Cabbage Tree Island Race - Day Two
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 3 Dec 2023 02:13
Course SSE Speed 4.6 knots
Wind: SW, F3-4
Sea: slight Swell: SE 1m
Weather: sunny, warm
Days Run: 75nm
We continue to hold our position at the rear of the fleet, a combination of less than ideal conditons for Sylph's performance profile (namely light and fickle winds and headwinds) and a poor decision in our approach to Point Stephens. We probably should have stayed out wide when heading north so we could fetch Cabbage Tree Island on one tack, however, as we approached the turning point the wind backed into the NE and we had to tack upwind the last ten miles to round Cabbage Tree Island, which we eventually did around midnight, with a bright half moon rising as we did so.
Light winds have continued to plague us during the dark hours as we started making our way south back to Port Jackson and now that the sun is up the wind has backed around again into the SW and freshened. We punch into the slight seas at a comfortable five knots for now, but the wind is expected to back further into the SSE and freshen up to 20 knots. When the wind backs we will tack and with a little luck will comfortably lay Sydney Heads with the one tack, hopefully with the sheets eased just a little so as to make the ride a little more comfortable.
I expect we will cross the finish line sometime tomorrow forenoon, a good twelve hours behind our only real rival, the mighty Currawong, which I have to say has sailed very well in this race.
All is well.