30th January 2010

Fleets back to near full strength

By Peter Campbell 

With the end of national championships and summer holidays for most yachtsmen and their families, fleets were back to near full strength for last Saturday’s Squadron Summer Series races and the mini regattas for International Dragon and International Yngling classes.

The one-design classes enjoyed the return to racing after having their competition cancelled the previous Saturday because of the forecast powerful southerly front – it hit at 45 knots mid afternoon soon after the divisions finished a wisely shortened course.

The Ynglings attracted nine starters and enjoyed close racing in the mini-regatta which also included heats of the King Haakon Cup,  with Mel Nathan and Michael Nash setting the bench mark with a comfortable win in race one with Uncanny.

However, in the next two races they dropped back to third, Hamish Jarrett winning both races after his first race third in Pourquoi.  Karma (Gary Wogas) sailed consistently with a fourth and two seconds.

Carl Ryves was back to form in the Dragons after a disappointing Prince Philip Cup regatta in Perth, winning all three races with Sidewinder, although the margins were close.  Second best overall result was that of David Mason and Andrew York with Wizzardry, who notched up a fifth and two seconds. Liquidity (Richard Franklin and Damien Hannes) scored two thirds and a seventh in the nine boat fleet.

CYCA-based Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner) won a close race in the International Etchells, beating Bushfire (Jervis Tilley) by 17 seconds in the 20 boat fleet.   Just 29 seconds astern came Zapper (David Baker and Frits Mare).

In Division 1, the Bavaria Match 38 Equinox, owned by John Molyneux and Peter Bray, sailed above her rating to take first place by a comfortable three minutes on corrected time from line honours winner Sydney (Charles Curran), third place going to Kookaburra III (Commodore Bill Wood and Peter Bray). However, Sydney held her time under IRC ratings to win that category from Euphoria (Tony Coleman) and Impetuous Too (Graeme Lambert).

Division 2 attracted only five starters with David Matthews’ J35 winning from Arcturus II (Peter Davenport) and Campeador (Jonathan & Mary Threlfall). Division 3 had 10 starters with first place going to Bloodhound (A Rodger & M Shaw) from Fast Forward (Roman Tarnawsky) and line honours winner Wallop (Bryan Colis & Stephen Wall).

In Division 4, Andrew McPherson’s Alicia improved on her second place two weeks ago with a first on Saturday,  with Wyreepi Too (Struan and Ian Robertson) following up their Australia Day Regatta second place with another second.  Brother Hood (Tony Craven & Jack Rigg) finished third, moving her to the top of the Main Series pointscore, but only two points clear of Kerstin II (John Bowman, Ken Chase & John Goldie) and Hornblower (Peter Campbell & Steve Sweeney) which won the previous Saturday, but was a non-starter this past weekend.

From Peter Campbell

M: 0419 385 028  E: peter_campbell@bigpond.com