2nd March 2009

Acuity dominates Sydney 38 Nationals

By Peter Campbell

The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron race management team has had another busy weekend, conducting the Line 7 Australian Championship for the Sydney 38 class out on the Manly Circle.

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s Tony Walls and his crew on Acuity lived up to their name and proved to be the sharpest and keenest of Australia’s Sydney 38 Class by dominating the three day offshore regatta.

Sailed in predominately light conditions which never blew more than 14 knots the whole regatta, Acuity won five of the eight races with their worst place finish being a forth in the strong thirteen boat fleet.

The Pittwater sailors beat off a late charge by fellow RPAYC member Chris Way, helming Easy Tiger, who made a last ditch effort to try to win the regatta in the final race.

Easy Tiger match raced Acuity in the pre-start and held out their rivals out past the pin end of the line before going on to win the final race. However, with Olympic gold medallist Mal Page calling tactics on Acuity, cool heads prevailed and they managed to catch up to fourth place to win the regatta.

Further in the pack, Alan & Thomas Quick’s Outlaw from the CYCA, with Steve McConaghy calling tactics, came back from a slow start to beat Geoff Bonus’ Calibre into third place in the national championship.

Former national champion Lou Abrahams from Melbourne’s Sandringham Yacht Club finished sixth overall with Challenge, while Ian Murray and his team on Cinquante from Royal Geelong Yacht placed seventh,

RSYS entrant Swish, skippered by Steve Proud, placed ninth overall.

Back on the Harbour, conditions were even lighter for Squadron’s mixed divisions and one-design classes, with Peter Campbell (not the scribe) skippering ISuper to victory in Division 1 in a close race with Commodore’s Bill Wood and Peter Chapman’s Kookaburra.

Division 2 saw a win for Paul Hendry’s Half Hour, John Anstey notched up another win with Kupu Gila in Division 3 while in Division 4 the winner was Hum (John and David Prentice).

Matt Whitnall steered dot to victory in the International Etchells class, Hamish Jarrett skippered Pourquoi to first place in the Ynglings while Carl Ryves notched up yet another win in the Dragons with Sidewinder.

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