First delivery, first race, first bar crossing, first night at the bar, and, finally, first place! It was a pretty rocky and rolly weekend overall – both emotionally and physically. The biggest challenge I suppose is building the crew. We have had a few training weekends prior to this regatta (which we approached as just another training weekend), but finding a group of sailors who can dedicate the necessary time, who have the necessary skills, and get along with us and each other is more of an art than a science. And like all art – the critics and fans are always happy to add their 2 cents. So…..to successfully rip that 66foot boat around 1 Nautical Mile windward leewards in Sail Paradise so early in the program was surprising and gratifying. To win? Out standing.
I still look forward to the remainder of this year with considerable trepidation. We have a long way to go before we can claim any mastery over this thoroughbred yacht. She is very highly powered, narrow, tender, and very much reliant upon her crew to tend to her every need. A training run in solid 25 knots breeze a few weeks go brought this fact home for me: Two sail reaching down the Brisbane River Channels had us at a consistent 22knots. The same conditions but offshore with a spinnaker and big swell leaves no room for errors.
2014 March Sail Paradise
http://www.southportyachtclub.com.au/alive-champions-at-sail-paradise-2014/
http://www.sail-news.com.au/2014/03/15/sail-paradise-close-racing-on-day-one/
http://www.sail-news.com.au/tag/sail-paradise-2014/