A yacht named after that most gentle of breezes, Ian Johnston’s Zephyr, again excelled in wild westerlies gusting to 35 knots on the Channel yesterday.
Zephyr finished top yacht in the Tassal Barnes Bay Regatta, finishing third in the morning Wrest Point to Dennes Point pursuit race and then winning Division 1 of the afternoon race on Bruny Island’s Barnes Bay,
The biggest boat in the fleet, Peter Cretan’s Tilt sailed through the fleet to comfortably win the Wrest Point to Dennes Point, but was disqualified from the Barnes Bay race.
Apparently, Tilt inadvertently sailed through the finish line when leading the fleet down to the leeward mark, breaking a rule of the sailing instructions
“We had westerly gusts up to 35 knots at the finish of the pursuit race,” Kingborough Boating Club commodore Peter Williams said after the regatta.
“With gusty westerlies of 25-30 knots we kept the afternoon race to a windward/leeward couse within the more sheltered waters of Barnes Bay.”
In the Point to Point pursuit race, Tilt got the gun from Liberte Express, skippered by KBC Commodore Williams and Zephyr.
In the afternoon Barnes Bay race, line honours went to former Sydney Hobart winner, Filepro, skippered by Tim Gadsby.
On corrected time, Zephyr won from As Good As It Gets (Ian Marshall) and Prion (John Dryden).
Division 2 went to L’Etoile (Mark Dawson) from Enee (Sue Allison-Rodger) and Hydrotherapy (Jim Thorpe) while Sundance (Don Bailey) won Division 3 from Athena (Phil and Jane Mason) and Vitamin C (Wayne Pitt).
Fortunately, the westerly wind died away late by early evening, providing excellent conditions for the post-race celebrations and prizegiving ashore at the old Quarantine Station on Bruny Island.
Between 200 and 250 enjoyed the race celebrations and also the last evening of daylight saving.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photo: Jacinta Cooper
2 April 2017