Kettering Yacht Club yacht Jazz Player outsailed the strong opposition from Hobart clubs for an outright win in Division 1 of the Combined Clubs Winter Series on the River Derwent today, the outcome of good sailing and a course-reading mistake aboard line honours favourite Oskana.
The win places Jazz Player, John Dryden’s Bakewell-White Z39, at the top of the leader board in Division 1, displacing Oskana, Mike Pritchard’s Cookson 50 which had taken line honours in the previous three Winter races.
“Oskana was leading us at the windward and wing marks but they apparently missed rounding the leeward mark….something they did not realise until halfway up the windward leg,” recalled Fin Cooper, the young sailing master on Jazz Player.
“We had better communications on board Jazz Player today, we sailed well, and were able to capitalise on their mistake,” added Cooper, with Jazz Player crossing the finish line 1 minute 49 seconds ahead of War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith) and 3 minutes 14 seconds ahead of Oskana.
On corrected time Jazz Player won Division 1 from the syndicate-owned Quest and Drew Latham’s Whistler, which is still second overall in the point score. Oskana placed 10th and has dropped to fifth in overall standings.
Today’s race was sailed in a south to south-westerly breeze on a showery and cold day in Hobart with Jazz Player now the only boat in the fleet of 58 to have won two races.
Unlike the Winter races run by the RYCT and the DSS, Bellerive Yacht Clubs is giving the fleet mid-river starts and finishes, today sending each of the four divisions on different courses that provided good windward and leeward legs for the 47 starters.
The variable breeze ranged from 7 to 15 knots which also caused some upset results in the four divisions with new winners in Divisions 2, 3 and 4.
David Brett’s Hanse 400e, Illusion won Division 2 from the veteran Peterson 41 Natelle Two (Glenn Roper) and Cromarty Magellan Richard Grant’s Knoop 39. Ian Johnston’s Farr 41 Mx Zephyr took line honours in the Division, placing sixth on handicap to retain top spot on the leader-board from The Dog House (Ambrose Coad) with Cromarty Magellan moving to third.
Today’s race has seen significant changes at the top of the Division 3 leader-board after the Young 88, Footloose (Stewart Geeves) scored first place from the Farr 37, Southern Cross (Wayne Pitt) and Young Lion, Steve Chau’s Young 88 which took line honours.
Young Lion now heads the Division 3 leader-board from another Young 88, Chris Sheehan’s Saga and Wayne Pitt’s Southern Cross the leader from last week going into today’s race. David Wyatt’s Farr 1020 Just Jones has dropped to fourth overall after placing 10th today.
Only 15 seconds separated the first three boats on corrected time in Division 4, with Sundance (Don Bailey) winning from Innovator (Ian Smith and Dean Aberle) and Zest (Matt Westland).
The consistent J24, Another Toy (Michael Kennedy) heads the leader-board with 13 points from Zest and Sundance both on 15 points.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Bellerive Yacht Club, Colleen Darcey
23 August 2020
