Welcome to the resumption of Classic Yacht racing summer series for 2014. First race up will be Race 5 of the series to start at 10:30am this Sunday Feb 2. It will be conducted for the Association by Hobson’s Bay Yacht Club.
Attached are the Sailing Instructions for Race 5 and the allocated handicaps for the listed entries. The current forecast for Sunday’s bay conditions indicates we’re in for a good dose of the high temps. Look after yourselves in the expected heat.
We have a full calendar of racing and regatta events coming up. The 3 remaining Summer Series races then off to the Geelong Wooden Boat Festival and then the Queenscliff Maritime Festival. In between the Regatta’s we have the New Zealand Classic Yacht Association inviting our members to join in with their Classic Yacht Regatta.
The Geelong Wooden Boat Festival people are all excited about the entry count for the festival. To date it’s double compared to this time of the year for the 2012 festival. The Association is in close contact with the Festival organisers. Their latest plan is to offer a BBQ breakfast to the skippers and crews of yachts that overnight at Portarlington, if the numbers are suitable. Your handicapper has been asked to keep them informed of the intentions of Association yachts who intend to overnight.
One other Wooden Boat Festival detail, all entries will receive an event participation medallion. This time the medallion is special. Bill Chittenden, our Classic Association member from RGYC together with his mate at Geelong’s Four Winds Chandlery have set up process to make this happen.
For us our Summer Classic Yacht racing and regatta events will finish up with an invite from the Sandringham Yacht Club to the Association. It’s an invite for our Association members join in the SYC Centenary Regatta. April 26, Anzac weekend. A first time invite by the SYC to the Association. This event is the opportunity for our members to show support for our SYC Classic members and for the SYC to have our Classic fleet participating in the Marque event of the SYC racing calendar. More news on this event will be put out.
While all the talk is now about future racing and Regatta’s let’s go back to the last weeks Festival of Sails Regatta at Geelong. There were two entries by members in the Classic division, Jim Woods with Windward II and Bill Chittenden’s Cardinal Puff. While the Classic division entries numbers were down the performance quality was a Regatta standout. Windward II managed to hold off the slippery Lupo Wylo to take out the division trophy while Cardinal Puff took out third. The feature of the passage race was the Classic division corrected time performance. Both Windward II and Cardinal Puff took out the entire passage race fleet. Let the handicapper assure people their assigned Regatta handicaps were no gift. John Duffin of RYCV and your handicapper analysed the past and current performances of each entrant to decide on their assigned handicap.
Attached is a mail your handicapper received from Jim Woods of Windward II after Jim reflected on the Regatta from aspect of additional Classic Yacht division entries A similar mail was received from Bill Chittenden of Cardinal Puff. Bill also has a number of suggestions that he will follow through on to help the FoS Regatta attract more Classic division entries from the Association.
Our Tumlare` fleet had a different take for the Australia Day weekend. 4 of the fleet visited the Mornington Yacht club and overnighted at Charlie Salter’s place. No further details are known but the Roger Dundas reports a great time was had but a pinched thigh nerve does slow one down somewhat.
That’s it from the handicapper for now. Look after yourselves on Sunday.
Regards to all
Peter Costolloe
CYAA (Vic)Handicapper
Race 5 Feburary 2 Sailing Instructions (HBYC)
Race 5 Feburary 2 Entries and Handicaps (HBYC)
FoS Regatta reflections from Jim Woods
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