Yet another great day on the water in glorious conditions. Clear, sunny, even a testing little wind change at about 1300, from weak gradient to sea breeze - all the ingredients for a fun (racing) cruise-to-lunch. A staggered start was used, in the style of a Pursuit Race, to keep the start simple and have the boats arrive off Cheung Chau together for the run ashore.
Eleven yachts took part, including newcomers Blueheeler (Macgregor 26) and Inner Peace (Corsair F28 trimaran), starting between 1100 and 1210. All went well until rounding Kau Yi Chau, exciting for the boats close in, with 2.5 kts of tide. Not long after, each boat successively fell into a large hole and watched the chasing boats close fast, then do exactly the same thing. The fleet then compressed into a tight, becalmed (a relative term) group - those that managed to keep moving, those nearest the new wind as it filled in, or a combination of the two, effectively decided the winners.
Acknowledging the variety of experience levels taking part in our events, we generally throw in a racing tip relevant to the day - this time on what’s called ‘tidal wind’. Everyone fell into the same hole after rounding Kau Yi Chau, but some boats managed to keep moving. Here’s how:
If your boat is completely becalmed but being carried along in a 1.5 kt tide then you have 1.5 kts of ‘tidal wind’ available to you. Point the boat down tide, flatten your sails and heel the boat to leeward as much as you can to give them some shape, sit back and wait - very soon you will find you have generated 2.5 kts apparent and Bob’s your uncle. You won’t be going anywhere very fast, but it will be quicker than boats pointing up tide and that’s all you need for a 3 nm leg to the finish.
Speaking of which, there seemed to be confusion aboard some boats at the finish, with boats criss-crossing in every direction and some missing the finish completely. The SI’s read: “The finish will be between the finish boat (if one is on station) and Cheung Chau rock, or within 100 m of Cheung Chau rock as it bears 090.” ie if no finish boat, pass to the West of the rock, within 100 m. Hence boats passing to the East of the rock were DNF.
For boats that tried to correct by then sailing back through the finish line, the ISAF definition reads: “A boat finishes when any part of her hull, or crew or equipment in normal position, crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark”.
And no, you can’t dip the finish line from the wrong side of Cheung Chau rock, because of the ‘string’ rule, 28.1: “A boat shall start, leave each mark on the required side in the correct order, and finish, so that a string representing her wake after starting and until finishing would when drawn taut pass each mark on the required side and touch each rounding-mark”. Clear as mud?
The ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing make jolly good reading, especially in expanded format with explanatory diagrams as published by Paul Elvstrom or Bryan Willis. RRS 2005-2008 are now in force and we will be awarding copies as occasional prizes at DBYC events.
Anyway, the fleet looked cool as the yachts anchored off Cheung Chau bathing beach (Tung Wan) and the even cooler beer at the restaurant was very welcome, to say nothing of the extended harbourside lunch. Prizes were awarded on corrected time to Wings (Line Honours and 1st place), Wizard (2nd) and Rosemary (3rd) with overall results as follows:
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Many thanks to Phish and to the yachts who helped shuttle the crews ashore in inflateables. Particularly to Dave Wilson, aboard Thea’s tender, who did the lion’s share of recovering the crews to their boats. Next time, walking 5 mins to the South end of the beach next to the anchorage, might expedite procedures...
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