Leap Frog and crew in form





Additional pictures of the 1st place win RANSA & Sunday sailing for

Pit chick Justinekeeping an eye on the course above, and a happy Captain Scott below

Tony and Fee successfully returning with fish'n'chips

Winter Racing RANSA Saturday series and ASCC end of Summer Series

RANSA RACE 4 @ 27th May 2006 - Crew Scott, Tony, Justine, Chris, Scott 2, Fee Fee La Rue - with BBQ at Elizabeth Bay Marina after the race

ASCC Race Race 6 @ 21st May 2006 - Woops!!!! we din't realise this race was on until we saw Mercedes sail by us flying the ASCC flags, we had no time to make the start line so Scott, Tony, and Fee Fee continued on our leisurley Sunday sail to Watsons Bay for fish and chips where we met Phil on his Carmen, and where challenged to a race back down the harbour. Leap Frog creamed the Carmen and Leap Frog continued her winning performance.

RANSA Race 3 @ 20th May 2006 - Crew, Scott, Tony, Chris, Justine, Jo and Scott2. A fairly overcast day with winds @ 15 knots and the spinnaker ready to fly. We where in for a good day. We kept up with the fleet, even overtaking some yachts under spinnaker. Despite the overcast and showery day our spirits remained high, and we powered back up the harbour to east channel, knowing we were doing quiet well. coming back down to Clarke Island we couldn't find the committee boat or finish line, so rang Janet who informed us the race had been shortened and we had infact crossed the line back at East channel. Later that night we had a call from Max informing us we had

placed a 1st in division 2 spinnaker - our hadnicap will suffer - but go Leap Frog and crew yeeeehhhaaaa!!!!!!!!!!

RANSA Race 2 @ 13th May 2006 - Crew Scott, Tony, Chris, Justine, and Scott 2. After starting the race in light winds, we decided to withdraw from the race and practise flying the spinnaker. We became pro's at spinnaker flying.

RANSA Race 1 @ 6th May 2006- Crew, Scott, Tony, Matt, and Justine
(We will be flying the Spinnaker this series)

Congratulations to our crew for the first race. Unfortunatley we did not finish in time - the disadvantage of our 9 tonne cruising boat in light winds). Thanks to all crew and friends that came to RANSA for drinks afterwards - We can only improve 'Go Team"

ASCC Race 5 @ 7th May 2006 - Crew. Scott, Tony, Andy, and Kari Ferrari
WOW what a race - We were 1st across the start line and at 25knots the wind was in our favour, we rounded Fort Denison just ahead of Maria, Roger and David and headed to our next mark at Rose Bay East, along this leg we witnessed 3 masts snap, 2 main sails shred, a spinnaker shred and a collision with two men overboard, by this stage the winds were gusting off the charts at over
40knots, so this was the stage we deciced too reef the mainsail and the headsail, (lesson to be learned, Reef early, Reef often). Leap Frog rounded the mark at Rose Bay East and having fought Maria off, we headed to our next mark at Clarke Island, with a number 1 reef in and about 1/3 headsail, we headed in parallel with a large fleet of 40ft plus boats, rounding there mark and lowering there spinnakers. Now it all goes haywire! We are pushed off course by a ferry and a out of control spinnaker flying yacht, and ended up 2 metres from the sea wall at Point Piper and headed towards two large submerged rocks about 1 meter apart,
and actually managed too sail through the rocks, crash jibbing, headsail line fouled, helm overpowered and no steerage, miracuously getting out of this nerve racking prediciment, we decided to take a brief pause and try regain our composure, it was in this process we decided to withdraw from the race. The winds still gusting off the charts at 40 knots, bringing down the maisail was not easy, Andy and Tony got the sail down, but still yet to be secured, and trying desperatley to gain control the sail Tony found crew mate Andy clinging to the mast, stating "Sorry Mate I can't do anything but hold on!" and proceeded to turn green, very green. Kari quickly jumped to Tony and Andy's aid, and we secured the main as best we could to the boom. We were now under motor, and found we had no steerage, "Damage" we thought from the rocks, we freaked out "40knot winds, and no steerage", and to cap things off we were being pushed faster by the wind than our motor would drive us, (with no sails up) after many more arrghh %$*&'s and aaarrgghh $%&####$%*'s we're $%$#%$ed. We decided our only option was to sail under a about 1/4 headsail, and prayed the rudder would not fall off. Much to our relief we now had control and way. We safely returned under our 1/4 heady very cautiously, maybe even tacking too much to avoid any solid objects, land, even floating logs; to our mooring at Elizabeth Bay and opened a bottle of wine in relief and celebration. "Yeah team"! Andy we hope your feeling much better and haven't had your sea legs too dampened, It was a %$%& of a day. Kari soaked to the bone, go trooper, and no nails broken.

Below is a picture perfect race for any doubting crew after this weekend

(Leap Frog is 2nd in overall ASCC series, and only 2 points behind 1st. Mostly due to missing 1 race that was held on Easter Weekend, although we did have fun in Byron!!! so all is not too bad.) (We wait to see what happened, we think the entire fleet ended withdrawing race 5)



Pics of the Blues Festival in Byron