RACING

The Friday start was too miserable and wet to go out for but today normal service was resumed and we woke to sunshine and puffy trade wind clouds so it was into the dink and out to the start line off Falmouth harbor. Along the way we saw Kate locally built in St Kitts and now sporting her yawl rig.

After a couple of collisions in previous years thay had reduced the numbers in each start but there was stil some close in manouvering to get the favoured end.

This was a magnificent group of million dollar oldies all wound up and running hard.

We did like the comment from the race starter who was using a gun fired off the aft deck off the committee boat " when he anounced that he had killed the helicopter as well as starting the race. I was sure this was a J class and not so sure it was Endeavour but was puzzled by the sail number. It turns out that it is a new one design boat called Firefly.

With long overhangs and sleek lines, Firefly’s exterior styling is similar to Js such as Svea. A sweeping sheer with a flush deck and moderate deck camber echoes the look of yachts that were developed in the early 1930s. Below the waterline, however, she is more comparable to a modern maxi racer with a high aspect ratio, T-style fin keel with a lead bulb. The combination of a 5.2 m draft with a 3D-tonne lead bulb and carbon high aspect ratio spade rudder is exceptionally powerful. Nonetheless, Firefly can be effortlessly steered with two fingers.