Attached are the results of today’s race along with the Series Aggregate and the Marie Louise III Consistency Trophy status.

With breeze dropping 17 knots and flat water, watching a fleet of 18 Classic’s all going at it to hit that line on the gun is one of the perks of being the race starter was the comments from the Race starter, David LeRoy.

Kingurra stormed through to lead the fleet from the start with Scimitar not holding back on her second race with the fleet after a long break from racing. Bungoona and Blackadder with one their better starts of the season, were right in the mix. Serifa also came through to grab clean air.

Some tense port/starboard moments along with some spinnaker retrieval and wind shift issues during the race tell us it’s not all sweetness and light out there when racing our Classics.

After a hard crew workout the Kingurra took the gun for line honours after holding off Scimitar with her full main flying who took out the day on corrected time. No doubt it was the helming skill by Roger Dundas that after a constant battle to best Cyan, Trim and Marie Louise III that bought Avian  home 12 seconds on corrected time behind Scimitar under the helm of Damian Purcell. Of course her 3^rd crew person setting up Avian’s sail trim and downwind rolling under spinnaker, as noticed by the handicapper, had nothing to do with her placing.

Cameron Dorrough’s Bungoona’s 3^rd on corrected by 30 seconds over Cyan under the helm of Craig Brown was the payoff for that on the button start and keeping her after start wind clean. Tight racing was the word where any on course mistakes or drama’s had a dramatic effect on result with a 1’48” separating the  5^th and 12^th corrected time placing.

With our Tum fleet, apart from Avian again tight corrected time results were the story between Zephyr with kite retrieval issues, Dingo with her close call and without Jim Hutchinson’s top crew Cylia Dymond, who’s doing well in the Women on Water series, and Ettrick with Gordon Tait on the helm and smartly trimmed by Heidi holding on the Marie Louise III on the first run, were some of the race is not over till it’s over moments.

At one part of the race the handicapper had given the race to Blackadder for holding on to the fleet after her on the line start and then to Serifa who also held the fleet till wind shifts snookered them.

The on water battle between those two top ocean racers, Mercedes III and Boambillee continues. Although recently listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels, Boambillee didn’t get the nod from the starter, Mercedes III was given the split second corrected time tie breaking decision by the starter’s race results.

The fleet was bought home by Martini who constantly improved after the start by showing the fleet how to handle difficult sea conditions and Claire with persistent helming by Richard MacRae and constant triming and hard working by that gun forward hand Greg Hyne to bring her home, was not missed but the eye of the handicapper. Both Snow Goose, after recovering from a pre start issue picked up the fleet till and Corio Vertue is in good shape after some on water, while racing,  issues caused her to notify the race committee of her retirement.

So all up another great day of racing for the Classic fleet.

With 18 starters coming out in race in what was forecast to be stronger wind conditions it shows our fleet skippers and crews, from consistent racing, know their Classic Yachts can handled the upper limits of the sea conditions we race in.

So with another Classic BBQ by our Tumlare’ team of quartermasters from Donati’s of Lygon Street and Karen Batson’s  Cookie Thai Restaurant Beer Hall and  their ever willing galley hands lead by Roger Dundas and Anne Batson completed , the results  of the day racing were given were announced.

Unfortunately all this good news was followed by the sad moment of the day was announced. This was the news that Cyan will no longer be racing with us. Due to her impending sale she is now dock bound. Members are saddened to see that great looking and well crewed S&S 40, no matter what the conditions up went the spinnaker, leave us after her 7 years of racing with the Classic fleet.

Watching her great acceleration on her first outing are still embedded in the memories of the Peter Lloyd and his crew of her consistent  adversary, Marie Louise III.  A sincere round of applause was given to Craig Brown to show the CYAA appreciation of Cyan’s contribution to the credibility and colour of the Classic fleet.

A sad loss to the fleet but with every cloud there’s always a silver lining. Doug Jenkin has now entered Bluejacket into the Winter Series and Rod Fuller’s H28 Shamrock will also be rejoining our racing fleet.

So until next race on June 1 to be conducted for us by Hobsons Bay Yacht Club when we come alive again.

Incidentally the RYCV now have a Classic Yacht Logo on their website home page. Clicking on this logo will bring up the results of yesterday’s race and the series status points. A CYAA logo has been supplied to the RYCV to resolve the presentation problem of the current logo.

CYAA Queensland Activity

Below is an photo of Savona skippered by our Ex Treasurer Stuart Stubbs  celebrating his 10 years of CYAA membership. Stuarts membership is now based  in Queensland and staunch supporter and promoter of the CYAA. It’s a message to our Vic membership that our Queensland membership is active and wanting to sustain the local Q’ld membership and supports national aspect of the CYAA.

Savona and the Q’ld Classic Yacht Association fleet are all set for the Queensland Cruising 39th Yacht Club Vintage Yacht Regatta on June 7th to 9th, as promoted in our recent CYAA Magazine.

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe
CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

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