31st March 2008
Weekend Racing Review
by Peter Campbell
The Squadron’s 2007-2008 summer pointscore sailing season will end next Saturday, going right down to the wire in several divisions and classes to decide the winners and major placegetters.
For the International Etchells class the summer pointscore racing ended on Saturday, with the fleet racing next weekend for the Port Jackson Championship and final Mini Regatta. For all other divisions and classes next Saturday will be the final pointscore race.
Last Saturday’s races were sailed in a late-arriving, light north’easterly breeze, which forced the Race Committee to delay the start for an hour and then signal a shortened course for all classes.
In the Etchells, Jervis Tilly clinched the Main Series with a last race win at the helm of Bushfire, finishing well clear on the pointscore from Matt Whitnall, helming dot, third overall going to The Front Row, skippered by Ben Lehmann.
Bushfire’s last race win also gave Tilly the Summer Series, but by just two points from Ganesh (Steven Tracy & Rob Weir), third overall going to Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner). Bushfire has also won the RPEYC Main series, based on results of races conducted by that club over the season.
Saturday was the final race for the International Dragon class’s prestigious Gold Cup, although the class has one more club pointscore race next Saturday.
Martin Burke’s Riga scored a 7 second win over Norman Longworth’s Karabos VIII in the final heat to clinch the Gold Cup from Longworth, third place overall going to Toogara (Robert Alpe).
In the Summer Series, Riga heads the pointscore from Liquidity (Richard Franklin) and Karabos III going into the final race next Saturday. However, in the Main Series, Toogara holds a commanding points lead from Karabos VIII, Tatsu (Wolf Breit) and Riga going into the last race.
With one race to sail in the International Yngling class, Hamish Jarrett has established a strong lead in the Main Series scratch pointscore with Pourquoi. Troika (Ruth McCance) is in second place, while Holly, sailed by the veteran twin sisters, Joyce and Patricia Warn, is third overall.
In the Main Series handicap pointscore, Troika is unbeatable, with Pourquoi second and Black Adder (Garry Pearce) third.
The Summer Series is much closer, however, with Pourquoi going into next Saturday’s race just two points clear of Troika. Black Adder is third.
A second place on corrected time on Saturday in Division 1 has strengthened the grip of Geoff & Debbie Davidson’s Jackie Clare on the Main Series, but the final race will still be the decider.
Willyama (R Barron/S Sanlorenzo/T Stanley) won this second last pointscore race to move within four points of Jackie Clare in the Main Series and strengthen its own lead in the Summer Series.
Jackie Clare leads the Main Series from Willyama and Yandoo (John Formosa), while in the Summer Series Willyama has a commanding lead from Equinox (John Molyneux & Peter Bray) with Sydney (Charles Curran) and Jackie Clare equal third.
The revitalised Division 2 has produced close competition in the Summer Series, with Spirit of Freya (Nicholas Hogg) just one point clear of Rush (Ray Simmonds), closely followed by Acturus II (Peter Davenport) and Allegretto (Colin Goldrick).
Division 2 Short Inshore Series sees Spirit of Freya and Double Trouble (Steve Wyatt) on equal points going into next Saturday’s final race.
Racing in Division 3 is also close, with the 50-year-old Eventide, skippered by James Merrington, heading the Main Series pointscore from Tingari, skippered by Australia Day Regatta chairman John Jeremy, and Mingara III (Philip Crane).
In the Summer Series, Paul Hendrey’s Half Hour holds a one point lead from Tingari, with just one more point to Mingara III and Eventide.
The outcome of Division 4 is also going right down to the wire next Saturday with Peter Campbell’s Hornblower and Richard Staines’ Esquisse 2 on equal points in the Main Series. Equal third, but six points behind, are last Saturday’s race winner Manhatten Transfer (Ian Lacey) and Kerstin II (J Bowman/K Chase & J Goldie).
In the Summer Series, Hornblower has a three-point margin over Manhatten Transfer with Esquisse 2 in third place, but three more points behind, going into the final race.
The Varuna Cup, the club championship event for the winners of all division and class pointscores, will be sailed on Saturday week, April 12.
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