Wednesday, 8th November 2017
FORECAST Wind 13knts SW shifting to SSW later in afternoon, temperature 16°
THE RACE Race 5 started in a sea that was very choppy making it a slow track to No 5. Skippers needed to take care not to stall and point too high in the fickle wind. Only 34 yachts competed in Race 5 making it the smallest fleet yet. Some skippers were put off by the threat of rain. As the afternoon progressed the wind increased and the seas flattened out allowing for faster progress. A sign on the Wailing Wall alarmed sailors that there was a “Generalized 5 min handicap increase except for the slower yachts”. A wholesale change to this week’s lucky numbers. Watch out for Race 6 numbers as it follows Cup Day, and the result of the Melbourne Cup could influence your handicap. Again there was a glitch in the starting clock and the race was delayed 10 minutes, starting at 13:40. A gust coming just on starting time may have influenced some skippers to reduce their sail but extra power was required slicing through the swell … Read More