Hobart’s River Derwent turned on a magnificent sailing day to wind up the summer season of 2015-2016, with more than 100 yachts, off-the-beach classes and catamarans providing a colourful sight on the river.
For the Combined Clubs Harbour Series yesterday was the last day of pennant racing, while the off-the-beach classes, Cadets, Flying 11s, Sharpies and Paper Tigers will continue their State championships today.
Bellerive Yacht Club member Jeff Cordell went into the final day of racing in the Harbour Series leading narrowly in all three handicap categories in Division 1, but he ended the day winning only one pennant.
Nevertheless, Cordell has had an outstanding season with his Mumm 36 B&G Advantage ending the season yesterday with a first and second on AMS corrected time in the two windward/leeward mid-river races which gave him the pennant in that category.
B&G Advantage placed second overall in the PHS category, beaten for the overall pennant by Michelle Boutchard and David Kirkland's J35, MEM, sailing for the DSS. Yesterday, MEM finished the season with a third and first while B&G Advantage had a fifth and an eighth.
In the IRC category, another BYC boat, Tony Williams’ Martela finished the final day with 4-1 score to B&G Advantage’s 3-2, with the final margin just one point on Martela’s favour.
Serica leads Eliza at the start of the final Harbour Series race for Division 4. Photo Peter Campbell
A countback was needed to decide the winner of Division 2 (PHS) after Rousabout (Grahame Inglis) and Trouble (Dave Willans) both finished on a net 15 points.
Both boats had a first and third placing yesterday, but the countback in Rousabout’s favour came her first place in race 10 which gave her four wins to Trouble’s three.
Just one point separated the overall winner Free ‘N’ Easy (Bob Jones) and runner-up Kindred Spirit (Peter Alcock) after the fifth and final race for Division 6, won by Another Toy (Greg Rowlings).
However, the easiest overall winner was Charles Peacock’s classic yacht Serica, yesterday placing third in Division 4 to finish four points clear of Ian Johnston’s Zephyr with First Light (Ben Davidson) a close third. Hornet (Neville Georgeson) won the final race.
Sandy Bay Sailing Club is conducting the State championships for Cadets, Flying 11s, Sharpies and Paper Tigers over the weekend.
After three races on day one, Bruce Rose has sailed his Paper Tiger catamaran The Apprentice to first place in the 14 boat fleet, winning two races.
Kailulani and kayak supporter before the start. Photo Peter Campbell.
A fleet of 17 Cadets are contesting their State championship with Fynn Sprott and Lawrence Jeffs, sailing Stolen Pig, and Charlie Goodfellow and Toby Leg in Meltermi, sharing the top of the leaderboard after three races.
In the Flying 11s Wedgewood (Brendan Crisp and Daniel Maree) won all three races yesterday while in the Sharpies the three starters each won a race, with One Hump or Two (Drew Latham) and Dump Truck (Lewis Golding) each on 6 points.
Peter Campbell
6 March 2016
