A gusty southerly promised some exciting action for Port Macquarie Sailing Club’s first race of 2023. Trees and buildings on the southern shore always create challenging wind shifts that combine with blasts out of the canals that can catch the unwary sailor.

Several regulars were missing in action including Frank O’Rourke who recently won the Australian National Arrow Championships and Jim Kerrison and Deb Stening who are undoubtedly still celebrating their second placing in the MG14 National Championships (or cursing the weather that cancelled the last race and their opportunity to advance to the top spot.)

As the race started, Warren Sykes in Runamuck had to make a quick return to the beach to fix a slipping halyard, but with the rest of the fleet stuck in a hole before the first mark he was able to quickly catch up to the tail enders.

Following a week of competition at the Impulse Nationals, Jeff Walsh in Serenity, was quickly into the lead of the monohull fleet.

A gybe at the upwind end of the course proved tricky with several boats capsizing at that point.

Only one catamaran contested the event with Jack Corthals on Crackerjack taking the win with some spectacular aerobatics along the way.

In the monohull division, Serenity took the win followed by Runamuck, Simon and Elsa Gandy in Up Beat, Terry Howard in Flying Dragon, Mitch Dawson in Impetuous, Tony Walker in Deep Purple, Steve and Lucy Bohlsen and Stuart Symons in Puffin.