3:35 AM Mon 2 Nov 2009 GMT
Our version of Heaven Can Wait 2009, and despite the accusations we did not bring the rain.
Our introduction to this event came by way of the Sailing Anarchy forums.
The idea sounded great, and having done many 24 hour mountain bike races, what could be difficult about a 24 hour stint in the boat. Well !
Time to lobby the crew list and see who is available. Able to lock down Chris on Main, and David and Tim to do the front of the boat. Chris was to fly up Friday morning and David and I were to drive up with the boat from Melbourne, a simple 12 hour haul.
Tim was on three weeks leave with his young family, having been up north Toronto was a logical stop on the way home, or at least that was how to sell it.
David and I were picking Chris up at Sydney airport on the way through. Four was short staffed, as we would normaly sail with five but that should be OK, particularly if its light.
Left home at 19.00 Thursday evening with a packed dinner and hit the road making Goulburn at about 03.00 Friday, a short sleep on board was the order by the park in the centre of town where we have stopped over the years on the way to regattas, park, dunny and coffee shop all only paces away.
Collected Chris at Sydney airport 10.45 and landed in Toronto at 13.00. Met Shaun and Peter from RMYC, rigged and floated at RMYC. Beers followed by dinner at a resturaunt in town and a good nights sleep on board.
I forgot to mention, wind at this stage seems OK but it is yet to stop raining.
10.00 Saturday rig and hit the water, Mel dropping Tim to the boat with the girls still in pyjamas and join the fleet that is forming up quickly adjacent to the start.
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Rain did not deter the fleet from sailing to aid charity - Heaven Can Wait One Lap Dash and 24hr race -
Sail-World.com -AUS
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Quite a while since a fleet start with over 60 boats on the line. Still raining. Reasonable start sitting with Zip and Rock n Roll for the first 15 minutes or so then bang, the out haul ripped out of the boom with the spectra line literally tearing the top of the boom open for 150mm. running repairs effected with the main down and plodding with our No. 3 heady means we were now DFL.
Back to work and from the OLD time not bad considering we lost at least 10 and maybe 20.
Still raining, but now exceptionally light. The first lap meant we really on had three up most of the time as David was doing navigation and entering way points to the GPS.
What a wonderful place the lake is to sail, 15 to 20 knots and flat water, wind from every direction, beat into a bay expecting a broad reach out only to have to beat out, gotta be fun.
Next was night sailing on the lake, about 1/3 of the way into the second lap, thanking goodness David had got all those way points in daylight.
It is hard to describe the thrill of running down 40 foot boats with the big kite up at night, close to 16 knots down the narrows by the Swansea channel.
The rain had stopped. Only disappointment came when we ran aground by Pelicans, I thought we were on the wrong side of the cardinal and my thoughts were proven and the bulb is now a little polished.
By 22.30 we were approaching Toronto, crew were cold and a bit tired so we decided to sail into the marina at RMYC to hole up maybe until daylight and head off again, hand over hand along the jetty and not using the motor.
Then Peter from RMYC dragged us off to his sitting room floor and we slept, after a few bottles of red. The idea of sailing had disappeared by 07.30 Sunday morning when we were greeted with a cooked breakfast and hot showers.
By midday the boat was packed up and we hung around RMYC to see the finishers come in. Congrats to those who did, its way harder than 24 hours on a bike as the whole crew will testify.
I have to admit I had not comprehended the physical effort required for such a race, and 12 hours on the helm with about 10 minutes off for a toilet break had me done.
2010 we will be back, with a crew of six so one can rest at all times, and a training program will be implemented.
The background of the event and those it supports came into real relevance over the last 12 months with two very close friends succumbing to cancer, the friend I have been sailing with over the last 30 years being diagnosed with Lymphoma and successfully enduring chemo and a bone marrow transplant and then one of the crews young daughters being diagnosed with breast cancer on the Friday we arrived at Toronto.
We have to commend Shaun and the HCW Yacht Club for their effort for the Cancer Council and will be pushing to bring a real contingent from Victoria next year.
Appologies for not waiting for the pressentations, a 13 Hour drive was in front of us and both David and I would be at an advantage at work Monday, rather than at home asleep. Thanks again to the Committee and volunteers from RMYC and Shaun and the HCW people.
Chris Bland, B5747, the Works
by Chris Bland
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Manly, QLD
