Last Sunday would have been our last sailing day for the 2019-2020 season and a Club Championship heat to boot. Sitting back in our isolative state, we can only imagine how the day would have unfolded: overcast and plenty of breeze from the west but you still pack the good sails as you want a good finish to the season, RC Carl sits on the back of the Audi waiting for Kristine to finish changing, the Dawes’s arrive when everyone else is launching, John Wilson makes his case for a reserved car park, no comment about the non-competing boats tied up on the finger jetties.
Out to the start line and RO Les is showering lollies over the Peli and Opi kids and anyone else who gives cheek, 30 seconds, plenty of noise from the fresh dacron, 15 seconds, big crowd of Fifteens at the boat end, 10 seconds, language please! 5,4,3, Greg and Mike nail the pin end, two boats underlay the pin, gybe around to start on port, Nick and Brad start mid-line jumping a boat length clear, a pointing game by everyone to keep their air clear, Andy and Anne tack early.
Top mark, colourful adjectives, 5 boats overlay on port, Jen and Adam squeeze in, who hit the mark? get the kite up, hard reaching, gybe mark, OVERLAP, tilt, more dacron, where’s the bottom mark? lean, kite in, sheet under the bow, lean, venturis open, repeat for 2 more laps, GUN, who won? where did we come? start counting.
Results, rowdy, 2 no 3 beers please, lots of Laser guys in this week, Crowbar (almost) in control, pennants all round, the port goes to the start crew for a great season, the champagne to Kristine because it’s her birthday on Tuesday.
What a great day, can’t wait for next season.
