A Sailing Update: The Winter Series, Fast! Furious!

As I have posted on in the past, I've taken up sailing and sailboat racing since moving to NZ. It's been a while since I posted on the races so here's a pictorial update from the fast! and furious! action last Sunday from the racing vessel Hot Prospect.

The competition astern, while not unheard of, is too rare. This seems to be Casco, a comparably sized boat just behind us after a good start. It was a rare westerly and the start was downwind. With 25-35 knot winds and storm conditions predicted the course was kept in the inner harbour. The reality was much more pleasant - 10-15 knots with calm seas and sun. This is the winter series in Auckland. Light jacket weather.




Here's the fast! and furious! crew making a hummus and brie sandwich (not to mention the documentarian). Who's sailing this boat?


This boat, Flojo, takes this rather seriously (and wins the A division, mind you, on gun). Here they are gybing the spinnaker and taking a flyer in hopes of riding the ebbing tide and a reaching course to an advantage. It didn't work. Nonetheless I'll note that they were the fastest boat on the day regardless.

Oracle and crew, I believe, as they passed us. Note the lack of sandwiches.

The Bl**k B**ch.

The crew of the Hot Prospect around the same time, note the presence of fast! and furious! racing stances coupled with hummus and brie sandwiches.

Here's wintertime Auckland. It goes from downright partly cloudy with rain to partly cloudy with rain. The monster (upper left, obviously headed to Remuera for an attack) in the photo did not factor into the race results.


And so it goes: that spot of antifouling on the rudder might well have been mine. Alas.


We were 2nd to last on line and last on handicap. Which means... Progress! We're clearly not the slowest boat around anymore! Right on! I'll also note that Flojo was not at the awards drinking "Lion Red" as were we, the fast! and furious! crew of the racing boat Hot Prospect.