Two Slideshows below
Great images from the 2019 Oz Goose Nationals held on Taal Lake with 21 sailboats and over 40 participants in tight competition in tricky conditions. Participants were family groups, corporate groups, 3 crews from the National Sailing Team, 4 teams from the National Paralympic sailing Squad and two previous National Champions.
We shifted the date from the overbooked period (both socially and competitively) of Late November to the quieter period of March to make it easier for more participants.
Photos from Day 1 Oz Goose National Championships 2019 – Distance Races
Day 1 was two long races across Taal Lake. I was going to choose only the best photos but I only would have eliminated a few.
Story Continues below with comments – this is Day 1 Slideshow
This is the collection for the first day. Day 2 is down the page.
It would have been around 12km each way but the wind was only halfway across the lake – so we towed the boats to the halfway point where there was a very light breeze.
By the time we got to the finish the wind was just coming in finally at around 10 t0 12 knots. And a reach meaning we planed in to the finish.
One the way back after lunch at the Lima Park Hotel Ecolodge/Watersports annex “Manakah” we then sailed back in a really nice 12 to 14 knot breeze (apart from when we passed between the volcanic islands in the middle of lake). (Below)
So it was a 12km reach that took a bit over an hour. Planing the whole way apart from passing through the islands which becomes a heads-up exercise seeing the wind patterns.
Photos from Day 2 Oz Goose National Championships 2019 – Short Course Racing
I’ve messed up the order of these photos. I’ve manually resorted where there is a photo sequence – for example this Port/Starboard just next to the windward mark – Arnel eventually forgave me – my mistake!
Slideshow Day 2 – Click to Activate
Wind was light with around a 50/50 mix of light spots and a bit more wind across the racecourse. The gusts were quite visible so it was possible to work out where to be from observing carefully almost all the time.
Keeping the boat moving was essential as well as being in the right wind shifts. Some small sail mods done last week seemed to give me a bit of extra speed (even when I was nervous).
Wind was mostly light but there was wind most of the time. The better sailors made decisions to keep their boat in the visible windy patches and moving well
Most of the sailors had chartered boats from the club at very modest rates.
That is the deal – cheap boat storage an hour or so South of Manila if the boats can be hired out for events if the owner is not using them. A couple of the more colourful boats are paying themselves off.
Results show Oz Goose has equal competition for one or two adult crew.
Placegetters had spent most time in small boats and turned up to regular racing this year. The previous year we were blitzed by the visiting sailors from the Philippine National squad. Great exhibition of power sailing. But this year lighter conditions kept a larger contingent just outside the top three places.
Two of the top three were Adult/Child combos
- 2017 winners – 1st – Two handed boat, 2nd – Singlehanded, 3rd Two handed
- 2018 Winners – 1st – Two handed, 2nd Singlehanded, 3rd Two handed
- 2019 Winners – 1st – Single Handed, 2nd Two handed, Third Two handed
Goat Island Skiff group on Facebook
Open (Oz)Goose group on Facebook
Storer Boat Plans group on Facebook (for all other of my designs).
In the Philippines we can Build 10 Oz Geese for the Price of importing one Laser.
It is a non profit scheme and the top youth sailors are always keen to join our Championships. An Oz Goose for the price of an iPhone.
Developing Grass Roots Sailing For Peanuts in an Emerging Nation
From the First Philippine National Championships for the Oz Goose Sailing Class
Video image can take a moment to load.