the RHKYC, last Friday.
Jing and I are joining her crew at the Koh Samui Regatta.

"Australian Maid adrift in Makassar Strait"

Australian Maid makes it safely to Makassar after a bit of bother....
Photo Jakarta Globe

That ol' warhorse, Aussie Maid, (against whom we've raced many times) was in a touch of bother on the delivery home (to Oz, it seems) from the China Sea Race (where, btw, they did very well, taking out 2nd in their IRC racing division).  Happily, all ok now. Thanks to Grant for bringing to my attention.  Iris says there are some hilarious comments on Andrew ("Jed") Jennings' Facebook page and that it was not as serious as the press made out...
A couple of links:
Sailing Anarchy "Australian Maid adrift in Makassar Strait", with much discussion of the problem with the prop.  "Time the doc lashed out for a new one", says one of the commenters....
Jakarta Post: "Foreigners from UK and Australia rescued at Sea" with the tantalising info that they were at first considered "illegal immigrants". Shades of Stevo last year after the San Fernando race, when his passport had not been chopped in, and they held him at outward immigration....