McCrae Worlds

Back home at last after two weeks of sailing and a slow tourist trip home.
It was a good regatta with a lot of good friendships, good organisation and nice atmosphere. Winds were not always co-operative but the RC did very well.

The Hollow Log did well. As pre-empted upwind speed was not up to par, but I had a lot of fun passing boats downwind. I feel it was probbaly the fasted non spinnacker boat downhill out of the three fleets.

Streatching my memory the racing went something like this:

Preworlds with ICs, DCs, and ACs all in together. Mostly light winds. Fastest boat was Chris Maas but both Hayden (IC) and Steve (DC) won races. I lead one race which was canned whenthe wind departed. I do not remember the spinacker boats winning any races. The posted results are distorted by the failure of quite a few people to sign on. Steve won the series by always being up front.

We had only one work in 15kts and Steve won that race from Chris and I, after separating from the fleet in the earlier drift.

A few started the last race in about 30kts. I made the first tack with out a swim but was heading home when the RC called it off, All rescue boats were busy collecting disabled canoes downwind. Results are on http://www.regattamanager.com.au/icpreworlds/Results/Progress.html

My best result was the invitation with a 2nd in a light to moderate easterly.

For the start of the WC proper we had a nice southerly and I sneaked a 4th after battling Allister and Phil for a lap. Then the next race in similar winds the seat split and I struggled to shore. I repared it on the lay day but missed the consequential damage to the carrage. Next race was sailed hiking only part way out so as to make the distance, after which I rushed ashore for some quick epoxy repaires, Autoclaved in inside the Honda parked in the hot sun. Missed one race but made the third of the day.

The wind was back to the east like the preworlds where we had moderate easterlies which heavily favoured the right side near the beach. It often became a procession with no passing lanes upwind and I suffered badly. But this race Oliver and Allister decided they were behind enough to risk the left and passed 4 of us. Frustration

Next day was a big Northerly so no racing but it left a big chop for the following day which combined with a fading North Easterly made upwind difficult for me and downwind exciting as I surfed past many boats, sometimes with the sail flapping. Gybing became easy. Then the wind died completely and all racing was cancelled. With multiple heats on the last day we waited patiently all day for a big southerly to die, which never happened, so it was all over and I had two drops in a one drop series.
Results : http://www.regattamanager.com.au/icworlds/Results/Progress.html

8th of 13 was not as good as I hoped but the Log at least showed some signs of speed downwind. There were a lot of good boats and good sailors. Everyone else used familar and proven rigs and seat arangements. My boat wa sthe most original because I had no prehistory in the class and not many local Aust canoes to learn from.

It was probbaly not as bad as the scores show. We had several races where the top 6 boats would exchange places on almost every leg, I seemed to go from 2nd to 6th and back again often. If the races had finished downwind I would have been several places better off, but that is not how canoe racing works.

I will pack it up now and sail some moth races again. I have kept some notes on what I would like to chnage on both this boat or a later replacement. It is stil available for $6000 if someone wants an exciting drive.

I think the hull shape is good, but the unstayed rig might be suspect as it bends more as you go out on the seat. Diamonds are an option. I think the single sail has more left to develop. I want to explore this avenue before going to a sloop.

Well done Christian and Nichole for orgaisation, to McCrae for hospitality and great race management, to all the overseas canoe visitors for coming, to all the DC designers, builders and sailors for like minded company.

There is continuing discussion on DCs on both Saiing Anarchy and the IC forum:
http://www.sailinganarchy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65915
http://www.intcanoe.org/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=732