As we approach the conclusion of this year’s Club Marine Ocean Pointscore, the competition has reached a fever pitch among our contenders in the series’ closing races.
This past Saturday 24 February, marked the penultimate race of the series, unfolding with the racing fleet navigating their way to Lion Island and back to Sydney Harbour in highly challenging conditions. With a significant wave size and a strong SE wind ranging between 22 and 30 knots, the day proved to be eventful day out.
Predictably, it was the 52-footers, Virago and First Light, that dominated the fleet throughout the race, closely trailed by Tempo and About Time. The initial leg of the race proved to be a fierce downwind run to a mark past Barrenjoey Head, with some of the larger boats achieving speeds surpassing 25 knots.
The disparity in elapsed times across the fleet was notable, as some capitalized fully on the fast downwind leg. Virago claimed the top spot on elapsed time, crossing the finish line with a time of 04hrs:04min:03sec, in stark contrast to Currawong‘s 09:10:41. For Kathy Veel and her crew it was not only a windy but also long day out.
The weekend’s prize winners: full results
IRC:
- First Light – TP 52 (Peter White)
- Virago – R/P 52 (Robert Kelly)
- About Time – Neo Roma 430 (Julian Farren-Price)
PHS:
- Virago – R/P 52 (Robert Kelly)
- First Light – TP 52 (Peter White)
- Tempo – Kernan 44 (Michael Smith)
With only one race remaining in the series, anticipation runs high as we await the teams that will secure spots on the overall podium. The current Pointscore standings can be accessed here. As the fleet gears up for the final race on Saturday 16 March, racing once more to Port Hacking, the ultimate winner of this year’s Club Marine Ocean Pointscore will soon be crowned.
Once again we would like to thank our sponsor Club Marine for making this series come to life with their continued support for the sport and Club.
