2009 (our 3. year)

 

In the winter we continued where we finished in the autumn. We installed a new heater to dry up the inside in the summer rains and the chilly weathers in June and late August. We also picked up a decent plotter for Aura to make the navigation easier and during the spring we then accomplished what we have been planning for a long time, we installed a new engine. JL-Marine, Jukka Laine installed a new Kubota Beta 25 in Aura which in the summer turned out to be a good purchase. We will have to do some minor adjustment with the exhaust pipe and the muffler but the new engine has functioned quite well and reliably during the summer.

The long trip for the summer was meant to be Helsinki-Uusikaupunki-Ahvenanmaa-Visby(Gotland)-Kuresaari(Estonia)-Hanko-Hki but this plan shrinked and this year Gotland and Estonia was dropped out. In Ahvenanmaa we visited Olli Alho and his lovely wife Mari on their island, Kumlinge, Södholm. Viaporin Tuoppi in August was quite successful and Aura was third in it own class LYS 1 timing hours 2.10.56 (totally 26 boats attending), Lygaia 26. timing hours 1.48.27 and Havis Amanda 4. in its class LYS 2 timing hours 2.33.11 (totally 28 boats attending).

In March-May 2009 Micke was again on the big ocean, on the Pacific Ocean, spreading the message of Aura. 2007 over the Atlantic and now from Panama to Tahiti. The trip included Panama-Galápagos 800 miles, Galápagos - Marquises almost 3 000 miles, and finally Marquisas - Tahiti about 800 miles. Totally close to 4 600 nautic miles. Micke has written a separate story about these (in Finnish).

(written by Mikael Aminoff)

 

 

2010 (our 4. year)
During the winter we have repaired sails, programmed the new MMSI number into the radiophone, we have done some wood work with a hatch in the aft, remade one of the the mattresses and renewed the syaura.fi domain. We have plans to compose an “emergency pump” and improve our bilge pump system, buy new ropes, an anchor mount and maybe modernize the electrical systems. 

Aura participated in Gotland Classic Race in the beginning of July! Eurocard Round Gotland Race is a classic offshore regatta - one of the largest in the world. Start and finish is in Sandhamn, in the Stockholm archapelago. Gotland Classic Race is held at the same time. This is a regatta for classic yachts. You will find all the results etc. Here http://www.ksss.se/sv/Kappseglingar/Regattor-20101/Eurocard-Gotland-Runt/. The length of the Classic Race was over 215 Nm (Almagrundet light house, south mark Nynäshamns angöring, Visby and back to Almagrundet light house and finishing line at Skanskobb).

Besides Micke and Pave we had our friends Jarkke Suokonautio and Jussi Räty on board. We started from Helsinki to Hanko in the first days of July and then strsight to Sandhamn passing by  Bengtskär and Suomen Leijona. You can find pictures in our Gallery. In the competition we had a good 6. position at the first rounding at Nynäshamns angöring. Behind us were both Fredrik (s/y Refanut) and Jacob Wallenberg (s/y Regina).  We passed Visby with on position 13 and Gotska Sandön as 10.  After this the wind got a lot stronger. At first we made good speed and we passed many competitors with the spinnaker up but the greediness revenged itself and we seriously broached and lost the spinnaker halyard and a moment later the other halyard ahead. After this for the rest of the competition we had only the storm foresail up with the upper guy. We limped towards the the finish line as the others passed us but we made it all the way to the finish. This has to repeated sometime and prove how good Aura can be when there are no problems.   

From Sandhamn we headed for Uusikaupunki with Paven and Jussi. The route went north by the Swedish coast and south of Ahvenanmaa. In the end of July Aura visited Kustavi (Lauran laituri) as a tribute to the Perinnevenepäivä (day of the traditional boats) and in the beginning of August we sailed Aura to Helsinki. Micke recruited a reserve crew for this trip. Outside Hanko we were hit by a real storm but Aura hanged on very well. After the pounding we got to the inner water way where the wind was rough but the wawes were missing and Aura ran fast and forceful like a train. 

Aura participated in Viaporin Tuoppi in August with Micke's reserve crew and the position was good as it was last year. More information about the reults in the Gallery (texts).

 

(written by Mikael Aminoff)