Overnight I validated the Tasmania gate and turned heading NW to the next gate at King Island.
Yesterday saw a good wind that back slowly allowing me to turn more South towards the gate. The turn NW that I made the day before with the intention to benefit towards the gate, proved a good one and I could pass several boats to reach the rank of 44 this morning.
Now the winds are swopping from East to South and later will turn over North till the East again by tomorrow, that is if the wind forecasts are correct.
The wind has also calmed down and close under the coast, where I am sailing now, even more than the forecasts had indicated. So I am in for a quiet 24 hrs and fear that some boats behind can still find the stronger winds in the West. Whether these boats still can pass me to the gate in the expected easterly winds is another matter.
This LiveSkipper Austral Winter II Sailing Race has only a Gate at Tasmania, so there is no time to visit Hobart, the legendary sailing city.
The winds yesterday and today are nice strong and from the South,giving a good angle tosail with the Spinnaker full of air and allows to make a good progress.
The winds today are turning most to the eastern side, so while anticipating this, I sailed a little north to enjoy the stronger winds upthere. After the necessary gybe in this backing winds, I will again have a good approach angle for the Tasmania Gate on the South side of the Island.
Target for today is the validation of this gate and afterwards have to turn North to encircle the island and return to New-Zealand.
Rank:56 this morning .
Now I am sailing out of the New-Zealand waters heading to Tasmania, Australia.
After passing the Dunedin gate, the winds stayed nice and I could make a good progress towards the South point of NZ. A review on how to sail, close to the South Island and passing the city of Bluff, or sailing more to the South around the Stewart island.
Winds in the South were stronger and my review showed a better progress that way.
Indeed I have closed the gap to some boats that sailed the "Bluff route" and were further ahead of me yesterday.
My rank this morning:62 in a fleet of 742 boats
As I amd writing this post,I am about the pass Gate#1 Dunedin.
The Easterly route that I and many others choose, was indeed the better one to reach Dunedin as first. The winds were indeed stronger as some weather systems with calm winds were haning close to the Coast and at Christchurch.
Passing Christchurch, one has to think on the terrible earhquakes that hit the city this year and caused some casualties and davastating damage.
My rank this morning 114.
The start in Wellington for this Austral Winter II Sailing race, was in time.
Before the Start as study on winds and even more the forecasts made me believe that a turn to the South-East before heading South would bring me stronger winds as compared to some area's of calm winds along the Coast of Christchurch.
This morning I found my boat, maybe a little too far East but at this moment my assumption looks to be correct. The boats on the coast are struggling in calm variable winds.
However, now I have to sail a day or so headwind towards the 1st gate at Dunedin. Tomorrow we will know, who had the best route.
The Start of the Austral Winter II Sailing Race was at 600 GMT in front of Wellington harbour.
I am sailing on my boat Suratna and will indicate on the Route Map daily my location.
For registration it is not too late, though you will have some catching up to do This is the place LiveSkipper ; just follow the link on the main page.
The wind towards the 1st gate at Dunedin looks very interesting with already counted some weather systems that will influence the best route. I am still studying what to do, which I hope to explain by tomorrow.
