"Racing" the Double Cape 2011 - hmm delivery trip to FBYC

It was to have been a race, but this is Cape Town , no guarantee the weather will play ball !!!

After a delayed departure from our mooring, Chen headed out and motored to the start off Clifton. Arriving at the start as a gesture of , 'we'll try race'; we put up the main and the no1, engaged neutral and drifted very slowly over the line..... The bigger , lighter yachts headed out to sea looking for wind hoping for a bit of a westerly. We just drifted, when did we want to arrive in Simon's Town, definitely not on Sunday. So engage gear and motor/sail, an hour wasted but we feel we did give the race a chance.

Conditions at start of Double Cape Race , Puma started to motor as we motored up to them....

FarMed made their decision early and didn't attempt the race, wise move as it turned out giving them a late afternoon arrival at FBYC.
For us off Karbonkelberg we got decent wind from the South so we started sailing again and took a long tack out to sea. Best thing that could happen would be the wind moving to he West and we'd have a great fetch to the Point, again wishful thinking. We tacked and eventually off Scarborough we joined up with Paprika and Storm, staying in their company all the way to Simon's Town.
Rounding Cape Point at sunset was beautiful, there was nooo wind the sea was flat calm, thanks Craig for the photo of Chen.

Cape Point and CHEN

Even though it was a long day at sea it was not boring, we had a couple of encounters with Whales, may have been the same pod, they seemed to follow us up to the point.

Whale company

Dassen Island, video

took some video of sunrise and at anchor, not high class but view of the trip.

Sunrise

At anchor

Our sea harvest and

Sunset

Dassen Island

Easter weekend was the official close of the crayfish season, so we made an effort and went to Dassen Island. Weather was to be 'OK' , Good Friday and Easter Saturday but turning to the north on Sunday. decision made, leave 04h00 Saturday to get the best of the day cray fishing..... We, Mark, Zarn, young Sean, Jorg and myself met just after 03h00 and were leaving just before 04h00. Conditions, no wind but bloody cold, engine on all the way. Sunrise was spectacular and expectations as the sun rose, hopefully it would get warmer, was not to be !!!

Jorg never gets cold???? yes he was....

so was I 

1st beer, hmmm when was that consumed? For breakfast, obviously, Jorg was aboard.

The trip was quite uneventful except for a bird strike, yes Windforce repeat. Mark had a line trailing hoping to catch something, all that found our lure attractive was a Cormorant. Mark reeled it in and this time instead of Zarns towel Jorg used his own, they fished it out with the hand net and after Jorg got bitten, they cut off the hook and freed it from the line, releasing a stunned but healthy Comorant back to its mates.

We also started training a new helmsman...

Sean showing how it's done, great feel.

We made good time, motor only, arriving off the southern end around 10h00 and were anchored by 11h30. There were a number of yachts already at anchor and lot of ski boats participating in a fishing competition.

Quickly after anchoring Jorg pumped up his duck and the motor was mounted...... but   ...... next hour was very frustrating. The motor refused all attempts to start it. Very kindly Grant Saunder loaned us his duck and Mark and Jorg went and set our nets down for the first time.

Beer and Wine was consumed ..... and snacks etc, as we waited for the arrival of those great crayfish.

Dassen tale continues.....>>>

CHEN- after having the underside cleaned returns to water and mooring...

CHEN returns to the water.......

going back to her mooring, she is looking good.

Seniors Race - great performance in testing winds.

Charles

Another great Team CHEN performance, Lara and Gary worked their crew magic and  our most Senior team member Charles helmed like a champion, what did I do...... called the tactics.
The race was a pursuit and as usual we were the last Miura to start but the 1st to finish. Wind was Westerly to begin, rounded no2 and Gary poled out the Genoa, a 1st for him and he saw how easy it is!. Running down to Milnerton we passed 3 Miura's as we stayed in the wind the longest, unfortunately a number of the lighter faster boats passed us as we neared Milnerton in the dying westerly. At Milnerton we got a fresh South Easterly and rounded avoiding incidents and headed back to no2. By watching the yachts ahead we took a route more to the left and managed again to stay in the South Easterly as long as possible and were well positioned as we close no2 and moved into the Westerly again. We overstood no2 which was a good tactic, as Ava the only Miura still ahead of us tacked too early and dropped below the mark and had to tack back, while we almost reached into the mark. We rounded ahead of Ava and as the Westerly died they caught us up but we managed to hold position and get into the South Easterly first and we broke away and headed to the finish. It was a great Chen victory, again proving we are able to beat the best with slick crew work , good helming and smart tactics.

MYKONOS 2011 - CHEN's Bay Race then the Party

Our 'Official Photographer' , Jacqui

What a great day, sailed hard but within our skills thereby avoiding , Broaches, Wraps and torn sails. Here are some great pics taken by our "OP", thanks Jacqui.

Leaving for the start ....

Where is that line ???













Great Beating

  

Double checking the Sailing Instructions, Phantom went the wrong way, we didn't want to make the same mistake......

"SPINNAKER" .......   Johan's reaction !!!!!





Now thats better, no chaos.............

Back to moorings, 

Now for the PARTY !!!!!

Gary & Lara

Charlotte, Marius & Me

Marius & Johan, still early evening .............

Me & Jorg

Mykonos is always a great Sailing Weekend with a great Party, yes, no driving involved. We look forward to Mykonos 2012.

MYKONOS 2011 - CHEN's adventure

Friday, race Cape Town to MYKONOS
Friday 25th Feb 2011 , 04h00. Up early heading for RCYC. CHENs crew gathered at 06h45, down to boat and prepared for departure. Left moorings with good time to get to startline, weather great for downwind race to MYKONOS, strong S'Easter around 25 knots. Decided to go conservative so no spinnaker till we got near Bokpunt.

CHEN chasing Carousel...at start Mykonos 2011

Speed with poled out No1 was good and we were in control not like some around us, broaches galore, all helping to justify Johan in his quest to condemn spinnakers to Davy Jones locker !!!!
We took inshore route and we stayed in the wind , some found windless spots offshore. But we were late on picking the westerly so had a hard reach in to Dassen to find the 'gate'. Gate found;  transit at 14h11(boat @ gate gave time as 14h15.. hmmm...) and onward to Saldanaha Bay.
Sea very lumpy, big SW swells so no spinnaker, entering channel between South Head and Jutten Island about 17h30.
Crossed finish line at , 18h05 , great days racing behind now for a bit of partying.....

Saturday, Bay race.
After an earliesh night, good sleep, Team CHEN was ready to go racing ...

After agreed crew changes we were on our way to the start, weather again perfect, light S'Easterly , 12/15 knots. Start time , 11h11, bit late on line but going fast. Making good course decision and making up places.
Rounded weather mark and set spinnaker, brilliant reach into run , making time on boats ahead.

Read sailing instruction very well, sailed correct course unlike a fellow competitor.....
CHEN sailing very well, making up paces again on beat to weather mark, rounded and only poled out Genny again, watched Cabaray struggle with their 'Bag' but they got sorted and then took a long time to pass us, bummer 1 position back. but in the end we were 6th , a good position sailing conservatively.

Well done TEAM CHEN , great sailing , great racing , great partying , Great TEAM , THANKS...

Next adventure ......... home coming......!!!

Anti-foul and a clean-up.... next stop Mykonos

CHEN was out of the water Thurs to Sat, and thanks to Marius , Toni , Douglas and Geoff for your help. Sorry no before pics but here is her underside before going back into the water.

CHEN humour

Let's laugh !!!!

What's been happening ???????

This Blog has got stuck in the Doldrums but fortunaley CHEN herself has not, so what have we missed ?? Starting with yesterdays raft up in the V&A, Twilight Racing, CROCS Regatta and new Compass.

Heineken Cape to Rio 2011 starts next Saturday 15th, yesterday 8th, competitors and supporters were invited to the Blue Peter Party which was a raft up in the V&A with entertainment from 'Flat Stanley'. It was quite a spectacle, here ar some pics......

CHEN joining the 'raft-up'