A good result in BYC Twilight Series 1

A good result in BYC Twilight Series 1 this season.  Not looking so good in series 2 though. One good result, two bad...

New helmsman for RYCT winter series has a good first race.

Gary took the helm of Trouble today and had a good first race of the RYCT Winter Series. After a hectic start sandwiched between a number of boats, Trouble got away well. We had some problems approaching and rounding the top mark and dropped back a bit but caught up well on the windward legs to finish third across and on time. Our best result so far in the winter races this year. Gaz is under strict instructions not to do so well that he makes the usual skipper look bad!

No chance of Wildfire looking bad as she steadily mowed down Natelle 2 for another impressive win. I have arranged for a diver to make some modifications to Wildfire's keel before the next race!

Some crew members were very amused to find the skipper grappling unsuccessfully with issues that he gives them a hard time about on a weekly basis, and his inability to stay out of the drivers seat. Karmic retribution they reckon.

BYC Winter Race 1

Another ordinary result for Trouble in today's race. We went off the boil after a mark rounding, and Saga and Rousabout got through and nicked off in a light, shifty breeze. We caught Rousabout but Saga and Cromaty were long gone. Good win to Saga, well sailed as always. At least we are getting our crap results at the right end of the series!

L2H 2010

More videos. This one is Launceston to Hobart 2010. Given how tough the delivery was, and how much trouble I had finding crew for the race home, I was pretty happy to just be there. We had a fantastic ride down the east coast from Eddystone Point to Mercury Passage with the big kite up and on the edge all the way. Note maximum speed on the log! Champagne sailing (apart from the roundups).

Video - 2 handed series (old)

I have been loading some Trouble videos onto my Zenfolio site. The first one is an old 2 handed series video.

You can see it here

Bad start to winter series

 

 Terrible start to the winter races with a last in Race 1. Wildfire went beautifully for a well deserved outright win. Trouble started well, then went steadily downhill as the skipper made lots of bad calls in the shifting north westerly. Crew work, despite excessive alcohol consumption and lack of sleep the night before, was good. Skipper has been severely punished! Scrub booked for next week.
NB - The DSS had planned for us to race in Div1, but we objected. Results like this are why we sail in 9 metre and Div 2. Anyone can, and does, win over the line and on handicap.

Bottom finished

Trouble's bottom is finished and looking fabulous. Now for a new annode, new non-slip, polish the topsides and a play with the nice girl I found hanging around the slipyard!

Ready for antifouling

And this tie coat, ready for antifouling. Have been trying to source a decent white hard racing antifoul, but the only good one (Pettit via Taspaints, as used on the Farr 40s) is not available at the moment. International white antifoulings go green around the waterline and look pretty daggy, so might have to stay with dark blue. Pity!

Priming

This is Altex Tie Coat (grey) going on over 3 coats of Altex primer (gold colour).

Bottom Blitz

You've seen the Backyard Blitz.  Today we had a Bottom Blitz. In a little over four hours the full Trouble crew scraped and sanded her back to bare hull below the water line, ready for new primer, tie-coat and antifoul. We sought some advice re the flaking patches on her bottom, and decided to go the whole hog and redo the lot.

The regulars at the BYC were amazed that a) the whole crew were there working; and b) that we kept going till it was done.  Well done and many thanks to Tom, Jules, Rohan, Sunny, Gaz and Mike!  What a team - no wonder we win a few races!