The arrival of daylight saving saw the fleet for yesterday’s St Arnou Wednesday Twilight Series double in size,  with 46 boats and their crews enjoying a perfect spring evening on Sydney Harbour.

The split into four divisions is proving successful, with close competition through the fleet and, unlike the previous Wednesday,  all crews noting the large S flag on the starter’s boat. 

Again it was a good call by the CYCA race management team, with most of the fleet finishing the shortened course just on sunset in the 8-10 knot E-NE breeze.

Division 1 saw a winning margin of only 17 seconds between the ILC 40 Kirribilli (Sam Newton/Adrian & Jackie Abbott) and the Sydney 38 Outlaw (Alan & Tom Quick), third place going to Tim Casey’s St Hilliers Quest, the Nelson/Marek 46 that won the 2002 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Tim Flahvin’s Beneteau 47.7 Callista led all the way in Division 2 and held her time to score a welcome win on corrected time by 1 minute 53 seconds from Neil Burling’s Hanse 40 Baltic Lady.  Phillip King’s Salona placed third.

Division 3 saw another close finish with the first seven boats crossing the line within three minutes of each other,  with corrected time results giving a 26 second win to the Sydney 32 Larrikin (Ross Glasson and Richard Harper) from Robert Hunt’s Adams Offshore 30 Attitude.   In third place, just 28 seconds away, was Howard and Susan Piggott’s Sydney 34.7 Brilliant.

Peter Campbell’s Bonbridge 27 Hornblower notched up its second successive win in Division 4 of the  St Arnau Twilight Series.  Unlike the one second win the previous Wednesday, Hornblower’s win yesterday was by a more comfortable 1 minute 32 seconds from Ian Portek’s Beneteau 31.7 Enbeedee.  Third place went to the new Herman Heiligers’ brand new Beneteau,  Hubcap II.- Peter Campbell