PINTO RUSSEL CRUISE 26 April 2016

A novel event on the Calender, on a the public holiday.. Something different for Team YOLO. Format was a race to collect points with various options which gave different point scores, but if you arrive late at the anchorage you get penalized. With the light fickle conditions, Yolo elected to sail the direct course.. with a large swell running and light winds it took around 2.5 hours to reach the Anchorage at Robben Island. Yolo was the first in, mainly as they read the wind shifts well and used the swell in the right places... All the boats anchored off Murray Bay... There was a pursuit race back which started at anchor.. Not sure everyone had their times synced correctly.. as some boats left at odd times.. but this was cruising.. Yolo got underway and quickly realized that there was no wind beyond Robben Island and called in to indicate that she will be motoring. the rest of the fleet followed suit... Arriving at the breakwater in the dark with some rain starting to fall. It was a great event, something different. We would encourage more sailors to try sail this event. Pics supplied by Pinto Russel. It is not often you see Yolo in cruising mode at anchor. Aboard were: Dale, Ian and Sieger.

DOUBLE HANDED RACE 9 April 2016

With a perfect breeze on the bay, perhaps a bit light, but with flat seas, some nice sailing. Start was on time.. with a conservative course, in case the wind died. Yolo got a conservative start, but was blocked for the tack so sailed a bit further then was liked on Stb.. after the tack had to fetch for the mark and try and catch up... Gybed around weather mark and set up for kite hoist, with the first to get their kite pulling.. and a nice leg to the leeward mark catching up with the early kite hoist.. winds died down near the leeward mark but made a perfect strike with perfect timing and rounded up well at the mark to play a good tactical beat via NO:10 to the weather mark where the same downwind routine was followed. Following the rounding at the leeward mark and hardening up, we watched the water to find the best track up to the finish and worked this and the shifts as they wind was starting a big shift. In the end, Yolo scored a first place on corrected time which was pleasing.
Aboard were: Dale and Ian.

SENIORS DAY RACE

This is always a firm favourite at RCYC which draws big numbers. Yolo being fortunate to have our very own Sieger Smink, our regular halyards man helming this year. So it was a real Yolo effort.
Unfortunately conditions were very light making sailing very difficult with some 8 knots and a slop running. Yolo got a ace start, right where she needed to be... but the conditions made it difficult for a wide hulled boat.. making progress very slow for the whole race. The winds died down to 5 knots for the last part of the last leg which did not help things, but everyone had a great time aboard. IN the end scoring a 15th overall... Not too bad considering.  Aboard were: Sieger, Dale, Ian, Shane and Clarence.