Saturday’s final race of the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will be the decider in at least four of the nine divisions of the huge regatta being sailed in the Whitsunday Islands of Far North Queensland.
CYCA members and their boats are figuring in two tied pointscores after today’s racing.
While south east Queensland is being pounded by wild weather, the fleet contesting Race Week much further up the coast enjoyed perfect sailing conditions on day seven of the eight day regatta.
Geoff Ross’ quest for a major IRC victory at this regatta was on track, with a third consecutive handicap win in today’s first windward/leeward race in his Reichel/Pugh 55 Yendys.
Out to spoil his plans, however, is Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X, which is unbeaten on line honours and a real threat for an overall victory.
After today’s two windward/leeward races, the two boats currently tied for first place on the IRC pointscore after their one discard race.
Wild Oats X took line honours in both races and placed second on corrected time in both, in the first race to Yendys, then to Steven David’s Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe, in which Yendys turned in her worst race of the regatta, a seventh.
Both Yendys and Wild Oats X are on 18 points after discards, while Wild Joe is on 22 points, while another CYCA boat, Ray Roberts’ Cookson 50 Quantum Racing is fourth overall on 39 points.
The 50 footers enjoyed a close tussle on the short course in the first race today. An impressive group, including Bob Steel’s Quest, the New Zealand Bakewell-White 52 Wired, You’re Hired and Graeme Wood’s TP52 Wot Yot all converged at the top mark within seconds of each other for a fast and colourful rounding.
From there the IRC fleet enjoyed a lively spinnaker run to the bottom mark, carried along by an outgoing tide that looked like it might push Ian Murray’s Sydney 38 Cinquante onto the top mark.
Karl Kwok’s favoured Reichel/Pugh 45 Beau Geste separated from the fleet on the first downhill run and couldn’t peg those ahead back, finishing 13th on handicap. Things didn’t improve in race two for the Hong Kong registered boat after they found themselves locked out at the start.
The breeze was forecast to build during the afternoon but instead began lightening off towards the end of the first windward/leeward race, a 2.3 nautical mile course, and shifted to the east.
The race committee decided to shorten the course to 1.9 nautical miles for race two.
Wild Joe sailed to a handicap win in the second windward/leeward ahead of Wild Oats X and You’re Hired while Yendys scored her worst result of the series, a 7th.
There’s a three-way tie in the Premier IRC division, with the New Zealand boat Carrera, a Marten 49 owned by John Meadowcraft, winning today’s islands race to draw level on 12 points with two CYCA boats, Ross Wilson’s Eagle Rock and Laurence Freedman’s Expresso Forte, which placed 2nd today.
Only two points behind these three is another CYCA boat, Colin & Gladys Woods’ Pretty Fly II, with Paul Clitheroe’s Balance and Dean Harrigan’s Playstation 3 still in the running for a podium results.
Another CYCA boat, Anthony Dunn’s Sydney 36 CR Equinox is equal second on the pointscore in the Cruiser Racer IRC division with Raging Bull (Mark Griffith) on 7 points going into the final race. Equinox and Arajilla (Geoff Pearson) are breathing down its neck, both on 9 points.
CYCA member Peter Goldsworthy has a comfortable lead in the Performance Racing division, skippering the Volvo 60 racing under the name of George Gregan Foundation, a 2nd today giving the boat a 6 point led over its nearest competitor.
Doing well in this division are wellknown CYCA members Colin & Denise Wilson in their MKL 49, Never a Dull Moment. With one race to sail they are 5th overall.
Tomorrow’s UBS South Molle/Daydream Race is the final race of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week which began last Saturday. – Lisa Ratcliff/Peter Campbell
Official race website https://www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au/
