The owner and crew of the Melbourne Farr 55 Living Doll were ecstatic last night as they celebrated the Doll's win at Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week.
Michael Hiatt couldn't stop grinning as he and his crew lined up to receive their trophy. It had been a hard-fought battle all week, with the three big boats, Living Doll, Evolution Racing and Scarlett Runner II all chalking up victories. Living Doll and Evolution Racing finished tied on points; each with three wins, two seconds and a third place. The overall title win went to Hiatt on a count back as the last race winner.
This was Hiatt's sixth attempt to win at Airlie Beach, he sailed a Beneteau First 47.7 Elektra for two years, then the Cookson 50 Living Doll for three years.
Last year Hiatt and his Living Doll crew featured in another very tight series. He was leading the series into the very last race when he was forced inside the Grimston mark by Ray Roberts on Quantum Racing and Roberts went on to win.
Today as Hiatt approached the Grimston mark he was sure that he had already lost the race, his Living Doll was behind the smaller boat (Evolution Racing) which had an impressive handicap lead at that point.
As Hiatt explained 'On the run to Grimston we went offshore, we thought we did better with the wind shifts but when Evolution Racing came off the shore she had picked up boat lengths and rounded ahead of us.
'It took us another half a leg to get through her and then we put our heads down. We sailed our own race and just concentrated on boat speed.'
Ray Roberts said 'It was another exciting race in an already exciting series. We had our time on Living Doll at the last mark, but the breeze was fading and she sailed away from us.
'Michael deserve this win, he and his crew sailed very well, it was a great series and now we move on to Hamilton Island Race Week where we will continue our battle with these and other boats.'
It was race 7 for the Performance Racing division and Peter Mosley's Sydney 36 Local Hero was the winner on handicap from George Challoner's Airlie Retreat, with Mike Roper's Ropabull third. Line honours winner Rock n Roll, Kim Williams Melges 32, flew around the course finishing over eight minutes ahead of Local Hero with Charles Wallis Reignition just six seconds behind her.
The Performance Racing Championship was won by the Elan 37 Airlie Retreat (RMYC). One point behind the winner was True Love, Roger Downs Farr 1106 from the Whitsunday Sailing Club. Mike Roper's Beneteau 42 Ropabull (RMYC/BB) was third. Just a point separated each of the top three boats, indicating the intensity of racing over this seven race series.
In the Offshore Sports Boats race 10, Cam Rae's T8 Laminar Capital from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club won on handicap from Heath Townsend's Melges 24 What Tha. Stealthy, Bob Cowan's Lake Macquarie based Stealth 8, was third.
Stealthy was fastest around the triangular course today followed by Bruce Tardrew's Stealth 8 No Limits, with Mark Buchbach's Stealth 7 Raptor third.
'Steathy, like a good bottle of wine, gets better with age', says Lake Macquarie sports boat veteran Bob Cowan. 'We had five line honours wins, a really big result for us, definitely the fastest Stealth 8 around. Really happy with the way the boys sailed. It's been a great series and the weather has been sensational.'
The overall Sports Boats winner for 2009 is Cam Rae's Laminar Capital. Heath Townsend's Melges 24 What Tha finished second, with Leon Thomas T7 Guilty Pleasures, third.
Cameron Rae. 'We drove 2,500 km from Royal Geelong Yacht Club for this series, so the win makes it very worthwhile. We came second here last year, but this is the first time for a while we've remained really consistent for a whole regatta.
'She is 10 years old, she is doing pretty well for an older skinny boat, not nearly as high tech as the newer wider boats. We did well on the beats and found a good right hand shift on the first down wind and that allowed us to gap the T7 (Guilty Pleasures) and the Melges 24.
'We are happiest on windward leewards course; on the island passage races we have not had the experience with tides. But it's a fantastic area to sail and we enjoyed the opportunity to see the Islands and we can't complain about the results.'
Townsville Leon Thomas' T7 Guilty Pleasures led deep into the regatta but in his words 'we started with a bang, but faded. But we had a great time. The ASBA has done an excellent job, organising a very fair handicap system. The guys who won the regatta sailed very well.'
Shane Smith and his crew on the modified Blazer 23 Musto emphasised their dominance today in the Inshore Sports Boat fleet.
Having won the regatta with a race to spare, he went out and won again in race 12 today on handicap from Airlie Sails the SB3 of Whitsunday sailor Jamie Jochheim's. Marinetech Electronics, Lachlan McLean's Dart SB3 was third.
Fastest small boat over the course today was Airlie Sails, with Scratch, Dave Griffin's Boatspeed 23 finishing second with Musto third.
The Inshore Sports Boats Champion for 2009 is Shane Smith's modified Blazer 23 Musto with an impressive ten race win record from twelve races sailed. Airlie Sales (Jamie Jochheim) was second with Beer Lao, Paul Hunt's SB3 from the North Queensland Cruising Yacht Club third.
As he loaded his Blazer onto its trailer Smith commented 'We came up here to sail, so that is what we did again today.'
The IRC Cruising division sailed race six today and the Geoff Pearson skippered Beneteau First 45 Carbon Credits took the win on handicap from Barry Kelly's Farr 395 Typhoon and Jeffrey Brown's Double O Seven.
Stewart Lewis' Marten 49 Ocean Affinity took line honours from Carbon Credits and Typhoon.
Overall winner of the IRC Cruising Division is Carbon Credits from Typhoon. John Moore's On Y Va finished third.
Team Ensign, Alexis Bisbas Dubois 40 was the handicap winner in Cruising Division 1 today, from John Galloway's Queensland Marine Services, with John Hall's Whisper Four third. Divisional line honours went to Don Algie's Warwick 66 Storm 2, from Whisper Four with Panacea 10% Hardcore third.
The Cruising Division 1 Champion is China Blues, the X-442 of Bill McCarthy. Chris Carlile's Magique finished second and Queensland Marine Services (John Galloway) third.
Race 6 of the Cruising Non Spinnaker series was won on handicap by Valdolese, the Beneteau 461 of Greg Sier. Brian Pattinson's Beneteau 44.7 Seaduction finished in second place, with Norm House's Richards 37 Avalon in third. Line honours in the race went to Seaduction, from Joie De Vie (Wayne Banks Smith) and Manly Too (Peter McAdam).
Peter McAdam's Bavaria 44 Manly Too is the Cruising Non Spinnaker Champion. Riff Raff, Dan White's Beneteau Oceanis 440 from the Whitsunday Sailing Club was second, with Brian Pattinson's Beneteau 444.7 Seaduction, third.
Sunrise, the Elan 37 of Helen and Jeff Shipsey won race 6 of the Cruising Division 2 series on handicap, from Terry Archer's Bavaria 42 Cruiser Africa, with Graeme Douglas' Peterson Santana 30 Sunflower third. On elapsed time Sunrise was the fastest, with Africa finishing some three and a half minutes behind her. Roger Nichols Lidgard 34 Seduction was third.
Local Whitsunday boat Africa, her full name Archer explains is short for Another Flaming Regatta I Cannot Afford – is the Cruising Division 2 winner. Sunrise finished second with Seduction third.
IRC Racing
Series Results [IRC] for Division 1 up to Race 7 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 7 Race 6 Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 7R R55 LIVING DOLL Michael Hiatt RYCV Farr 55 10 1 2 3 [5.0] 1 2 1
2 8899 EVOLUTION RACING Ray Roberts CYCA Cookson 50 10 2 1 1 1 2 [6.0] 3
3 SM11 SCARLET RUNNER Robert Date SYC RP52 14 4 3 2 2 [6.0] 1 2
4 9009 NIGHT NURSE Russell McCart RQYS Farr 40 26 5 5 [6.0] 3 3 5 5
5 6530 CRACKLIN ROSIE Robbo Robertson RQYS FARR 40 28 3 6 7 4 [7.0] 4 4
6 M4 CADIBARRA 8 John Netherton MOOLOOLABA Jones 42 34 7 4 5 [8.0] 4 7 7
7 6838 E11EVEN Ian Thomson RQYS Farr 40 IRC 36 6 7 8 6 [8.0] 3 6
8 YC400 FORD PREFECT Brett Young CYCSA Beneteau first 40 49 11.0C 11.0C 4 7 5 11.0C [11.0C]
9 88888 SAMURAI JACK Noel Humphreys MBYC Farr39ML mod 53 8 11.0C 9 9 [11.0F] 8 8
10 R50 SHOGUN Robert Hanna RGYC Cookson 50 fixed kee 66 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C 11.0C [11.0C]
IRC Cruising
Series Results [IRC] 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 6669 CARBON CREDITS Geoff Pearson MHYC Beneteau First 45 7 1 1 1 2 2 [5.0]
2 8395 TYPHOON Barry Kelly NCYC Farr 395 8 2 2 [3.0] 1 1 2
3 FRA9500 ON Y VA John Moore RQYS Beneteau 44.7 17 [6.0] 5 4 4 3 1
4 2.0S RQ64 OCEAN AFFINITY Stewart Lewis RQYS Marten 49 21 4 3 2 [7.0] 6 6
5 2960 DANCING LADY Robert Pennell RQYS Farr 11.6 21 5 4 5 3 4 [9.0]
6 771 DOUBLE O SEVEN Jeffrey Brown WSC Northshore 38 mod 24 3 6 7 [8.0] 5 3
7 BOW3 BOUDICEA Mike Steel TCYC Dufour 34 Regatta 33 7 7 6 6 7 [7.0]
8 SP3 SUREFOOT Rod Sawyer WSC Norlin 39 [10.0] 9 9 9 8 4
9 N6 TEAM SMART Tony Ross SYC Archambault 40 41 9 [11.0F] 10 5 9 8
10 7407 CHANCELLOR Morgan Rogers CYCA Beneteau 40.7 46 8 8 8 11.0C 11.0C [11.0C]
Performance Racing
Series Results [EHC] for Division 1 up to Race 7 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 7 Race 6 Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 6754 AIRLIE RETREAT George Challoner RMYC ELAN 37 30 2 7 [9.0] 7 6.0G 5 3
2 999 TRUE LOVE Roger Down WSC Farr 116 31 8 3 4 5 [10.0] 4 7
3 9111 ROPABULL Mike Roper RMYC/BB Beneteau 42 32 3 11 2 3 8 [13.0] 5
4 640 WOBBLY BOOT Craig Piccinelli WSC ModYoung88 33 5 10 3 4 [12.0] 9 2
5 5013 AIR APPARENT Steve Wright NQCYC Young 31 36 6 1 5 10 [13.0] 8 6
6 2.0S AUS3232 ROCK N ROLL Kim Williams RANSA Melges 32 39 7 8 [13.0] 12 1 2 9
7 1236 LOCAL HERO Peter Mosely MHYC BH36 39 1 5 [14.0] 13 4 3 13
8 4.0S 4260 RISING FARRST Tim Osborne WSC Farr 1104 40 [13.0] 4 8 8 7 12 1
9 202 REIGNITION Charles Wallis WSC MBD42 40 9 9 [12.0] 6 5 1 10
10 1.0S 4054 PACIFIC PHOENIX Alan Sneddon WSC BENETEAU 405 42 4 14 1 2 9 [14.0] 12
11 588 IDLE TIME Kevin Fogarty WSC Spacesailer 42 10 6 6 9 [14.0] 7 4
12 6146 KIONI Nick Athineos CYCA Beneteau First 47.7 45 14 2 7 1 11 10 [14.0]
13 W13 FALLEN ANGELS Damien Suckling WSC Atkinson 24 52 11 [12.0] 10 11 3 6 11
14 8041 LORNA ROSE TOO Peter Mitchelson WSC Austral Clubman 8 57 12 13 11 [15.0F] 2 11 8
Sports Boats
Series Results [SMS] for Division 1 up to Race 10 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 10 Race 9 Race 8 Race 7 Race 6 Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 G108 LAMINAR CAPITAL Cam Rae RGYC Thompson 8 18 1 1 2 1 6 1 1 1 4 [9.0]
2 AUS558 WHAT THA Heath Townsend GBYC Melges 24 25 2 2 3 2 1 5 5 3 2 [7.5]
3 5887 GUILTY PLEASURES Leon Thomas TCYC Thompson 7 26 4 5 4 3 3 [7.0] 2 2 1 2
4 RQ202 STEALTHY Bob Cowan LMYC Stealth 44 3 8 1 4 2 8 [9.0] 6 6 6
5 7008 ZUTE Stephen Hunter SYC Thompson 7 49.5 5 3 6 7 7 [13.0] 4 7 7.5 3
6 2.0S Q38 NO LIMITS Bruce Tardrew RQYS Stealth 8 65 7 9.5 11 9 10.5 2 3 10 3 [11.0]
7 105 CONQUISTADOR Pierre Gal CHYC sports 8 xx 65 9 6 7 10 9 6 8 5 5 [13.0]
8 RQ777 RAPTOR Mark Buchbach RQYS Stealth 7 68.5 6 15.0C [15.0F] 5 8 4 7 4 12 7.5
9 734 X2 TANGENT Simon Vincent NQCYC Elliot 780 espx 72 12 4 5 8 5 3 12 13 [14.0] 10
10 E46 OMEN Andrew Holden RQYS Elliott 7 76.5 10 9.5 [15.0F] 6 4 12 14 9 11 1
11 DS808 M.J.R OUTRAGE Tony EcCles RMYC Duncanson Phuket 8 94 [15.0F] 12 8 11 14 10 13 12 9 5
12 SA780 PRIMAL SCREAM Tom Jordan MYC Elliott 780 95 8 11 9 12 12 [14.0] 10 11 10 12
13 7 GUIDED MISSILE John Rae MYC STEALTH 8 96 11 7 10 13 13 9 6 14 13 [14.0]
14 7018 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTI Chris Byrne SYC/CCSC Thompson 7 97 15.0C 15.0C 15.0C [15.0F] 10.5 11 11 8 7.5 4
Sports Boats – Inshore
Series Results [SMS] for Division 1 up to Race 12 (Drops = 1)
Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper From Design Sers Score Race 12 Race 11 Race 10 Race 9 Race 8 Race 7 Race 6 Race 5 Race 4 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1
1 55 MUSTO Shane Smith SYC Blazer 23 12 1 1 1 2 1 1 [2.0] 1 1 1 1 1
2 3384 AIRLE SAILS Jamie Jochheim WSC sb3 21 2 2 2 [4.0] 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2
3 AUS3381 BEER LAO Paul Hunt NQCYC SB3 39 [6.0] 4 3 1 3 3 5 4 3 5 4 4
4 3357 WAGOP Michael McLean SYC sb3 43 4 3 4 5 [6.0] 5 4 3 4 3 5 3
5 3352 DARTVADER Mark Prince NYC sb3 53 [8.0C] 5 5 3 5 4 3 6 6 4 6 6
6 3353 MARINETECH ELECTRICS Lachlan McLean RQYS Dart SB3 55 3 6 6 6 4 6 6 5 5 [6.0] 3 5
7 6798 SCRATCH Dave Griffin RMYC boatspeed 23 77 5 8.0C 8.0C [8.0C] 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Cruising
Series Results [EHC Div1] 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 HKG1222 CHINA BLUES Bill McCarthy MYC X-442 17 4 5 [12.0] 4 2 2
2 6556 MAGIQUE Chris Carlile CYCA Beneteau 23 5 4 [8.0] 7 3 4
3 6.0S 5796 QLD MARINE SERVICES John Galloway WSC Holland 24 2 9 [11.0] 6 1 6
4 2.0S 6215 KAT Chris Stockdale CYCA Beneteau 50 24 7 2 1 [13.0] 6 8
5 80808 10% HARDCORE Ken Christensen RBYC Beneteau 40.7 24 6 10 [10.0] 3 4 1
6 M333 WHISPER FOUR John Hall SYC DUFOUR 44 26 3 7 6 5 5 [10.0]
7 H370 HANS-ON Nick / Col Cox / MYC Hanse 370e 31 8 8 9 1 [9.0] 5
8 1.0S 5178 TEAM ENSIGN Alexis Bisbas SYC Dubois 40' 32 1 12 [13.0] 2 8 9
9 2.0S SA10 STORM 2 Don Algie WSC WARWICK 66 32 10 3 2 [12.0] 10 7
10 W8 SANDPIPER WUTBA Colin Pruden WSC Swarbrick S111 32 [11.0] 6 7 9 7 3
11 6797 HOLY COW! John & Kim Clinton CYCA Beneteau Oceanis 50 35 [12.0] 1 4 8 11 11
12 6678 SUPERTRAMP Sue And Alan Pick RPAYC Beneteau Oceanis 46 47 9 11 5 10 12 [12.0]
13 BOW4 SILVERSHOT David Perkins MYC Beneteau 50 53 13 [14.0F] 3 11 13 13
Cruising
Series Results [EHC Div2] for Division 2 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 W42 AFRICA Terry Archer WSC Bavaria 42 Cruiser 20 2 3 [12.0] 9 3 3
2 W677 SUNRISE Helen & Jeff Shipsey APYC/WSC Elan 37 21 1 [9.0] 7 4 4 5
3 M406 SEDUCTION Richard Nichols MYC Lidgard 34 23 9 1 [11.0] 5 1 7
4 606 MORE INTRIGUE Merv Stephensen RQYS Northshore 38 C 24 6 5 3 [11.0] 9 1
5 1.0S B36 AMADEUS Peter Johnson WSC bavaria 36 27 4 10 1 2 [11.0] 10
6 5899 BOBBY D Ross Winterbourne NQCYC Farr 27 8 7 6 [8.0] 2 4
7 5877 HYDRO THERAPY Mike Trickey WSC Beneteau First 33.7 30 7 8 [8.0] 7 6 2
8 4262 SUNFLOWER Graeme Douglas WSC Peterson Santana 30 31 3 [12.0] 10 3 7 8
9 730 TIDE UP Barry Smith NQCYC NOELEX Trailer Sailo 33 5 6 9 1 12 [12.0]
10 2.0S B88 INGENUE Rosie Colahan RBYC Jeanneau SO 40 34 10 2 2 10 10 [11.0]
11 3610 TURTLE TIME Jason Randall WSC Swarbrick Spacesailo 34 12 4 4 [12.0] 8 6
12 B408 RAMPALLION Roger Incledon RBYC S99 36 11 [11.0] 5 6 5 9
Cruising – No Spinnaker
Series Results [EHC] 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 SM4400 MANLY TOO Peter McAdam SYC BAVARIA 44 15 5 1 2 [8.0] 2 5
2 W440 RIFF RAFF Dan White WSC Beneteau Oceanis 440 17 [8.0] 2 1 6 7 1
3 B4407 SEADUCTION Brian Pattinson RBYC beneteau 44.7 25 2 4 10 [11.0] 5 4
4 1.0S ST461 VALDOLESE Greg Sier SYC Beneteau 461 26 1 9 3 7 6 [10.0]
5 4787 AVALON Norm House WSC Richards 37 26 3 8 9 3 [14.0F] 3
6 6702 JOIE DE VIE Wayne Banks Smith RPAYC Jeanneau Sun Odysse 29 4 5 [11.0] 9 4 7
7 271 SERENDIPITY Roger Boast WSC Bavaria 36 30 7 [14.0F] 6 1 8 8
8 12 AZURE Peter Hall PYC JEANNEAU 39I 31 9 3 5 5 [14.0F] 9
9 BOW1 BENETTA Murray Sheer CCY Beneteau cyclades 43 32 6 7 4 4 [14.0F] 11
10 SYD8 TULIP Bernie Vanthof CYCA Swan 45 33 [14.0C] 6 8 12 1 6
11 G8710 AKATEA John Garner RGYC Cookson 40 41 14.0C [14.0C] 12 10 3 2
12 BOW2 BLISS Pete Sheehy WSC Jutson 44 14.0C [14.0S] 7 2 9 12
13 SM477 ESPRIT Garry Anderson SYC beneteau 47.7 70 14.0C 14.0C 14.0C 14.0C 14.0C [14.0C]
Full detail results race by race and class by class go to www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au
