2023 Ronstan 505 Australian Championship at Darling Point Sailing Squadron - Day 4
by Jordan Spencer 27 Jan 23:01 GMT
22-28 January 2023
505 Australian Championship 2023 © Jordan Spencer
Ooff... there is nothing worse than grovelling around in the bottom of a dinghy on a light wind, drifter day, unless of course that day is humid...
The wind did not co-operate today. Racing was in a light South Easter with little but slowly building current as we were at the start of the ebb. It was the second last day of racing and the program had 3 more races for those two days with the prospects for wind on the last day looking marginal as well.
Racing started in 5 knots. If you look at the observations, most of the day was calm, but some wind did try to come in and it was in this wind the race started. However, by the time of that race start, the wind was already dying out. And much like when a breeze is trying to establish, when it dies, it does tend to clock in one direction, (not the boy band people). By the time the fleet rounded the top mark the breeze was down to 2 knots. A lot of the fleet gybed early, chasing zephyrs or looking for less tide, some continued on. Regardless, it was soon a scene of collapsed kites and sweaty crews. As the breeze breathed its last breath it slowly started clocking right, (as you look upwind). The early gybers on port were getting lifted, those that had continued on, could gybe and be looking straight at the bottom mark.
On the battle for overall Paterson/Schoenhoff were an early gyber and were, for a while, the most left boat, (looking downwind). Quirk/Brokerhoff were over that way too. In the battle for third and fourth, the Higgins' and Stivano and Burt had continued on, so benefitted from the change in wind direct. Both were able to reach to the bottom mark where the committee boat sat with an S flag finishing the race. Stivano and Burt won, gaining a point on the Higgins' pairing. Paterson/Schoenhoff and Quirk/Brokerhoff both had their worst races. The fleet were then sent home.
Given both our leaders took drops, there is still a 5 point gap at the front with hopefully two races to come. Today's racing starts at 12, but it is unlikely the wind will start to fill in until then. No racing can be started after 3.00pm. welcome to the final day!!
Full results can be found here.