Writing this from Darwin, where it is 24 degrees… definitely the place to be!
The Darwin Tasar Nationals started today in an 18 knot sou’easter that was very up and down, and also very shifty. We were happy going into the racing, after rounding the bottom mark of the practice race yesterday in fifth, before heading home to look after my hand.
The first race today had a few starts, even though the tide was still running out, pulling us back from the line. We got away on the first black flag start to round the top mark in the mid to late teens. We submarined on the first reach in a big puff, and worked hard on emptying her out from there. We came back nicely, especially on the upwinds to finish ninth.
Second race tested all, with yet again multiple starts, and an incoming tide pushing all over the line. Made trickier by the line being very port-end biased. The start that got away was again a black flag, with most starting on starboard and quickly flopping to port. We worked through well again to round in late teens to early twenties. We made big gains on the second work, to round in the mid teens, and worked hard on making more places up on the run. On the final reach into the finish, the boat was picked up by a wave (leaving me no rudder) and we rolled into windward (with the pole up). We would have finished in twelfth, we managed to hang on to twenty-seventh. Hugh and Soph managed to hold eleventh which was a big improvement on their first race!
Most on the score card have some very up and down races, apart from the AA Team who were the most consistent of the day with two bullets! Definitely the boat to beat in the breeze.
Was hard to be out there today when steering as I know master crew is particularly good in those conditions. But I was happy that we did show we can make the top ten! A massive thanks to the master crew for his efforts today backing me up, and many apologies for ending the day as it did! Ups and downs are definitely a part of this sport that we love so much. Hoping that we can be on the up from here in terms of our sailing!
My hand did unfortunately open up today, partially in the first race – and more in the second. Definitely the lower point of the day, so looking forward to some more mid-range breeze tomorrow! I did get to see yet another sunset tonight though, which brings it all back into perspective.
There are no results online that I can find, I shall post a link if I work out where they are! For pics and more frequent news, check out my Facebook page and my Twitter feed which are updated a few times daily!
On a high note, good luck to the Australian Sailing Team as they approach the Olympics, not long to go now! Happy sailing, or skiing wherever you may be! Can’t wait to be heading down the slopes in the next few weeks!!!