Rockingham

Hi everyone,
Today we had a great sail from Mandurah to Rockingham via Challenger Passage.  We could have returned to FSC but are enjoying our cruise too much to end it today!  We logged 35nm during the 7 hour sail, for a 5 knot average speed.  We are now moored off TCYC at 32 16.49S 115 43.36E.

Zen Again track

Zen Again speed

Last night the crews of Alegria, Stingrey and Zen Again joined Aqua Vitae for a sundowner.  It was a very pleasant evening.  We decided to sail to Rockingham rather than return to FSC.

Zen Again moored off Pt Robert

Stingrey, Alegria and Aqua Vitae (L-R) off Pt Robert

We all departed Pt Robert at about 0600, hoisting double-reefed sails for the 25-30 knot WSW wind.  As the speed profile shows Zen Again loved it, doing over 7 knots as we close-reached out of the bay to James Service Reef.  A little wet but lots of fun.  The weather was interesting, with the wind appearing to be associated with a very low band of cloud which passed over us heading ENE.

After the cloud passed the wind gradually decreased.  It swung through the S to the E and for a while we had a nice ESE wind.  Then that died and we had to motor for a couple of hours from off Warnbro Sound to Challenger Passage.

Once in Challenger passage there was a nice SW breeze of 12-15 knots.  As we entered Cockburn Sound the wind gradually piped up over an hour or so to 25-28+ knots.  Alegria and Stingrey had headed direct to FSC but we and Aqua Vitae had a great close-hauled "drag race" down the sound.  The two boats were quite evenly matched.  We went from full main and a few rolls in the jib at Challenger Passage to double-reefed main and a deeply rolled yankee when half-way down the sound.

Aqua Vitae overtaking Zen Again in Cockburn Sound

Once on the mooring we watched the low cloud scudding overhead at a great rate of knots.  We had a bit of everything today - twas a blast!