For Stephen Ainsworth his wish was granted. At the crew meeting before the start line he told his crew he wanted to do a ‘Wild Oats’ – take the line honours win, IRC Overall and create a new race record.
“I wanted the ‘Wild Oats’ styled trifecta! I got that and the win in IRC Division 0/1″ said Stephen after being told of his win earlier this evening. “Loki performed terrifically in the very favourable breeze. We were running and reaching all the way. It was a pretty wild ride.
“Within 24 hours we have done the race twice over – having raced from Sydney to Newcastle and then back again – crossing through Sydney Heads at 11.30am, having motor-sailed all the way home!”
“As we docked at CYCA, we were congratulated by Mothy (Steve Jarvin), as he was going out for a sail on his Etchells. Mothy who had sailed on ASM Shockwave 5, caught the train back to Sydney to arrive in time for the Etchells start.
The CYCA Blue Water Pointscore has also been decided. David Beak’s Mr Beaks Ribs has taken the coveted title after a closely fought battle with Ragamuffin and AFR Midnight Rambler.
“We had really strong running conditions up to the Crowdy Head mark. When we turned, we were trailing AFR Midnight Rambler by 11 nautical miles and we knew we had to make up ground,” said owner David Beak
“Our tactician Ian Short was our secret weapon. He kept us going and we never gave up. Our team work was awesome. No-one came off the rail throughout the race (even when they should have slept) and this win is a tribute to the crew who have now sailed together for three years. I put a lot of trust in my crew members so that whatever happens on water, we have the right people in the right positions.
“For us the Blue Water Pointscore was a hard fought series but one full of great competition and fantastic racing. AFR Midnight Rambler and Ragamuffin tousled with us every race. The shorter races have been kinder to us. I would like the thank the CYCA Sailing Office team for putting together such a great series and for our fellow competitors in providing strong competitive racing,” concluded David Beak.
The last boat to finish was Kym Butler’s One For The Road at a race time of 1 day, 9 hours, 0 minutes and 52 seconds, giving him third place in IRC Division 3.
The Official Prizegiving will be conducted at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on Tuesday 7 April from 6.30pm. This will also mark the launch of the Audi Winter Series.
Final Results for Audi Sydney Offshore Newcastle Yacht Race:
Line Honours
Loki (Stephen Ainsworth) 15hrs 57 minutes 53 seconds
IRC Overall
1. Loki (Stephen Ainsworth)
2. Andrew Short Marine Shockwave 5 (Andrew Short)
3. Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer)
IRC Division 0/1
1. Loki (Stephen Ainsworth)
2. Andrew Short Marine Shockwave 5 (Andrew Short)
3. Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer)
IRC Division 2
1. Mr Beaks Ribs (David Beak)
2. Tow Truck (Anthony Paterson)
3. AFR Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis/ Bob Thomas)
IRC Division 3
1. Swish (Steven Proud)
2. Amante (Dennis Cooper)
3. One For The Road (Kym Butler)
PHS Division
1. Wasabi (Bruce McKay)
2. Quetzalcoatal (Antony Sweetapple)
3. More Witchcraft (John Cameron)
Blue Water Pointscore Results
1. Mr Beaks Ribs (David Beak) – 21 points
2. Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer) – 23 points
3. AFR Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis/Bob Thomas) – 25 Points
Tasman Pointscore
1. Copernicus (Greg Zyner) – 26 points
2. Papillion (Phil Molony) – 27 points
3. Mr Beaks Ribs (David Beak) – 34 points
