Attached are the results of the Classics 2013 winter Series Race 6.
Brisk wind and slight sea conditions provide us with another great day of Classic Yacht Racing. Most likely Corio Vertue’s Andy Indran and the team on David McNeice’s Akala with all their constant kite work would not completely agree after being caught by the dying breeze. Still, all the fleet made it home for a recorded finish.
With a running start provided to us by Royals PRO David LeRoy that gave the fleet three windward beats, Zephyr grabbed an on the button start that set up her up to pace Peter Lloyds Marie Louise III for most of the race and to show how high a Tum can point, especially on the first beat to lateral mark 81. Throughout the race, wind shifts on those tight windward beats were the go.
Sometimes the fleet leaders don’t have all the luck with the wind. After moving out from the fleet Peter and Scott McDonald had Pastime II going greats guns on the second beat when the following fleet received a lift at the turning mark that wiped out much of Pastime II’s lead.
Once again we had tight elapsed and corrected time finishes throughout the mid fleet. Our Green Slyph of Port Phillip, Zephyr with Karen Batson directing, held off Michael McTavish helming Serifa, who in turn managed to hold off a wound up Avian with Roger Dundas and Pip Todd working her hard under a full genoa. Doug Jenkin and Kath Solly tried all their tricks but no, Ettrick, set up for heavy sea conditions under a working jib, could not pull back the minute and a half that Avian had on them in the running legs of the course.
The Bungoona crew with Cameron Dorrough had to settle of fourth by 20 seconds on corrected but had the drop on Serifa by 10 seconds. Also mid fleet, Martini with her crew taking great delight in showing the absent helmsman how it’s really done, took out Ettrick by 50 seconds on corrected with Dingo coming in 20 seconds off Ettrick.
Some notable classic racing highlights of the day were seen. Jim Hutchinson, one up and forever a gentleman sailor, had to execute an about turn after finding that Dingo had decided to find a shorter way home.
True classic yacht racing spirit was seen when the Sayonara crew tracked down that special wind that allowed her helmsman, Dave Allen, to have her storm through the fleet while pointing higher. So much was her performance she was set to take the line ahead of Marie Louise III. Never mind that Marie Louise III said no, this scene was another moment of signature Classic Yachting images.
Saving the best to last. What can you say. The tight non spinnaker crew work that was seen last race was seen again. Cyan’s the name. Her no quarter battle with Fairwinds II, being helmed by Mark Chew and worked by John Donati, lasted most of the race. To see her on the windward beat, with Craig Brown on the helm in non blinking mode, break through the lee of Fairwinds II. Stirring stuff. Mind you Fairwinds II did pay her impudence off but small beer compared to Cyans break through. No question that after picking themselves off the floor from last race’s would be knockout blow, Cyan carried on with her in form racing to give the fleet a show of how tight classic yacht racing is done. Salute’ Cyan, the handicappers most noticed sail of the day.
So day’s done we can now set ourselves up for repeat with Race 7 on August 18 that will be conducted for us by Hobsons Bay Yacht Club. The handicaps are ready. A rerun of todays race using handicaps that would have bought the two at both ends of the corrected time placing show how well the top two placings sailed and how hard the wind drop out hit our fleet.
Regards to all
Peter Costolloe
CYAA(Vic) Handicapper
Zephyr, with her go fasts all set and Karen Batson directing, trying to breakthrough Marie Louise III’s lee after the first windward beat
Talking of Tumlare’s. The Red Tum is Alert, she resides in the UK under the care of our UK member Rees Martin. Rees is using the action of our Tum fleet to help his efforts to rebuild the Tum fleets in the UK and Scandinavian countries.
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