Important Announcement. Venue Change for Next Week’s TT

Spiral Travellers Trophy Heat 8 will now be at Chipping Norton Sailing Club.

Saturday, Feb 26, 3pm start.

Chipping Norton SC will prove to be a challenge as it usually does, with a moderately confined area on a tidal river.  Top place for rigging.  3pm start time.  $15 race fee. See the Event section of Spiral Website for more details and a report on last years race.

Travellers Trophy Progressive Results up to 6 races – Scratch and Handicap – are on the Spiral website.  Drops have started to take effect.  Don’t miss out on being part of the series and the opportunity to sail on unfamiliar waters.  Only 5 races count to your final score.

Spiral TT Heat 7 Sunshine Regatta, South Lake Macquarie ASC

Lake Macquarie at SLMASC, Sunshine is a quiet corner of the world and a lovely place to sail.  The Spiral TT Heat 7 was scheduled as the Saturday race in the Sunshine Regatta.  The two day regatta (the 74th year the club has held its ‘South Lake Macquarie Regatta) was well attended with Spirals, Mirrors, the local Lake Macquarie Impulse fleet, OK Dinghys, NS14’s, Skates, VS’s and International Canoes.

The afternoon race was preceded with a sail past in memory of the life and recent passing of long standing SLMASC member Peter ‘Alfie’ Jacobson, a stalwart of the club and VJ skiff racing for over 70 years.

The wind was honking along the coast, but was gentle at the club until the just before the start of the race when it blew up to challenging 20+ knots.  Most boats sheltered in the bay near Silverwater.  The wind calmed, a bit, the starters checked and set the course.  Then the Spirals and Mirrors were started together.  The Spirals jumped ahead following Tim Vandervoort who picked the pin as the very favoured end and led from start to finish.  Peter Newman dogged Tim until he had a very brief capsize.  Rumour has it that Peter had just passed a shark, got distracted, took a dip, then thought it wise to regain the inside of his Spiral very quickly.  Grahame Tindall appreciated the opportunity to duck past Peter.  John Franklin sat comfortably in fourth.  The fleet strung out as the wind speed gradually declined through the race.  Despite the wind being shifty, they were no favours.  Luke Franklin and Mark McConnel took advantage of the following breeze to push up in the fleet.  But the breeze was decreasing.  Pete Eslick kept out to windward, to catch the puffs first, to pass and finish just ahead of Grae Baker, followed by Luke and Mark.  Once there was a bit of separation, it was a long sail to the finish for Andrew and Thom Hardman, Tegan Franklin and Wendy Berlecky.