Tuesday, December 12, 2017

_____________________ A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ____________________

This evening I completed the second week in a row of duty on the Onerahi Yacht Clubs start / finish boat. It is a busy and interesting time setting out the course with buoys and setting up the start / finish line with as little bias as possible.

A 'Slow' and a 'Fast' fleet race three or four, back to back races on separate courses. The number of laps depends on the wind strength.

The start / finish boat (A large RIB with a powerful outboard motor) is always crewed by two people. It involves a lot of work launching,  setting out courses, race starting, taking each boats time, retrieving buoys, hauling out and washing down the RIB. I think it is a good system the club runs whereby each sailor gets to do a couple or more 'Start' boat duties. It enables you to understand the amount of work involved 'behind the scenes' and not to take all the race organisation for granted.

The other great benefit is just to be on the water on a warm evening watching small boats sailing. For some of us (apart from actually sailing your own boat) it doesn't get a lot better than that.

2 comments:

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

.."on the water on a warm evening watching small boats sailing.".. bliss... -2' last night.. it'll be a long time coming here!

Alden Smith said...

Steve, some people would say that watching yachts sailing is a bit like watching grass grow - but people like us, well, we Know what we Know! and yes, the weather is certainly a lot colder in the UK at the moment : >)