tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84915789604664799042024-03-12T21:36:23.861-07:00Regent ExpressTrygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-29969517423464854432012-12-20T02:43:00.002-08:002012-12-20T02:48:00.898-08:00Crocs Summer Regatta 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PKaCYB0Mi0I/UNLqyqXw7tI/AAAAAAAABug/C-P3QfrHPHE/s1600/Crocs2012H.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PKaCYB0Mi0I/UNLqyqXw7tI/AAAAAAAABug/C-P3QfrHPHE/s320/Crocs2012H.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
A competitive 2012 Crocs Summer Regatta was enjoyed by a 60 strong fleet of boats over 3 days over the December long weekend. Regent Express was the Div 1 leader at the end of the first day's racing, only to drop down a position on the second day after losing a spinnaker halyard up the mast during Race 3. Point separeation amongst the top 3 boats in Div 1 was incredibly tight with a final margin of just 2 points!<br />
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There are loads of exellent pics by Trevor Wilkins and two video clips featuring the Pacer 27 blast reaching under reduced rig at <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">www.pacer27.co.za</a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-57479095359741711432012-02-28T04:09:00.000-08:002012-02-28T04:09:02.959-08:00Pacer 27 National Championships & Mykonos Offshore 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iv-d-pMGPrA/T0zDmAggaPI/AAAAAAAABe0/-38tK46u62Q/s1600/Myk2012F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iv-d-pMGPrA/T0zDmAggaPI/AAAAAAAABe0/-38tK46u62Q/s320/Myk2012F.JPG" uda="true" width="259" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the 3rd year in a row Pacer 27 boat owners voted to run the nationals in conjunction with the Mykonos Offshore. The format has proven to be hugely popular, with every privately owned Pacer 27, bar Russel Morgan's one from PE, making the effort to attend. It provides a tough, but interesting combination of fast, furious and intense, short leg round the cans racing, followed by the two distance races. Crews feel stretched to the limit on the final day. It is, after all, a national championship event. Last year's champions Unruly, were present to defend their title, but the two Cape Town based boats in the form of Felix the cat and Regent Express, were not going to let that happen easily. These three boats were consistently on top form to provide for a hard fought, and close regatta. This is one design racing at it's finest.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To read the rest of this story, go here: </span><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html</span></a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-43464619435829967262012-02-28T04:06:00.000-08:002012-02-28T04:06:02.522-08:00Fling Regatta 2012<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Foreign funding and support from Lord Irvine Laidlaw coupled with local expertise in the form of Rick Nankin, ensured that the second Fling Regatta was as successful as the first. One can always guage the acceptance of an event by the volume of entries. This year they had almost doubled, to the tune of forty two boats, split into three divisions: IRC, Club Div 1 and Club Div 2. Just in case you didn't know, Lord Laidlaw has several yachts based around the world and all of them end in the word <em>Fling </em>. So he has <em>Highland Fling </em>in Scotland and C<em>ape Fling </em>here, and so on..... Capiche? </span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go here to read the rest of this story: </span><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/archive/02_Feb_12.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.pacer27.co.za/archive/02_Feb_12.html</span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D6AhUJwMju8/T0zDGt0dtZI/AAAAAAAABes/E7yZRO1OwdQ/s1600/IMG_9763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D6AhUJwMju8/T0zDGt0dtZI/AAAAAAAABes/E7yZRO1OwdQ/s320/IMG_9763.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-18258082830641555462012-01-04T02:22:00.000-08:002012-01-04T02:22:36.873-08:00Crocs Summer Regatta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_7UpBDHr1s/TwQoT6NfJAI/AAAAAAAABeU/1y8L5LVZN8k/s1600/Crocs2011A36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_7UpBDHr1s/TwQoT6NfJAI/AAAAAAAABeU/1y8L5LVZN8k/s320/Crocs2011A36.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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I know. I Know. Without great weather, one simply cannot have a great regatta. This years' Crocs Summer Regatta was about as close to a perfect regatta anyone could wish for. It ranks in the pole position of my top 10 regattas of all time. Well done to Rob Meek and his team. Forty two yachts entered over four divisions split into IRC 1&2 and Club 1&2. Competition in the IRC classes was ferocious with all the top boats being serious contenders. In our division (Club1), the organisers had grouped all the sports boats (4), a brace of 40 footers and a lone multihull. The biggest division by far, was in the Club 2 division, which numbered in excess of 20 boats.<br />
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Read the rest of the story here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a></span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-81282957322587250842011-11-22T05:43:00.000-08:002011-11-22T05:43:12.581-08:00Man Overboard!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMFxD3Y3xY0/TsumsTajLsI/AAAAAAAABV8/aJECcJdQehg/s1600/PacerCapsizeB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMFxD3Y3xY0/TsumsTajLsI/AAAAAAAABV8/aJECcJdQehg/s320/PacerCapsizeB.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One minute we were reasonably under control bursting through the waves at high speed, and a second later I was catapulted off the boat to find myself under water and tangled in ropes. In almost 40 years of helming, I have never fallen off a keel boat before. That's enough to make most people panic. I opened my eyes to see which way <strong>UP</strong> was and hurriedly freed myself. I surfaced just three meters behind the boat, still coughing up a mouthful of sea water, and immediately made a valiant effort at swimming the gap. Easy? Nope, almost impossible - with a full set of oilies and boots on. Seconds ticked by as the gap between the boat and I increased at an alarming and despairing rate. No-one had yet noticed I wasn't on board.<br />
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Read the rest of this story here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html">Man Overboard!</a><br />
</span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-20256304779422560952011-10-10T08:37:00.000-07:002011-10-10T08:37:29.629-07:00Intasure Spring Regatta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwfJYwtkfpw/TpMRKhr3_9I/AAAAAAAABVc/IFuy7UVuvEc/s1600/Myk2010FelixAAB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwfJYwtkfpw/TpMRKhr3_9I/AAAAAAAABVc/IFuy7UVuvEc/s320/Myk2010FelixAAB.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sixty six entries entries were received for the annual Spring Regatta hosted by False Bay Yacht Club and sailed in the pristine waters off Simonstown. The 2011 event threw a bit of a curved ball in that the usual public holiday making this a three day event, fell on a Saturday. That put pressure on skippers finding enough crew who could take the Friday off work, school or varsity. Taking into consideration the tough economic climate, the big entry speaks volumes for the popularity of this regatta and that notwithstanding a clash of dates with the Cape Town Boat Show. <br />
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Go here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a> to read the rest of this story.....</span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-45469023647804957822011-05-17T04:00:00.000-07:002011-05-17T04:01:01.518-07:00Horizon job!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HlhdlDfipzE/TdJU4yfbukI/AAAAAAAAACM/6c3nGxJKPhU/s1600/PPS+2011+Regent+Concentrating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HlhdlDfipzE/TdJU4yfbukI/AAAAAAAAACM/6c3nGxJKPhU/s320/PPS+2011+Regent+Concentrating.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Focussed concentration in the cockpit as Regent Express takes 1st overall in the annual PPS Challenge at Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the full story here: </span><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.pacer27.co.za</span></a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-44701434964932891752011-03-03T02:47:00.000-08:002011-03-03T02:47:32.903-08:002011 Pacer 27 National Championships/Mykonos Offshore<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w88WlQsdwX4/TW9xq3XrMaI/AAAAAAAAACI/jBIEXrJuMWM/s1600/myk2010unruly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w88WlQsdwX4/TW9xq3XrMaI/AAAAAAAAACI/jBIEXrJuMWM/s320/myk2010unruly.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another hugely successful 2011 Pacer 27 nationals saw crews and skippers heading for home very satisfied with the format and quality of racing. Most agreed it was competitive in the extreme with the slightest mistake being punished by a lost place or two. There was drama aplenty, some controversy and a few crew were washed overboard in the frenetic start of the distance race, but the final winner “Unruly” did what was necessary with a consistent performance and placings no lower than 3rd to take the gold medals. Owner Iain Gibson from DAC on the Vaal Dam, had selected his crew cleverly with two Cape Town sailors on board in the form of Richard Tanner on the helm and Davey James trimming. Unruly, all agreed, was the worthy winner. <br />
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Read the rest of this story here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html">http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html</a><br />
</span></div>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-24618872979106894472011-02-08T06:58:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:58:59.012-08:00Killings and cross dressers all in one big Fling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The word "Fling" conjures up a few immediate mental associations and both are light hearted, although once into the one variety it will probably end up heavy hearted and empty walleted! The Fling Regatta was an idea initiated by Rick Nankin and Irvine Laidlaw, a well known British businessman, who owns a series of yachts all ending in the word Fling. His Cape Town based Corby 49 is aptly named "Cape Fling". Being here on business, he wanted to sail in a summer regatta on his new boat, but the closest event in the Western Cape is the Mykonos Offshore, so he decided to create a new regatta and one that he could compete in whilst in town. <br />
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Read the rest of this story here <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TVFZquScOVI/AAAAAAAAACE/3N3Hv6SQC5k/s1600/Fling06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TVFZquScOVI/AAAAAAAAACE/3N3Hv6SQC5k/s320/Fling06.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-45850696800886229122011-01-27T02:40:00.000-08:002011-01-27T02:40:28.813-08:00The Trilogy<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A lot of people have written about trilogies. Our trilogy started about two minutes before the start of the race. A story of things that happen in threes. I am not much into superstition, but the harsh reality of the elements in a rage, does make one think about these things a little differently to when you are on land – cozy and dry! In fact, if I think about matters a little more seriously, there were may be four of five things that combined to provide for a spectacularly insignificant result. But let's start at the beginning, where most good tales don't. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TUFLjSiiCBI/AAAAAAAAAB4/UWRodcHOQeA/s1600/Crocs09PacerReachXD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TUFLjSiiCBI/AAAAAAAAAB4/UWRodcHOQeA/s320/Crocs09PacerReachXD.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">Go here to read the rest of this story</a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-80006509462481178032011-01-22T04:26:00.000-08:002011-01-22T04:26:22.840-08:00Check this video out!I unearthed this video clip in my archives and have posted it on You Tube. The footage was taken during 2008 on Pacer 2 with Harry Brehm at the helm and is shot in HD. It takes a little while to download but its worth it (like REVLON).<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UPrY8WNSq4">Pacer 27 planing part 1</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkDL-L_DtT8">Pacer 27 planing part 2</a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-24406133552959145372011-01-22T04:08:00.000-08:002011-01-22T04:08:46.750-08:00New Year starts with a good race<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span class="style1">CRASH!</span></strong>Collisions continue unabated during twilight racing despite vigorous attempts by the Sailing Committee to vastly reduce the risks. This week a collision occurred in Class 1 Non-Spinnaker fleet between a Farr 40 and a Farr 38 where the port stern quarter of the Farr 38 collected a major wallop from the 40 footer, causing serious damage - in what initially appears to be a simple port/starboard upwind incident. The protest hearing takes place on Monday. Watch this space......</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TTrIki7pTsI/AAAAAAAAAB0/hX-pQ5NHG5k/s1600/Crocs09PacerReachingAtSpeed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TTrIki7pTsI/AAAAAAAAAB0/hX-pQ5NHG5k/s320/Crocs09PacerReachingAtSpeed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Read the rest of this story here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a><br />
</span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-2701950758036572852010-12-22T06:36:00.000-08:002010-12-22T06:36:45.954-08:00CROCS! In every sense of the word.....<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The annual Crocs Summer Regatta has just been completed. There is a comprehensive write up with lots of excellent pics here: </span><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.pacer27.co.za</span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TRIM5M6UKII/AAAAAAAAABs/SBd_0nPJ-m0/s1600/Crocs2010RExpR4Yellowkite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TRIM5M6UKII/AAAAAAAAABs/SBd_0nPJ-m0/s320/Crocs2010RExpR4Yellowkite.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-2412014842799091942010-12-06T08:15:00.000-08:002010-12-06T08:15:47.723-08:00Man Over Board<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TP0L2a0d2KI/AAAAAAAAABo/3yjtnjgWWlY/s1600/IMG_0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TP0L2a0d2KI/AAAAAAAAABo/3yjtnjgWWlY/s320/IMG_0222.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="style1"><strong>SAILING PERFECTION</strong></span> <br />
Every now and then Cape Town dishes up a perfect sailing day – a respite from the tedious south easterlies – and this race was strangely supported by less than 10 boats. For those that did not make it, you missed out on a near perfect day on the water. No kelp, no plastic bags and a moderate to fresh south westerly kissing a sparkling ocean. Add to that a drag race up the Sea Point promenade and a quick visit to Clifton . Great stuff. <br />
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Read teh rest of this story here <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a><br />
</span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-91896323321557681262010-11-26T07:12:00.000-08:002010-11-26T07:12:56.797-08:00Trapped by an oil rig in a 35 knot gale<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There we were trying to exhibit first class seamanship when things started going awry very quickly - right inside the harbour.....</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TO_N6G2OH-I/AAAAAAAAABk/UUTZxzlLZuI/s1600/PacerCloseUp22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TO_N6G2OH-I/AAAAAAAAABk/UUTZxzlLZuI/s320/PacerCloseUp22.JPG" width="278" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"Must be the season of the witch" sang the 70's rock group 'Bloomfield Kooper Blues Band' which very few of you will remember. It's that time of year when the Cape Doctor pumps for days on end and sets the populations' nerves on edge; of exam times and of end of year stress. I found this bit of information on our famous summer breeze via Google:</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>The prevailing Spring and early Summer wind , the South-Easter (otherwise known as the "Cape Doctor") arises as a spin-off from anticyclones deep in the Southern ocean. It arrives at the peninsula by way of False Bay, its velocity often being given a boost by the "corner effect" round Cape Hangklip. One arm of the South-Easter sweeps around the eastern flanks of Table Mountain, where its moisture, picked up from the ocean and the warm waters of False Bay, helps to keep the vegetation green through the heat of summer. </em><em>It is also a vital factor in the pollination of many plants, including the Silvertrees. The South-Easter continues on around Devil's Peak, before descending on the city. There, it behaves somewhat in the manner of a trapped tiger, careering around in the bowl between mountain and sea. A couple of days of this is enough to purge the city's air - nowadays it is the smog instead of the plague of old which is banished. The South-Easter tends to overdo the cure, outstaying its welcome. A possible record was its performance in November 1936, when it howled without a break for 15 days, ravaging suburban gardens and penning the staff in the upper cable station for 5 days. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So there we were at the yacht club having arrived from the Northern Suburbs where there was only a hint of breeze to arrive at the embattled and windy foreshore where the car park ar RCYC was a cauldron of airborne sand being whipped up by a 30 knot south easterly. The last two races have been cancelled due to excessive wind. Was this going to be the third one in a row?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Full story here: </span><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html</span></a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-51133890965006371322010-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:002010-11-08T07:49:40.138-08:00Four yachts testosterone damagedIt's supposed to be light hearted twilight racing at the end of a working day, but it would seem some skippers take things a bit too far. Go here <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/archive/03_Nov_10.html">http://www.pacer27.co.za/archive/03_Nov_10.html</a> to read how these things happen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TNgbxHP7WDI/AAAAAAAAABg/tJtuTKFoXek/s1600/PacerCloseUp3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TNgbxHP7WDI/AAAAAAAAABg/tJtuTKFoXek/s320/PacerCloseUp3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Then a few days later it was the revenge of the sports boats, where we posted a very good result winning a bay race by an amazing 22 minutes over the second placed boat. That story accessible here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html">http://www.pacer27.co.za/news.html</a>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-26782943065582921422010-10-19T03:52:00.000-07:002010-10-19T03:52:11.304-07:00Regent Express performs well in the Harken RI race<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TL14SJunKeI/AAAAAAAAABc/PNkt9jTO5tM/s1600/PacerCloseUp25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TL14SJunKeI/AAAAAAAAABc/PNkt9jTO5tM/s1600/PacerCloseUp25.JPG" /></a></div>There is a full write up on this annual event sailed in almost perfect conditions. A misjudgement of wind strength by the race committee saw the start times of the faster boats being slowed too much resulting in many of the smaller class 2 boats doing well. Go to <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a> for the full storyTrygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-8039880857147176292010-10-02T01:45:00.000-07:002010-10-02T01:45:32.641-07:00Epic return trip to Cape Town<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think yesterdays sail back must rank as possibly the most enjoyable of my life. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With only 230 kgs of crew mass on board I went ultra conservative and rigged a reefed main and the North “#4” small jib despite the forecast indicating only 14 knots of wind.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It howled all night at our home and when I picked Joshua and his pal Allesandro up in West beach it was pumping there as well. I was fully expecting to abort the trip on arrival at Simonstown, but strangely the south easter was very much as forecast with the odd white cap here and there. Very much sailable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We left at 0800 sharp and tackled that very long beat to Cape Point. We were fortunate to have a large school of dolphins swimming with us for almost 40 minutes. When we tacked, they came with us. There was one ‘little un' of only 2 ft length learning to surf bow waves. At that point I knew our trip would be a good one. We also sailed close by a whale but luckily it was swimming to the west and away from our track. The wind remained fairly steady in strength and we were able to sustain 6.0 knots upwind speed most of the time. Josh helmed most of the way to the Point. It was getting quite chilly near Cape Point as the sky went gray and overcast.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TKbxB-KONSI/AAAAAAAAABY/29fjo7sU7e8/s1600/Crocs09ABZ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TKbxB-KONSI/AAAAAAAAABY/29fjo7sU7e8/s320/Crocs09ABZ.JPG" width="202" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sea was exceptionally rough at Cape Point. It was so bad that I didn’t want to risk putting the kite up, so we 2 sailed reached about half a mile clear of the land before hoisting the R1. There were at least 30 commercial fishing boats active in the area west of Cape point, so we planned to keep well clear of them. I was a bit concerned whether we would be able to hold the boat upright with the big kite up, but the boat behaved itself nicely and soon we had 10 knots + on the log. We had set the kite to clear Slangkop light, but typically we ended up sailing tighter angles than expected. I could feel some kelp on the keel, so when we gybed to clear Slangkop, we did a Mexican drop, reversed to clear the kelp, then got the R1 back up and headed back out to sea. We stood out far, until I was certain we could clear Karbonkelberg on a single gybe. The only boat we saw after Cape Point, was a large cargo vessel which passed us about a mile off heading south. There was something eerie about being the only pleasure craft at sea on a midweek working day.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the next gybe, the breeze picked up to 20 knots and our speed started hovering on 12 knots with the odd foray into the 15 knot zone. I have never felt this boat so light and responsive, no doubt a product of the light crew mass. It was a fantastic sail from Scarborough through to Camps Bay – all of it on the starboard gybe. At one stage our ETA showed 1.30pm! The seas were very rough with huge swells off Hout Bay, but other than a few nose dives, the boat recovered well and sustained very high speeds with images of Volveo Open 60s with decks awash in white water. Josh did all the downwind kite trimming – he is a fast learner and soon got the hang of recovering the kite after those blistering surfs. I think he probably slept better than me last night!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At Camps Bay, the breeze started dropping rapidly, so we gybed back out to sea and picked up some fresh breeze. Here the seas were much flatter and we nailed 16,2 knots quite easily. Two more gybes got us to Green Point, where the breeze finally petered. Time for the donkey and we motored in past the breakwater at 4.15. 8hrs 15 mins from when we left. We sailed the whole way back with a reef in the main.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was waaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy nicer than being at work!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Total distance: 65.1 nm</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Max speed: 16.2 knots</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Average: 7.2 knots</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time: 8hrs 15 mins</span></div>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-26370195978406509982010-09-28T01:33:00.000-07:002010-09-28T01:33:04.511-07:00Intasure Spring Regatta - FBYCThis event was exciting and highly enjoyable with thrills and spills in abundance. There were crash tacks to avoid whales, shredded spinnakers, broken gear, collisions and near collisions, man overboard scenarios, people shouting about suing each other for being luffed onto the wrong side of the committee boat, enough shouting and bad language from a certain top IRC boat to last most of us well into 2012 and prawning operations (of which perhaps first prize should go to Thunderchild for a full on dragnet operation right over the finish line). There were one or two exhibits of really poor sportsmanship and even gamesmanship which don't belong in the sport of sailing. Then were some competitors who had little concept of the racing rules. I suppose those are essentially all minor issues when one considers we had a large number of people enjoying the sport of sailing - that is first prize.<br />
To read the full story go here: <a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/images/PhotosArticles/SpringE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" px="true" src="http://www.pacer27.co.za/images/PhotosArticles/SpringE.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491578960466479904.post-25570377569572444392010-09-22T02:43:00.000-07:002010-09-22T02:45:48.292-07:00Cape of Storms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The allure of rounding the Cape of Storms in a small boat has a morbid fascination for many. And so it was for some of the crew on Regent Express, who happily gave up a dry day on land to venture out into the wild waters around Cape Point on a day of wintry rain squalls. Despite the lofty ideals, we also needed to get the boat around to Simonstown for the annual Spring Regatta. We had been debating if it was easier slipping the boat and taking it over on the trailer or sailing it around, but the sail option won us all over.</span></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TJnPEV6pBoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/zSCjIyU4-jQ/s1600/CapePointJsmall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" qx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8ISTB6Ia64I/TJnPEV6pBoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/zSCjIyU4-jQ/s400/CapePointJsmall.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the rest of this story and view more pics here </span><a href="http://www.pacer27.co.za/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.pacer27.co.za/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> under the LATEST NEWS banner.</span>Trygvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07865644540782795139noreply@blogger.com0