The 2007 Audi Winter Series pointscore ended today on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon, with a fickle west south westerly wind that pleased some of the 138 competing yachts and certainly not others.

In a remarkably close series that saw three or less points separating first and second place in eight of the 12 handicap divisions, top of the leaderboard changed today in several divisions and the final three placegetters altered in many divisions. Countbacks were needed to decide one overall winner and a number of top three placings.

The overall winners of each division are:  Wild Joe (Division A), Occasional Coarse Language (B), Europa (C), Sweet Chariot (D), Zippier (E), Sine Wave (F), Max (G), Broulee (H), Saltshaker (J), Brigadoon (K), The Goat (Sydney 38) and Panther (Farr 40).

According to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s principal race officer Richard Grubb it was “an uneventful race with the maximum breeze 12 knots (for a short time) and mostly around 5 knots; wet and cold for three-quarters of the race, but with all divisions sailing a full course.”

One of his team, again making a significant contribution to the race management team, was Denise Van Ewijk, in her 24th season as a race officer with the CYCA.  Denise has been nominated for Life Membership of the CYCA at the Annual General Meeting on Monday evening, an honour that has already been bestowed on Richard Grubb.

The winner of Division A was virtually a foregone conclusion going into today’s race but in the end Steven David’s Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe took out the series with 25 points after discarding three races, ending up two points ahead of Dick Cawse’s Lyons/Cawse 60 Vanguard. Third place was decided on countback in favour of CYCA Rear Commodore Michael Cranitch’s Open 60 Broomstick from David Pescud’s Lyons 54 Sailors With disAbilities, which had both finished with 41 points.

Today’s final pointscore race decided the overall winner of Division B with Warwick Sherman’s Cookson 12 Occasional Coarse Language finishing 3rd to end the series with 24 points, just one point ahead of Stomp, the Thompson 38 campaigned by former 18-footer World Champion Peter Sorensen and Nick Delaine. Third overall went to Mr Beaks Ribs, David Beak’s Beneteau 44.7 on 30 points.

Television producer David Mason completed a consistent season with his French-built Wauquiez 45 Europa with a 3rd place today to finish with 18 points in Division C. Cyrene 3 (Michael Selby/Elena Wise) finished 2nd today and second overall on 25 points, with Marloo (George Girdis) taking third place on 32 points, on a countback from Game Set (Stephen Roach).

Despite a back-of-the-fleet finish, Ray and Sandra Entwistle’s 35-footer Sweet Chariot comfortably won Division D with 30 points, second going to the J35 J Force (Moty & Judy Bergman) on 35 points and third to the Beneteau 34.7 Brilliant (Howard & Susan Piggott) on 36 points.

A 2nd place in the final Audi Winter Series pointscore race lifted Andrew Waugh’s Thompson 8 Zippier into first place in Division E on 28 points, with second overall going to the Mumm 30 Bitter & Twisted (David Price/Sandor Tornai) on 32 points. Third placegetter was the Melges 32 The Business (Vaughan Stibbard) on 36 points after a countback from Youngstar (Gary Corstorphan).

Sine Wave, the Davidson 37 campaigned by Greg Mason and Barbara Maunsell, comfortably won Division F, with a final score of 28 points, second going to today’s winner, Les Goodridge’s graceful 8-metre Erica J, on 32 points.  A countback decided third place between the Cavalier 350SL Superfine (George Waldthausen) and the Sydney Hobart Race veteran Phillips Foote Witchdoctor (The Rum Consortium) after both ended with 33 points.

One of the easiest pointscore wins of the Audi Winter Series was that of the Cavalier 30 Max, campaigned by Barry& Toby Munns and Peter Fallon, in Division G. Max placed 2nd today to finish on 22 points, with second place overall going to the Masrm 920 Out of Sight (Matt Wilkinson) on 33 points and third to Ray Stone’s Sydney 38 Razors Edge on 34 points.

Broulee, Brett & Karen Pearce’s Beneteau 30.5 and Apache Star, Sandra & Ron Weston’s 32-footer went into the last pointscore race of Division H equal on points. Broulee, with tactician Phil Thompson aboard, placed 6th, Apache Star 8th, giving the series to Broulee on 26 points with Apache Star second on 28 points. 

A countback was need to decide third place in favour of the Sonata 8 Umbakumba (Dawn Murray/David Stenhouse) and today’s winner, Paul O’Connell’s Katinka, after both finished on 29 points. Katinka was steered by Chris Bowling as Paul is recovering from an operation.

Eastsail’s Peter and Deborah Franki had a comfortable victory in Division J with their Sydney 36 Saltshaker, finishing with 31 points after an 10th place today. Second overall went to John Walton’s Beneteau 44.7 Vivacite on 36 points, decided on a countback with Sextant, Denis Doyle & Lynne Smith’s X412.

A 2nd place today ensured a pointscore win for the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club’s Peter Bevis in the non-spinnaker Division K with his Endeavour 26 Brigadoon, finishing on 18 points, just two points clear of Phillip Denison’s Cavalier 39 Gusto after a season-long duel. Third was Lu Lu Belle, Peter Lewis’ Jeanneau 37 on 26 points.

The Sydney 38 Division produced intense competition throughout the Audi Winter Series.  Middle Harbour yachtsman Simon Green won the final two races in Thirlmere but did not figure in the overall standings which saw a 3rd place today lift The Goat into first overall on 29 points. 

The Goat was steered by Mitchell Gordon for owners Clayton/Foye/Gordon and Peckman,  Foye and Peckman once being part owners with Roger Hickman of the original Wild Oats, the IOR winner of the 1993 Sydney Hobart.

An 11th place saw Marc & Louis Ryckmans’ Star Dean Willcocks – Yeah Baby drop to second overall on 31 points, third going to The Tavern (Ian & Shane Guanaria/Ian MacDairmid) on 36 points.

The small Farr 40 division provided a three-way tie, with Panther (Steve O’Rourke), Estate Master (Lisa & Martin Hill) and Quantum Leap (Peter Wintle) each finishing on 17 points after today’s race, won by Estate Master from Quantum Leap and Revolution Edake (Jeff Carter).

After the countback, first place overall went to Panther from Estate Master and Quantum Leap. 

Martin Hill, who injured an eye socket in last week’s wild weather race,  watched the final race win by his boat from a spectator craft. Martin, who is Commodore-elect of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, is recovering well after spending several days in hospital and undergoing an operation. – Peter Campbell