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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
AIRCALIN
M AT C H R A C I N G R E G AT TA
AIRCALIN Match Racing Regatta in Noumea
Hosted by Cercle Nautique Caledonien (the CNC
yacht club)
T
he RPAYC team of Juliet Costanzo (Skipper),
Alistair Read (Mainsheet), India Howard (Trim)
and Antony Hawke (Bow), accompanied by
Angus Gordon as stand-in coach for Tommy
Spithill (overseas at a different regatta) arrived in
Noumea on Monday the 13th August, after the usual delayed
flight, and settled into their billets on yachts at the marina.
While all four of the team are accomplished sailors, they are
a young group representing the future potential for RPAYC
Youth Development. This is their first overseas match racing
regatta and it was also the first time they had all sailed together.
The other competitors range from about the same age as the
RPAYC crew up to seasoned veterans of 40 years plus. It is
an open regatta, with a youth component, but all ages are in
together, so there are some very tough competitors.
Tuesday was practice day and the team was fortunate to
get both a morning and an afternoon session, which allowed
them to practice in both of the potential course areas. There
were some “interesting” tacks and gybes, not to mention quite
a bit of discussion, but their skills developed at warp speed
during the day. Kite launching and recovery technique was
“exciting” with coach Angus wondering just exactly what was
going to happen next. The Elliot 6s are more tender than the
Club’s 7s and the kite work is very different making it hard
for crews not used to the 6s, particularly in stronger winds.
DAY 1
Wednesday was the first day of the regatta with the 12
teams sailing in two sessions using the six Elliot 6s owned
by CNC. The breeze was 8 knots early on, building to 12
knots by the end of the day with a progressively building
choppy seaway (racing was on the open ocean course). The
team ended the day with a credible three wins and four losses,
however, the result could have been very different.
In the first race they dominated the pre-start and looked
like getting a brilliant start, but unfortunately, they crossed
the line a mere two seconds ahead of the gun only to have to
return and re-start while their competition smoked off into
the distance. They recovered to sail an excellent race finishing
a boat length behind their competition having progressively
hauled them back.
In the second race their start was much better and they
were clearly in the lead when their traveller control rope
broke and they were not able to maintain height upwind.
Excellent downwind control meant they caught up and
finished overlapped but unfortunately behind.
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YA C H T S M A N R PAY C
The third race was well put together and they had their
first win.
The fourth race was again close but, having led to the first
mark the spinnaker launching and gybing downwind, on the
first downwind leg, let them down, and they finished on the
heels of their competitor.
The fifth race was the real disaster. Having established a
lead, well ahead of their competitor they wrapped the kite
so badly that it took all of the downwind leg, to sort out. Not
only the kite was wrapped but also the kite sheets had tied up
the bundle! This was their biggest loss, and disappointment,
having had the race “in the bag”.
But, being the excellent competitors, they are they
were not phased so put together two very controlled, and
convincing wins in races 6 and 7.
While they finished with three wins out of seven races, it
was very close to being a very different story. The team really
showed their potential and their maturity by recovering from
some very demoralizing situations. They ended the day in
great spirits fully realizing just how close they had come to
a very different outcome, and how much they had learned.
DAY 2
The day started out relatively light at 6 to 8 knots but built
to 15+ during the day with a steep chop in the late afternoon.
Again, racing was on the open ocean course.
The RPAYC team was in the first flight of the day and
then had a rest till afternoon.
In the first race of the day the team had an excellent
pre-start and ended up forcing their competitor over early at
the start so developed an early break while their competitor
returned to the start. First work was well controlled and they
rounded clear ahead by 10 boat lengths…then it happened!
Their nemesis (the kite set) took over and they wrapped
up the forestay like a Christmas gift. Needless to say, the
competition sailed past with their kite drawing beautifully.
The second work was good and they picked up well only to
round the top mark and “wine glass” the kite. By the time
they had that sorted the competition was well ahead and
crossed the line about 12 boat lengths ahead. A bit of a chat
ensued when the crew handed over the boat and returned to
the changeover boat to await their next race several hours
later, and to “enjoy” a debrief with the coach.
By their second race the wind was already a gusty 12 to
15 knots with a nasty chop. They were up against a good
competitor who trapped them at the pin end and put a
penalty on the RPAYC boat. However, they recovered to
actually start well (good pre-start technique and calm heads)
so rounded the top mark in clear first place. They surprised
everyone, including themselves with a good kite launch 
and set (having worked things through during the break on
the changeover boat). Unfortunately, they sailed high angles
down the run and allowed the competitor to just break
through. Having rounded the bottom mark, they quickly
hauled in the competitor who had to tack away... and then
broke their boom. So, the RPAYC steamed off into the
distance, exonerated their penalty and recorded a win. of their competitor, to “notch-up” their best win of the series
so far.
Their third race saw a penalty scored against them in
the pre-start by an aggressive competitor. It was really just a
short loss of concentration by the RPAYC team. Generally,
their pre-start was good and the penalty was a very close call.
For the first time they were slow upwind, mainly due to how
they were driving through the chop (this was sorted out in the
debriefing by the coach and team after racing was finished for
the day). They rounded the top mark about eight boat lengths
behind but had an excellent kite set (previous problems fixed
by the crew trying new techniques). A good fast run saw them
close the gap. Although covered upwind by their competitor
they actually closed up further and had a brilliant kite set,
and downwind run, to steam right up to the competitor on
the finish line but unfortunately they still had the penalty turn
to do and they were not quite overlapped so couldn’t force
the competitor off enough to exonerate themselves before the
competitor crossed the line. DAY 3
The third race for the RPAYC crew was the last for the
day. They came into their own to show what they were
capable of against a good competitor. RPAYC gained a
penalty against the other competitor in the pre-start and won
the start. Conditions were “testing”, however, they covered
well upwind, although a bit slow again due to difficulties
handling the short chop. Still they rounded the top mark first
and produced their best kite set of the series and “romped”
downwind till near the bottom mark when their last gybe
nearly resulted in a full lay down. But they recovered in time
to round ahead and again showed their skill on the next work
to round well ahead. Again, an excellent kite set and several
well managed gybes saw them cross the finish line clear ahead
So, at the end of the round-robin RPAYC had five wins
(and several near wins!). All very happy, learning a lot,
very relaxed, and experienced a number of very
complementary comments from the teams of seasoned match
racing competitors.
The regatta organizers had scheduled two “round robins”
but it became obvious that the conditions meant there was
only time for one so the next races were to be the quarter
finals, and RPAYC had made their way through and qualified
for the “quarters”.
Day three started out with no wind so the postponement
was notified ashore as there was no point going out. By 1100
hrs there was considered to be sufficient wind to start racing
but the 3 to 4 knots was very shifty and the first two races had
to be abandoned as the yachts could make the first mark on
one tack. The RPAYC team had been in the second race so
lined up shortly after the abandonment for a re-run of the
race. With very light and fluky conditions RPAYC controlled
the pre-start well but was just overtaken on the start line, by
their competitor. Unfortunately, the RPAYC boat was very
slow upwind however their downwind kite sets and gybes
were excellent, but not enough to make up for the lack of
speed upwind, so that was one race down in the quarter finals.
The second race again saw some very good pre-start
work with this time the RPAYC team crossing the start line
on time and in a controlling position. Unfortunately, the
slow upwind issue prevailed and the competitor closed in
on them. While trying to duck near the top mark a slight
miscalculation resulted in a near collision and the RPAYC
team penalised. The kite set and run, with good gybes (earlier
problems all solved) were executed well and the gap closed
but again on the next work the RPAYC boat was slow and
so fell back. In the final run to the finish they again closed 
R PAY C YA C H T S M A N
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