Lidgard Sails // News // 2011 - Sailing Report

31 October 2011

2011 Coastal classic

Lidgards Sails Dominate Division 2 and 3 in the 2011 Coastal classic Yacht Race.

For the second successive year an all Lidgard customer has taken 1st place on corrected time in Division 3  in the coastal classic yacht race from Auckland to Russell Wharf.

Congratulations to the team on Caddabarra 6 for a top result and a 3rd online.

In Division 2  Truxton using a brand new Lidgard square top main that was custom built for this years race  lead from start to finish to take the line honors and fourth on handicap  from another fast finishing Lidgard customer on board River Rebel who also claimed  1st place on Corrected time.

Strong south westerly winds were ideal for the 121mile race giving the fleet a spinnaker start to Tiri Tiri passage followed by 70miles of 2 sail reaching  through Bream Bay to Cape Brett.

A 90 degree corner at Cape Brett meant a 20mile beat into Russell   for most of the fleet as the wind slowly eased with most boats changing to number 1 genoas to get them to the finish in the dying breeze.

25 October 2011

Lidgard Sails Returns to Anacortes as a Full Service and Repair Loft

Gray Hawken has returned to sailmaking in the Northwest, opening a new loft in Anacortes. This time Gray’s business partner is his daughter Kate, who worked as a sailmaker with Gray for several years. 

Gray has a long history with Lidgard Sails. In April 1984 he and his wife Carolyn, along with Doug Christie, opened the first Lidgard Sails loft in Seattle. Over the next twenty-three years, the three operated two lofts, the original in Seattle and a second in Anacortes. In 2006 Gray sold both lofts and entered into a brief retirement while Doug entered into a new business venture.

Gray and Kate are excited about returning to sailmaking and providing service to old and new customers alike. 

Lidgard Sails Anacortes is open for business.

Call Gray at 360-421-1153 

Call Kate at 360-303-2696. 

Fax 360-588-8561.

Email: lidsaila@gmail.com

01 June 2011

Auckland to Tauranga yacht race report 2011

From Grant Ewing on the Lambert 35 foot "River Rebel"

After a very busy couple of weeks preparation, new bowsprit, mast head asymmetrical and fractional asymmetrical, finally bobbing up and down on the start line was a relief! A great fleet had assembled and with blue skies above and a great weekend to look forward too there was a tinge of expectation on board, unfortunately the wind was not playing ball with a very brisk 0-1kt with the occasional 3kt gusterly from the north whipping past.

Our helmsman showed some pre-start prowess to get us in good position for what turned out a corker start. From there things went decidedly pear shaped! Our tactical navi guessing was well off the pace for all the good intense and purposes as everywhere we went the wind did not follow.

1.5hrs later we finally reached the ferry terminal in reasonable shape, mainly due to our new square top main and light #1 keeping us in touch and of course a stiff 3 knots of tide going out the channel.

The fleet slowly crept through Motuhi Channel looking for any sniff of a breeze, but mainly relying on the tide to pull everyone through. Out into the channel the weather outlook didn't look like things where going to improve in any hurry.

As evening set in and still 15 miles south of channel island watching our track on GPS was the only entertaining thing happening on board. We improved with any slight gust of breeze only to be negated once lost and the incoming tide returning us to square one!

Finally!!!! the breeze arrived and as the wind swung toward the beam our new pride and joy the masthead genny was set to great fan fair quickly pulling us away from the majority of the fleet.

Off Cape Colville the breeze swung forward again and we had to peel to our Lidgard Heavy #1. Hard on the breeze we were doing great numbers till we reached the Mercury Islands with yet another light patch ahead, and just our luck we sailed right into the middle of it!

Once clear of the Merc's the breeze picked up and steadied, we were averaging 6-7 knots in slight seas, as we progressed down the coast the breeze swung aft again and we peeled to the masthead genny and then to the new fractional Symmetrical as the breeze swung further aft.

To weather and aft of River Rebel we had a couple of competitors bringing down some good breeze which we picked up when they came abeam, at the same time the breeze went forward for yet another sail change back to the big genny and we were off, at this stage we were approximately 10 miles off the finish, over which we were able to distance our selves by about half an hour from the two boats that brought the breeze down with them.

Once past Kawerau Island we hoisted the light #1 through to the finish. Altho a long slow race the different breezes gave us the opportunity to try out all our new gear which proved very successful as without the gear we would have been a long way back in the fleet. River Rebel finished up 2nd on PHRF and we will certainly be back next year. Congratulations to all who took part look forward to next year.

25 March 2011

Orion II Wins 90th Lipton Cup.

Orion II won the 90th Lipton Cup on Saturday 19 March in trying conditions. This year's win gives Martin Robertson and crew a hat trick of wins and boosts the boat overall Lipton victories to 6 Lipton wins since the boat hit the water in the late 70s.

Orion did not have it all their own way, with spirited challenges from Tamatea, Valeria, Snatcher and Scullet all finishing in that order.

Tamatea's result was especially pleasing after Rob and the crew had put her back together weeks before the race sailing only a handful off times. Tamatea led from the start around the first two windward leewards before a costly error allowed Orion to sneak through, just after the bottom mark the second time.

On reaching the top mark for the third time, Orion still held onto first spot heading out the harbour to round Resolution, then Narrow Neck to Northern Leading and up the Auckland Harbour for a short windward leeward to the finish.

22 February 2011

Michael Pack is the New Lidgard Sails Agent in Seattle

Michael Pack has taken over as the New Lidgard Sails Agent in Seattle.

Michael comes to us with 45 years of sailing experience starting off in the Penguin Class at the early age of 5 years old. Michael has a wealth of sailing experience growing up on the Great Lakes and more recently in the Puget Sound.

Michael's experience extends to both racing and cruising sailing, with his latest yacht the Waquers 50 foot "Caelestis".

Michael comes from a strong customer service background and fits well with the Lidgard Sails philosophy of Customer, quality and performance first. Michael takes over from the great work that Doug Christie started in the Seattle area, and will work closely with Lidgard New Zealand to provide a high quality seamless service.

For further information Please contact Michael on Ph 206 331 0386, Fx 206 232 8099, or by email to mjpack1@gmail.com