By Martyn Colebrook, Slac’n’off (snO)
The sail to Port Stephens from our overnight stop at Pittwater was fabulous. The wind was on our tail, nudging 23 knots at times, and we were surfing the swell well. Anna’s initial trepidation was soon overcome and she hogged the wheel most of the way, grinning from ear to ear. She liked it so much I heard she is secretly planning our inaugural trip to Lord Howe Island!
We were going to stop at Newcastle for the night but opted to take advantage of the southerly and continue. We moored at Shoal Bay for a couple of nights having abandoned our plan to spend a day at Broughton Island, due to inclement weather. It rained almost non-stop for 2 days.
Our berth for the race was on the Town Quay. Berthing there presented a new learning opportunity. It was on the inside of the Tea Gardens passenger ferry Wharf, accessed by a narrow passage between the dolphin watch charter boats. We were fortunate, in that the skipper of a motor cat was there to advise and assist. We came alongside the end of the quay, threw him a bow and stern line. The bowline was wrapped round a pile. As we reversed and turned 90 degrees to enter our berth, Paul, the motor cruiser skipper, our new friend, let out the bow line steadily and pulled in the stern line, which he wrapped around a cleat on the wharf, thus enabling us to avoid hitting the dolphin charter boat with our bow, and the pile on our starboard stern quarter.
After 7 days of these shenanigans we mastered the craft quite well, in varying wind conditions. I also learnt to reverse with greater confidence, never having had to reverse much before. It took a few attempts first time round to enter the narrow gap as the boat decided where it wanted to go, which wasn’t where I wanted it to go.
After the third attempt I realised that I needed to keep the rudder straight for quite a while and keep the speed up, particularly when windy, to counteract the wind. That took a bit of nerve, and then gradually turn the wheel in the desired direction, all the while trying to cut out the sound of ‘useful’ advice from all around, and avoid the gaze of bemused onlookers.
Long ago I learnt the art of taking it slowly and trying over and again until I got it right. Best to keep practising in benign conditions so the knowledge and skill is there when it really is required.
It was a record turn-out and MHYC was well represented including Cruising Division members: Royce Engelhardt, Jeremy Clark on Ca Va with Peter Lewis, Niclas Westling on Wailea with Neil Padden, and Sanna. Apologies to anyone I missed.
It was Slac N Off’s inaugural PS regatta participation, entering the Commodores Cup and the Trophy Cup. For this event Slac n Off’s skipper finally, after 5 years of ownership, managed to organise crew shirts and caps.
A number of people asked what snO meant. I never liked the name Slac n Off, there being no time for slacking, but never got around to changing it. As the boat is relatively well known I thought I would stick to one that was inherited but abbreviate it to snO.
Commodores Cup
I thought we entered the non spinnaker performance cruising division for the Commodores Cup, but obviously in rash moment, when I booked, I entered the spinnaker division. We changed divisions at the last minute to the non spinnaker, having come to our senses.
We were the last division to start. Plenty of time for pole up and down practice. 20 mins before the ‘gun’ we head back towards the start line. Pole up pole down, commands the captain. 10 mins before the start there are more than murmurs of complaint. Practice makes perfect and practice is required. Five minutes before the start the engine is silenced. Five minutes after the start we reach the start line. Another lonely race ahead, with only one other boat within shouting distance.
The captain accepts his abuse and bows his head in sorrow and shame. We are second to last around the first mark in Shoal Bay having overtaken the pretty, red, S and S 34, Red William. The fleet has taken a wide berth and are becalmed. We seize our opportunity to take an inside route where there is more than a flutter of breeze.
Before we pass Nelson Bay Marina, en route to the 3rd mark at Bannisters, we are amongst the fleet and work our way through the mayhem.
We follow the scarified dark patch of water on the outside. A white bearded wise man in a boat, aptly named, Elusive Spirit, shouts “keep it up” as he approaches our port beam. Anna thinking he is encouraging us thanks him. He is not amused. We are. We do have many enjoyable skirmishes later. Day one we came 10th out of 17 starters.
On the 2nd day, lesson learnt, we were first over the start line and 6th over the finish line.
On the final day, back in our crew house, getting ready for the Commodores Awards dinner, we were jumping with joy as Dennis, our social media expert announced our win, for the days race. The dinner was going to be even more fun dressed up in our natty, matching navy blue, boys and girls, sailor’s outfits.
The MC was bemused when we all went up on stage to accept our Award and perform the dance routine we had been practicing for the last few days.
The following day we had to eat more food and drink more wine at the Lay Day lunch organised by Peter Lewis in aid of Making Waves. This amazing organisation introduces the joys of sailing to those with different abilities. It was a brilliant event, with moving stories told by a number of participants, including 3 young boys who brought tears to the eyes of even the most hardened disposition.
The entertainment included team races running from one end of the room to the other and back, donning a lifejacket, and filling a bucket with water using a plastic glass.
Port Stephens Trophy Cup
Bigger boats joined the Port Stephens Trophy Cup and they sailed mostly windward leeward courses out at sea.
The Performance Cruisers, of which there were 3 divisions sailed both inshore and offshore races around the islands. The scenery around Port Stephens is stunning. Steep cliffs, sandy beaches, lush vegetation, lots of dolphins and the resident sea eagle. There are also plenty of sand banks to run aground on.
Local knowledge is of great benefit as the current is very strong on the ingoing and outgoing tides. Knowing quite where to position one self to take advantage is race winning knowledge.
When we went to collect the sailing instructions we were informed of our division. We were in the same division as Rumba so quickly had ourselves relegated to Div 3, which more suited our inabilities. What we hadn’t realised was that there was no non spinnaker division so we were in at the deep end.
Day 1 results saw us at very last but we managed to get the spinnaker up and down a couple of times, albeit with plenty of mishaps. Day 2 was a light wind day so good for more spinnaker practise although we were finally beaten by the current and were washed downstream of the mark 20 metres away, which soon became 30, then 40.
We gained a few metres after a tack but the wind just strong enough to allow us to make headway against the tide before the final whistle, along with 8 others in our division. If only we had tacked earlier. Racing is all about ‘if onlys’.
Day 3 was a shorter course, inside the harbour, when we had finally half mastered the finer arts of spinnakering and kept up with the fleet.
On the final leg back to the finish line there was confusion. Where was the outer marker buoy? Others in the fleet were equally confused. We weren’t that late that they had taken it home, like they wanted to on our first race.
In fact we were still up with the front runners. Coming closer we spot the black and white mark. It was trapped on the stern of a competitor and they were both making a steady pace the wrong way downstream.
Not a moving finish, as the radio alert was to carry on until our sail number was called thus announcing our finish.
We weren’t going home with any prizes for the Trophy Week but we were going home with a new found love of spinnakering. It could be a different tale in windier conditions but we all have to start somewhere.
Port Stephens Regatta is a very friendly place to be. A chance to make new friends. We met people from our own club we have never seen before. Sail trimming is honed as you try to out pace your competitors. Not a bad thing to learn when passage making. I only heard of one minor collision and only saw one grounding on a sand bank. They were soon pulled off. No one wants to damage their boats and will do their utmost to avoid contact. You could do what we did on day one and hang back at the start, although that was inadvertent.
I would thoroughly recommend anyone, whatever their experience, to give it a go. You will quickly learn how to improve your sail trimming and boat handling.
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