A spectacular spring day with a patchy 8-10 knot easterly and full tide greeted Port Macquarie Sailing Club members for Race 6 of the spring season and 2nd Club Championship race.
In the first race of the day, Jeff Walsh in Serenity got stuck in irons at the start line allowing Stuart Symons sailing solo in Elmo, Kieren Copeland and Simon Gandy in Voyager and Steve Couch in Lazybuoy to get off to a cracking start and around the first two marks without any pressure. Terry Howard in Flying Dragon found another gear and was able to pass Lazybuoy later in the first lap, and Martina Holt in Spellbound repeated the feat in the second lap.
With yardsticks applied, Flying Dragon took the monohull win followed by Elmo, Spellbound, Voyager, Lazybuoy, Serenity, Tony Walker in Deep Purple, Andrew and Chelsea Copeland in Big Bang, and Steve and Lucy Bohlsen in Interceptor.
Handicap results were: Elmo, Big Bang, Voyager, Flying Dragon, Interceptor, Serenity, Spellbound, Lazybuoy and Deep Purple.
Dave Winter in Spica was the only catamaran division entrant for the morning race racking up the points and the win.
After lunch, the outgoing tide strengthened while the predicted increase in wind strength didn’t arrive. Wind direction turned more ENE and by the end of the second race it was almost nor’east.
The afternoon race attracted a few more entrants with Jim Kerrison and Deb Stenning in Death Defying Too and Warren Sykes in Runamuck dominating the event to claim first and second places respectively. Flying Dragon put up a valiant effort sticking to Runamuck like a limpet, but was not able to sneak past. Interceptor, now sailing solo, finished fourth on yardstick. Following were Spellbound, Serenity, Voyager, Lazybuoy, Elsa Gandy and Zoe Copeland in Up Beat, Big Bang and Elmo now with Ben Blomfield as crew for his first sail.
In the catamaran division, Jack Corthals on Crackerjack took the win in front of Spica.
Next week will be Handicap Start Race 1 starting at 2pm Tony Walker is rostered on duty.
