Buoy What a Week

Its 2am Tuesday 24.1.2012, the tide is in at Hastings, Lisa Fitzel has arrived and woken Simon and me so its time to set sail for Port Phillip bay. A nice sail down to Sandy Pt then a bit of motor sailing, a nice sun rise near West Head, a bit more motoring then at Cape Shank the wind came in for a fast reach to the Rip just in time for 10.30 slack water and a very nice sail down to Blairgowrie by 11.30. Wednesday morning, kite run to Martha Cove to pick up Rod and meet "Daylight Robbery", "Sknot" and "Bare Essentials" for a Cruise to Waterfront City. We set of with good intentions but the South Westerly got the better of me and up went the kite for a great run up to Williamson and on to Docklands for the night. Thursday, down the Yarra and over to St Kilda for the start of the passage race to Geelong. This start line is a bit scary but once the gun goes you settle down a bit, with a beat to Sandringham then cracked of a bit to Port Arlington then ease more for a reach into Geelong passing quite a few monos on the way (Bare Essentials ran out of monos to pass well done Tim, Rob, Geoff and Libby. I think Shogun V won but they had a little tri in front of them?) picked up a mooring for the night. Friday morning, race down the Hopetoun channel into the outer harbour around the buoys for more reaching practise. Friday twilight race a couple of laps of Corio Bay with a few monos, all was going well until a big bear away to avoid a boat tacking in front saw Frassld mount the Cunningham cube buoy hiding it and dragging it some distance once deflated we managed to finish the race. Saturday, passage race to Port Arlington and back we had a good start and moor reaching, Bare Essentials soon passed us and sailed out of sight but they kindly waited for us all to catch up including the monos then a bit of chaos at the rounding mark sailing back through the fleet and to Geelong for the finish at 15.45. We turned around for the best reach of the week making it to Prince George light by 17.00 then a beat to the Rip for slack water at 19.40 and more beating to Cape Shank around midnight and into Hastings Yacht Club by 5am Sunday. Thanks to Lisa, Rod and Simon for great crew work. Buoy What a Week. Shaun