12 brave souls ventured out early Sunday morning to crack the ice on Swan Bay under the guise of an away game for the Brass Monkeys competition.
The excitement was building all week, especially amongst the two new Dads - Pete and George who had generously been given leave passes from their two week old newborns. Be careful boys I can see this coming back to haunt you. Our wives have very long memories. A few of us made it for breakfast at 8.30am at Avalon for a egg and bacon heart starter with extra cholesterol on top with triple shot coffees to wake us up all from heavy nights before. Why do we punish ourselves so
Drift was shying away from the bacon as he had just completed a week on the road where the challenge was to have bacon with every meal 3 times a day! Dan was getting a bit towy as the wind was blowing hard at Avalon and took off while the rest of us finished our heart starters.
Our first mistake of the day was el president and VP did not tell the rest of the crew where we were going as we left the Cafe. That did not matter as everybody was following us!!
Well only until the first traffic lights came along. Anyway we eventually made it to the Queenscliffe Yacht Club with the rest of the crew arriving in 10 min intervals over the next hour!!
Jacques had mowed the lawns of the club grounds and hung out signs for the carpark and rigging areas - Fantastic job! He also had put out channel markers to get us through the sandbars but told us to sail on the wrong side so we constantly got bogged and he sailed straight past.
Red was very sick and could not make it to work and arrived at a gentleman's hour to preach to us from the waters off Swan bay. I think the sail did him the world of good as I saw him trying to sail the front of Jacques board whilst still on his own.
The wind was humming early(20 kts) as we hit the water and posted some good speeds. Water was flat and the runs where long. Around 1pm Red spat the dummy and turned the wind dial down to dead calm when I was way out the back and he was heard muttering something about "no wind at the Inverloch Speed Weekend I 'll show you no wind" Everyone else came in under sail.
We will have to start a new category for me "Crawl of Shame" through the shallow muddy waters of Swan Bay
This was the time for Richie, Dorina and Ash to turn up - perfect timing, so the afternoon was spent taking about how great the wind was this morning and how Richie's trailer has a hex on it for chasing the wind away.
Great time was had by all despite the wind dropping. Definitely coming back Red and Jacques as those long runs are very tempting
Appreciate you sharing some of your great turf with the Invy crew. Always fun.
Drift and Robbie K took some pics of the day that would be great for all to see.
Yep it's true,
Megs gave me a leave pass for the day
So excited after not having a sail for 6 weeks I couldn't sleep.
After getting lost, the other half of the convoy turned up and I rigged a 6.9.
20 knots is very conservative. My thinking was the bursts were closer to 30. I was having trouble keeping the board on the water just to beach start!
Got out there and was immediately overpowered. After 2 runs, came back in and rigged a 5.2 just as the wind died.
It was funny watching Old Salty do the largest walk of shame. It must've taken him 30 min to walk back to the launching area.
In the afternoon managed to pump onto the plane a couple times.
I stood on some type of marine life that left a spine in my foot and toe.
Overall OK sail but annoyed at the wind dropping off and not returning.
Yep - of course Drift had to capture my CRAWL OF SHAME when the wind dropped out. The water was only 6" deep but the mud was knee high. Only way through was to crawl on your knees.
Photos from the weekend....
Pretty reflections!
Red does a wind dance, to no avail.
Instead, a lecture in sailing in 0 kts.
Dead Sails in the Sunset.
The froth on the boat ramp in the last pic looks like snow on the ground! Pics look suspiciously similar to the IWC speed weekend. Who's the jinx? 
Tell you what Red, that chappy you are lecturing in the fourth photo is a handsome young lad.
Signed
Women.
I love my wife for letting me sail whenever I want...I'm sure there is no account being kept.
