Auckland Blokart Club News

Live News from the Auckland Blokart Club. www.abc.gen.nz

Monday, June 28, 2010

Friday & Sunday 25/27 June updates

The weekend started with the Friday night mid winter Xmas dinner, also a celebration of Grant Crawshay's birthday with the appropriate cakes and speeches.

Sunday was predicted to be 15 knts, dropping during the afternoon. We got all of that with a torrential downpour just before the start getting everything wet and a nice line of deep puddles along the edge of the runway. Happened again about an hour later. Yes, we did have 15-18 knts during the rain but then dropping to 7-8 knts during the rest of the day with some lulls as well. Two races were restarted because of a drop in wind during the race.

Great to see 5 from the Bay coming through, some to try Ardmore for the first time and also 4 from Hamilton, all now regulars with David joining the team from the Waikato. Ross Vickers was also back sailing a borrowed kart and doesn't seem to have lost any of his ability. This meant all 4 NZ Open Champions were racing, but no pressure!

The extras made for a busy start line so we put in the box rule to help keep everything safe.

The wind was Westerly, straight up and down the runway, so those with a good feel for wind angles had the advantage. The restricted struggled a bit with only 4 metre sails but got through 4 races. Everyone else had 5.5s or borrowed them at the right time, really needed a 4 metre upwind but definitely 5.5 downwind.

All the racing in the light weights and heavies was really close with lots of changes at the front of the bunch. No one clearly dominated and wins were shared around. The 3rd race of heavies resulted in a tie when both Theo and Russell crossed the line together after several changes of lead during the race. The timers have to go back and look at the timing to 100th of a second to determine who got it. At this stage we still don't know.

Finished with a barbeque, Bruce even allowing Orca to have a sausage, and everyone went away happy after a good days racing windward/leeward courses.

Still to get a wind angle at Ardmore where we can get down to 4 metres all day or even a 3 metre.

Pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com/smokin.russell

Results out later today.

Next weekend we are trying for The Great 100 km Race, will give updates on weather forecasts later during the week.

Russell

posted by Auckland Blokart News # 9:17 am 0 Comments

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Auckland Winter Series Sunday 27 June

Sunday weather looking good with no rain and now 12-15 knts predicted.
Meet around midday, 12.30 late registrations ($10 for the day, $5 for
transponder hire), 12.50 briefing and approx 1 pm first race start. If
you're not at briefing you don't race.
Anyone not already registered and who hasn't been in contact please
email Russell direct to let me know your attendance.
Anyone else for teams racing the following weekend? Please let him know.

posted by Auckland Blokart News # 10:09 am 0 Comments

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Auckland Sunday 13th

Looks like we have breeze tomorrow and mostly the rain will stay away.
If you didn't get enough sailing last weekend then look to tomorrow.
Meet at Ardmore <http://blokart.jigluhood.com/tags/ardmore> about 1 pm
for hopefully some fast sailing without dial ups, bunched fleets at
corners or big puddles. Everyone welcome and $5 per kart except for
school students at $2.

Russell

posted by Auckland Blokart News # 9:18 pm 0 Comments

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

That was meant to be "Team"

But it was a bit of a reaming....

posted by Auckland Blokart News # 1:13 pm 0 Comments

NZ Open - what a ream!

And let's not forget Russell Harray - not only for bringing the event
together for the BAI and all the sailors, but also sailing the ABC
(again) to No.1 in the Heavies. In fact ABC got 9 of the first ten
places in the heavies, and nearly as good in the Middles! Graham would
have been up there too if he'd not had to attend a funeral.

We either need to get some more reps in the other classes or go on a
weight gain/loss strategy - but it was great to see the strong challenge
in the lightweights, with Sarah, Dom and Lucy. Sarah - next time you'll
rewrite the records and the BBC guys will eat their "chick" comments!

There's a tremendous behind the scenes organisation needed to make an
event like this a success, and TEAM ABC again showed this with their
exceptional teamwork both on and off the track - banners, shade
shelters, loaned gear, scrutinising, marshaling, results posting,
coaching, helping with the lunches and refreshments, picking up and
looking after the overseas visitors.....

And a special thank you goes to Wayne O who arrived early on Thursday
and "got us on the map".

Cheers
Grant

posted by Auckland Blokart News # 10:03 am 0 Comments

NZ Open Successes

What a great effort from the Auckland club. A big turnout and lots of
ups and downs but overall a very enjoyable 4 days despite the drenching
on Sunday. It was probably the wettest we've ever sailed in for a whole
day. About the same as 90 Mile Beach a couple of years ago.
There were some real highlights over the four days.
The 4 youth sailors getting out there and mixing it up with some of NZ's
top sailors, especially when the wind came in and they could enjoy the
course. Leon and Sarah at their first NZ Open, some great results but
upsets as well but both ended up in the top half of the fleet and with
only some minor repairs to do. A big learning curve but next time it'll
be so much better. The smile on Alex's face when the wind is up getting
4 wins out of the last 6 races. The top 6 in the heavies, all ABC,
sharing the wins and fighting it out every race. Hotdog nailing the
start in the last race and extending throughout to win by about half a
lap. Peaking at the right time for the worlds. Nicko going unbeaten on
the last day, 3 from 3. Rosie getting back the blokart grin when the
wind came up, she really does enjoy mixing it up, and she beat the World
Champ in race 15. Tony winning the first race, Trevor winning the
second, Nick sailing the best I've ever seen him, must be something in a
the water in Singapore. Kyle winning race 15 with Leon 2nd, a great race
to watch. Orca bouncing back when the wind came back and getting up to
third. Paul surviving the crash of the weekend.
Lots of other really enjoyable moments with the Celebration party on
Saturday and dinner on Sunday catching up with all the other competitors
from all over NZ.

Next will be the Winter Series (seems a bit boring doesn't it),
hopefully another go at the 100 km race, and we have teams racing also
on the calendar.
Photos will be up later today, although with Marg not there all the time
we missed a couple of days but I have asked Bob for a copy of the ones
he took. Any other photos send through and I'll put them on the photo
website.
Attached is updated results, apparently a couple of mistakes in the
first lot that came out.

regards
Russell

posted by Auckland Blokart News # 10:02 am 0 Comments