Our boy Jfunk checks in from the 505 Pre-Worlds. Good times.

Mike Martin and Jeff Nelson seem to be able a little bit. The boys dominated day 2 of the pre-worlds with all the way wins in both races. When I chatted to them about their form, they talked about their ability to change gears and make a boat go fast, about how they liked a bit of breeze, (it was 13-18kn race 1 and 18-22kn race 2), but for me, I reckon they are cheating, (insert smiley face here). Every time we start on the Funk Mobile and I have a look across the fleet, Mike and Jeff have already stepped out by 200 metres. The obvious conclusion is that they have their own line 200m in front of everyone else’s.

It was a classic sailing day in typical South Ozzie conditions. Unfortunately for the locals, the pattern didn’t behave like normal for the first race, clocking right, then right again, (catching a bunch of them, including the funk mobile team out), before settling into a normal pattern again for the second race. It didn’t seem to bother Mike and Jeff though, as they were able to cover the fleet up the first beats from their 200m head starts.

It wasn’t just Mike and Jeff who were consistent on the day. Adamson and Bourdow were second in both races and Holt and Smit had a third and a 4th. Race one did see an intruder in the top 3, with the young fella’s Parker and Gareth sailing Blue Steel grabbing a 3rd. They got a bad start in the first race, had to dig right, rolled onto starboard and went around the top mark 3rd. They then sailed brilliantly to hold the position to the end. There is some talent in that boat.

As yet the Nicholsan boys haven’t raced. I spoke to them yesterday, they had just got off a plane from Switzerland, literally and they will hit the water for day 3.

For the Funk Mobile, we hung a little left for the first race, (the local knowledge thing) and suffered, we did manage to pull back up to 17th. In the second race, we were on the charge up the first work, swapping tacks with Pinnell and Hunt, and Hamlin and Lanzinger, when the strop that holds the head of out jib up, pulled through it’s fitting, dropping the jib down the forestay. So it was to the beach for us and time for some quiet contemplation – read, have a couple of beers and sulk. Looks like we have stuffed any chance of winning the Nationals, we will see day 3.

Anyway, stay happy

Jfunk

01/25/07

Not Happy Jan!!

The 505 Pre-Worlds are over and we are disappointed on the old Funk Mobile. We know we have the pace, but we are not getting the starts and we all know how important that is. The 5oh’s use a gate start and it is a whole different technique to nailing a line start and we haven’t got it right once so far. The one race we did lead, we started first and had room to breath below, then position to jump into the shifts as they came. For the final day of the pre-worlds, we executed our worst starts and had to fight long and hard to get back from 80th in both races.

Sailing wise the wind pressure eased a little from the day before, building from 8-12kn throughout the two races. Very frustrating for most of the crews when sailing 505’s in that stuff. It’s like of going to strip club and finding a bible service underway. Just a little more pressure please. Problem was we expected it. The high had moved past us and the tide was coming in later, so very little chance of a honking seabreeze.

Mike and Jeff suffered (a little) in the lighter winds, with Howie and Fritz moving back to the fore. The first race was won by Bill Cuneo and John Warlow of Queensland. Bills old man was a Gold medallist in 72, so he has some good genes. Pinnell and Hunt picked up second in the first race and Howie and Fritz third. Mike and Jeff got the magic 10th which made them gate for the last race.

Unfortunately for Mike and Jeff, the left was favoured at the start of the second race, but they managed to come back pretty well from their gate boat duties and work through the field to pick up 3rd. Howie and Fritz got the win and Boris Hermann and Julien Kleiner got the second.

The net result was Mike and Jeff took the regatta, Howie and Fritz upheld their end for Team Tuesday by getting second and Ian Pinnell and Steve Hunt were third.

Afterward the crew had organised a big presentation for the yachties. Everyone piled into the club for the celebrations and the stories and it was pretty cool. We have been blessed with perfect weather, great sunset and a comet overhead all week, so the ambiance was already there. We had Bryan Price do a talk. Now this bloke was 63 W/C in the 505. He rocked up to Larchmont New York and dominated the regatta. He was also Australian yachtsman of the year in 64, but best of all, he is just a FFG, (farken funny guy). He told a heap of stories of running amuck through US yacht clubs, particularly the New York Yacht Club and having to do a runner, as you do. Then he hit us with an absolute classic. Apparently in the 66 Worlds which were here at B&SYC, a couple of enterprising ladies set up a caravan next door in the caravan park and well, you know, provided important services for the overseas visitors…..it’s all in the delivery, you had to be there, but the place was in hysterics.

After the formalities, I got my first chance to make some new friends, (I am a little busy with organising stuff to have too much spare time unfortunately) and a few anarchists ID’d themselves to me. One that was pretty cool was a Polish bloke Piotr. Nice guy and all, we ended up chatting for a bit, but it was surreal talking to a bloke from Poland who felt he knew me in Australia because of an American website. Great way to make new friends, I tell you. All the Yanks are great fun too – seriously great blokes, a real pleasure to meet them all! I think they are having fun as well.

I will say it hasn’t cut loose yet, too many people focussed on the Worlds, though one of the blokes crashing at my place, (no names) hasn’t made it back yet and it’s 10.30am the next day.

I am trying to score a digital camera so I can give you some up close shots, bear with me, we should be onto it pretty soon.

Anyway, I am going back to bed, day off. Stay happy

Jfunk