Musto Skiffs at Sail Sandy in Australia

The summer weather that saw temperatures rise to the low 20s in the first two weekends of the Australian sailing season were replaced by gale warnings for the season opener Sail Sandy at Sandringham Yacht Club. Sail Sandy is a mixed class event that usually draws fleets in excess of 150 dinghies from around the bay.

Sandringham is just a short sail away from Black Rock Yacht Club, the venue for the upcoming 2010 Broo Musto World Championship and home to MPS sailors, Tim Hill, Marcus Hamilton and Robin Dayes. The locals were joined by Jon Newman, Matt Hosie and Chris Sutherland. Chris made the trip all the way from Perth in spite of repeated warnings to cancel or delay his trip. Antarctic weather conditions greeted him on his arrival on Friday evening, gales sweeping across the bay from the west producing heavy surf onto the Sandringham breakwater.

That evening, snow fell on the hills outside Melbourne as hailstorms crossed the city. All racing was cancelled at the competitors’ meeting at 10am, with the news that 5 races would be attempted on Sunday, beginning at 10am.

The weather improved marginally on Sunday and the fleet took to the water in a mountainous westerly chop with winds forecast 20-25 knots, decreasing to 15-20 knots in the evening. This kind of weather condition is by far the most difficult on the bay, with storm cells bringing large variations in pressure and angle to the course area, kicking up a corresponding cross chop over the well established westerly wave pattern. The waves are the optimum length for Mustos to pitchpole into.

RACE 1

The fleet got away on time at 10 am in a mixed fleet. Marcus Hamilton led to the top mark from Tim Hill and Chris Sutherland. Hamilton and Hill gybe set at the top mark, and gingerly nursed their boats down the run trying to pick the smoothest path downhill. Newman arrived at the top mark and gybed, intending to set his kite but watched his fast pin eject itself from the rack leaving the mast hanging on the lower. He managed to gybe back immediately, capsized and pulled the mainsail down the icy water somehow saving the rig. Hill chased Hamilton into the gate and turned upwind as Sutherland pitchpoled on the gybe point. Hamilton led to the top mark for the last time gybe setting once more with Hill a short distance back. He made his way to the gybe point, got through the gybe and headed to the finish. He pitchpoled into the gloom around 15 boat lengths short of the line, Hill picking up the spoils to grab the opening race, prompting Marcus to comment that sailing in these conditions was more like playing Mario Kart than racing boats. Dayes came in third, with a broad grin, having kept his kite firmly in its bag the entire way around the course.

RACE 2

Newman rejoined the group having found a new pin and promptly blasted off the start line, leading to the first mark from Hill who recovered from a start line tangle with a 29er. Dayes and Matt Hosie followed immediately after, Hamilton misjudging the top mark and capsizing in his re-rounding. Newman made his way safely to the gate, while Hill, Hosie and Dayes were carted off the course in a vicious gust and had to drop kites and make their way back to the gate on a difficult one sail reach in the big, confused seaway. Newman led to the top mark for the last time from a fast closing Hill with Hosie in third and it remained this way at the finish.

RACE 3

The breeze swung hard left and Hamilton started at the pin and tacked immediately to cross the fleet. Hill and Newman continued to the left hand corner under a black cloud and tacked to lift up across the rest of the fleet. Hamilton narrowly pipped HIll to the first mark, with both boats establishing a large gap to the rest of the fleet. With conditions easing both blasted off downwind, arriving at the gate in the same positions. Hamilton led to the right hand corner with Hill a short distance behind. Arriving at the top mark, Hamilton misjudged the layline and bumped the mark, but managed to complete his turns before Hill could capitalize and he held on for a well deserved win.

RACE 4

Hill got the best of the start but it was Newman who managed to find the best position for the first shift on the left hand side of the course. He led to the top mark from Hill and Hamilton. All boats opted for a bear away set and chased each other to the right hand layline, gybed back to the gate and dropped. Newman chose the left hand gate while Hill and Hamilton opted for the right. The breeze swung left again and freshened, leaving Newman exposed and scrambling to cover. He led narrowly to the top mark for the last time from Hill, with Hamilton close behind. Newman and Hill bore away and set while Hamilton gybe set and tanked in fading breeze. Hill and Newman picked up good pressure out to sea, Newman winning his second race for the day, Hill again in second.

The Race Officers elected to send us in much to the relief of everybody. With 4 races to count, Hill had won the day. With no more racing scheduled, his consistency and boat handling was rewarded with the overall corrected time regatta win over the other 117 entries. For his trouble he picked up the perpetual trophy, which is an odd collection of nicely mounted meteorological instruments, which he will use to help determine whether or not he ever sails in such unpleasant conditions again. Jon Newman counted himself the luckiest competitor, somehow managing to save his rig from disaster, while Marcus Hamilton declared himself the least lucky, having to spend a full 40 minutes in the water while he unwrapped his tightly wound kite from his forestay following his pitchpole in the first race.

The season is now in full swing down under with sailors looking forward to the Broo Musto World Championship in just on 2 months time, when – we are sure – the weather will be sunny, the beaches covered with bikini clad women, the water warm and the breeze more consistent.

Results

Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper Crew From Sers Score Crew. Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1

1 424 GLAMOUR Tim Hill SYC 7.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0
2 391 CINGALE Marcus Hamilton SYC 11.0 3.0 1.0 5.0 2.0
3 425 POKER FACE Jon Newman MYC 13.0 1.0 4.0 1.0 7.0F
4 423 FAT GIRLS ON TOP Robin Dayes SYC 15.0 4.0 5.0 3.0 3.0
5 413 BLACKBIRD Matt Hosie MSC 19.0 7.0C 3.0 4.0 5.0
6 429 AUS 429 Chris Sutherland RFBYC 24.0 7.0C 7.0C 6.0 4.0