Page 4 - CYAA 2021/2022 Summer Series on Port Phillip Race 2 story

2021/2022 Summer Series race two start line.

Although it was Mercedes III to first pop a flawless kite, it was brilliant start line approach tactics that gave Boambillee the starter “ÄLL CLEAR” signal to lead out the race two Port Phillip classic fleet

L-R Acrospire III Martini Seabird Ettrick SnowGoose Kingurra Mercedes III Bungoona Sirocco Zephyr Boambillee

The Start of Race 2

Fiurst up was the breaking news to the race
committee the RMYS B Mark was missing. Great
way to start a day of Classic yacht racing when
you lose 70% of your course selection options.
Next up was the 15 minute start delay to allow all
the boats in a preceding RMYS club pursuit start
race clear the start line area. With a wind strength
of 4 knots at 0955 hours and the same again at
1020 hours. With the the preferred classic course
using RMYS G Mark as the top mark looking
doubtful as all but one course had RMYS B mark
as a rounding mark. What to do. At 1030 hours
the wind strength the one course using RMYS G
mark was too long for race due to performance
diversity of the fleet.

What a difference 15 minutes make.

The decision was to use a short course with
multiple laps past the Race committee tower. The
course selection with the possibility of two laps was announced. Shortly after the start the local wind strength picked
up with an unpredicted swing to the south. What luck. We had decent strength wind that would give the fleet
challenges on all legs of the course.

Challenge one was the start.

Being the first race after the latest Covid-19 lockdown, the question of how out of ptactice would the fleet be at the
start line. Normally several classics would be close to the line at start time. Not so for this race except that is for
Boambillee and Zephyr. The fleet start photoishows both Boambillee and Zephyr leading the fleet away with on time
starts with an all clear call from the race committee.