Day 1
Taipan Nationals Diary - Sunday 5/1/03
Taipans have been arriving at Paynesville for the last few days, staking out their places on the little beach by the club, the less organised among them sleeping on their boats until the booked accommodation came up on Saturday. We arrived on Friday afternoon in a similar predicament, but were rescued by Rusell Denholm and his mob who had booked a house on Raymond Island, which can only be reached by ferry.
In the morning, sitting dozily with our coffee, we were amazed to see a koala wandering past our window. He sauntered up a tree across the road and happily posed for our cameras.
Saturday seemed mostly consumed by paperwork, getting the boats weighed, organising measurement certificates, checking sail tags (a fraught area - many sailors didn't have them), and registering. Some boats managed to sort through the red tape and get out for a sail in the freshening 15-20 knot breeze, but we were not among them.
Sunday a few more blow-ins arrived - Glenn Ashby was sighted but didn't sail the invitation race, which started at 1pm. Or it was supposed to. The breeze was light and flukey, and the race finally got underway at around 2pm, after a few false starts and postponements. The breeze finally settled into a light northeasterly and we were away.
Left paid, as it turned out, and the fleet spread out rapidly. There was one spectacular capsize by a Van Kerkhoff who wishes to remain anonymous, but other than that no notable incidents. Steve Brewin, sailing with Nathan van Kerkhoff, won the day on the 4.9s, followed by Willy and Petra and the Daniel Van Kerkhoff. Cat rigs were led by Noel Grellet, followed by Dennis Baker and Warren Morse. Russell Denholm finished first in 5.7s, then Don Dull and Colin Andrews.
Social activity of the evening was the welcome dinner at the club, a lovely location overlooking the lake where black swans swim in flocks.
Deb AUS104
Day 2
Taipan Nationals Diary - Monday 6th Jan. 2003
Today was the first day of serious racing. We woke to a blindingly beautiful day with no wind at all - Jennifer Lindsay (who is staying at our unit) mentioned that she was woken by unfamiliar bird calls, which turned out to be those of kookaburras. She was out early photographing the black swans in the canal behind the house.
Down at the club, Steve Brewin was spotted rigging his boat dressed in a very fetching mini-sarong and boob tube - apparently the result of a drunken late-night bet. (Photos will follow.)
By the time the first heat started, at 1pm, a light southeasterly of around 5 knots had set in - terribly light for us, but pretty similar to Florida weather for Jennifer, who was quite pleased not to be struggling in our normal 20-25 knot breezes.
The start was crowded with several messy tangles, and we were swallowed in the melee, luffed up at the start by Aimee Van Kerkhoff. The very light breeze made shifts frustratingly hard to pick, and we struggled without success to make up places lost at the start. Jennifer fared a little better and placed 26th. The race was won by Daniel Van Kerkhoff on the 4.9 sloops, followed closely by Steve Brewin and the Homan brothers.
During the second race, the wind picked up to around 10-12 knots and we started to feel more comfortable. Glenn Ashby was looking good in the cat-rigs (of course), having arrived from the A-class Nationals without bothering to find a crew. The race was won by Steve Brewin (now clothed more conventionally), followed by the Homan brothers and Dan. Jennifer placed 23rd.
Back at the beach we surveyed the carnage from Michael van Kerkhoff's smash with Ken Marsh - a hole in Ken's hull extending halfway up the boat from the keel line. The kids had a test-run on the prototype Taipan Sprints, a dinghy-style boat aimed at the youth sailing scene. My 13-year-old son Jeremy was enthusiastic (in spite of several capsizes), and has put it on his birthday list. Yeah, right, kid.
Day 3
Taipan Nationals Diary - Tuesday 7th January
Another lovely day in Paynesville - in fact rather hot - by the time we were rigging for the 1pm start, the sand was burning our feet. The sea-breeze, however, had not yet kicked in and winds were still moderate for the first race (heat 3), at 10-12 knots from the south-east. There were significant shifts and puffs across the course which made it possible to make up places lost in an indifferent start. We finished lucky 13th, and the 4.9s were led by Steve Brewin (who is sailing with Nathan van Kerckhof, a.k.a. Pretzel, in case you were wondering), followed by Willy and Petra, then Dan and Annelise and the Homan brothers. Glen was first in the cat-rigs, as usual.
The second start, after the 5.7s were away, was a bunfight followed by a general recall and a long, impatient wait. Finally, in the middle of the second start sequence, we spotted a massive 30 degree shift and zoomed away to the pin end with the other smart boats - a fabulous flying start, our best of the series, but unfortunately the race was abandoned and we had to come back and wait again.
Once the course had been shifted and the 5.7s were rounded up, we were away again in a perfect 15-knot breeze - unfortunately too perfect for us, a real boat-speed contest with no real tactical shifts. Steve and Pretzel won again, followed by Willy, the Homans and Dan. Glen won the cat-rigs yet again - in fact, he hasn't been out of first place yet.
My skipper/crew wins Mug of the Day - he decided to go for a swim before the start, and then did a lovely capsize right on the beach for everyone to see.
In the evening we had the infamous Not The Trivia Night, brought to us by the talents of Marie from AHPC, slightly adapted from a similarly successful event at the Tasar nationals. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to reveal the copyrighted details, but suffice it to say there was mashed potato involved, Taipan sailors swarming over Bairnsdale looking for live ants and animal droppings, and a quiz show with human buzzers emitting donkey noises. Our table won resoundingly by the simple expedient of bribing the judges more comprehensively than anyone else.
Day 4
Taipan Nationals Diary, Wednesday 8th January.
Not much to report today. We woke up to the sound of wind whistling in the rigging of the boats outside, and groaned at the thought of a 10am start. A quick breakfast, a strong coffee, and we were down at the beach in the biting cold (bit of a change from yesterday), thinking about putting up the mast. The wind didn't look too bad, but the AP flag went up and we all wished we'd stayed in bed another hour or so.
When the flag finally went down, we rigged up quickly and went out for a fang - finally, our weather! - but it was short-lived as the rescue boat came in again and racing was abandoned for the day. So much for tomorrow's lay day. Back home to hop in the spa with a Crownie!
These report were taken from the location
http:/
As found on the Australian Taipan pages, thanks to webmaster Rob Wilson and the reporter Deborah Aus 104. Sorry she never gave us her sirname.
Wouter
Is there any progress to hold an Au F16 title?
Reports by Deborah Apthorp, Taipan 4.9 AUS104
Taipan Nationals Diary - Thursday 9th January 2003
Today was meant to be a lay day, but as we didn't sail yesterday, two races were scheduled with a 1pm start.... Oh well, at least we had a sleep-in after last night's parties.
The wind had settled a little through the night and the forecast was for 10-15 knot southwesterlies, but we've learned not to trust the forecasts too much down here. The first race was a minefield of shifts and holes with the wind coming up and down like a yo-yo, pretty much like our downhaul. After last-minute rudder problems we had ended up at the wrong end of the start, following Steve Brewin on a wild-goose chase to the left which seemed to end up costing him a lot - his first race outside the top 3. We worked the shifts hard and ended up not too badly, about lucky 13th again I think. There was an interesting turnaround in the top boats, with[......]
Between the races the wind picked up and settled into a strong 20-knot west/south-westerly breeze - ah, Kurnell weather at last! We seemed to wait ages for the next start - and then, just after the 5-minute gun for the 5.7s, we spotted a floundering 5.7 crew in the water. Our reward for stopping to rescue him (and boy, was he heavy!) was a snapped trapeze elastic, caught as he dived off to leeward. With four-and-a-half minutes to our start I frantically flapped around catching things and threading the elastic through the loops on the front beam. Another panic start, but a better one this time.
Our tactic for this race was to stay on the boat, as all around us others tipped in, fell off and generally stuffed up. Jennifer (sailing with 15-year-old Julie Boyer) completed one lap, but it was a case of "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas any more" (or Florida, either) and she sensibly decided to look after the boat and bring it home. I asked if they really never had winds like that in Florida and she said "Sometimes, but we don't go out in them!"
Mug of the day goes to Daniel van Kerckhof - running fourth, coming down to the gate on the last run, he realised he'd overlaid it badly and pushed the boat up sharply without bothering to warn his crew. Result - one spectacular nosedive and cartwheel! (I must say that this is a reconstruction from eyewitness accounts as I was too far back in the fleet to see it, unfortunately.)
Heading back into the beach, we found a car-park full of sailors glumly examining broken tiller-extensions and human-shaped holes in mainsails. The race had been won by [], but {} of the fleet didn't finish. Most people sloped off home for an early night and/or a few hours of frantic repairs.
Taipan Nationals Diary - Friday 10th January, 2003
The first race today was sailed in light, flukey conditions full of massive holes and knocks which seemed to have no discernible pattern. Sometimes we were twin-trapping and then we'd be completely stopped - I think we tacked 6 times on the first work trying to lay the top mark, where we stopped while we watched the rest of the fleet sail away.
During the race the wind seemed to settle a little into the new pattern and we pulled back a little. But it was hard work. The race was won by
The second race was more settled at 10-12 knots, nice moderate conditions which we all enjoy but in which only the best really excel. The fleet stayed very close together (lots of yelling at the bottom mark). Results are getting a bit confused at this end so look on the website next week.
Straight after racing we had the infamous Horizontal Bundy Jumping which was such a success at the Port Stephens Nationals that the thoughtful van Kerckhof family had brought it with them just in case. Steve Brewin showed excellent form and a steely competitive edge, although he was closely challenged by young Ben the floating crew. In the women's competition, Cookie's crew Monica was completely unbeatable. I was pathetic (video evidence will unfortunatley confirm this) and to make it worse I think I bruised a rib.
In tug-of-war NSW suffered as usual by not having enough fat people (where are the 5.7 sailors when you need them?) and we were quickly defeated by the heftier Victorians. As for the balloon-popping and the candle-dipping, don't even ask. My bruised rib hurts from laughing too much.
Tapan Nationals Diary - Saturday 11th January 2003.
This morning the water was like glass. Not a breath of wind... we thought the 10am start would be postponed for sure, but gulped our coffee anyway and headed down just in case. Wind just coming in, no AP - damn, get the sails up quickly. Right after we'd all riggged and scrambled into our damp gear, there was that little stripy flag, and a general groan/cheer went up - but it didn't stay up long and we were soon out on the water.
Soon the wind was picking up to a good 12-15 knots and we were double-trapping (right after I fixed that damn elastic that snapped on the start) and maxing out the downhaul. A pin-end start was much more pleasant (and quieter) than the boat end and we liked the left a lot. I would have enjoyed it more if my chest wasn't hurting so much. But it was a beautiful day and we couldn't have had a nicer place to sail.
The second race was windier, probably picking up to about 18 knots, and there were a few spectacular cartwheels and nosedives. We were doing ok until the jib tore, Chris swore, we hit someone .... Oh well, anyway we finished and I collapsed on the beach and had to be fed beer intravenously. Well, not quite. Who won? Do I really have to tell you? Oh well....
Overall winner in the 4.9 sloops was Steve Brewin, followed by Willy and Petra (go, Kurnell!!) and the Homan brothers. In the cat rigs it was Glenn Ashby (who didn't even need to sail today), then Noel Grellett and Dennis Barber. 5.7s were won by Russell Denholm, followed by Stuart Moore and Don Dull.
Now I have to go and dress for Presentation Night and work out a way to hide the bruises and the gash on my forehead.