Colleen Darcey and her all-women crew from Hobart is second overall in two handicap divisions after two days of highly competitive racing in the prestigious Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta on Melbourne’s Port Phillip.
Darcey, a past winning skipper of the AWKR, heads a combined Hobart clubs challenge against 25 other all-women crews, in total 177 women, from seven states and territories.
The Hobart women, sailing a borrowed Melbourne boat, Absolut, an Archambault 35, were in their element as a strong south-westerly front swept up the bay on Saturday afternoon , winning all three handicap divisions, AMS, IRC and EHC, on corrected time as well as taking line honours.
Today, in light winds, Absolut placed second and third under both AMS and IRC ratings, beaten around the course by local sailor Stephanie Strong and her crew sailing More Noise, an Archambault 31.
After four races, More Noise heads the AMS division with a score of 1-2-1-1, 5 points with Absolut on 9 points from placings of 3-1-2-3.
Under IRC scoring, the overall scores are the same for both yachts, with More Noise scoring two wins and Absolut another second and third, the scores being same, 9 points to 5 points.
The Tassie crew packing the windward rail of Absolute.
“The breeze ran out of puff today but the Tassie girls, in sub-optimum conditions for their Archambault 35, Absolut, sailed magnificently,” a team supporter reported.
“They're having a real tussle with More Noise - the Archambault 31 skippered by Stephanie Strong and How Bizarre - the Reichel Pugh 36 skippered by Nicole Butcher.
“Hoping it blows dogs off chains tomorrow. A little bit more forecast out of the North in the morning. Common’ Tassie!”
Peter Campbell
12 June 2016
