Festival of Sails in Australia - Overall
by Danielle McKay, Festival of Sails Media 28 Jan 2013 06:43 GMT
24-28 January 2013
Back-to-back champ aims for trifecta
Performance division 1 winner Tim Olding and his crew aboard Swordfish Trombone are setting their sights on a trifecta after claiming back-to-back wins in the Boags Draught series at the Festival of Sails.
Conditions on the final day's racing were perfect for Olding's MBD 36 team that easily defeated Wind Speed, a Sydney 36R, skippered by Les Browne.
Olding scored eight points to claim the series, four points clear of Brown with 12. Andrew Lawrence's Jazz Player, a Bakewell-WhiteZ39 took third with 17 points.
It's back-to-back wins now for Olding and his crew, but they faced an anxious wait for results as they sailed back to Melbourne, where they received the happy news on arrival.
"The crew worked like clockwork and we'll be coming back next year going for the trifecta," Olding said.
Race five was the decider for BayFM Performance Series division 2, which was won by Royal Yacht Club of Victoria skipper Max Peters and his Adams 10 Top Gun. The Adams 10, declared the "eighth wonder of the world" at this morning's trophy presentation by an enthusiastic crewman, topped the leaderboard with an overall series score of 6. Second was Toecutter, on 12.5, Robert Hick's Hick 30, also from RYCV.
Mischa Leonard's Adams 10 Another Fine Mess placed third with a series score of 19.5.
In the Rosemount Estate Performance division C, underdog Stitched Up, a Beneteau First 34.7 skippered by Peter Jackson, came first with a score of nine, coming from behind to take the win from Spirit of Rani, on 11.5, a Jenneau 36 skippered by Ian Robottom. Arabelle, a Beneteau First 31.7 skippered by Grant Hailes placed third in the class, on a series score of 17.
Overall the performance racing class enjoyed mostly light to moderate conditions other than the opening Melbourne to Geelong passage race, which tested crews when a strong sou-west change hit the fleet.
Tactical gamble pays for S80 skipper
The pressure of the final day's racing took a toll on Skip Jack skipper Bill Feore, but despite posting his worst results of the regatta he rallied to clinch the Gobox S80 series.
Feore won the series with a score of 13, edging ever so slightly ahead of Outlaw, skippered by David Judge, on 14 points.
The Hobsons Bay Yacht Club sailor finished second and fifth yesterday, after taking a clean sweep in the two windward/leewards on Saturday.
"After winning the two races on Saturday we just wanted to cover Outlaw, so that was strange for us, we sailed the boat and not the breeze,'' Feore said.
"Geelong can be so tricky, you can go out on a flier and come up trumps. Lucky for us our tactic paid."
Marek skipper Bas Huibers edged ahead of previous series leader Redstick Revolution, skippered by Peter Stephens, to claim the third and final podium place.
Meanwhile, the Hasting Yacht Club's Noelex 30s continued to reign supreme in the Geelong Taxi Network series.
Leda Free skippered by David Conway claimed the overall win with a clean sweep in all four races across the three-day regatta, the largest keelboat regatta in the southern hemisphere.
Maitresse skipper Mark Halton finished second in every race to place second overall on eight points.
Peter Kalin's No Strings Attached from Albury Wodonga Yacht Club finished third on 12 points, followed by Fleurieu Warrior from Royal Geelong Yacht Club, skippered by Trevor Brown in fourth on 16 points.
The final cruising encounter
Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson says the Club Marine Cruising Series at the Festival of Sails is the division known for its "friendly rivalry", with just one protest over three days from more than 150 competing skippers.
Things began a little bit shaky for the cruising divisions yesterday; on the final day the start looked much like a bunch of dodgem cars minus the rubber fenders, with multiple collisions at the first mark in the 10 knot SSE breeze.
Republica, a Beneteau 45f5, skippered by Ignazio Parolini went into racing with first place on their mind, and became leaders of the pack with an overall series score of 23. Second in line, Caledonia, a Bavaria 44, skippered by Malcolm Mitchell on a series score of 28, then not far behind them Bakker Wolff's Jenneau Odyssey 45 Bad Influence placing third with a series score of 34.
In cruising division B, skipper John Newbold's Primitive Cool, a modified Farr 40, started the day in second place, but turned that around with a win giving them an overall series score of 34. The chase for second went to Barnstormer, skippered by Brian Barnes, the crew on board the Bavaria Match 42 wrapping up their series with a score of 36. Third place behind them was X442 Next Moment, skippered by Alexander Doull on 40.5 points.
Division C got a bit of a shake up yesterday with the top three on the leader board falling off the pace until the final moments. Gentlemens' Relish, a Farr 36 skippered by John Mackay, took it out with a series score of 36.
In second place was a Dehler 34 Db1, Savage, skippered by Wayne Williams on 43 points. Third place went to David Seaman's Duckmobile, a X-Yacht 362 Sport from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria on 43.5.
The Coca Cola Cruising series non-spinnaker division victory belonged to Grant Dunoon's Trybooking.com, an Elan Impression 434, but only just. After finishing two points ahead of Alex Hall's Northshore 340, Salt Whistle on 20. Forzado, a Farr 1020 skippered by Bruce Dobbie, was also close behind in third place on 21.
Thompson said he was more than satisfied with the weekend's racing.
With more than half the Festival of Sails competitors belonging to the cruising divisions, the Festival of Sails PRO said they were definitely the backbone of the event.
"We've been really pleased with the cruisers, including the way they accepted the decision to postpone the start of the Melbourne to Geelong passage race while we monitored a weather warning, and then most came in in what were pretty difficult conditions," he said.
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