22th Novmeber 2008
By Peter Campbell
Wild westerly winds gusting to 41 knots played havoc with the Squadron’s race 10 of the Spring and Main Series and the Mini Regatta for the International Etchells class on the Harbour on Saturday.
According to the website www.seabreeze.com.au, the 41 knot gust was recorded at Fort Denison about 14:00 hours, with the westerly maintaining a steady 30 knots-plus until late afternoon before easing slightly to 20-25 knots.
Against the flooding tide, the westerlies turned the Harbour into a cauldron of white water as low, dropping clouds over the Harbour Bridge foretold of heavy gusts to come. Fortunately, the conditions kept most pleasure boats ashore and the harbour was relatively free of traffic, with no incidents reported.
Matt Whitnall on dot
Race management abandoned all racing for the International Dragons and Ynglings and after one race for the International Etchells, which started at 12:40.
With three retirements from the 17 boat fleet and the westerly winds increasing in strength, the race officer abandoned the next two heats for the Etchells.
While most of the Etchells carried spinnakers on their first run, skippers became more prudent as conditions deteriorated. However, the race was over quickly, taking the first boat 39 minutes and the last boat only 45 minutes to sail the course.
Against a normal Saturday afternoon fleet of about 80 boats, cruiser/racers and one-design classes, only 17 Etchells and 28 cruiser/racers elected to race, of which four subsequently retired as they sailed the courses, wisely shortened by the race officer.
Conditions favoured the bigger boats in the mixed divisions, with Charles Curran’s 60-footer Sydney taking out line and handicap honours in Division 1. Second place went to ISuper (Peter Campbell) third to Euphoria (Anthony Coleman). Nine boats started, three retired.
Compeador (Jonathan & Mary Threlfall) also won line and handicap in Division 2 from a fleet of six, with Allegro (Jackie Taylor) second and Arcturus II (Peter Davenport).
In Division 3, Robert Albert’s Norn got the gun but lost first place on corrected time to John Nutt’s Come by Chance by just 13 seconds. Third place went to John Jeremy’s Tingari in the fleet of nine.
Division 4 saw only four starters among the smaller boats and three finishers, Tom Cehak’s Therapy taking line honours, but first place on handicap going to Kerstin II (John Bowman/Ken Chase/Julian Goldie) by just 10 seconds from Hornblower (Peter Campbell).
The Mini Regatta for the Etchells was scheduled to be the final three heats in the 12 heat World Qualifying Series. Australian Sailing Team manager Michael Jones, who led the team to the Beijing Olympics, sailed Featherschalkbeans to a 14 second win in the only race sailed, second place going to Roulette (Mark Johnson), third to Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner).
The World Qualifying Series has ended with former New Zealand 1987 America’s Cup crewman David Clarke heading the pointscore in Fifteen, by a massive margin after he and his crew, Andrew ‘Spot’ Smith and Sean Leonard, won four of the ten Qualifying races sailed this spring. Fifteen also scored two seconds and a third, with her worst result being a seventh, to finish with a net 22 points.
Second in the World Qualifying Series was Matt Whitnall, skippering dot, with 39 points, followed by Fathom (Rupert Henry) 48 points and North Sydney Station (Ed and Will McCarthy & Michael Coxon) on 55 points.
The other boats to finish in the top ten (the number of Sydney Fleet boats eligible for the International Etchells World Championship in Melbourne next March) are;
Bushfire (Jervis Tilly), Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner), QRS (Ian Kingsford-Smith & Alastair Stone), Avalon (Michael Bellingham), Bald Eagle (John Dunn & Glen Nattrass) and Carabella IV (Matthew McCann).
The International Etchells next weekend will be contesting their NSW State Championship, conducted by Gosford Sailing Club on Brisbane Waters.
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