DYC Newsletter October 2019.Pdf

October 2019 On Sunday 8th September the wind was blowing from the northwest at 20-25 knots and predicted to peak at 28 knots. It can become quite choppy off Whangaparaoa Peninsular. Before we left the marina, at my request, the crew all put on lifejackets (PFD), we had the No2 headsail on the foredeck and made preparations to put a reef in the main when hoisting. On the way out, as required in the Sailing Instructions, we called up Race Control FROM THE QUARTERDECK (Olympus) on Channel 77 and report we were racing and to advise we had seven A Report from POB on board. As we approached the The President start line we could see the committee boat was flying the “Y” flag signalling that Peter Strathdee lifejacket shall be worn by all competitors. The normal course sailed is a windward, triangle, windward, leeward and windward Food for thought. beat to the finish, the legs being approximately 1.5 nm plus. This article is not intended to point the finger at anybody and with full co- Briefly the incident operation from those involved is intended to highlight just how quickly things can go On the second leeward leg Mean Streak wrong and perhaps what should have a Ross 930, who had shortened sail, to 1 happened and some lessons that can be x reef and a storm sized headsail, learned. Luckily this did not end in a decided to fly a gennaker in the tragedy. downwind / reaching legs to remain competitive. We have been competing in the Gulf Harbour Yacht Club Winter Series, on Shortly after hoisting the lazy gennaker Azure my Farr 1020, sailing every second sheet catches the forward hand, and Sunday fully crewed with extras. combination of sail power and heel of boat throws him over the side – MOB. Page 1 The MOB was not wearing a PFD. In the The crew should have been wearing PFD lead up to the start of the race they had Was it the right decision to hoist a not noticed the “Y” flag. Gennaker? Shorthanded, the crew has difficulty The life ring should have been thrown dealing with the retrieval of gennaker in over immediately to the MOB. preparation for MOB recovery. The Gennaker wraps around rudder and holds Mark the MOB position on Chart potter. boat stern into wind. Mean Streak is effectively not in control. Skipper A Mayday-Mayday-Mayday call should considers cutting the gear free. have gone out on Channel 16. Further calls to the attention of the other Actions taken by Mean Streak crew as competitors should have been made. All a result of MOB competitors all should better monitor the 1 x Mean Streak crew member is VHF. Channel 77 and 16 dedicated to observing the location of the MOB in the water. Tools such as ‘slings’ or ‘strops’ are invaluable to lift, recover a MOB. Radio call to Committee Boat made by This incident could well have ended in a the skipper on VHF Channel 77 tragedy, had there not be boats close by. Skipper reduced way of boat via throwing We often go out on the water on our the helm down. boats with just two people on board, often we are miles away from any help or Race Committee Boat (Olympus) and assistance. Are you prepared? Race Support Boat (Chase) hear the MOB call and take action by going to On a lighter note assist MOB recovery. Rugby World Cup MOB, takes off boots, fills them with air By the time this newsletter goes out the and uses for buoyancy, he makes sure wet weather gear cuffs and collars are Rugby World Cup will be in full swing. On tight for buoyancy. Lucky he is a fit young selected days, to be advised by the DYC committee, the Club House be open, man and a good swimmer. come down and watch the game. Comments from Committee Boat, MOB was a ‘big’ and conscious man, however The America’s Cup it was difficult, if not impossible for the Excitement is building over the America’s crew of ‘Chase’ in the inflatable to recover Cup, the Club House it will be a great the MOB. It was fortunate that Olympus place to watch Te Aihe go out. The arrived on the scene and the MOB was committee is working hard to make the able to be lifted onto the boarding most of opportunities for the members, platform and onto Olympus. encouraging the use of the club and its facilities. Watch this space. Chase attempts to tow or hold Mean Streak into the wind, via a tow line. Peter Strathdee (President) Lessons learned. Page 2 huge thank you to all the people who assisted. Firstly, to the people who put themselves at risk to fix and tie up the genoa in the strong wind while I was away in Australia. Great job guys. Also, it was heartening to have so many expressions of support for the loss of the boat, even to the extent of offering me crew positions this season, and exceptionally, use of a boat. You are all great friends and all of the above was much appreciated. They say every cloud has a silver lining though, and I have been fortunate in two other areas. Firstly, although insurance ALAS – POOR METRO! companies often get a bad rap, Vero The storm which came through Auckland Marine has acted promptly and in the second week of August certainly professionally throughout. Secondly, did some damage. Apparently 44 boats serendipity strikes, and another wooden were damaged in Westhaven alone. Lotus 9.2 has turned up at just the right Unfortunately, the damage extended to time, so I will be back on the water this the hardstand at Devonport Yacht Club, season. where, strong winds damaged poor Metro Thanks again to all. beyond economic repair. The wind removed the props and blew out part of Bob Jenner (ex-skipper of Metro) the genoa, and the subsequent rocking and racking served to cause separation between the stringers, keelson and the (Postscript; Since Bob wrote this piece, hull planking. he has bought another Lotus 9.2 called If you are going to have boat problems Tumbleweed. She is painted yellow, so though, Devonport Yacht Club is the she’ll be quite distinctive.) place to have them, and I’d like to say a Page 3 a load of bricks outside his front door so we set to work and bricked up the door then knocked on the house and disappeared. Can you imagine the look on his face when he opened the door and was confronted by a brick wall!!! When we raced we used to park our cars on the grass between the Eastern slipway and the rowing club and a favourite trick was to get a way or a lever plus a few blocks and lift the cars until a back wheel was a fraction clear of the ground then DIRTY TRICKS BRIGADE block up under the axle. This was usually It doesn’t happen now; the dirty tricks done by the first crew home; they would brigade died a natural death many years then put all the levers etc in Siberia ago but in the 1960s it was alive and very behind the public toilets. I remember strong. At the time I had La Mouette, Bill getting into my car on more than one Cole had Elizabeth, Martin Foster had occasion, slipping it into gear and driving Truant and Frank Gimson had Gremlin. off only to find that one rear wheel was We all raced with the DYC and all the spinning around and I was going yachts were around 28 feet LOA and we nowhere. I had to go to Siberia, get a were all “Good Friends” but that didn’t lever and fulcrum and lift the car then wait stop us from playing a dirty trick on one for some kind person to pull the blocks another if the opportunity existed. out from under the axle then put everything back into Siberia. Usually this I remember being becalmed by northern occurred when I had a hangover from the leading one Saturday and watching two night before, but I couldn’t complain yachts motoring around in ever because I did it to as many members as decreasing circles while the crew threw did it to me. buckets of water at each other, one yacht had a large collie dog aboard which was I remember when Frank Gimson and Ian rushing up and down the deck barking Ward had Tapui up on the Eastern slip like mad and copping lots of salt water and there had been a large private whilst doing it. The yachts were Gremlin function at the club on the Saturday, I had and Kaieka owned by Charlie Kemp and a phone call from Neil Hudson and we the circles got progressively smaller until met at the club on Saturday night and Gremlin’s bow hit Kaieka’s stern putting a moved three port aloo’s that had been hole in it but never mind, Charlie was a used during the function placing one by boatbuilder and soon had it repaired. That the bow another amidships and one at was my first experience of a water fight, the stern of Tapui. Later, two other but I have taken part in many of them members that will remain nameless lifted since. the after port aloo onto the Tapui’s duckboard. Ian was not amused when he Adrien Cailliau crewed on Gremlin and sighted it the next day and insisted that it did not possess a great sense of humour be removed but during the act of so used to be on the receiving end of removing it it tipped over drowning club practical jokes like the time that we member Rob Wallace in shit, he did a fast bricked up his front door.

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