# Blondie’s 2014 Geraldton race report

A total of 13 yachts entered the 2104 Geraldton &return race. Although a relatively small fleet, it represented the cream of WA offshore race yachts. Being WA’s only regular Cat 2 race, the extra administrative burden and expense deters some (plus perhaps the thought of the return race, but more on that later!). We had 7 Div 1 yachts, 4 Div 2 and 2 double handers. 7th The race up started at 13.30 on Friday March. It was a beautiful day with a light easterly breeze that soon turned west and had spinnakers swapped for #1 genoas as the fleet headed out around the south side of Rottnest Island. Blondie headed out with the rest of the fleet, the majority being just in front of us but not getting too far ahead in the light windward conditions. We had to put in a short tack to clear the Parker Point reef – the debate about whether we could sneak through without tacking was answered when a large swell broke about where we were headed to go through. Navigator Steve turned out to be right again! We were pleased to see the Jeanneau 32 Kraken struggling behind us and requiring a very long leg out to clear Parker Point, although we knew the tables would be turned once we got around the West end of Rotto. So around the end of Rottnest at 5pm, the rest of the fleet well in sight, head to Geraldton with the strengthening wind just aft of the beam, up with the big spinnaker, plus stays’l. Night fell with Blondie making good speed in a 15-20 knot Westerly. As the night wore on and we fell into the usual routine of watches, the wind came a little south and strengthened further to 20+ knots. Blondie roared through the night under full sail, making 7-8knots, sometimes more as we surfed an increasing following sea. All night we had the satisfying experience (for a 34 rating much lower than the big boats we were racing against) of seeing multiple stern lights in front of us as we went flat out to keep up. In fact one kept getting brighter and when dawn broke we were surprised to see the Dufour 40 Fourth Dimension only a mile in front of us. I think they had reduced sail a bit overnight as the wind strengthened whereas we had continued under full sail. As the wind came further aft we decided the stays’l was no longer helping and it was time for our secret weapon when running square – the blooper! For all you young sailors, this rates as a headsail and flies from the forestay opposite the spinnaker to catch “wasted” wind coming around the mainsail. It only works running fairly square, and gives most advantage for boats with relatively small mains like the S&S34. It gives and extra few 10ths of a knot for us and we flew it all Saturday, it finally blew out a few miles short of Geraldton in a 25kt gust (it was 33 years old!). All helmsmen competed for the highest speed; luckily for me I managed the best at 11.6 knots to maintain my status as skipper, although in reality I know that many of my crew are as good if not better than I am Despite some anxious moments finding the unlit finish line in the dark, we got home and were very 1st 3rd happy to be in Div 2 and overall behind MEII and Kraken. We did manage to beat our RPYC rivals Jaffa, but it was a different story on the way home!