Lane Cove Race, Saturday 14.10.2017

Inter-club championship, Lane Cove, run-in tide, South-Easterly course, Forecast third-rig, 2nd rig call from boats rigging at club, Woodford Bay skiffs all opting for third-rig.

Scratch start, low-pressure, all bunched on the line, low-pressure 2-sail each down river to first rounding mark. Arrogant Frog well early at the start boxing a number of boats, Geotherm over-early and restart, Hey Charger away clear with the 2nd rig power going well. LCC Asia Pacific boxed by premature starter, then over the top and clear air came back to 3rd by Woodford rounding mark. Fleet lifted behind to reach the Humbug pileup ahead of LCC Asia Pacific. Melee at Humbug, very short tacks seeking puffs of breeze to get out of the river saw LCC get back into 4th, leaving a pile-up behind. Light, massively underpowered for the third-rig in the main river saw all the 2nd rig boats power away.

Work up to the Goat Island top mark in shifty underpowered stuff, looking for pressure and lifts, Sydney Sailmakers making the most of the downrange, and taking the fight to Hey Charger, 3 of these difficult works and 3 runs into the bottom mark in Kerosene Bay, with the wind shifting into the east more as the day progressed. Run back to Valentia St LCC Asia Pacific in 5th with Form Civil right behind, they got inside at the gybe off Long-Nose Point, then a deeper puff pulled them into the Valentia St bottom mark well ahead. On the work to Birchgrove LCC went on a flyer to try and split, falling further back for the run into the river to the finish. In the long grind up-river to the finish LCC clawed back time on Geotherm and Form Civil, finishing just behind in this order in 6th, having put all but 2 of the 2nd rigs behind them. Hey Charger with the 2nd rig first, Sydney Sailmakers second, the 49er stars the Chapmans in 3rd, Geothermal 4th.