DATE: 23/7/2025
WIND: NW-N-NE-8-3 KNOTS
TIDE: L@14:17-0.39M
COURSE: 22 BRAVO
NUMBER OF BOATS: 23

Again with the forecast of more light breezes, 22 Bravo covered all that was needed to run another great Wednesday arvo sail. It gives plenty of marks of the course to use as finish lines, just in case it all goes wrong, and provides skippers and crew a very challenging few hours of sailing. It was the reverse of last week’s course using the tide to advantage and giving that user friendly mode.

A smaller fleet than usual turned up to face the elements and immediately recognised that the afternoon would involve some very close sailing, much need referral of the depth sounder and at the end of the day careful tactics being the winner. From the start, the first of the Mono was away at 13:17 and the last at 13:45 (28minutes difference). So it was always going to be close company. In the end the fleet was covered by 8 minutes. Not too bad considering the last leg went very soft and dead down wind. Not a point of sail that many boats or skippers like.

Here’s how it went- Start-a beat to the western cardinal (minor shifts)-between Green and St. Helena (reach) to the Green Island northern red then south east to Germ on a lovely run- a port rounding and back to the western cardinal- south to Lockyer light on another run (lookout for the bottom of the bay!!) – then north east and back to Germ (a beat)-another port rounding and back to the shortened course finish line at Lockyer Light (dead downwind). Reads easy but not so!! Thinking about it—-Give it a go!!!

Closest to the line: 00:01-JESTER
Lucky door prize: FRENCH KISS-MIKE/SARAH

Lucky Crew prize: OUTSIDER-JOHN

PB