Penguin Diaries: Day 66: MPA sailing regatta

Wednesday 16th January (again...)

Well, I only just realised that "PenguinDiaries2012" was a little silly - it's 2013 now. Oh well.

We arrived back at MPA at around 5.15, and we were due at Gull Island Pond for 5.30 for a race briefing. The regatta was scheduled for last week, but it was gusting 40KT. The race leader would only let the experienced sailors out, so only 5 boats went out. After only one race everyone got called back and the race was cancelled. Out of the two laps that they did, James won by one clear lap... So he was a bit gutted that they didn't give him the silverware, and instead rescheduled the regatta for tonight, in the hope that more novices would turn up.

Tonight is was still pretty windy, 20 gusting 30KT, so we all stared at the anemometer a while until the race leader made a decision. The turn out was again quite disspointing, and only the same people that did it last week turned up again. Oh well. They decided to give it a go, and went out. I'd never seen a Pico before, but to be honest it didn't look any different to the lazers or toppers I had seen at SIdmouth... Oh dear... I don't think James reads Penguin Diaries any more, now that he is down here, but I think he is going to be dissapointed in my sailing report...

I rang the hooter and helped with the flags to start the race off. It took a while, as we had to wait until all the buoys were in the right place (difficult when there are no radios to communicate with the safety boat) and all the boats were the right way up. James was pretty slow getting to the start line, he crossed the line 3rd (out of 4) but literally by about 20FT later they were at the windward mark (Check out my knowledge!!!) and one boat capsized, and James snook into the lead. He then completed the rest of the lap without a capsize and was a good half lap ahead of the next person. Once he had completed one lap, it was taking the others quite a while, so the leader decided to shorten course and only have two laps, instead of three. I sounded the air horn to let them know. When James finished he sailed onto the shore as he had a problem with his rudder. After only one race he was the clear winner, one did not finish and one was disqualified as he didn't go through the gate. Oh dear. James tied his boat up and decided he had time to fix his rudder, tape up his hands and come say hi to me before the next race started.

We were again waiting for all the boats to be the right way up before we started the five minute count down, but it was taking a while so we decided to just crack on. Good job we didn't wait, as it turned out the boat that was upside down in the water stayed like that for about an hour - it's mast was stuck on the wreck of another boat at the bottom of the pond and had to be dug out! To be honest my fingers were numb with cold, so once I had done my job of doing the horn thing I went off to get my gloves. When I came back the race was over and James had again won. The guy who came second in the first race came second again, and the other two got a "did not finish" and a "did not start"...

Everyone got washed and dried, and we went into the club house to hear the results... as only two races went ahead they w
ould not give out prizes. Instead a third even would be scheduled for next week and it would be a mini series instead, so the points from tonight would still count. After two races James got 2 points (for two wins) the other guy got 4 points as he finished second in both, and the other two got 10 points and 0. Poor James had even brought his Sidmouth Sailing Club tie along with him, in the hope of being awarded a trophy...!

There was a lot of capsizing going on... Even James went in a couple of times. It was good fun! It finished around 9pm and we went to get pizza.