The Twofold Bay Yacht Club welcomed some eager new sailors at a recent “discover sailing day”.
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Club members showed the group the ropes on a number of boats with a fresh breeze providing good conditions ahead of race time.
People interested in sailing can head along every Sunday to try out the sport “skippers are often looking for new victims, um, crew and no one goes home without a sail,” a spokesman said with a laugh.
83-year-old Morrie Lynch steering Gem got a blinding start and was never headed in idyllic conditions, while Ted Dexter skippering Livid nearly closed the gap after one lap, but an undershot on the clubhouse turn put Lynch back in the lead.
Chris Hopkins was fresh from holiday and with some new crew on deck, showed how to spectacularly fly a surf kite.
On Sunday, the club hosted a “Sternchaser” race on Quarantine Bay, Eden.
A sternchaser is a race in which the slowest yacht starts first and the other five participating yachts at intervals over the next 50 minutes with the fastest yacht starting last. Technically all the boats should finish close together.
A lovely breeze of about 10 knots from the east was blowing when Margaret D took off at noon on the 11.1 nautical miles course.
Nearing the finish line, the wind dropped and the field began closing in on the leader, but Margaret D held on to her lead and crossed the line just 30 seconds in front of Gem. Third went to Livid, a further three minutes back.
Sailors said there would be no round this weekend with the Whale Festival in full swing.