EAGLE NEWSLETTER 2008

Jelik takes the top spot as usual but Hi Fi comes in a close secondThe second race began excitingly as the Racers bunched up causing a protest between YO and FULL METAL JACKET and a fight for position with ZUHAL being pushed over before the horn and JANDA BAIK having to take a port tack to avoid the others. The excitement spilled over into the IRC-1 start when, just before the horn, JANDI fell off crashing into THAIRAVER's mid section. But the Thais continued, seemingly unhurt, as JANDI floundered before finally getting back and leaving on a starboard tack.

The Sports boats clustered over the line with LONGTZE LANGKAWI getting across first and NAVY 1 and Brisbane Boys College Sailing getting hung up on the pin boat. Then as JELIK led the Racers round the leeward mark with HI FI slipping ahead of FULL METAL JACKET and QUANTUM RACING, the Multis followed TWIN MAGIC across the start. With the entire fleet now fighting a faltering wind around two Malaysian Navy boats and the Lili Marleen and the sun bearing down, the race turned grueling and nerves frayed. The Racers were bugged by the Fireflies skipping down the course while TROPICBIRD got all turned around trying to skirt the leeward buoy amidst a buzz of Navy Sports boats.

Jandi and Thairaver collided even before the start of the IRC-1 raceThe wind was dying but at the finish Racer JELIK leaned into the pin boat with her spinnaker full and HI FI actually in sight behind her. RAIMON LAND came in well ahead of the Sports class, and Premier Cruiser MATA HARI led LUNCHCUTTER II across followed by the LONGTZE boats. As PHOENIX crossed for the IRC-1 class the wind died (at exactly 1400 as predicted) and kites began hour-glassing, jibs hanging and MOTO INZI drifted in with limp sheets.