HARKEN ROund Robben Island Race -26th JAn 2013

The wind were forecasted to blow.. and this it did. We started with a full main and a J4, with a good start we were in the first few boats at the weather mark.. debate followed whether we should gybe and sail the lighter breeze or sail down the coast line. We decided to go for broke.. with the kite being hoisted it was twisted which we struggled to solve which had us lower to try and sort out.. (all this in 30-35 knots) once done we struggle to rehoist with it taking when halfway up.. almost immediately it power up and ocilatted to our weather side inducing a chinese gybe..(we were heavily powered) we managed to clear away quickly after this on the opposite gybe but the spinnaer was damaged which meant no more kite for the heavy stuff.. We had to be content to sai the downwind without a kite.. close to the island the winds died so we hoisted our light kite and then changed to Code Zero and then to J2.. The winds were light on the other side of the island occationally dropping. We managed well around the island but on the CT side it was still light and fickle with a nasty swell making it difficult to sail.. By this time we had done quite a few more sail changes.. We saw the breeze coming and prepared again with the J4.. Once in it, we realized the intensity and prepared to reef. We took longer then normal for this so it lost us some time. Once reefed the boat was happy again and we had a great sail back to te finish line. Unfortunately we did not fare well in this race.. with us coming mid fleet. Aboard were: Dale, Ian, Sieger, Warwick, Tony, Sarel, William. Boat performed well... Torn spinnaker.

Double Handed Race -19 January 2013

First Double handed race of the new year.. Nice entry but a few missing in Class 1 for understandable reasons. Nice breeze on the bay, as we felt that it would increase we opted for to use the J4. Winds were around 16knots at the start. We chose to start lower down the line, to give us a clean start and we could easily lay Paarden Islend from there. We got going with the only boat to overhaul us from weather was Tenacity with her longer waterline.. She managed to round Paarden Island just ahead of Yolo. Yolo rounded and went deeper and started to hoist her kite.. with Tenacity opting not to use her kite. Yolo got going, but got caught for a while in Tenacity's lee.. after breaking free Yolo make good distance ahead.. winds gusted to around 25 for this leg.. Yolo did a conservative early drop and Gybed for No 8 and fetched across the bay.. Tenacity closed in a bit on this leg. With the beat up Yolo got the lay line just right and pulled out a bit.. using the Spinnaker on the next leg again which allowed further pulling out.. On the next beat Yolo sailed well. NExt leg to the finish, Yolo decided to try kite it.. but unfornately the Sheet came off the kite just before time to sheet so we had to drop the kite again.. Yolo came first on line and first on Handicap.. yay.. However she was the only one in her class who braved hoisiting her kite.. Aboard were: Dale and Ian. Boat performed well.

WED Night Race -16th December 2013

First Race of the year and a new series. Yolo tends to enter the non spinnaker class for Wednesday night racing as we cannot always tell how many crew or ability we will have for a Wednesday night. With shorter races, we find it more fun to compete with no spinnaker. Nice conditions, moat unlike CT. A SE, around 14-20 knots.. bit patchy but flat water and humid conditions with the odd light raain cloud.. Really nice fun conditions to sail. The wind was at it's strongest at the leeward end of the line and it looked like it would head as one progresses up the beat.. most unlike CT.. so we made for a leeward start hitting the line at full speed on the gun.. allowing us to quickly get away and settle in for a good beat to the Harken mark. as the beat progresses those that were to weather of us were feeling the effects of the header and were "bows down" whoch was good for us.. Eventually we tacked on a shift and covered the fleet, tacking again to cover and lay the first mark, with us rounding a few boat lenths ahead. Neccessity was in spinnaker class so they were able to quickly overtake us, with us working hard to try and remain ahead of Touch and Go. Neccessity rounded the wing mark with their assym and gybed but the angle was too tight for them to hold their assym forcing them to bear away and drop losing them time as they still did not have their jib up and they were falling to leeward of the rhumb line.. in the meanwhile Yolo managed to stay a boat lenth ahead of Touch and go at the leeward mark which we gybed at.. With Neccessity struggling to get sorted it did not take long to pass them.. all the while trying to stay ahead of Touch and go, we managed to work the odd gust better giving us an additional boat lenth. We rounded the leeward mark first with the fleet right on our tail.. We had a good beat. Touch and go and Neccessity overstood the weather mark by far, costing them huge distance giving us a easy line honours... rounded the weather mark and to the finish. It was a well sailed race aboard. 1st on corrected time. Aboard were: Ian, Dale, Phillipa, Sieger and Steve White(our guest of Vendee fame) All worked well aboard. We are slowly understanding how best to keep the boat going..

CLUB RACE -12 Jan 2013

With only 4 aboard we were very light for the conditions at hand.. A SE in the South Side of the bay randign between 20-30 knots.. Yolo opted for the J4 at the start and a full main.. A good start was had with only one boat ahead of Yolo at the weather mark by some 4 or so boat lenths.. A conservative hoist of the kite and a conservative sail down to Milnerton mark.. We rounded up the leeward mark still second place.. having pulled out quite a bit on the rest of the fleet as very new had spinnakers up.. We struggled on the upwind as we were light.. So got pushed a bit sideways in the gusts... Rounded the Weather mark and hoisted again, this time goign for Woodbridge.. We got going nicely, only to watch the lead boat do a spectacular chinese gybe, which took a while for them to recover.. allowing us to pass. After rounding up we sailed windward to the weather mark.. with the bigger boat sailing faster in hot pursuit to regain their position. After rounding the weather mark we prepped the kite but the angle was still too tight.. Eventually freeing off with the bigger boat behind us hoisting at the same time with them coming in fast.. We managed to still nip them over the line.. with us finishing first on line, first on handicap. It was a great day sailing. Boat performed well. Yacht Tencity requested a tow back into harbour. Their engine was not circulating and they did not want to use it. Aboard were: Ian, Phillipa, Special guest-Steve White a well know Ocean racer and past competitor in the Vendee and Dale..

CRUISING -3-5 Jan 2012

With Yolo predominantly being used for racing, it was time to do some cruising in her.... trying to squeeze in a few days to get away being the next big problem.. nonetheless Yolo departed CT at around 1pm on the 2nd JAn.. making for Dassen Island in a nice SW with about 14 knots across the deck making good time for Dassen Island.. the Sail was fast and faily comfortable arriving at Dassen in good time.. We navigated in and set anchor in a good position.. Having just purchased a small rubber dinghy to use as a tender, this was pumped up and launched.. the motor was then taken out.. but had not been used for over 10 years... and well, forgot to frain the old petrol with the result that it had turned all mushy in the tank.. ending our chances of using the new duck...Oh Well.. We watched a beatiful sunset and relaexed aboard.. eventually going to sleep.. During ther course of the night the winds shifted eventually at sunrise with a 20knots NW blowing in with lots of rain.. Not very comfortable and it was decided to depart the anchorage.. With YOLO making for Saldhana Bay our next planned port.. the seas were lumpy and gusty so it was motor sailing which gave us the best way.. With us eventually arriving at Saldhana Bay YAcht Club at around 1pm.. with YOLO mooring Stern to on their Jetty.. The Club  was very welcoming and sociable.. and the Dyer brothers going out of their way.. We Cleaned the boat and enjoyed being at the club eventually going into the town in the evening for supper...
The next morning it was time to go up the lagoon. We set our sites for Oude Pos. We had a good sail across the bay and then we motored into the SE wind into the channel. Neither of us had been up the channel for many years so we needed to be extra careful.. We arrived at Oude Pos and anchored.. We spent the day there, relaxing, sorting the boat out.. Ian swam ashore and went for a walk.. a really beutiful protected anchorage which most people don't seem to use.
That evening we braaied a filet on board..
The next morning had YOLO raising anchor at around 06h30 to make for Dassen.. The trip back was uneventful with a sloppy sea and not much wind causing YOLO to motor sail back.. Nearing Dassen the decision was taken to return to CT. Once back in CT the boat was cleaned.
All in all a very good few days cruising.. the boat performed brilliantly. Aboard were Ian and Dale.