Frustration continued for Port Macquarie Sailing Club members on Sunday with yet another day of light and changeable winds for Summer Series Race 5 and the 5th Club Championship.
A very short course was set for the first race and just six stoic entrants braved the first race. Simon Gandy and Steve Waters in Voyager got a bit too far from the start line and needed a tow to get back near the line while the rest of the fleet were drifting near the first mark. Reid and Tyler Lucas in Red Star were recalled to the start after being caught on the wrong side of the start line. Steve and Lucy Bohlsen in Interceptor sailed well in the conditions, to finish first, but were pushed back down in the results by yardsticks. Esra Mert and Stuart Symons in Elmo lead the Tasers around the course until the last lap when an encounter with a sand bank held them up.
Yardstick results for the monohull fleet were: Voyager, Red Star, Elmo and Interceptor. With handicaps applied, the results were: Elmo, Voyager, Interceptor and Red Star.
In the catamaran division, Tony Kuhn on Stella was in front at the end of an uncomfortable race followed by Dave Winter on Spica. Handicap result was the same.
The wind teased during lunch and few more competitors rigged up for the Club Championship race expecting the breeze to continue to build during the afternoon. Once on the water however, the wind died and as the race started, competitors drifted backwards in the tide.
After several minutes, a few puffs came in from various directions allowing crews to cross the start line and move out of the tide for a frustrating first lap before some more consistent wind arrived. Warren Sykes in Runamuck and Frank O'Rourke on Zero seemed to generate their own wind, or at least to be in the right place at the right time, to lead the monohull and catamaran divisions respectively.
Following Turbo, Stella and Spica were second and third on both yardstick and handicap.
Yardstick results for the monohull division saw Runamuck take the win followed by Serenity, Lazybuoy, Voyager, Elmo (now with Stuart Symons wearing the skipper's hat), and Interceptor. Handicap results were identical.
On Saturday, several club members will compete in the Queen of the Lake at Queens Lake Sailing Club. The next event at Port Macquarie will be either Sprint Races 17-21 or the postponed Summer Marathon, depending on conditions on the day. Either way, the sailing will start at 12 noon. Steve Bohlsen is rostered on duty.
