What a fantastic weekend with a great bunch of folk.
Here is Graham (hope it's spelt right mate) checking out my load as he was the first to arrive on Wednesday.
After I got there Thursday morning, we set up to go for a sail and a dust storm hit. I got to 72 kmh and bottled out. I layed the yacht down to fix a batten that had come loose and couldn't stand the yacht up in the wind. The sail was sucked down onto the lake.
Graham didn't see me sitting it out and rocked down the roadway and crashed, got going again and with his sail sheeted out as far as possible went careering down the causway and here is where he ended up with a bent axle. The speed he was doing down the causway he should have been fined for not submitting a flight plan, as he only touched the ground every 10 metres or so.
Paul had a storm sail sorted though.
Ron and Mark
Trav, the bringer of the chocolate port. Ta for that fella!!!
Vic, cool sunnies mate.
Thanks everyone who made this such a huge sucesss.
PS; I found a pair of joggers laying 100 mts apart, on the road on the way out from the lake, let me know if they are yours.
Aus4 and my self are now back in Bridgetown after a great weekend. The event was a great success with 25-30 yachts turning up to compete. The weather was great(Cold night the first night especially when I found out I had forgot my mattress Igot hold of one for the next night)
The event was well organized and some great racing was had by all. We had one night of night sailing and everyone who had there first sail at night was spun out and had grins from ear to ear.
We tried rolling starts for the class5 and mini's and was a great success(some of us need some more practice though).
Chooks pulse jet was a great crowd entertainer. Chooks also had the longest widest kite buggy that I had ever seen.
I did not get to take any Pics so hopefully some one will put some up, I have a vid that I will post when the dam thing finishes downloading of one of the class5 rolling starts taken from aus230.
Chooks Jet
Lake Lefroy weekend of Racing and Speed(ish)
“Acting Commodores “ Report and Race results
The weekend started well with the first yacht damaged out of contention by Thursday afternoon in howling westerlies!
Massive westerlies were pounding the lake , so the first arrivals didn't even try to pitch camps, add the 4 degrees overnight ,and getting too far from the campfire wasn't a good idea This resulted in an absolute snorefest in the clubhouse. The result being that Chook Hendersen is our official snoring champion. He stopped snoring and finally dozed just as light was cracking the horizon, so the rest of us were treated to a pleasant 1/2hr to doze..
Friday offered a nice20kph NE which allowed the early arrivers to shake out the new and smaller sails and trial against each other. There were already some club 88's and blokarts out sailing so a grand day was had by all. The wind faded away leaving a pleasant night .
Saturday morning ,and the wind started to cruise in just as we were doing the 9.30 registration.
All competitors managed to form 1 line and registration was soon completed. Many thanks to the Fearless Fairy for taking over from the fumbling duo. The paperwork,entry list AND race fees all tallied on the first count! We had 15 mini entries,1minimini and 10 class5,
This year we were blessed with the entire lake from which to choose a “best “ race course.
With our sailing commodore down with a lurgy I decided on racing the short course races first. The first trophies to be raced for were to be the Kambalda West Perpetual trophy and the “Dee” trophy, both historical trophies dating back to the clubs beginnings in the early 1970's.
A simple rectangular course of 1km upwind and 750m reaches was set with just enough restrictions to not make it too simple. Notably this year the course had ample area for a windup allowing a flying start for BOTH minis AND class5. There was only 1 start line collision throughout the whole event. as the morning moved on the day warmed up and the breeze became more fickle. Although it was possible to reach along the startline , getting to the upwind mark and sailing back downwind was tricky.
A blokart with 5.5m sail was sent out to try to sail a lap, but required 46minutes, so racing was abandoned, and the focus was shifted to firewood cutting for some .
Sunday ,day 2,the wind was sparkling from the north again, so we started the day with minis , then class 5. After a race each the second mini race had to be abandoned due to failing winds.
The first race acted as a great reminder to pay attention to the marks and the start /lap/finish lines.Most of the weekends top performers fell victim to lack of attention at some point, with the exception of the Fearless Fairy. As lunch approached and the crowds wandered off to their camps to settle down for the day , the lake simply decide to switch on the wind.
Lunches were abandoned and the minis hit the lake again .
Both the trophy series were completed, and the results , having been calculated by Susan, were put away from view.
Saturday night was pleasantly warm , with a full moon rising right on dusk , so with a great breeze and lots of lake to play on some of the visitors treated themselves to a night sail. From the clubhouse the view was surreal with all sorts of little lights flashing and twinkling all over the lake.
At night the tax tins came out, the club had a RFDS(Royal Flying Doctor Service) tin and Jodie Bartlett was waving an Ovarian Cancer Fundraiser Tin to any generous souls.
The RFDS tin filled to the tune of $189 plus some cents. Well done and thank you for your generousity.With luck , we will never have to call on them.
Monday, Marathon Day!!!!!!!. The minis raced for the Andrew Bates Perpetual Marathon Shield, and the class 5's chasing the Lightning Nickel Marathon Shield.
the breeze was again from the north, but stronger. I decide to stretch the course out along the main causeway to make for some gruelling long and short tacking legs backed up with some long ,tricky downwinders. Although the course seemed simple, a set of gates 1km up from the line meant that tacks of up to 2.5km resulted when sailing to the far marker. Basically you would completely lose sight of markers and have to “judge” when to tack. As the crow flies the course was 8kmx6 laps. Realistically overall distance should be around the 80-100kms
Race order was decide on the toss and minis left the line first. This year Andy Bates simply wasn't going to be beaten and scorched off to lead throughout the race.he lapped all but second place getter Vic Bermingham. A top effort, and something for me to work towards next year
This year we had our first Kite buggy entry. We were really impressed to see that the buggy could outpoint us upwind. Unfortunately he suffered a harness failure at the top mark and had to pull out. Im looking forward to next year, perhaps some kite entries in an all out race!
Top speeds recorded in the race were only in the low seventies, but we did get a bit excited by Scott Greens 107,until somebody explained to his dad that that was the distance covered. After a 15 minute break the class 5 fleet lined up for a flying start.
This year Travis Bartlett simply put his stamp on the race, he led over the line and was never caught or threatened, we didn't even get close enough to say hello as he passed us. His 77.9kph was also unbeaten.
Given all the mods and “improvements” Vic,Barry and myself had tried in the last 12 months,Travis ,by comparison had touched nothing, his dragonfly logo was sitting on a simple OTT chassis with 20”rear wheels and a sail that dates to 1991!
With all races completed,lunches were devoured and trophies awarded.many thanks to Susan for calculating the races and the final scores,and Graham,Josephine,little Stig and Travis for the race starting
Usually at this point there is a mad rush to pack and go ,but this year the inclination wasn't there.The winged Berminator,and Murray Turners tailplane wing were out for their first real trials, and Chooks “super” kite buggy made its debut. The wings couldn't quite get enough wind, although Travis described the Berminator as “wanting”to go.
The kite buggy however managed a 74kphwith an intermediate kite. No photos of it as its still VERY experimental.
I was really pleased to wake up on Tuesday morning to find that 6 camps were still set up,and there was no mad rushing to get up and go.By the time we reached Kambalda at 11.00am the wind had picked back up to unsailable northerlies with dust storms.
Thank you to all who made the effort to join in the fun , and hope to see you at the next effort.
final results up tommorrow when Susan checks them
Have you the final results yet, had a couple of emails/pm asking who came where.
Cheers
Vic
How is Lydon, hope he is better.
Heres the results, sorry had troubles with tables and formatting and seabreeze so have printed and scanned.
Lightning Nickel Marathon Shield results
1. T Bartlett 220
2. P Day3
3. V Bermingham231
4. M Diggins62
5. G Johnston110
6. C Henderson7
7. W Thomas226
8. B Pulford4
9. R Fauntleroy32
10. G Greaves123
Andrew Bates Perpetual Marathon Shield results
1. A Bates10
2. V Bermingham230
3. J Jurjevich3
4. B Pulford4
5. W Thomas226
6. C Henderson7
7. R Fauntleroy32
8. J Day
9. G Greaves0
10. M Green5
11. M Fauntleroy2
12. M Properjohn
Kambalda West perpetual trophy (mini races)
1. V Bermingham
2. A Bates
3. J Jurjevich (sorry guys on the lake we said Andy and Joe came equal 2nd, when putting scores together for printed results we realised that there was a mis-calucaltion Andy snuck in front of Joe by 1 point)
4. C Henderson
5. B Pulford
6. W Cuperis
7. J Day (junior)
8. Mick
9. R Fauntleroy
10. G Greaves
“Dee” Trophy (Class 5 races)
1. Vic Birmingham
2. Megan (Fearless Fairy) Diggens
3. Paul Day
4. Travis Bartlett
5. Howard
6. Murray Turner
7. Chook Henderson
8. Barry Pulford
9. Graeme
10. Greg
Minimini Trophy: Charlotte Day
Best junior of the regatta: Josephine Day
Paul Day
On behalf of LLLSC
P.S.
Those that were at the lake will notice that there is no mention of Chooks Jet-Pulse landyacht/rocket…..what happens at the lake, stays at the lake ;-)
Hey a huge thankyou Susan and Paul for putting together a fantastic weekend of sailing.
I must also thank the Fearless Fairy for stepping in with the registrations, as I don't think anyone would have got to sail before dark otherwise. Ta for that, I was way out over my depth.
Also everyone that pitched in to make this such a sucess. (You listening Trav)
I enjoyed every minute of it and will see everyone next year.
Chook
