The 2019 Voladora Race 3rd of August by Rick Steuart

Every now and then. 

It was one of those days, running late until I noted a bright red ute with Esperance plates in front of me. Beauty! It’s Dubbo. So we soared off down South St and parked up at the club, just in time to jump on the boat and head off to Leighton for the start of the Voladora. With Trevor Milton watching on, Dubbo took to the boards setting up the racing with the girls running everything behind him.

There was a lumpy swell out of the nor-west and the boat was inclined to pitch and toss a little as we sent the IRC windward-leeward race away but there was no real problem and the 3 fleets got away smoothly. The race itself had one or two moments with Obsession misreading the flags and doing one lap while everyone else did two and other boats having fun with their spinnakers. A great display of a letterbox drop put on by Wasabi at the first rounding had the RO chuckling when they nearly didn’t get it down in time, but they survived the attempt. And what can we say about Circa who tried to fly their spinnaker backwards? Even the little Etchell got into the act and showed us three crew for the windward-leeward and then two on the boat for the Voladora. Apparently, it was a requirement for the forward hand to untangle the spinnaker by going forward under the coaming of the bow. Ergo.. only two people visible.

A comment was overheard about the crew on Weapon of Choice. It looks like they are going for the youth thing.. which is not a bad idea at all.  Just give them time and let them settle in. They could be boat owners one day. An AP went up with a minute or so on the clock when the pin end of the start line decided to wander away downwind. Didn’t take long and the mark laying team had a few more meters on the end of the mark to help it keep its place.

A fine start by all and it brought back memories of the start lines we had a few years ago when I saw the Swanson’s old boat Syrenka back out on the water again. She was a wonderful boat in her day and the flat top meant that any wave that broke over the bow kept on going back; dousing everyone in the way. Well done Mr. Truman, keep her firing, please.

As usual, the images are for sail and I’m doing a special of 3 for $50 for this series.. contact me with the ones you like. Please note that two cameras were used today and they may not be always in sequence.

​I’ll see you in a couple of weeks time.

TO CHECK ALL IMAGES CLICK HERE – Perth Sailing Photography