As we get down to the business end of the season, just a few hardy Mirror crews arrived to the club for their weekly sail. There was a fresh and gusty NW blowing straight down Middle Harbour on to the rigging lawn. Always a bit confronting to the Balmoral crews who are used to rigging in the lee for most wind directions.
The wind was mostly 10-15kn with the occasional 20kn+ blast across the beach. The forecast was for the wind to ease in the afternoon but it was all too much for the crew of Firefly who mutinied and wanted out before the boat was even rigged. The crews of the other boats Molly M and Fast Glass were made of sterner stuff and keen to test their mettle and blow out the cobwebs of a dusty week of work.
The wind however, had other ideas. The boats got away to an even start, despite a pre-race capsize from Molly M and the boats made their way to the top mark as the wind steadily increased. The first downwind run had boats boats enjoying an exhilarating ride towards a bottom mark - that they never reached. An enormous gust passed across the club fleets, breaking masts in the Tasars and one Moth reaching 31.8kn in boat speed. Both Mirrors failed to come away unscathed with Molly M sustaining damage to the mainsail and Fast Glass bending a mast. The boats returned to the beach for a well earned drink on the club deck, with plenty of stories to tell and plans to do it all again next week.
The wind was mostly 10-15kn with the occasional 20kn+ blast across the beach. The forecast was for the wind to ease in the afternoon but it was all too much for the crew of Firefly who mutinied and wanted out before the boat was even rigged. The crews of the other boats Molly M and Fast Glass were made of sterner stuff and keen to test their mettle and blow out the cobwebs of a dusty week of work.
The wind however, had other ideas. The boats got away to an even start, despite a pre-race capsize from Molly M and the boats made their way to the top mark as the wind steadily increased. The first downwind run had boats boats enjoying an exhilarating ride towards a bottom mark - that they never reached. An enormous gust passed across the club fleets, breaking masts in the Tasars and one Moth reaching 31.8kn in boat speed. Both Mirrors failed to come away unscathed with Molly M sustaining damage to the mainsail and Fast Glass bending a mast. The boats returned to the beach for a well earned drink on the club deck, with plenty of stories to tell and plans to do it all again next week.
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