18s – Race report 7th December 2013

What a fantastic day to get back into sailing 18s after a month break.  Just two skiffs, Team Ullman Sails and PB Towage, were there to front the starter, understandable given the recent tragic loss of Casper.

What looked like a nice little 8 to 10 knotter slowly built as the arvo went on.  Both skiffs bolted in the big gear, what could possibly go wrong?

A combined start for the 12s and 18s had the 12s talking it up about poles through wings, etc.  I’m guessing none of them wanted to risk their delicate carbon rigging against an 18 pole again, because they were nowhere to be seen on the first start.  PB Towage started mid line with Team Ullman at the boat.  Both boats dragged it out to the right almost to the lay-line until a nice little lefty came through.  On the drag race into the top, Team Ullman went into point mode and managed to lock PB Towage into a tight lee bow to lead around the top mark.

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The first run was interesting on-board Team Ullman, as every other mark on the bay looked like ours except ours.  We eventually found it and overcooked the final gybe in to let PB Towage through.  Team Ullman had a blinder of a second work to regain the lead by the top, then fell foul of a lay-line call again to let PB Towage through at the second bottom mark.  PB got cheeky with the drop and prawned it just after the bottom mark to let Team Ullman back through again.

Team Ullman covered PB Towage the whole of the next windward and run to the finish to take the gun.

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The breeze kicked for Race 2, with both 18s now looking for the little rigs.  I don’t know how the 12s handled it.  Oh wait………

PB Towage got the pin from a 12 who must have wondered who turned the fan off as Team Ullman blasted over the top.  PB Towage lead around the top for the first time, only to catch the Team Ullman illness of not picking lay-lines to let Ullman through for the lead at the bottom.  Ullman low grooved it out to the right for the second work while PB sailed high mode.  PB Towage managed to make the high mode work to lead round the top, and managed to hold that lead all the way to the finish, despite some comeback from Ullman up the final work.

All in all, a fantastic day’s sailing.

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