5th September 2009

Last season's champions show early form

By Peter Campbell

 Photo by Aline Van Haren

Three champion boats and their helmsmen were in winning form again when the Squadron’s summer sailing season of 2009-2010 opened on a fine spring day on Sydney Harbour on Saturday.

Ian MacDiarmid sailed Hell Razor to victory in Division 1, Carl Ryves won the International Dragon class at the helm of Sidewinder while Hamish Jarrett led the fleet home with Pourquoi in the International Yngling class.

A fleet of 78 yachts, including several newcomers to the Squadron fleet, turned out for a day of close round-the-buoys racing in a south-easterly breeze that saw the fleet start in 12-15 knots but finish in a fading 5 knots. Tactical decisions on which shore to work played a key role in several wins.

As one would expect at the start of the season, there were a few errors of judgement and misreading of sailing instructions, resulting in one DSQ, an RAF, an OCS and a couple of DNFs.

Disappointingly,  the beautifully refurbished former America’s Cup Challenger of the 1970s, Gretel II,  did not make an appearance in Division 1, leaving Charles Curran’s 60-footer Sydney to score a comfortable line honours victory and a second on corrected time to Hell Razor. ISuper, skippered by the ‘other’ Peter Campbell, came in third on corrected time.

In Division 2,  David Matthews’s Ambitious took out the line and handicap double, both by big margins. Double Trouble (Steve Wyatt) and Limelight (Alan Husband) filled the placings.

Past Commodore Jim Dunstan’s veteran half tonner and former Sydney Hobart winner Zeus II scored a fine win Division 3, displacing line honours winner Mingara III (Philip Crane) back to second on handicap.  Bloodhound (A Rodger & M Shaw) placed third.

Another double winner was Allan Levick’s Velocity  showing a clean transom to her competitors in Division 4.  Brother Hood (Tony Craven & Jack Rigg) took second place, while Orpheus (Mike Harris & Mal Forrester) placed third in a strong 12 boat fleet.

One-design racing is at its best with the Sydney Etchells fleet, with 24 boats turning out for the opening race of the season.  Class officials are predicting a quick growth to more than 30 boats as the season progresses.

Only five seconds separated winner Two Speed (Nigel Nattrass & John Dunn) and Humpback (Stephen Barlow & Peter Gardner) with Jervis Tilly third, at the helm of Bushfire.

Last year’s Main Series winner in the Dragons, Carl Ryves, steered Sidewinder to a comfortable win over Riga (Martin Burke) and Liquidity (Richard Franklin & Damien Hannes).

Hamish Jarrett was quickly into top form again at the helm of Pourquoi in the Ynglings, but Joyce and Patricia Warn sailing Holly gave him a run for the money, finishing only 27 seconds astern.  And they were only six seconds ahead of Black Adder (Gary Pearce).

Next Saturday will see the Dragons racing in the first heat of the Gold Cup and for the William Eric Hamilton Strain Trophy while the Etchells and Sydney 38 yachts will contest their first mini regatta of the season. 

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