The fifth annual WinterBash off the beach regatta at Woody Point, Brisbane attracted its largest ever fleet.
Humpybong Yacht Club president David Begley said sailors from Rockhampton to Sydney had nominated early for the event on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th July but registrations ran riot just before the event with a stunning total of 151 boats attending over the weekend.
“We have amazing numbers of F16, F18, A class, Nacra, Taipan, C2, Tornado, Hobie and Wetas and a good dinghy fleet of Lasers, 125’s,Impulse, 505 and other classes..
“Queensland beautiful one day, perfect the next, didn’t run true on Saturday as showers turned to drizzle and back and made for soggy conditions in the rigging yard and on the water. Nevertheless, the sight of 150 boats crowding the start and then heading south in their divisions towards the first mark amongst the intermittent showers was the most spectacular sight seen in Bramble Bay for years.”
However the top level of competition on the water was shown in the three races with four division starts sending the multihulls away first followed by the dinghy classes. The multis doing three laps while the dinghies did two of their separate courses.
The Marathon, held in partly cloudy and sunny conditions on Sunday, took the sailors from Woody Point south to Shorncliffe then all the way north to Scarborough and back to the Woody Point finish. Winds were steady in the beginning increasing in the early afternoon which returned many craft across the finish line much faster than in previous years.
Olympian sailor Andrew Landenberger claimed the Division One winners podium followed by James Fraser & Olivia Jozefowski in a Nacra 5.8 and Nick Drapes & Pauline Brookman also in their Nacra 5.8.
An OCS in the second race robbed Matt Homan of overall honours but he claimed the Marathon Trophy for the fastest speed over the course on handicap, not far in front of Simone Dougherty and 10 year old Feb Browne in a Heron.
Division 1
1st Andrew Landenberger A Class (Classic) AUS308
2nd James Fraser & Olivia Jozefowski Nacra 5.8NA 1702
3rd Nick Drapes & Pauline Brookman Nacra 5.8NA 1671
Division 2
1st Trent Potter Nacra 4.5 568
2nd Steve Nelson Nacra 4.5 539
3rd Peter Hackett Weta 1184
Division 4
1st Robert Franks & Nigel Lott 505 9037
2nd Chris Gregg & Ian Gregg 505 8781
3rd John Black & Alan Haylett 505 8738
Division 5
1st Mark Newton& Archer Newton 125 3066
2nd Chris Mann & Luke Johnson 125 3198
3rd Megan Houston & Adriana Bramley 125 3049
Marathon Trophy – Fastest average speed over the course on yardstick
Matt Homan A Class (Flying) AUS41
