A fleet of 37 boats today turned out for the first day of racing in the Derwent Sailing Squadron’s Cleanfit Marine Winter Series on the River Derwent, ranging from sports boats through to offshore racing yachts, with all major clubs represented.
Thirty-one keelboats raced in three divisions while six SB20s sailed their own course, completing two races.
Conditions were not ideal for good competition with the light breeze swinging from north-west to westerly after the start, resulting in a ‘soldiers’ course for the three divisions. The SB20 start was delayed, enabling race officers to set a truer windward/leeward course.
Wayne Banks-Smith’s War Games got the gun in Division 1 despite being overtaken by David Creese’s Obsession when the Farr 40 ran into a hole on the first spinnaker reach. Obsession sailed as a non-spinnaker entry and once the breeze picked up she was no match for War Games.
On corrected time Fred Barrett’s sports boat Fang to the Max won Division 1 from David Brett’s Hanse 40 Illusion, third place going to Wings Three (Peter Haros).
In Division 2, Derek Inglis had an outright win with Rousabout, winning comfortable on handicap from Hi-Vis (Matt Westland) and the Syndicate-owned Wildfire.
Non-spinnaker entrant Vistula, Greg Biskup’s Malbek 24 made the most of her extended handicap and her boatspeed in light winds to also score an outright win in Division 3. Second to finish and second on corrected time was octogenarian sailor Tom Kirkland at the helm of Ragtime, third in and handicap going to Serenity (Graham Hall).
Eleven SB20s have entered the DSS Winter Series, but with Karabos and Hypertronics up at Mooloolaba contesting the nationals, only six boats started today.
Kirsty Skinner steered North Sails to a first and a third under one-design racing to finish the day on equal points with Brainwave (Scott Brain), just one point ahead of Ciao Baby III (Steve Chau) who had a 4-1 scorecard.
Under PHS scoring Zhik (Quentin Hunt) finished with a first and a second while Ciao Baby II had a win and a third, with Hughie Lewis sailing Nautilus Marine Insurance to a second and fourth.
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