NZ International Classic Yacht Regatta .. 2 days to go!

[John B]

I'm not getting any better at the sleep thing.
I've cleaned the boat, removed a vast amount of cruising gear and lost about 6" of waterline length. set the topsail on the mooring, got depressed at it's foul shape,
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/pa4ddcf363f90846b7b245b188230effa/fcb01b3e.jpg
had a crew meeting for food grog etc , printed out some crew T shirts on the trusty epson( theres a thought... I should have chased WB sponsorship) and generally tried to think of everything.
Thursday, a holiday ( It's tues here) we start with a 28mile passage race to Kawau Island. Friday we have 2 short races around the Kawau bay, Sat we race back to Auckland and Sun we have a harbour race. Pretty full on.
There are 85 confirmed entries I believe , and more to come. 6 divisions from vintage to modern classics in various sizes.
It's going to be a real spectacle and the handicapping is orientated towards original and authentic craft.
We pay a big penalty for our 1950's winches for example but because we're Gaff we have a good show handicap wise and especially if the weather is lightish. We will have to beat bigger boats on the water but we are feeling hot and we have arranged divers to nail sacks to the primary competition.... LOL I said LOL.Joke.

What a buzz. getting tense in the south pacific.

[J. Dillon]

Good luck John and we hope for some action images.
:D

JD

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Yes, pictures please. Sounds like fun. :D

Steven

[Mike Field]

.
Power to your tiller, JOhnno.
.

[martin schulz]

Wow John just your post already sent chills down my spine. I am sitting here imagining going out for some serious sailing.

The RumRegatta is in May and just thinking about it makes me nervous.

[Concordia..41]

I'm green with envy and have a stomach full of sympathy butterflies.

Can't wait to hear how good you did!!!

BTW - your divers will find anchors much more effective than sacks - not joking ;) well kinda sorta ;)

You'll do great!!!

Cheers!

- Margo

[Wild Dingo]

You will beat the pants of them mate!!! :cool: What else could you do but beat them with the lovely Waione??? mmmmmm ;) ...finestkind she be but then Ive said that havent I? seem to be repeatin meself a fair bit lately wonder if its the onset of that oldtimers thingy??!! never mind... now where was I??? :rolleyes:

Jealousy is a lousy shipmate isnt she??? sigh... ah well we can expect a full photo image set of the entire event right John?? RIGHT MATE???... I mean you wont be doin nothing for the whole thing will yer??? HA!!! :D tongue.gif

Dont worry mate I will be sittin here anticipating your followup report {as will three quaters of the forum eh! so dont get so pickled as to not post for a few days eh? ;) }... did you say "crew T shirts"? mmmm been around them big boys a bit much recently eh and gettin a bit Americas Cupish eh?? HA!!!! tongue.gif

Have a ball mate! :cool:

[John B]

Thanks you all.
Fortunately we have this pretty well oiled machine so far as crew is concerned. We did the coastal classic on one of their boats, the winter racing on another of their boats and as far as provisioning they have taken all the responsibility for it plus arranged a launch to carry it there and be a sleep aboard boat. Waione and 6 adults sleeping aboard .... could be done but a bit of a mission if there's any wet gear to stow etc.So the launch is a real help.

There is this great mother of a high pressure sitting over the Tasman sea ... 1000 miles wide so weather is looking good for 3 days at least.... ooo yeah.

can't sit still......... let's go NOW.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

You're a WBF hero, John. Best of luck and please send me a plane ticket. The water is cold and hard here in Detroit.

Rich

[ronaki]

Originally posted by John B:
I'm not getting any better at the sleep thing.
I've cleaned the boat, removed a vast amount of cruising gear and lost about 6" of waterline length. set the topsail on the mooring, got depressed at it's foul shape,
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/pa4ddcf363f90846b7b245b188230effa/fcb01b3e.jpg
had a crew meeting for food grog etc , printed out some crew T shirts on the trusty epson( theres a thought... I should have chased WB sponsorship) and generally tried to think of everything.
Thursday, a holiday ( It's tues here) we start with a 28mile passage race to Kawau Island. Friday we have 2 short races around the Kawau bay, Sat we race back to Auckland and Sun we have a harbour race. Pretty full on.
There are 85 confirmed entries I believe , and more to come. 6 divisions from vintage to modern classics in various sizes.
It's going to be a real spectacle and the handicapping is orientated towards original and authentic craft.
We pay a big penalty for our 1950's winches for example but because we're Gaff we have a good show handicap wise and especially if the weather is lightish. We will have to beat bigger boats on the water but we are feeling hot and we have arranged divers to nail sacks to the primary competition.... LOL I said LOL.Joke.

What a buzz. getting tense in the south pacific.

[ronaki]

Originally posted by John B:
I'm not getting any better at the sleep thing.
I've cleaned the boat, removed a vast amount of cruising gear and lost about 6" of waterline length. set the topsail on the mooring, got depressed at it's foul shape,
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/pa4ddcf363f90846b7b245b188230effa/fcb01b3e.jpg
had a crew meeting for food grog etc , printed out some crew T shirts on the trusty epson( theres a thought... I should have chased WB sponsorship) and generally tried to think of everything.
Thursday, a holiday ( It's tues here) we start with a 28mile passage race to Kawau Island. Friday we have 2 short races around the Kawau bay, Sat we race back to Auckland and Sun we have a harbour race. Pretty full on.
There are 85 confirmed entries I believe , and more to come. 6 divisions from vintage to modern classics in various sizes.
It's going to be a real spectacle and the handicapping is orientated towards original and authentic craft.
We pay a big penalty for our 1950's winches for example but because we're Gaff we have a good show handicap wise and especially if the weather is lightish. We will have to beat bigger boats on the water but we are feeling hot and we have arranged divers to nail sacks to the primary competition.... LOL I said LOL.Joke.

What a buzz. getting tense in the south pacific.Good Luck for the regatta,
Have you informed the handicap committee about your secret "Pink peg hulla " appendige?

[John B]

Well that was 4 days of sheer hell.... not.
Unreal weather. On the light side so it suited us, terrific racing, fantastic boats everywhere you looked ,dating from the 1880s through to the modern classics division full of beautifully built 60's and 70's boats.
I'll write it up later and post pictures but we got the result by a whisker. 3rd, 2nd,and 2 1sts. one race abandoned.
Moana got a 3rd a 2nd and 2 firsts as well so it came down to the last race which we won by a whisker( handicap). really it was her regatta win which we stole by being lucky or by making some luck. My crew is good and we didn't do too much wrong.
I am so tired though. come to work for a rest.

Later.....

[Wiley Baggins]

Congrats! smile.gif

[John B]

Oh Dave, thanks for the peg idea but we went for a light blue plastic, slightly broken hula hoop which we attached to the counter and pointed out to all and sundry as a "secret weapon". Worked quite well in the psychological war. Must have terrified the other boats.

[John B]

and another forum boat , Resolution, got the line honours prize in her div( modern classics) and 2nd on handicap as well. well done Chris!!

[Concordia..41]

Cha ching :D :D :D

[John B]

heh heh heh :D
mwa hahaha.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Nice job John. Did you see the current issue of ClassicBoat? They feature Jesse Logan and talk alot about classic NZ yachting, but I was disappointed not to see Waione. :(
Nice issue, though.

Steven

[John B]

Hi Steven, Yes, just saw it. there was one in each of our programme packs. That's Moana on the cover, the boat we pinched the win from.She's a lot quicker and she ran a kite this time.I haven't got one and I'm not sure I want one .Anyway, if it wasn't for her getting parked up with no wind while we made 1.5knots she had it sewn up. It's not over till the etc, as they say.
That article is about the Logan boats and we're a Bailey. We had a cover on Classic boat though, back in 2000 sometime. And quite a few photos in another edition plus an article So I'm happy. I'll post photos of all those boats in the mag as I can.

In the meantime, this is Rona, the 1892 Watson design built by Logan snr ( featured in WB some years ago)and Waione ,1907 Bailey ,last night after all the racing.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid50/pdaa7a79421dbf1c8381d81b98bcc6b5c/fca928b2.jpg

[Johannah]

Oooooh, Aaaaaah. Loud clapping sounds from the frozen northeast of right-side-up-land! Details, pleeeeeez. :cool: :cool:

[Dave Hadfield]

I've really got to get to New Zealand....

[Tim.Diebert]

WOW :eek: