Helsinki-Tallinn Race 2010

On Friday evening we took a part in the night race Helsinki-Tallin.

The race started at 18.00. we started from the midline to avoid the rush on the top buoy. It was nice to be - for a moment side by side with two other swans: 46 wafi and 45 Two Fast.


The wind was approximately 6-8 m/s. we made a wrong selection with the sails and the light Genoa teared in two peaces... Unfortunately we put in on the furlex and we had to take it down before we were able to add the other Genoan. We lost our good start on this manouver and also for the extra turn we had to take because we had to eat the windshit from the fleet that was sailing upper. Total loss about 10 minutes. That was very unfortunate. We lost practically more, but first of all we lost the good touch we had on the start.

We got our spirit back after The Lighthouse Helsinki 12 nautical miles from Helsinki while we noticed that Najadi IV from our sailing club was sailing behind us. The steerman Jaska made nice movements, closed the gates so that she had to turn before Tallin Lighthouse.

In front of Tallinn just reaching the Aegna Buoy we noticed that actually we were part of the reace still, because we heard the first announcements from the VHF that the fleet was approaching Aegna.

Then we got to really eat the shit of the lost ten minutes.... The wind shifted ad we had to make extra turn. and the next time...just before Pirita the wind went totally dow. If we had this ten minutes back....


anyway excellent result we were 11th on the Business LYS out of 23 participants.

Next day we had a big party, our Chef Ville had organized us some fillet of beef that we grilled outside on the docks and ate with Garlic potatoes + Bearnaise Sauce. Sipped down with 1996 Chateauneuf de Pape - Not bad!!!


In the evening there was a great party on marina. approximately 800 sailors participated on that. A lot of speculation after speculation... late hours.
Sunday morning after late hours we left the Marina at 10.45. Quite rough weather, not by wind, but the waves were enourmous. The highest measured wave were 3 meters! We had to ate water several time. with one wave we can actually say that the Yacht really fell down, because the spreaders hit the water.

We reached the Helsinki around 17.00. Luckily no accidents happened with the waves. Great race, nice homecoming. The skipper thanks the crew for everything.

Tomorrow: Helsinki-Tallinn Race

Tomorrow we start the main event of the year (tradition): Helsinki-Tallinn Race. This is the largest sail competition in Finland. 173 yachts are participating this offshore race in several classes.

AquilaDeux (LYS 1,20) is starting in the Class Business-LYS that leaves at 18.00 EET.
23 boats will cross the starting line the same time.

The crew is selected as follows:

1. Commander crew: Skipper Petri, Steerman Jaska and Navigator Stidi
2. Deck crew: Officer Erkki, Deckmen Ipu and Pekka
3. Pentry: Grand Chef Ville

The tradition is to reach Tallinn the next morning and beginning on Saturday evening the organizers have arranged huge party in the Pirita port. More than 800 sailors will collect together in Pirita to speculate the past night.

The biggest prize collector is Tallinn Children's hospital that will collect huge donation from the participants.

More information of the race on the organizer's webpage:
http://www.koivusaarenpursiseura.fi/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=28

The night will be long, so the most important role is with the Grand Chef in the pentry to keep the crew on the mood.

In advance I can promise that on Saturday morning there will be at least Canapés filled with Foie Gras and Quills eggs, and of course sparkling wine.

Emsalö Runt, all possible mistakes done

We started the race sailing side to side with thunder. We practically enjoyed the whole day of Sunshine and very low wind.

Now we are ready for anything... because:

In Emsalö runt we participated with minimum crew, first mistake. Better to have one more extra as a minimum.

Every single time we set the Gennaker up, we had a big circus with many mistakes.

Almost every turn we made a mistake, whenever some troubles with the sheets.

Luckily we did not have to make too many turns.

What we won in reaching upper wind - we lost double in the fair wind.

Gennaker have no use in the straight fair wind. Spinnaker it should be, but once you use either you can not use the other.

Low wind.

No more comments on the results.

But fun. Yes we definetly had a lot of fun. Enjoyable and nice day. Thankyou Pekka and Pasi!

Eestiluodon Malja over

Look who is crossing the startline first! Perfect start!

The small race organized by Marjaniemi Yachting club called Eestiluodon Malja (the cup of Estonian Rock). Paritcipation: Skipper, Stidi the startegist, Dr.John the dr, Anssi A promoted immediately as a senior deckmonkey, Mikko M the chef and Vilppu the new Jungman.

The race itself started perfectly. First time in the sailing History the AquilaDeux crossed the start line as the leading yacht. We also kept the leadership until the wind came again down. But we managed to keep our position to the end arriving in the goal side by side with the other competitors. Fantastic perfomance for the old lady in low winds.

Only some small troubles with the spinnaker occured, but no major problem. we lost our final time maximum 1-2 minutes because of this.

Fantastic day, sun shined and the temperature was + 25 degrees.

Thanks for everybody for the participation. Position is still unknown, but whatever it will be. We showed with this crew that even an older quite heavy boat can move in the lower winds the same speed as its much lighter and more modern competitors.

Final position 5th in our class.

Arriving to the goal.

Waiting that the ribs are cured...

So what the heck... AquilaDeux is standing on the port. Why, might the reader think?

The reason is that apparently when the better half of the skipper dropped in the sea the 26th of June (in Hanko), three of her ribs went broken (from the back, maybe because of the radical 150N pull of the lifevest). This is the simple reason for this phenomenon.

The Skipper is still hopeful to get her cured (The doctor told to be at least 6 weeks careful) and make some small trips during this exceptionally warm summer on these latitudes.

But meanwhile.... almost every day one can do some small things in the boat.

Today we washed the deck, and cleaned the boat from the interior. Tomorrow I will make the seabeds better and attach the new nets to them.

Yesterday we cruised around Helsinki to see the shores with PetitAquila (below)

Maybe the next week we try to sail somewhere east (if we get Matias The sea rebel with us).

If the weather is good we will go to Tallinn with Matias and his better part the 8th-9th of August.

... and anyway there are three more races to go. 7th, 14th and 20-22nd of August. So there will be still more adventures for this summer.

Bowsprit + Asym furler installed

The long and sweating day... (sang in the tune of the long and winding road...)

First to measure where to install the Bowsprit... then actually do it!

One can not even think the angles and positions where the nimble captain can bend. Amazing. Luckily I got some help from my daughter to keet the screwdriver on the right position outside...

The biggest issue was to saw the bowsprit to the operating length... but in the end the result was very satisfactory.

Setting up the asym furler was much easier. Maybe tomorrow or sunday we can test how the asymmetric spinnaker works with that.

Day Tripper

Hot weather in the city pressured to go to sail in front of Helsinki. We sailed this day just to escape the weather. It really was cooler on the sea. Thunders & LIghtnings followed us to the port.

One night in Katajanokka

Yesterday we heard the good news. The pier-repairman is coming. So I went with my first mate Matias and his fiancé Laura to have a small sightseeing in the front of Helsinki.

We parked the boat in the Katajanokka marine, which is very well located in the center of Helsinki under the onion shaped towers of the Orthodox Church.



Naturally the skipper spent the night in the boat and went to work for one day from Katajanokka. Today evening the piers was ready and Matias and the Skipper took the boat back to the repaired home-docks.

Shopping in Helsinki

Even though we are in the home port we decided to be tourists in our own city - Helsinki.

In the morning we took off and went with a motor-boat to the center of the city to visit market square. The old Commodore and his wife (Papa & Mama) came with me there. Today is their golden wedding day - 50 years married.

I am thankful for them for all those years when I was a child, we always sailed in the Baltic sea. The infected me with the love to sail and to be on the sea. They also infected me to be in love with special Swan-yachts.

In the afternoon we should grill the two kilo´s Filé we purchased from the market square to start the festivities.

Back to the home port

What a day. Nice fair or side wind the whole day! Wind speed between 3-11 m/s top speed 7,5 knots.

Thirteen hours from Hanko to Helsinki, enjoying of sunny day for the large part of the day.

As a lunch we enjoyed some Gulash-sauce with new potatoes. No wine serviced this time. Cola was good to sip down the food.

Just before 23 we arrived safely at home port.

Short, but nice trip.

Summer continues, also with Aquiladeux.

Hanko - again

We had really nice evening in the Island of Hiittinen where we visited our old friend Taina, her husband Hessu and son Emil.

There was a really beautiful hiding place just at the doorstep of the Archipelago. The servings were excellent and with the routine of a Stewardess Taina asked immediately : "who wants to have campari-orange, gin tonic or anything else?" GT was good and done without saving gin. Nice!

Today morning we took it easy (maybe a little hangover too) and went to have a breakfast in Kasnäs Restaurant. Good start for a new day!

About an hour before noon we took off and our nose was going towards hanko again.

We set our ropes in Itämeren Portti (the gate of Baltic) port, where we also enjoyed excellent but very s-l-o-w-l-y served dinner.

After that we visited the evening market and made bargain with some books from book antiqvariat.

Tomorrow we set our sails to Helsinki, where we are going to visit first time as tourists.

Via Helsingholm backwards to Kasnäs

A real boat-dog on the neighboring boat in Kasnäs.

Just before noon after the brunch (needless to say dandy), we set our sail towards Helsingholm.

After sailing an hour we reached our target and noticed that the port was quite full. The captain decided to go backwards to Kasnäs that we reached after two hours.

Fantastic day! The ladies went to buy some fish. We enjoyed warm smoked salmon with new potatoes.

In the evening we will meet Anis´ (The captains master)friend Taina for a beer in the Kasnäs terrace. Needless to say some sauna refreshment before the meeting.

Högsåra

After very nice Central European breakfast (fresh coffee, Croissants, hot milk) our brave crew set sail towards Högsåra at 8.15 in the morning.

In the beginning we got nice sidewind from S-SW that turned totally against us at Hiittinen.

Day was extremely sunny and the temperature raised up + 25 degrees till evening.
We reached Högsåra at 13.00 and got a nice place from the guest harbour that was practically half-empty.

We had a light coffee pause at famous Farmors Cafe (Grandmothers C). The quality was excellent.

In the evening we had a Sauna, and the Skipper himself made very good stroganoff-beef from fresh veal, cream and pickeled cucumbers, served with hot new potatoes and Chevre cheese, tomato and Basilique. We sipped down the dinner with well matured 1996 Chateauneuf de Pape wine.

Also the participants raised the dinners quality.

Tonigh we probably sleep well.