17th October 2009

Sydney upholds the Squadron against Middle Harbour

By Peter Campbell

Sydney, Charles Curran’s 60-footer, upheld the honour of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Division 1 fleet against a strong onslaught by Middle Harbour Yacht Club yachts which joined the Squadron racing in Divisions 1 and 2 on Saturday.

A total of 22 MHYC boats joined the RSYS fleet, swelling to almost one hundred the total turn-out for a perfect day of spring racing on the Harbour.

Sydney had a great day, taking line honours and first place on corrected time under both PHS and IRC handicaps from a fleet of 23 starters in the south-easterly breeze of 10-15 knots.

Under PHS handicaps, Sydney won from Chris Hancock’s new Farr 36 Vino, which was also second across the line. MHYC entry Onya, skippered by Andrew Hurt, placed third.  Under IRC, Sydney again took the honours, with Geoff Pearson’s new boat Carbon Credits, also, from MHYC, taking second place and Onya third.

Middle Harbour took the honours in Division 2, first place on handicap going to John McGrory’s Forty Two from the Squadron’s Arcturus II (Peter Davenport) and Mortgage Choice Rumba (Rob Carr/S             tephen Cook/Kerry Rurke) also from MHYC.

Just ten seconds separated first and second place on corrected time in Division 3, with Senta (Terry & Julie Clarke) winning from Norn (Robert Albert) and Come by Chance (John Nutt).

In Division 4,  Peter Campbell’s Bonbridge 27 Hornblower scored its second successive win, steered on Saturday by his elder son Tim Campbell, visiting from Victoria where he races his appropriately-named  ‘half tonner’ Recycled Recreation with Hobson’s Bay Yacht Club.  Hornblower recovered from hitting a rounding mark and taking penalty turns to score a comfortable handicap win from two Folkboats, Don Sayers’  Clara Sayers and Lyndsay Brown & Jim Littlefield’s Dreamtime.

The International Yngling class raced on Saturday for the Rupert McCurrich Fire Truck Trophy as part of a three race Mini Regatta that saw Pourquoi (Hamish Jarrett) take line honours in the first heat but Black Adder (Gary Pearce) win the next two.

The International Dragons also raced in the Mini Regatta, with Carl Ryves’ Sidewinder winning all three races with Indulence (Robert Alpe), Karabos VII (Norman Longworth) and Wizzardry (David Mason & Andrew York) the next best competitors.

Results in the International Etchells are subject to protest,  with provisional results placing Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner) in first place from Bushfire (Jervis Tilly) and Special Mention (Mark Anderson & David Griffith).