Racing is well and truly underway for the Mirror class nationals at the Henley Sailing Club with some great racing for the 19-boat fleet. Results are live up to and including Race 8. Reports are below up until Race 5.

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December 27 — Races 1 and 2:

Races 1 and 2 were held in a light to moderate ESE breeze. The racing was close and the start line congested in both races due the the tide pushing boats onto and over the line. Race 1 went to Alexander and Charlotte O’Beirne from WA sailing ‘Game On’. ‘ Bob’ was recorded OCS lifting Tara Wilson and Kirsten Johansen to 2nd and Paul and Hugh Plowman made up the podium. The breeze picked up ever so slightly for Race 2 but maintained it’s ESE direction. Again the start line was crowded but the lead boats made a clean start. Damien and Emily Carey sailing ‘Bob’ made amends for the OCS in Race 1 leading the fleet home to take the win. Paul and Hugh Plowman and Tara Wilson and Kirsten Johansen continued to show consistent speed rounding out the podium.

December 28 — Races 3 and 4:

Race 3 was started in a moderate 5-knot breeze however needed to be abandoned due to a runaway course buoy leaving the Race Committee without the ability to adjust the course during the race. The pause allowed a replacement to be brought onto the water and the restart of Race 3 was in a building breeze which was welcomed by competitors. Race 3 went to Simon and Tyson Barwood from WA on ‘Bulletproof’ with Damian and Emily Carey on ‘Bob’ and Tara Wilson and Kirsten Johansen on ‘Jazze’ taking out the minor placings. Race 4 was sailed in a consistent 14 to 17-knot breeze with ‘Bob’ taking the gun while Simon and Tyson Barwood took second and Jenny Graney and Charlotte Armstrong from Tasmania sailing ‘Carpe Diem’ finishing in third.

December 29 — Race 5:

A tough day had by both competitors and Race Committee alike with light conditions, a continually shifting wind, and a current that caused havoc with both the committee boats positioning and pushing the fleet prematurely across the line. Two general recalls invoked the use of the ‘U’ flag which finally saw a clean start only for the wind to shift significantly to the left as the fleet got underway, which continued to shift as the fleet approached the top mark. The race committee made every attempt to swing the course for the second leg but a failure to signal the change of course caused the race to be abandoned in the moment of confusion. The Race Committee reset and after the fourth attempt, finally got racing cleanly underway with Paul and Hugh Plowman sailing ‘Girra-Girra’ leading ‘Bob’ and the rest of the fleet at the first mark. A fast running Damian and Emily Carey (‘Bob’) saw them snatch the lead from ‘Girra-Girra’ near the leeward mark and they maintained their lead for the remainder of the course. With the breeze fading the race was finished at the completion of the fifth leg with ‘Bob’ winning from ‘Girra-Girra’ and Alexander and Charlotte O’Beirne rounding out the podium.

After five races were completed the first of up to two drops came into play.

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