Alistair Tyrrell

24 July 2015 AYC had its annual regatta this weekend with racing over 3 days. The forecast wasn't good, variable and strong winds and rain expected. However, Georgia, Dominik and I turned up for the briefing at 2.45pm Friday. I've always wanted to do dinghy-style racing with the cruisers and this was the day. Five boats went out for the 4pm start, mostly the usual Arun club racers but with one visiting yacht Crazy Horse. The club president was away for the weekend but he'd loaned his cruiser to Turner. A line start off the committee boat with marks laid out, 90 minute expected duration. As we went out to sea there was very little wind and we all flapped about waiting for the start sequence, Tom the race officer was doing his best to set the course marks such that we had a windward  - leeward sausage course but the wind kept changing direction. After the 5-4-1-0 start sequence of flags and hoots we'd got a fairly good start about the middle of the field. We nearly

5 July 2015   Four boats turned out for the cruiser race on Sunday, including Orca the cat which we don't often see racing. Early rain had cleared up and the forecast was for brighter weather, wind gentle but increasing later. I had Stuart and Dominik with me, after a quick lunch we set off at 1245 for the 1330 start.   We knew from the harbourmaster that there was a big ship due to enter the river at high tide, 1430, so the race officer elected to set us a course well east of the river so we'd be out of the way. With a southwesterly wind this meant a downwind running start across a line between two buoys, instead of the usual gate start into the wind. A dinghy-style start sequence over the radio - five minutes, four, one, go. For the first time this year we got the start just right, timing our arrival at the line on a starboard broad reach, the first boat over the line at about 7 seconds after zero. Looking back at the other three behind us was a great moment! Dominik h