Winning Team:  Trevor and Gary from New Wave along with David from Shogun

Closest to the Pin: Trevor (if they’d have put the pin in the woods then Sadiiqi would have won it)

Shelagh won the Adolf Hitler competition and takes away an attractive bottle of sand.

The following prizes were left unclaimed, so will be awarded to the last placed team -  Jezebel!

• Brazilian – Tin of Shaving Foam

• Elton John – Large pair of Sunglasses

• Sister in Law – Black Trash Bag  

• Gerry Adams – Can of Guinness

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the

Annual General Meeting of the J24 Class Association

to be held at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, 26 Pomander
Gate Road, Hamilton, Bermuda

on Wednesday the 4th day of February, 2009 at 6:00pm

Wednesday February 4th, 2009. 6pm at RHADC.
Please plan on attending to make your views known, vote in the class officers for next year, and practice hanging out at the Dinghy Club bar on a Wednesday night.
If you’d like to become part of the Executive that makes all this fun happen, please see a Class Officer and express your interest. We have much work that needs sharing around!

Silverware a plenty was handed out at the RBYC Annual Prize-giving, and although I wasn’t there I can assume that advantage was taken of the free cocktails beforehand. New Wave won the Overall Prize for the year, with Sadiiqi and Gripper in chasing position.Then on to Fourways Inn for a truly legendary party - Phil was DJ, John did the speeches, the police closed it down in the early hours, and once again strange dancing took place. Thanks to Becky for organising a fab event, and decorating up a storm - sails, and flags, and drunken sailors.One highlight was the emotional kiss and make up between Solaise and Jezebell - there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, or an empty glass, or something. Navigators awards went to New Wave and Erin for all the government marks they’d hit this year.

Very strong winds blew out Nationals this year - there was no make up day so the trophy was not awarded. Next year a make up day is scheduled in case of poor weather. Worlds qualifiers will now revert to the Championship Series.

The Etchells, IODs, and 105s were having their Nationals, whilst we were “Last Blast”ing - and it’s been many years since we’ve seen that many boats on a Saturday. Seven 24’s turned out for the last race before our Nationals - a good opportunity to tune up.

Skippers frantically sought the changed course card - which was fortunate as Jay Hooper, Race Officer, had found every available inflatable mark and then left them strewn over the Great Sound. There were reds, greens, yellows and oranges. The other boats were finishing their second race when we arrived, and then there was a delay whilst the Race Committee did what they do best - subtly rearranged everything whilst the sailors muttered abuse. Finally we were into a sequence for course 3 - up, left, down, up, down, up, down, left, or any variation thereof.

With the breeze from the south being stable, it was a day of boat speed, and playing the small shifts. On Sadiiqi, we were running a sailing course for our 2 new crew - one of whom had never stepped on a boat before, the other was the only Kiwi never to have sailed (we suspect prison). As Kiwis are used to being abused and ostracised, he went on the bow, and did a splendid job, or for those skippers looking for crew for next season, he was hopeless so don’t bother. We spend the day in the middle of the fray, close to the boats that decided to fly jibs, even though the breeze was low-mid teens. The jib boats did ok, though it was painful to have them reach across your bow all the time - “pointing like a broken finger” as Craig says.

In the third race, Jezebel tacked just after the start line, in what appeared to be a very bold ducking move with Solaise close to weather. The resounding crash meant that it was unlikely a well laid plan was going well, and two crew swimming from Jezebel indicated that all wasn’t well on board. It was only a matter of time before Gavin’s crew started swimming for it, or so we thought. It transpired that Gavin had lost the stick rather than the plot, an autotack into Solaise and a dunking for the crew then followed. Solaise had crushed gellcoat, a small hole, or is written off depending on the point of view, Jezebel’s front bumper was bent and will need boat clinic before next week.

Results - still not made it to the RBYC website, so no idea of the order of play. New Wave, Siren and Gripper were toward the front, but no horizon jobs today.

No one hit a mark on the way back in - that’s a first for a while.

Nationals documents available.

• Notice of Race
• Sailing Instructions
• Entry

Please advise crew that weigh in and registration will be at RBYC as per NOR. Boat entry is $50 - please bring cash or cheque.

Crew membership is required for those boats not in the boat membership scheme.

A light breeze from the NW, clear skies, and no humidity - joy! The forecast was SW going W, but that was flawed so what would the day bring, and can I have a job as a weather forecaster (with expectations so low, how can you fail?). Ross was RC for the day, and set a short beat and got flags and an asthmatic horn in action - 3 laps and we’re off. Sadiiqi had a stellar start at the boat end and headed right in a good shift. Siren and Solaise led the chase pack, but it was all over by the first windward mark - Sadiiqi had a large lead and the course was now skewed so passing lanes were slim. New Wave slowly clawed back boat by boat, and took second ahead of Siren.
Race 2 and more 3 lappers - the course remained skewed, so it was a drag race up and a drag race back. Erin led off the line and just kept going and going and going…. New Wave again was chasing through the fleet, and took second ahead of a consistent Siren in third. On Jezebell Gavin had been thrown off the helm and Jodi was now driving to yells of “you go girl!”.
Race three and oh dear - three reaching laps (marks still not moved). Siren had now figured out the course and flew off the line and tousled with Erin round and round, to take the bullet. After Erin was a consistent New Wave for third.
Great racing despite the skewed course, lots of action at the marks, and tight finishes.
On the way home Erin joined the ranks of Moxie and New Wave in creating the cathedral bell sound of a J hitting a navigation mark square on - Mark “45″ now has a blue line on it. A slightly deaf Erin crew were found in the bar afterwards - well they seemed deaf as I asked them to buy me a beer…..

The Race Committee, led by Jay Hooper, dusted off some old courses to add variety to Saturday racing. The team littered the Great Sound with marks, and soon guns and flags started race 1. Breeze was NE (ish) with big shifts as all easterlies seem to have. First race New Wave led off to the right with Gripper leading the lefties. Boats that didn’t peel right soon paid the price - New Wave led at the top of the course chased by Sadiiqi and Solaise. After several laps of shifty 10 knot breeze the top three were New Wave, Sadiiqi then Solaise. A pause whilst marks were moved, though to the untrained eye they seemed to be i the same place. Crews spent the time warming up in the sun - it was a bit of a chill day with water temp now in the low 70’s, and a wind coming from Iceland (or is that IMFland now?).

Race 2 was an Olympic course - triangle then sausage. All I remember is that going left off the start was a really bad idea. Top mark in last and then fought way beck to 4th. Gripper and New Wave were first 2 though not sure which way round. Solaise owned 3rd place for the day.

Last race was now three laps with a windward finish. This time on Sadiiqi we wanted to go right, and that was the way to go! After 1 lap Solaise led from Sadiiqi with New Wave clawing back to 3rd following a poor start. At the first leeward mark Solaise led, but shortly tacked away leaving Sadiiqi and New Wave to head to the favoured right. Solaise shortly came back, but lost the lead at that time. The 3rd upwind had Sadiiqi to the right of New Wave heading up the course, with Solaise tucked a bit further back. A major shift let Sadiiqi make the mark, whilst the trailing boats needed 2 tacks - game over for first at that point. The final circuit had a great fight between Solaise and New Wave with Solaise leading the way. Just shy of the windward finish Solaise crossed New Wave rather than tack on her, and in the final shifts of the day New Wave finished ahead.

 Gentle breeze, clear skies, seven J’s on the line, and Jay Hooper as R/C  - doesn’t get much better! A few IODs joined in the fun, so not too busy out on the course. First race and New Wave, Sadiiqi bailed right after the start, picking up slightly better pressure and both extended on the fleet heading left. The lefties were headed up by Gripper, and that’s the way it finished after several laps (New Wave, Sadiiqi, Gripper). Sliding By joined the fun with a perfectly timed departure from the dock, arriving at the pin as the gun went off. It would have been better to stow the engine during the race, as ducking involved avoiding several feet of Mercury hanging off the back.

Race 2 and course 4 came out - scramble for course cards to see what that was all about.  It was the old Olympic (triangle then windward/leeward). New Wave and Solaise were over at the start, but only Solaise went back. At the first mark Siren rounded ahead and then set the chute heading downwind - had they forgotten the reaching course? Next boat round was the premature New Wave, and as they pointed to Hamilton, Siren swerved to follow. A chasing Gripper and Sadiiqi made up the front bunch. The final downwind to the finish had Sadiiqi holding out Jezebel, with Sliding By on the outside. Gripper split to the boat end, and as the 3 J’s discussed rules, boat lengths, and tried to anticipate what Sliding By would do, Gripper snuck in for the 2nd behind leader Siren. Sadiiqi came out of the bun-fight in 3rd, by a nose.

Race 3 and course 4 with a windward finish now on the cards. Solaise launched of the line as Neil started paying attention to rock star Lordy on the pointy end. New Wave chasing up the beat, but Solaise maintained their dominance, and were never in trouble. Sliding By, with engine removed, were in the thick of things - at the back Sadiiqi and Gripper split from the rest in the final upwind to gain some leverage. It almost worked, but Siren and Jezebel came in from the right on a shift and maintained position.

End of the day - Siren were most consistent 5-1-4 (10), followed by New Wave, Solaise, and Sadiiqi all on 11 points.