Despite Sunday’s appalling weather, the weekend was a great success, and most boats were able to complete the two races as planned. They were hard work, though, so the ice-cold Cerveza Sol on arrival at either end was very welcome!
Race 1 on Saturday was started by Andy & Lindsay Pickles aboard Phish in light airs, which suited the lighter boats. Once around Peng Chau, the wind filled in enough to allow a spinnaker reach to Kau Yi Chau, where the lead boats, Klementine and Wizard, fell into a hole. The rest of the fleet then came charging up (the whoops of joy could be heard a mile away) on a fresh wind line, only to fall into the same trap! Everyone sweated blood to round Kau Yi Chau, where it became apparent that the turn of the tide, ebb to flood, was going to be late. The usual tactical choice was thus presented: sail straight for the Tsing Ma Bridge (against the tide) or get out of it. This being the sixth Tsing Ma Regatta, you’d have thought people would have learned that lesson, but the bridge seems too much of a magnet!
Fast cat, Klementine, was first to the Ma Wan Channel, but then slowed as the wind steadied on West, forcing a beat to CP2 then the finish and Line Honours. The beat allowed Wizard to catch up significantly, while Sabi Star and Serenissima enjoyed a lively tacking battle, neck-and-neck to the finish with Sabi Star just in front at the line. Heavy weight, Rigel, suffered from lack of a spinnaker. Yellow Bolero withdrew when their water ran out in the blistering heat and discovered that they could only make 3 knots under engine, trailing something from their keel. Kelp, perhaps? Cooinda‘s crew of babes just chilled, while their men shuttled drinks - or so the story goes… Anyway, they collected the Rear End Trophy and sported it with style for the rest of the evening - ‘Finere est Omnus’.
Anyway, after a cracking all-you-can-eat buffet (mountains of oysters and sushi, mostly), the prizes for Race 1, sponsored by the GCYCC and the Gold Coast Hotel, were awarded as follows:
|
* Line Honours
Sunday’s Race 2 was arranged as a Pursuit Race for the first time, with handicaps (and therefore start times) adjusted as a result of the Race 1 results. Hence the start times as below:
|
Again, light airs met the boats as they turned up to make their individual start times, overseen by Greg, Bevan and crew aboard Committee Boat, Princess Linda, and it took over an hour of patient trimming to keep the boats moving in a light W’ly. This proved interesting whilst crossing the fairway to CP2, with the fleet bunched and hardly moving. Eventually, the forecast N’ly filled in and the fleet raced for the bridge. By the time the lead boats had reached the Ma Wan Channel, though, the skies had opened as rainstorms brought calms, then winds from every direction. The spinnakers were jibed back and forth, container ships, tugs and barges were dodged in poor visibility, but at least the ebb tide - again late on the turn - kept sweeping the boats towards Kau Yi Chau. The miserable conditions drove a number of boats to withdraw (apparently Rigel went fishing!), but the front four were neck-and-neck until Kau Yi Chau, when they finally stretched out into a very close finishing order of : Klementine, Wizard, Seas the Moment, then Serenissima.
The fleet brought the rain with them to Discovery Bay Marina Club, so all adjourned to the club marquee, where hot showers and cold Cerveza Sol revived the crews. DBMC and the Igor’s Group of Restaurants (Stormy Weather, Wildfire, The Boathouse, Stanley, etc) sponsored the prizes, including trophies, medals, bottles of wine and a number of dinner vouchers. Wizard took first place overall for the regatta with 2.75 points (one first, one second place); Klementine was second with 4.75 points (one first, one fourth place); Serenissima third (one third, one fourth place). The DBPN handicaps have been further adjusted to reflect the whole regatta’s results and have been updated on the DBPN Handicaps page.
Thanks are due to all our sponsors and the many helpers who made the event happen. Not already specifically mentioned - Eva Mak and Sam Lau at the GCYCC, Robert Blythe at DBMC, Eric Lloyd and team aboard the guard boat, Sea Ray, Sue Thornton and Chris Mallet (DBYC merchandise), Sue Fernie (photos and admin), Jug Thornton and Andy Kung (printing and advertising).
Interested in the next Tsing Ma Regatta, planned for Spring 2004? Contact us at info@dbyc.net for further details of this or other regattas from Discovery Bay.
For the album:
|
| Name | ||
| Location | ||
| URL | ||
| Smileys | ||
| Remember my personal information | ||
| Notify me of follow-up comments? | ||
