Day 1, Leander 2003

Invitation Race

First Day Rigging

A puffy 10-15 knot SW breeze provided a testing start to Leander 2003. The fleet spread over the course, those going right benefiting from more breeze. Those who didn't, well lets just say there was a big spread at the top mark. Liquid (Dan Leech & Steve Fortune) won the race to the top mark, followed by Nuplex (Alex Vallings & Chris Burgess) and Montana Bakery (Dan Foulter & Paul McGibbon). Downwind it was a battle to stay in the fingers of breeze. Liquid stayed ahead of Nuplex, Meridian Energy (Tim Allan & Dave Pairman) passing Montana Bakery. Liquid stretched upwind, Nuplex closed downwind, carrying good wind down. This pattern was repeated for the next loop, Liquid just holding out a fast finishing Nuplex. Better Business by Design (Shaun Sheldrake & Craig Anderson) stormed down the last downind to finish third, followed by Dimension Polyant (Tim Bartlett & Simon Ganley) then the unlucky Meridian.

Race 1

Again the boats which went right off the start got the better breeze, Stagecoach (Steve Hogg & Neil Wood) going the most right and getting the best, just rolling Liquid before the top mark, followed by a bunch. It was follow the leader downwind, the bunch geting tighter and tighter. Liquid and Stagecoach went right, Liquid passing inside Stagecoach. Dimension Polyant, Chemical Weapon (Sean Milner & Steve MacIntosh) and Design Source (Paul MacIntosh & Kenny Fyfe).went left finding good breeze, with Liquid just managing to cross back in front to nose round the mark ahead but did a bad hoist, letting Dimension, Chemical Weapon and Stagecoach past. It stayed this way downwind, but was very tight around the bottom. This time the wind looked best in the left, so the fleet went that way. Liquid just getting the best of it, and nosed around ahead, with the pack breathing down their necks. A slipup on Liquid and they capsized, letting Dimension into the lead on downhill to the finish. The wind was streaky now, and Chemical weapon stayed in the breeze to finish first, followed by Dimension, Stagecoach and Montana.

Race 2

Sean and Chappie doing the daily results

A few dramas at the start, Nuplex starting well back, after returning to the start thinking they were over. Subwoofer (Paul Roe & Ashton Smith) was the guilty party and scored an OCS. This time the breeze was best in the left, those doing well, Design Source, Dimension Polyant, Chemical Weapon, B3D, Meridian and Loyal (Nathan Bax & Rod Chave). Design Source, Dimension and Chemical Weapon held a commanding 1,2,3 for the first loop, the action happening on the second and third downwinds. The breeze had gone light and patchy, the boats holding onto the puffs making large gains. The order was Design Source, Dimension Polyant, Chemical Weapon, B3D, then Liquid coming back from a disastrous first leg. As was the pattern in all three races, many places were changed in the last downwind, Design Source held out for the win, Liquid charged through for a second, Chemical weapon getting third, Dimension Polyant sat in a hole getting an unlucky seventh.

At the BBQ

Chemical Weapon had a good afternoon, taking the yellow jersey with a first and a third. earning 167 points. The was a tight bunch after that, Design Source's win putting them in second on 125, Liquid regretting their swim , third on 124.5, followed by Stagecoach (123.8), and Dimension Polyant (120). The infamous brown jersey proudly worn by the youth team on Buster Bloodvessel, Glen Taylor and Asti Royds.

Last place "brownshirts" Glen Taylor and Philip "Asti" Royds. Note the spare shackle carried at all times by Glen