Saturday’s Short Ocean Race marked race 9 and race 12 of the Short Ocean Pointscore and Short Haul Pointscore respectively, signalling the end of those series for the 2020-21 Summer Season.
Due to the large amount of debris in the ocean following the wild weather of last week, the offshore courses were changed to the alternate harbour courses. Commencing off Shark Island 1200hrs in a fickle 6-9 knots from the west-sou-west, the 31-strong fleet raced around the harbour as the breeze began to build.
it wasn’t long before teams enjoyed a more solid 9-14 knots as the breeze slowly shifted into the west before coming around to the west-nor-west later in the afternoon.
Short Ocean Pointscore
The 21 teams competing the Short Ocean Pointscore were lead around the track by Seb Bohm’s TP52 Smuggler (CYCA) which also claimed first place in the Division 1 IRC, ORCi and PHS handicaps. Second place IRC went to Sandy Farquharson & Rob Aldis’ DK 46 Khaleesi (MHYC) while third was claimed by Walter Carpenter’s MBD 50 Samarkand (MHYC).
IRC Division 2 belonged to Sean Rahilly & Justin Pelly’s Sydney 36 CR Crosshaven (CYCA) while John Amos’ Sydney 38 Utopia (CYCA) took second and Jack Stening & Colin Gunn’s Sydney 36 Stormaway (MHYC) claimed third.
After Smuggler, the ORCi Division 1 podium was rounded out by Adam Lavis’ Inglis/Dovell 50 Wild Thing (CYCA) second and Ian Box’s XP 44 Toy Box (MHYC) third. Charles Parry-Okeden’s Beneteau First 40.7 Crystal Cutter III (CYCA) won ORCi Division 2.
In PHS Division 1, Smuggler and Samarkand took the top two honours, followed by David Walsh’s Elliott 52 Gunshot (CYCA) third. Division 2 was owned by Phil Hersovics’ Sydney 38 Shine On (CYCA) with Utopia second and Crosshaven third.
Short Haul Pointscore
Michael Selby’s X 412 Cyrene 3 (CYCA) had a blinder of a race Saturday, leading the 10-strong fleet to first over the line and then claiming the IRC and PHS handicaps. Second place IRC went to Ian Guanaria’s Beneteau First 35 One More No More (CYCA), while third went to Paul Billingham & Pete McGee’s Bakewell White Z39 Wild West (CYCA).
After Cyrene 3, the PHS podium was rounded out by Wild West second and One More No More third.
Series winners will be crowned at the 2021-22 Summer Season Prizegiving to be held at the CYCA Friday 30 April with more information to be published shortly.
