I thought "invitational" meant you had to be invited...
I love the divisions. Everyone is in with a chance. Encourages the "keen but not so fast" (like me) to enter.
I think I'd freeze in Victorian waters in May though.
We have had requests for info packs from all states except WA, ACT and NT. They must not have the cohunes for our water temps
I'm definetly out,,, bloody shift work on weekends,,,,,
what's with the dates you guys are taking a gamble holding an event in Autumn.
Is there a category for a speed of 66.6 kts? Sure there is...
Just got that image. Hope my sailing is faster than my thinking
Nah Moondo, can't afford it....the wallet is empty....the carbon art looked lonely so I needed to buy it a play friend!
The support vessel is fully loaded and has a hellipad too for crew members who have to fly in for the event due to busy schedules across the weekend. We also went to the trouble of of dragging that rainbow there as well from the pit, it usually only appears when your being handed your glory speed run.
The cheersquad shown above will be wearing less if the sun shines aboard the said support vessel to assist crew members into their rubber and to tighten their battens.
What are all the handles I see on the comp's trophy seen mounted on one of the said cheer squads heads ???????
OK people, 1 1/2 weeks to go until the Inverloch Speed Invitational, inviting... everyone!!! We've been getting some great weather patterns through recently as you all would have seen from some very quick GPSTC posts in the past week from the Vic teams. On the inlet we've had 45+ kt winds ,sail blowouts and recorded times only a few knots slower than at the pit!!! Today I've picked up the prize money cheques and the trophies are currently being made.
An updated NOR & Event guide have just been released, they will be emailed out to everyone who has registered their interest and are available for download here: http://inverlochwindsurf.org.au/?page_id=135 ; Amendments have been made to sections regarding photography and insurance. Bank details have also been provided on the registration form.
So with this short amount of time to go...
* Sign up and get that registration in to us;
* Book your accommodation; and
* Get your gear ready for a huge weekend of racing!!
Looking forward to seeing you all down here in Invy!!!
Sadly, as IWC unfailingly put on superb events and this one sounds like a ripper, I'll have to put in apologies. Lari and I get the keys to our new house the day before and we will be flat out all weekend getting it sorted out, cleaning etc. If I disappear sailing all weekend the locks will probably be changed on my return!
Damn Peter - I was sooo looking forward to your muffins. How can we run a speed event without them!!
Is there a category for a speed of 66.6 kts? Sure there is...
Just got that image. Hope my sailing is faster than my thinking
hahaha thats funny I saw the head of that thing in a museum in New York the other day. It was even dodgier than it looks in the movie! Amazing what lighting can do...
Inverloch Speed Invitational - Event Wrap
It is a 'speed' that doesn't really seem to be particularly significant by modern day standards, when we are mostly concerned by the 50 knot barrier. Whilst the world speed record has fallen many times in this modern era of GPS speed sailing. There is one record that has stood proud, laughing at those trying to challenge it's superiority. Until now, that is... but more on this later.
This year's Inverloch Speed Invitational was particularly successful, with winds at excellent angles to the speed course, sand bars and tides cooperating: it was the perfect set up. IWC events are famed for wild and wacky inventions as well as bribery and corruption of judges. But this was a SPEED event. Speed sailing is like an obsession.
Early on Saturday morning the registered combatants gathered at registration eyeing each other off and sussing out the competition. Once it came to rigging and fine tuning of craft it was evident that this was a serious competition. Fins, and sails were chosen meticulously for the gusty conditions and it was evident very early that correct choice of gear for the conditions at hand would be pivotal to overall standings & results at the end of the day. For some, how they thought they might break the record I will never know. Still good on them for trying and putting their lives in the hands of the unknown, as they sort of sped down the speed course with gritted teeth.
The Combatants & Competition
Being the first year of this event, hopes were high but expectations realistic and we were very pleased with a great turnout. 14 registered participants, not only was windsurfing supremo Craig 'Spotty' Spottiswood present, but former world record holder Craig 'Kato' Hollins was on hand to offer very much needed advice on how to go fast. (It is harder than you think you know!). A special mention must also go to West Australian Darryl Griffiths for making the trip over for his first ever IWC event. Also present, a great turn out from the Southerly Busters, the Connewarre Cremasters and another Pit Crew member John Rohrsheim also made a showing.
The competition was hot on the water with just 3 knots separating the field, in fact 0.29 kts was the difference between first and third!!! With the changing tide's current running at 5-6kts in places a sound strategy was required to make the most of the conditions on hand.
“Enough already”, I hear you say. Just tell us the results!!!
Well the conditions as I mentioned earlier were gusty... wind gusts from 0-5 knots.
Results
1st John Rohrsheim (7.80 knots 5 x 10 average, Gear: 8.5 Koncept and Starboard SUP)
2nd Dan Poynton (7.64 knots 5 x 10 average, Gear Windsurfer One Design)
3rd Craig Spottiswood (7.51 knots 5 x 10 average, Gear 8.5 Koncept and Starboard SUP)
Nearest the Pin winner
Brett Denning: Nominated speed 5.5kts, recorded speed 5.31 kts. Difference: 0.19kts.
And what of the record I mentioned earlier, while yet to be ratified, I am very confident that we have got this record. Without a doubt this must be the slowest time ever required to win a speed sailing event, 7.8kts. While we are on the topic another significant event that surely is a first... Spotty using an 8.5 Koncept, beaten by a windsurfer one design.
In summary a fantastic event that we will definitely run again next year. Many thanks to Dom at the ITA for his support and the provision of prize money for the event. Our thanks also extend to the other event sponsors, RPS, SHQ & Ocean Peak for the plethora of prizes that meant, unlike in Vegas, here at Inverloch everyone leaves a winner, and as always thanks to Jodi – Whitecaps Photography, for coming down and being our photographer.
For those that complained about my guarantee of wind on the event poster... there was wind, just not much of it.
Dan
Now based on the fact Spotty got 7.5 kts and I got 5.7 kts, that is a 24% difference So with Spotty getting 50 kts at a 24% difference that means my new peak speed is 38 kts. So Drift does that mean I can round up my 29.97 to 38 kts now