Last Saturday’s Sprints

Our first event for 2018 was sprint racing on Saturday. It was a beautiful, warm afternoon, with a rapidly strengthening NNE gradient breeze, starting at 17-22kts and increasing to 23-28kts by the time we finished our six short 15-minute races.  The outgoing tide made for brutal chop upwind and exciting rides downwind.

We fielded a fleet of 15 boats with good close racing and plenty of top mark action on the shortened course. Our on-water team of Hadrien Bourley (PRO), Derek Hand and Geoff Kirk, set a great course and conducted the races well.  Several of us were a little dusty after too much eating and drinking over the holidays, evidenced by hiking fatigue, sloppy mark roundings, and plenty of capsizes!

Ashley Deacon, fresh back from a broken leg, gave us a good show when he forgot how far to duck in a powerful gybe, and found himself flung from his boat, seriously dazed, with an enormous gash on his head, and blood everywhere. Thanks to our on-water team for a snappy rescue, after which Hadrien sailed Ash's boat back to shore, and Geoff "The Doctor" Kirk administered some quality first aid, before Mike Dunne drove Ash to hospital for a check-up.  Three stitches later, all ended well.  Ash sent a text asking us to pass on his thanks to everyone for all their assistance.  Let's see if he wears a helmet on Wednesday.