The day dawned a little too windy and cold for the interested “Come ‘n Try Sailors”, a few ventured forth with Team Sailing skippers Khalil Hadland, Josh Thomas and Tayla Lovering after Ants got the centreboard to co-operate while the rest remained warm and dry in the newly renovated Kangaroo Island Yacht Club.
A lone windsurfer came and received expert instruction from Russell Colman. Three of The Strawbridge Pointers, the offshore sailing division from American River appeared on the horizon and tender boat Damon Tyley and his offsider Brandt Steyn got ready to ferry them ashore. When they arrived they decided the weather was too inclement and would be sailing ‘on the nose’ all the way home so they left instead of doing the customary ‘sail past’ they had arranged with acting Vice-Commodore Ants Harris.
So another sail past was hastily arranged for our local sailors and then the fun began. The plan was to sail past “Chardonnay” with Russell Colman the Commodore on board and do the customary “three cheers for the Commodore”.
The problem was that the Commodore was driving the tractor to launch “Tenacious” on which Ants and Jane had hitched a ride out to “Chardonnay”. So Russell stoked up his sailboard “Bic”, sailed out to “Chardonnay”, tied up the sailboard behind the yacht and was unceremoniously pulled aboard to take the salute.
Quite some time later, in fact a very long time later race officer Shirley in the Bridge radioed ‘Tenacious’ “Have they all done their sail past?” “No” said Patto “I don’t think they understand what they are supposed to do”.
So after what Peter Lovering described as a very long practice warm-up for the first day of sailing, the afternoon racing began.
The All Boats race consisted of 16 sailing craft of all descriptions, 8 Lasers, 2 Windsurfers, 2 303s, 1 Arrow, 1 420, 1 Gwen 12 and 1 Pacer. Chaos on the starting line as 16 boats tried to squeeze through the shortish starting line in 16 knots of wind and gusting, blowing from the South West, with cries of “Up, Up” and Patto thought they were going to lose the stern end of “Tenacious”.
The Lasers provided the ongoing entertainment of the day as Patrick Kildea in “She’s a Witch” probably believes Opening Day was Disaster Day and his boat really is a witch as he ditched many, many times before the start, had just got his boat upright when Damon Tyley who fell out the back of Laser “Beetle Power” when he went to gybe, got back in and found his main sheet wrapped around the tiller. In retrieving it he tangled in Patrick’s main sheet and put him back in the sea.
Simon Lovering in “Pale Rider” was doing well in his Laser heading for “Tenacious” as the Rounding Mark when Ants motioned him back as “Chardonnay” was the rounding mark.
At the leeward mark Patrick got into more trouble when he had an altercation with Steve Kempster in “Moonshine” and they were both ditched by the mark. Peter Lovering in “Gauntlet” was bearing down on them and the mark when Simon proceeded to jam him up against the mark and Peter had a moment of panic. Damon Tyley proved what a gutsy little sailor he is by getting into an unfamiliar Laser and winning the Laser Division from Rick Southgate in “Otters Pocket “.
A new addition to the Club is Josh Thomas’ 420 “Lost in Transit” and he found out what hard work is as he crewed for Ingo.
Good to see the two 303s back on the water with exiting Holdie crews. Never sailed before “Come ‘n Try” sailor Michael Warner was so ecstatic after the morning’s ride that he went out in a Pacer with Lindy Muecke and they were beating Brian MacArthur and Steve Gregor in Gwen 12 “Two Bob Each Way” after a lap and Ronnie Hall in “Tenacious” got so excited he was going to give the Old Geriatrics a mouthful if they were still behind after the next lap.
Division Two had started and Patto asked Russell, still on “Chardonnay” if he was going to race and he said yes, but there is no hurry, and he started well behind the fleet and screamed over the line well in front of them. One lone Holdy “Flying Feral” Andrew Edwards and Luke Faint completed the course, well done in the windy conditions.
The Yacht Club season was officially opened in the evening by founder member Shirley Bell.
A great social evening followed with a pooled tea and live Jazz Blues entertainment by Tim Frears and Russell Colman and a continuing data show of selected pics from the previous sailing season. Junior & Senior “Learn to Sail” will start on the 7th November.
KIYC OPENING DAY
ALL BOATS RACE
DIVISION 2 ADJUSTED SCRATCH RESULTS: 1st Sailboard “Bic” Russell Colman, 2nd 420 “Lost in Transit” Mark Ingerson & Josh Thomas, 3rd Sailboard Tim Frears. HOLDFAST TRAINER: 1st “Flying Feral” Andrew Edwards & Luke Faint. ALL BOATS RACE DIVISION 2 HANDICAP RESULTS: 1st Sailboard “Bic” Russell Colman, 2nd Sailboard Tim Frears, 420 “Lost in Transit” Mark Ingerson & Josh Thomas .
The Scribe
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