It seems appropriate to commence this blog with our participation in the 44th. RSYS Cruise. This is an annual event taking place in the Easter school holidays where 40 and more yachts leave Sydney Harbour and spend 8 days in Broken Bay about 25 miles to the north.
On Saturday April 13th. we raced our Beneteau First 35 in Division 2 from the start off Sydney Heads in a brisk northerly breeze. We took an inshore course in an effort to avoid the southerly set and made the finish line off Flint and Steel Rock in under four hours.
We then rafted up with Ceilidh, a Beneteau Oceanis 50 off Hallets Beach and sustained a freak accident, where despite being properly tied together with our sterns parallel and with good mast separation, a large motorboat wake of tsunami proportions caused the two boats to rock together so violently that our masthead wind indicator was flicked off into the sea. For the rest of the week we had to sail the boat like a dinghy.
After this we repaired with the rest of the crews to the beach for the traditional opening beach party before returning to our boats after dark for drinks and dinner.
The pattern of the cruise continued for six more days, with a two hour race around the inshore and offshore waters followed by a raft up at a different location with wine and food and company in plentiful supply.
After five beautiful sailing days the weather broke and a serious southerly change became imminent. So after lunch on Thursday we elected to return to Sydney and had a hectic beat in a 20 knot breeze right on the nose with the compensation of motoring through Sydney Heads after dark with the whole city brightly lit in the background. A truly magnificent sight.
On Friday we cleared the boat and put her to bed for the winter and in under two weeks we will be setting forth for England and then Mallorca in quest of the perfect boat to cruise the Mediterranean for the next few years.