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CRAIGOWER AND
'HOW DO THEY DO THAT?'
Those of you who have read my earlier article on how Dave and I found
and bought Craigower our Islander 23 may have realised that the
previous owner had the boat set up for cruising which indeed was what
the boat had been designed for. However, having raced on PennCirrus
for about ten years I was keen to race Craigower. Having bought the
boat late in the racing season we only managed to take part in the
last five or so races – coming last each time. The reason seemed
obvious to us as the main sail that came with the boat was well past
it’s sell by date or even it’s sail by date so over the first winter
we bought a new sail, confident that it would improve or position in
the league table next season – it didn’t, still last.
During the season we often saw boats like Paprika turn almost in it’s
own length and Dave and I would look at each other and say ‘how do
they do that?’ as our boat turned a tad better than the Brittany
ferry. The answer was obvious, we needed a bigger rudder. Ours had a
cut out to allow an outboard motor to be lowered from a well, an
option we did not use as we have an inboard engine. That winter we
‘filled’ in the cut out part making the rudder about 20% bigger. It
certainly improved our turning ability and holding a course in strong
winds but sadly not our position in the league table – still last.
During the following season we often found ourselves going against an
ever increasing tide in an ever decreasing wind, just inching forward.
As we sat almost becalmed we would hear the soft lapping of water
against a hull and a ghostly silhouette of a boat would appear from
behind and Matui would serenely glide by doing about three knots in
almost no wind and Dave and I would look at each other and say ‘how do
they do that?’. We read a number of books on sail trimming and the
answer became obvious, we didn’t have enough outhauls, downhauls or
uphauls. That winter with the help of items bought on e-bay we fitted
hauls to every thing we could and led the ropes back to the cockpit
for ease of sail trimming. We were confident that not only did we have
a large rudder to get us around the buoys we now had the means to
adjust all manner of things for ultimate speed on any tack. It didn’t
make much difference though, however, the main thing that did improve
our race position this season was that Cloudberry thankfully moved
from PYB to PYA which meant that we generally became fourth instead of
fifth. When I get home from racing my wife always asked how we got on.
I normally puff of my chest and say with pride we came third. She then
asks how many boats raced and I have to say as my chest deflates mmm
three.
We have had some great courses this year even venturing out to Asia
buoy a few times. On the way back the best tack we can get with the
wind blowing down the river is heading toward the folly in Mount
Edgecombe Park. Then we see the Dogs Jorrocks turn at Devil’s Point
and go straight up the river into the wind and Dave and I look at each
other and say ‘how do they do that?’. The answer is obvious, we just
don’t know. But what we do know is that we have been trying to turn a
cart horse into a race horse and have realised it doesn’t matter; you
can have as much fun on a carthorse as a race horse. This winter were
not sure whether to fit a PennCirrus beating back stay tensioner or
just accept we are what we are and fit shire horse brasses along the
transom but if sailing wasn’t fun we would find something else to do.
One of the races that amused us this season is where we had to go
around West Mud to starboard. Eclipse was out in front but her tack
took her down river from the buoy and she was coming up to the mark on
port tack as we came down on starboard tack. Naturally I shouted
‘starboard’ and Mark on Eclipse gave me the internationally recognised
signal that he would give way by raising his two fingers in the air as
he turned away. We rounded the buoy OK and saw Eclipse back on the
port tack coming up to the mark when we heard a loud shout of
‘starboard’ as PennCirrus came zooming down to West Mud, Eclipse gave
way again. As we watched Eclipse start back on the port tack Emma Kate
was fast approaching the mark on starboard tack but Eclipse just
managed to round the buoy before her. We all had a good laugh in the
club house later, well all but the crew of Eclipse, but they know that
what goes around comes around and they will get their turn to call
starboard on us.
The club seems to be doing very well with sailing members this year as
when we return from a day sail we often can’t find a place for our
dinghy in the rack or outboard in the shed. So the point of my
ramblings above is to try and encourage other sailing members of the
club to take part next year in the racing. Some boat owners may think
that their boat is not good enough for racing or that their sailing
skills is not good enough, well don’t worry about that, come along and
take part. I can assure you that you will not be last as Dave and I
can, and will, easily under perform you.
In closing and as the racing season closes I would like to take the
opportunity to sincerely thank Dee, Bridget and Ron for manning the
race hut without whose efforts PYA or PYB would not be able to race
and have fun.
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