Little Dragon withdraws from Bay to Bay 2018

This was to be my third Bay to Bay (Tin Can Bay to Urangan up the Great Sandy Strait overnighting at Garry's Anchorage). Helen Tom and her partner Valentine Sowenko had come all the way from Bendigo, Helen to crew and Val as our roady. Thanks to both of you. However it was not to be. Read on....

Helen Tom with Pam

We  motored off towards the start of 119 entrants in about 3 knots of wind and glorious sunshine. It was forecast to come up to SE 10 - 12 knots on both days but maybe up to 10 mm rain. However conditions can change unexpectedly and fast, read on....

Half way to the start our outboard conked out. We had no alternative but to withdraw before even crossing the start line. So disappointed.

We pull out and relocate to a motel room in Urgangan. On Saturday night we listened to torrential rain. Sunday morning Helen and I headed off with Captain Phil on a large Adventure Cruises catamaran to meet the fleet. He told us that it had blown 25 knots at Garry's, anchors dragged and parties abandoned. Initially it was a bit wet and windy but from inside the comfortable saloon we enjoyed watching the front of the fleet approaching under spinnaker. Read on...

Then conditions changed between Little Woody and Big Woody, heavy squalls, which the Race organisers were anticipating. We knew that as we were listening to Race Control on 77. An ugly chop as wind against tide. A boat broke its rudder and was under tow, then a boat capsized, man overboard (recovered), another boat capsized and upside down and 3 in water (recovered by a competitor) boat dismasted, then another dismasted, finally around a dozen dismasted (I lost count). We zoomed around on Adventure Cruises as an additional rescue boat. Finally it all came under control, some were still sailing, some under tow and some motoring having lashed down their rigging. All got back (except the upside down boat and a securite was put out for a navigational hazard).

Valentine Sowenko and Helen Tom

I got back to Urangan emotionally exhausted but not physically exhausted as the competitors must have been. Very mixed emotions. We dodged a bullet by our forced withdrawal, but maybe we could have sailed Little Dragon through it all safe and sound, maybe that is just a fantasy... We'll never know.