Here are a few pictures of preparations for the race that took place over the weekend, ranging from race instructions to final adjustments on the rigging…
A group photo…
Category: LYC
Hobie Troubles…
On Saturday I spent over five hours bobbing around on the ocean taking photos of the Hobie Spring Regatta that was held here in Lagos. My, my…I think it is easier to do the Bridge than it is to take photos whilst being bounced around a little, bitty boat on the ocean waves and in the searing heat!!
I don’t know how those photographers get such amazing pictures when they are photographing ocean races – hats off to them!!
Anyway, a couple of sailors provided some interesting moments i.e. capsizing and then battling to get their ropes and lines untangled. I am sure it was not such fun for them, but it was for me – hehe!
The guys could not get the wires untwisted, so they had to capsize the boat again…
…in order to reach the top of the mast and sort out the trapped wires…
Then the boat had to be righted again…
but it went over too far and ended up on the other side…
Pull, boys, pull…
…upright and putting things back into their proper place…
…and here they are later in the race…
Another Saturday…
Another Saturday…another afternoon at the yacht club. The difference for me this time was that I did not go and work on the Bridge. Instead, we went there in our own leisurely time, had a late lunch and relaxed under the tree whilst watching the races. What bliss 🙂
Of course, I had my camera and took a couple of photos. This was the winner of the Hobie fleet as he came towards the finish line.
On Sunday we played golf with friends. It was really hot and humid. The harmattan is disappearing, which is great, but it does mean that the relative coolness it brings, is also going. Result….hot, hot, hot and humid, humid, humid!
Monday was a public holiday and we had some friends around for lunch, so all in all, it was a lovely long weekend.
No inspiration…
Goodness, but I am finding it difficult to motivate myself to do much at the moment!
Blogging…no inspiration!
Photography…no inspiration!
Sewing…bored with projects I was working on before I went away from Lagos last year. I got back, took them out and thought…”Life is too short to keep on trying to finish things because one feels that one HAS to do so!”
Oh well, one day inspiration will come back to me…won’t it….says she hopefully!
I said that I was not going to go and work on the Bridge at the yacht club once I got back to Lagos, however…on Saturday I succumbed and went to help out. BUT…let it be written here…I am NOT going to do it every week.
I took my camera with me and managed to get a couple of shots in between my duties. What caught my eye in the shot below was the faint reflection of the sail in the water as the boat came towards us.
Of Mists and Weeds…
The past week has been an interesting one here in Nigeria. There has been a nation-wide strike due to the increase in the price of fuel. All businesses, banks, shops etc were closed. The strike was called off over the weekend, to enable people to go shopping etc. The strike then recommenced this morning, but was called off a short while ago and so we hope that life will return to normal soon. Nothing is ever sure and secure here!!
On Saturday morning I braved the shops to stock up on a few things. I say “braved” because the shops were crazy!
On Saturday afternoon we went to the yacht club. It was good to have a change of scenery and we decided to have dinner there and used up their food stocks instead of ours at home 🙂
There were two things that stood out to me whilst at the club –
1. The harmattan – the dust from the Sahara that gets blown over Nigeria at this time of year. It is not as bad as it has been in years past, but it was still hanging over us and making the views rather murky.
2. The harbour and creek were clogged up with weeds that were being washed down from further up the creek. They form veritable islands on which the egrets were finding delicious bits to eat and the ever-present rubbish collects.
Ogogoro…
Yesterday we went to the yacht club beach, Ogogoro, for a relaxed Sunday. We met up with friends, sat under the shade of the trees and ate too much! We did not need the shade of the trees because it was overcast and ended being, for Lagos, a cold, even nippy afternoon. Lynn and I dug out our long-sleeved cardies and put them on! My beloved says that I have lived here for too long and become acclimatised! I do admit that, compared to the UK or such climes it was warm…but…for me it was cold!
One of our friends was checking the equipment and making some adjustments on a boat that he has just bought.
Last Day…
Yesterday was my final day of Bridge duties at the yacht club. For the last three years I have been going to the yacht club every Saturday (when I have been in Lagos) to help with the running of the races.
It has certainly been a time off learning and growth for me. I still do not know what a jibe, a tack, a reach etc etc is. But….I do know the start procedure for each race-
- 5 minutes to the start time – class flag up and sound the horn
- 4 minutes – “P” flag up and sound on horn
- 1 minute – “P” flag down and sound on horn
- On start – class flag down
…and off they go. Simple? Hmmm….not always the case. The things that can go wrong or complicate matters are too numerous for me to mention. Let’s just say that, very seldom, did I have a boring day on the Bridge 🙂
Now it is time for me to have a break and give someone else a chance to have fun. I must say I was very touched by some unexpected thanks and gifts last night after the races were over.
Now I know where the missing Hobie flag went. It is now in my possession with a whole lot of signatures from the sailors on it! Ah well, if the club needs another “H” flag they will have to get one made.
There is a story about “Bridge Bat” that originated from before my time on the Bridge. I can’t remember it all, but I think I carried on the tradition of being a “bat” at times 🙂
Hobie flag, that was…
OOD – keeping a lookout..
Bridge assistants for the day…
A Visit…
Today the yacht club received some little visitors from a nursery school. The children have been learning about the ocean and things to do with that, so the principal of the school asked if some of the children could come for a visit.
They duly arrived and were shepherded into the playpen area of the club, since that is the most secure part and there was no danger of little ones falling into the water.
Let me say, here and now, my hat goes off to all child and baby photographers! Oh my, how do they do it?? There were about 25 children ranging in ages from about 3 – 5 years old. Trying to get a photo before they turned their sweet little heads and looked the other way or to get them to stay still for a second proved nigh impossible! It did not help either that I was highly amused at the antics of them all. I got so distracted at times that I forgot to photograph some of the amusing goings on. There were also some tussles and tears over various things. One little boy did not want to take off the life jacket for others to “have a go”. Another one, did not like someone else taking over the tiller.
The Commodore of the club organised for a boat to be rigged up in the playpen…
Showing them the ropes!
The Commodore also organised for one of the members to come along and sail a yacht in front of the playpen area, so the children could see a “boat in action”…
This little fellow in the boat was the one who did not want to give up the life jacket…
I cannot tell you how many photos I took of this group. The poor teachers tried so hard to get everyone in the picture at the same time, but I don’t think they succeeded!
And this is how we go back to the bus…
I hope the children had as much fun as I did!
Pick of the Click 22 & 23…
22…
23…
A Storm Blew…
It turned out to be an action-packed afternoon at the yacht club today! Certainly not one we would have chosen – a storm suddenly blew up and several of the yachts were on the water waiting for the start of the race. It happened so quickly that we did not have time to tell them to go back to shore!
There was heavy wind, rain, thunder and lightning – it was very scary to watch, or should I say, not be able to watch the yachts. The visibility went down to about 50 metres and we could not see any of the boats!
The rescue boats were sent off to help and tow boats back to shore. Radio comms were difficult because of the storm. We heard several boats had capsized, including the Lightnings, which can be very difficult to get upright because they take on so much water. Then, we heard that one of the rescue boats had sunk! A short while later we heard that another rescue boat was in trouble – wonderful! Someone called for more rescue boats from elsewhere to come and help. All seemed utter chaos and disaster; it was nail-biting for those of us on shore, never mind for those on the water.
I do not know how long the storm lasted, but I think it was about an hour – it felt like 24 hours!! In spite of all the capsizes and sinkings, they eventually got all the people and boats home safely. They even managed to get the sinking rescue boats back.
I could not take any photos while the storm was dancing around us, but I managed to get a couple once the weather had cleared.
(Click on the photos to get a clearer image)
Rescue boat being rescued…
Ummm…is he sailing or swimming???
