Quality over Quantity in 2013!

Well I did indeed take a year out, the big T in two hands but even within that there was two opportunities to fill a Whole on the Melges 24 this season at either end more or less of the summer.

First was just a delivery back from Lillesand to Kristiansand. This we did sans spinnaker being two up in 12 to 17 knt type of day so I helmed for most of the time. Good to get the feel of the boat on longer tacks and in 1.5 m Waves With Wind against tide for a while too. When it blew up With the steeper Waves, we did feel a bit like a Cork in a bucket, and found that in 20knts two up you can just forget the jib and have some very good progress on main along,which suprised me but then the keel position is tuned for big lee helm from the assy, so there is not a notable weather helm With reasonable twist and judicious use of the traveller. 5 hours later, we tied up and drove the 25 minutes or so back up the dual Carriage way to get my car!

Second time out though was in anger and a repeat tour for the old lady to Farsund, this time With the core crew of us lady boys!

Last year there were six boats and quite good crack. This year there was only four, but the four were pretty Close packed on the start line and the crack was definetly much, much better With a lot more shore support and higher spirits from those who took part at night.

The man on the stick is Deadly at starts and punches above the boat's usual weight ( i hear also at the Nationals too!) due to earlier laser sailing, and that he has a 1995 BAE melges which he need not take prisoners With! of 8 races over the two days, I don't think we had more than one bad start and I think we had two best of fleet starts, which we could not defend against Party Girl- they do have a boat in Florida and East Norway to compete at a slightly higherlevel than us.

Race one I do remember we went for a pin end and had absolute ball hairs With People hunting us but made a great start, which we squandered on not knowing the tide and favoured side. I think we sailed into windshadow of an island expecting tide shadow too. Other starts we were really in there, and in fact they were far hairier than NM starts because everyone came reaching in to starboard into the small triangle between pontoon start Committee and boat houses and quay behind.

Boat speed off the line was better than the other two laggards With good rig settings both days, and we did hold pace a while With Party girl after a few starts. However every time around half way up, Party girl was able to get away With 5 to ten boat legnths from a few tacks. This pissed me off, but we were soon doing much the same to the last boat and the Bring sponsored boat just got further and further behind us on the beats as the weekend progressed.

Day one was not so much about the upwind though, which was against about 16 to 21 knts Wind in the gusts. It was aboyut the Down Wind and the 21 knt gusts driving us on to 14 knts or even more boat speed. There was a bit of 25 knts in the second last race and we did some bow planting before getting a guy on the transom, much to Our own soaked amusement.  The lightly used Norths 2011 assy was bitching. Tight and really like it was made for the weather like 3rd gear onto the motorway.

Break was held With a mountain of home made Baccalau to restaurant standard IMHO, lacking enough garlic though. After sailing there were FREE BEERS in norway, gold dust. Social was Fish Soup at the hotel and some good joke telling. Party went to some posh Place, there is some folk With too much Money in Farsund, and we were up in the rafters of a beautifully redone multilevel town house.

day two was luckily 6 to 12 knts, With maybe some 18 knt Blocks because we got planing a couiple of Seconds. This was ideal for my general demeanour, being untrained and badly slept and it must be said, hung over.

Starts in all Three races now were really on top and pretty much best in fleet. We slipt the tack line a bit on one run and got amazing VMG as you do in about 9 to 12 knts breeze whcih is a little before planing but a Heavy enough breeze to really drive the boat forward With the assy rotated to Windward.

Boat packed away and a bit of Melges 24 and 32 on Youtube night after and I am both pissed at having not done any sailing, but also glad that taking "T" has left me less jaded about "another day at the Office" and more interested in just crewing NeXT year and getting on the helm of a snipe or whatever to get the feel back for myself.