Tasmanian yacht Philosopher, Shaun Tiedemann’s Sydney 36cr, made a promising start to the Festival of Sails regatta today with a fleet of around 200 boats competing in the Williamstown to Geelong passage race.
Sailing in the most competitive Rating 1 division, Philosopher finished second on corrected time under AMS scoring and third under IRC scoring.
The Sandringham Yacht Club entrant Alchemist, Michael Manson’s Archambault 31, won both handicap categories.
Sydney yachtsmen Peter Sorenson and Gordon Ketelby’s latest boat, Philosophers, a Cookson 12, placed second in IRC, with Philosopher, third.
Festival of Sails 2017 - start of the passage race from Williamstown to Geelong.
Sorenson previously owned Philosopher (then called Philosopher’s Dream) but sold the boat to Shaun Tiedemann 18 months ago after winning its division of fhe Australian Yachting Championships at Hamilton Island.
With about 200 boats on the two line start of Williamstown for windward start there was much jostling and drama including a crashing collision between Make My Jay, a J24 from Sandringham and Shane Kearns’ S&S 34 Komatsu Azzuro from Sydney.
With a broken spinnaker pole and other damage Azzuro has been forced to withdraw from the Festival of Sails regatta which continues through the coming week with racing on Corio Bay.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Steb Fisher
21 January 2017
