Another Perfect Day in Paradise for Day 4 of Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week. The trade winds returned just a little today, with south easterly winds starting at eight knots and building across the day.
The Grand Prix IRC fleet sailed the 34 nautical Pine Island course, while the smaller boats sailed a 24 and 20 mile White Rock race. It was very exciting racing summed up well by Ray Roberts, the 2008 Airlie Beach series winner, who sailed in the leading pack in the Grand Prix fleet aboard his Cookson 50 (the former Quantum Racing) now called Evolution Racing.
Roberts commented dockside 'Today was one of the most exciting races I have done in the last twelve months. The lead changed between Michael Hiatt's Living Doll, Rob Date's Scarlet Runner and my own Evolution Racing about five times throughout the race.
'We made a mistake at Hannah Point but we made a better selection of course at Pioneer Rock and this got us back in the race.'
From the start line racing was tight. Down the Molle Channel the Cookson 50 Evolution Racing sailed more aggressively, tacking tightly along the rocky shore line to stay out of the current and that yielded good results.
At the Pine Island mark, Evolution Racing was only two boat lengths behind the Farr 55 Living Doll and ten lengths ahead of the Reichel Pugh 52 Scarlet Runner. However as she has done all week, the red boat Scarlet Runner made big gains on the run and caught her two rivals.
As they headed north it was tight and exciting racing as the three boats worked the Island shore. Along the rocky walls of South Molle there was lots of current and changes in wind direction. In one defining moment the Doll was port boat with Evolution Racing, she misjudged a cross and the smaller boat had to crash tack. Living Doll promptly did her turns, but this gave the lead to Evolution Racing.
However the Doll came again quickly and went wide and with sheer boatspeed advantage led into Hannah Point at the top of North Molle by 15 boat lengths as she headed back across the Molle Channel towards Pioneer Point.
Scarlet Runner led Evolution Racing by about five boat lengths as she rounded and quickly changed to a Code Zero. Evolution Racing went wide, mucked up her kite set resulting in a rapid spinnaker tear but eventually popped a shy reaching kite. Her loss was at least ten lengths, maybe more.
The pressured had increased and as the canting keel Cookson 50 headed across the channel she really lit up; 16 knots, 17 knots, then 18 knots as the Media cat paced below her.
Up above Evolution Racing, Living Doll and Scarlet Runner were sailing much more slowly into the lee of Pioneer Point and well inside Pioneer Rock.
Evolution swept into second place outside the rocks and headed after the Doll. However as the three boats sailed deeper into Pioneer Bay the wind eased and the race leader was safe. The bigger boat held her nerve crossing 70 seconds ahead of Evolution Racing. Scarlett Runner was another two and a half minutes back.
The Farr 40s, Night Nurse, Cracklin' Rosie and E11even finished an hour later well behind their handicap numbers.
On handicap Evolution Racing, Scarlet Runner and Living Doll each have seven points; however on count back, it's Evolution, then the Runner and then the Doll.
Rob Date commented, 'A sensational race; it was so close and so exciting. We are still searching for speed upwind, but have it down wind. We are looking forward to tomorrow.'
Ray Roberts was still smiling as he headed up the dock to the Entertainment area.
'We've been hanging out for more breeze. We got a taste of it today and with more tomorrow we are looking for more fun on the water.'
The IRC Cruising fleet enjoyed the increased wind pressure today with Stewart Lewis' Marten 49 Ocean Affinity again taking line hours. Behind her the Geoff Pearson steered Beneteau First 45 Carbon Credits took the handicap victory from Ocean Affinity and the overall series leader, Barry Kelly and his Typhoon team, aboard their IRC Farr 395.
Pearson commented 'We've been hanging in there in the light conditions but with more breeze today, we came into our own.'
The Performance Handicap fleet sailed two windward leewards on Pioneer Bay today. The first of those races was won by Nick Anthineos' Beneteau First 47.7 Kioni, the second by Alan Sneddon's Beneteau 405 Pacific Phoenix. Mike Roper's Beneteau 42 Robabull, with a second and third in those two races, took the series lead from Craig Piccinelli's Young 88 Wobbly Boot.
A wet and wild day for the Sports Boat fleet. Bob Cowan's Stealth 8 Steathy took line hours for the third year in a row in the White Rock race but on handicap it was Heath Townsend's Melges 24 who took first place, ahead of Stealthy and Townsville sailor Leon Thomas on his T7 Guilty Pleasures.
Cam Rae's T8 Laminar Capital who is fighting for the series lead, finished just 52 seconds ahead of the smaller Guilty Pleasures and scored a sixth place today.
Still slumped on his boat after a physically tough race Thomas commented, 'It was a good race for the bigger boats, with the extra pressure. We were really pleased to be able to hang with them long enough to take third place.
'We picked up some lines of pressure on the run and that boosted our position.'
More information at www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au
Here are the overall progressive results
IRC Racing
Series Results [IRC] for Division 1 up to Race 5 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 1.0S5R 8899 EVOLUTION RACING Ray Roberts CYCA Cookson 50 7 1 1 2 [6.0] 3
2 R55 LIVING DOLL Michael Hiatt RYCV Farr 55 7 3 [5.0] 1 2 1
3 SM11 SCARLET RUNNER Robert Date SYC RP52 7 2 2 [6.0] 1 2
4 9009 NIGHT NURSE Russell McCart RQYS Farr 40 16 [6.0] 3 3 5 5
5 6530 CRACKLIN ROSIE Robbo Robertson RQYS FARR 40 19 7 4 [7.0] 4 4
6 3.0S 6838 E11EVEN Ian Thomson RQYS Farr 40 IRC 23 8 6 [8.0] 3 6
7 M4 CADIBARRA 8 John Netherton MOOLOOLABA Jones 42 23 5 [8.0] 4 7 7
8 YC400 FORD PREFECT Brett Young CYCSA Beneteau first 40 27 4 7 5 11.0C [11.0C]
9 88888 SAMURAI JACK Noel Humphreys MBYC Farr39ML mod 34 9 9 [11.0F] 8 8
10 R50 SHOGUN Robert Hanna RGYC Cookson 50 fixed kee 44 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C [11.0C]
IRC Cruising
Series Results [IRC] for Division 1 up to Race 4 (Drops = 0)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 8395 TYPHOON Barry Kelly NCYC Farr 395 7 3 1 1 2
2 6669 CARBON CREDITS Geoff Pearson MHYC Beneteau First 45 10 1 2 2 5
3 FRA9500 ON Y VA John Moore RQYS Beneteau 44.7 12 4 4 3 1
4 2.0S RQ64 OCEAN AFFINITY Stewart Lewis RQYS Marten 49 21 2 7 6 6
5 2960 DANCING LADY Robert Pennell RQYS Farr 11.6 21 5 3 4 9
6 771 DOUBLE O SEVEN Jeffrey Brown WSC Northshore 38 mod 23 7 8 5 3
7 BOW3 BOUDICEA Mike Steel TCYC Dufour 34 Regatta 26 6 6 7 7
8 SP3 SUREFOOT Rod Sawyer WSC Norlin 30 9 9 8 4
9 N6 TEAM SMART Tony Ross SYC Archambault 40 32 10 5 9 8
10 7407 CHANCELLOR Morgan Rogers CYCA Beneteau 40.7 41 8 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C
Performance Racing
Series Results [EHC] for Division 1 up to Race 5 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 9111 ROPABULL Mike Roper RMYC/BB Beneteau 42 18 2 3 8 [13.0] 5
2 640 WOBBLY BOOT Craig Piccinelli WSC ModYoung88 19 3 5 [12.0] 9 2
3 202 REIGNITION Charles Wallis WSC MBD42 20 [13.0] 4 5 1 10
4 3.0S 6754 AIRLIE RETREAT George Challoner RMYC ELAN 37 21 [9.0] 7 6.0G 5 3
5 999 TRUE LOVE Roger Down WSC Farr 116 21 4 6 [10.0] 4 7
6 2.0S5R 4054 PACIFIC PHOENIX Alan Sneddon WSC BENETEAU 405 24 1 2 9 [14.0] 12
7 AUS3232 ROCK N ROLL Kim Williams RANSA Melges 32 24 12 [12.0] 1 2 9
8 4260 RISING FARRST Tim Osborne WSC Farr 1104 24 8 8 7 [12.0] 1
9 588 IDLE TIME Kevin Fogarty WSC Spacesailer 25.5 5.5 9 [14.0] 7 4
10 6146 KIONI Nick Athineos CYCA Beneteau First 47.7 29 7 1 11 10 [14.0]
11 5013 AIR APPARENT Steve Wright NQCYC Young 31 29.5 5.5 10 [13.0] 8 6
12 W13 FALLEN ANGELS Damien Suckling WSC Atkinson 24 30 10 11 3 6 [11.0]
13 8041 LORNA ROSE TOO Peter Mitchelson WSC Austral Clubman 8 32 11 [15.0F] 2 11 8
14 1236 LOCAL HERO Peter Mosely MHYC BH36 33 [14.0] 13 4 3 13
Sports Boats
Series Results [SMS] for Division 1 up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 6 Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 5887 GUILTY PLEASURES Leon Thomas TCYC Thompson 7 10 3 [7.0] 2 2 1 2
2 G108 LAMINAR CAPITAL Cam Rae RGYC Thompson 8 13 6 1 1 1 4 [9.0]
3 AUS558 WHAT THA Heath Townsend GBYC Melges 24 16 1 5 5 3 2 [7.5]
4 RQ202 STEALTHY Bob Cowan LMYC Stealth 28 2 8 [9.0] 6 6 6
5 2.0S Q38 NO LIMITS Bruce Tardrew RQYS Stealth 8 28.5 10.5 2 3 10 3 [11.0]
6 7008 ZUTE Stephen Hunter SYC Thompson 7 28.5 7 [13.0] 4 7 7.5 3
7 RQ777 RAPTOR Mark Buchbach RQYS Stealth 7 30.5 8 4 7 4 [12.0] 7.5
8 105 CONQUISTADOR Pierre Gal CHYC sports 8 xx 33 9 6 8 5 5 [13.0]
9 E46 OMEN Andrew Holden RQYS Elliott 7 37 4 12 [14.0] 9 11 1
10 7018 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTI Chris Byrne SYC/CCSC Thompson 7 41 10.5 11 [11.0] 8 7.5 4
11 734 X2 TANGENT Simon Vincent NQCYC Elliot 780 espx 43 5 3 12 13 [14.0] 10
12 DS808 M.J.R OUTRAGE Tony EcCles RMYC Duncanson Phuket 8 49 [14.0] 10 13 12 9 5
13 6.0S 7 GUIDED MISSILE John Rae MYC STEALTH 8 55 13 9 6 14 13 [14.0]
14 SA780 PRIMAL SCREAM Tom Jordan MYC Elliott 780 55 12 [14.0] 10 11 10 12
Sports Boats – Inshore
Series Results [SMS] for Division 1 up to Race 8 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 8 Race 7 Race 6 Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 55 MUSTO Shane Smith SYC Blazer 23 7 1 1 [2.0] 1 1 1 1 1
2 3384 AIRLE SAILS Jamie Jochheim WSC sb3 13 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 [2.0]
3 AUS3381 BEER LAO Paul Hunt NQCYC SB3 26 3 3 5 4 3 [5.0] 4 4
4 3357 WAGOP Michael McLean SYC sb3 27 [6.0] 5 4 3 4 3 5 3
5 4.0S 3352 DARTVADER Mark Prince NYC sb3 34 5 4 3 6 6 4 6 [6.0]
6 3353 MARINETECH ELECTRICS Lachlan McLean RQYS Dart SB3 34 4 6 6 5 5 [6.0] 3 5
7 6798 SCRATCH Dave Griffin RMYC boatspeed 23 49 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 [7.0]
Cruising
Series Results [EHC Div1] for Division 1 up to Race 4 (Drops = 0)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 80808 PANACEA 10% HARD COR Ken Christensen RBYC Beneteau 40.7 18 10 3 4 1
2 HKG1222 CHINA BLUES Bill McCarthy MYC X-442 20 12 4 2 2
3 6556 MAGIQUE Chris Carlile CYCA Beneteau 22 8 7 3 4
4 5.0S H370 HANS-ON Nick / Col Cox / MYC Hanse 370e 24 9 1 9 5
5 5796 QLD MARINE SERVICES John Galloway WSC Holland 24 11 6 1 6
6 3.0S W8 SANDPIPER WUTBA Colin Pruden WSC Swarbrick S111 26 7 9 7 3
7 M333 WHISPER FOUR John Hall SYC DUFOUR 44 26 6 5 5 10
8 6215 KAT Chris Stockdale CYCA Beneteau 50 28 1 13 6 8
9 SA10 STORM 2 Don Algie WSC WARWICK 66 31 2 12 10 7
10 5178 TEAM ENSIGN Alexis Bisbas SYC Dubois 40' 32 13 2 8 9
11 6797 HOLY COW! John & Kim Clinton CYCA Beneteau Oceanis 50 34 4 8 11 11
12 6678 SUPERTRAMP Sue And Alan Pick RPAYC Beneteau Oceanis 46 39 5 10 12 12
13 BOW4 SILVERSHOT David Perkins MYC Beneteau 50 40 3 11 13 13
Cruising
Series Results [EHC Div2] for Division 2 up to Race 4 (Drops = 0)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 2.0S 5899 BOBBY D Ross Winterbourne NQCYC Farr 20 6 8 2 4
2 W677 SUNRISE Helen & Jeff Shipsey APYC/WSC Elan 37 20 7 4 4 5
3 5877 HYDRO THERAPY Mike Trickey WSC Beneteau First 33.7 23 8 7 6 2
4 2.0S B36 AMADEUS Peter Johnson WSC bavaria 36 24 1 2 11 10
5 3.0S 606 MORE INTRIGUE Merv Stephensen RQYS Northshore 38 C 24 3 11 9 1
6 M406 SEDUCTION Richard Nichols MYC Lidgard 34 24 11 5 1 7
7 B408 RAMPALLION Roger Incledon RBYC S99 25 5 6 5 9
8 W42 AFRICA Terry Archer WSC Bavaria 42 Cruiser 27 12 9 3 3
9 4262 SUNFLOWER Graeme Douglas WSC Peterson Santana 30 28 10 3 7 8
10 3610 TURTLE TIME Jason Randall WSC Swarbrick Spacesailo 30 4 12 8 6
11 B88 INGENUE Rosie Colahan RBYC Jeanneau SO 40 33 2 10 10 11
12 730 TIDE UP Barry Smith NQCYC NOELEX Trailer Sailo 34 9 1 12 12
Cruising – No Spinnaker
Series Results [EHC] for Division 1 up to Race 4 (Drops = 0)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 W440 RIFF RAFF Dan White WSC Beneteau Oceanis 440 15 1 6 7 1
2 SM4400 MANLY TOO Peter McAdam SYC BAVARIA 44 17 2 8 2 5
3 271 SERENDIPITY Roger Boast WSC Bavaria 36 23 6 1 8 8
4 ST461 VALDOLESE Greg Sier SYC Beneteau 461 26 3 7 6 10
5 1.0S SYD8 TULIP Bernie Vanthof CYCA Swan 45 27 8 12 1 6
6 G8710 AKATEA John Garner RGYC Cookson 40 27 12 10 3 2
7 4787 AVALON Norm House WSC Richards 37 29 9 3 14.0F 3
8 2.0S BOW2 BLISS Pete Sheehy WSC Jutson 30 7 2 9 12
9 B4407 SEADUCTION Brian Pattinson RBYC beneteau 44.7 30 10 11 5 4
10 6702 JOIE DE VIE Wayne Banks Smith RPAYC Jeanneau Sun Odysse 31 11 9 4 7
11 4.0S BOW1 BENETTA Murray Sheer CCY Beneteau cyclades 43 33 4 4 14.0F 11
12 12 AZURE Peter Hall PYC JEANNEAU 39I 33 5 5 14.0F 9
13 SM477 ESPRIT Garry Anderson SYC beneteau 47.7 56 14.0C 14.0C 14.0C 14.0C
