Ass kicking
X86
Rich Carey
Mon 29 Oct 2018 07:32
The Seawind gathering, was really good. I was led to believe that the fleet were a bunch on mom and dad sailors, who would be drinking gin instead of preparing, and then unable to even find the start line. Yeah, right! As
ever, my experience meant I nailed the start on all three of the weekends races, but then these boats with highly competitive crews, bigger sails, and way cleaner undercarriages, ate me for breakfast. I have never been so close to other big boats - at the
start that is - then I was just looking at their transoms ...
At the Saturday end of regatta party, I naturally won the 'Longest traveled to the event' prize. The organizer joked that he'd invited me while I was still in Dubai, which was a perfect lead-in for my prize acceptance comment "I've come 16,000 miles, in 20 months, to get my ass thoroughly kicked!" - the crowd loved it ;-)
Twenty boats attended, which was awesome - almost every type ever made was in attendance. A good weekend was had, with excellent people.
Now I'm back in Careel, and high and dry. The haul out was way less stressful than normal. Instead of swinging through the air, x86 motored over a rail trolley, they tied her on, and hauled the trolley out - brilliant. We hoped for a 24hr haul and return, but the tide was the worst it could be (back end still over water during working hours, at current spring high tide), so best they can do is get me back in the water for first thing on Wednesday. The forecast on Wednesday isn't great for the run the Sydney, but I'm still hopeful, as I don't want to be trapped again, waiting for a weather window. It's only 15 miles in open sea, but the weather in these parts can be excessive.
Meanwhile, I got the bus to Mona Vale after the haul, and bought a new Microwave - all plumbed in easily on my return The whole kitchen now looks brand new.
So, for two nights I'm at a most weird angle. It's only about 15 degrees, but is well disorienting, and difficult to move around. It's like she's come up on a wave, and frozen there - weird doesn't quite describe it.
All's well on x86, high and dry.
At the Saturday end of regatta party, I naturally won the 'Longest traveled to the event' prize. The organizer joked that he'd invited me while I was still in Dubai, which was a perfect lead-in for my prize acceptance comment "I've come 16,000 miles, in 20 months, to get my ass thoroughly kicked!" - the crowd loved it ;-)
Twenty boats attended, which was awesome - almost every type ever made was in attendance. A good weekend was had, with excellent people.
Now I'm back in Careel, and high and dry. The haul out was way less stressful than normal. Instead of swinging through the air, x86 motored over a rail trolley, they tied her on, and hauled the trolley out - brilliant. We hoped for a 24hr haul and return, but the tide was the worst it could be (back end still over water during working hours, at current spring high tide), so best they can do is get me back in the water for first thing on Wednesday. The forecast on Wednesday isn't great for the run the Sydney, but I'm still hopeful, as I don't want to be trapped again, waiting for a weather window. It's only 15 miles in open sea, but the weather in these parts can be excessive.
Meanwhile, I got the bus to Mona Vale after the haul, and bought a new Microwave - all plumbed in easily on my return The whole kitchen now looks brand new.
So, for two nights I'm at a most weird angle. It's only about 15 degrees, but is well disorienting, and difficult to move around. It's like she's come up on a wave, and frozen there - weird doesn't quite describe it.
All's well on x86, high and dry.
