Zen (NSW) has taken the overall lead of Spinnaker Division 1 on Day 4 at SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week (SMIRW) 2024, in The Yacht Sales Co. Race Day Round the Island Race, in what has been an exceptionally close series with the overall lead changing after each race.
This was ‘Zen’ master Gordon Ketelbey’s second win in as many days with his TP52. “It was quite a lot windier than the previous days. We were hoping to get a bit more but it was enough. It was a very pleasant day’s sailing, but a bit bumpy towards the end as we worked up to the finish.
“Hopefully tomorrow will happen,” Ketelbey said, referring to the final race that will conclude Townsville Yacht Club’s 17th edition of SMIRW. This comment follows on from Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson’s advice that the wind could be as much as 25-30 knots and that could create an unpleasant seaway. Thompson will make a call to race – or not – in the morning.
Greg Tobin’s Sydney 38, 38 (Qld) made her mark today with second place from Zen and in front of the Rob Reynolds chartered Farr 40, Bobby’s Girl.
Brett and Jacinta Cooper’s Hanse 54, Katana (Tas), was top scorer in Division 2 from Matt Doyle’s La Troisieme Mitemps and Graeme Amey’s Yknot. The latter two NSW boats are currently top two respectively in the division on equal points.
“The weather was finally right for us – it got up to 18 knots – but mainly 15 knots. A beautiful day for the Round the Island Race. The boat (Katana) is heavy and she likes this kind of breeze. We’re happy with today – finally up to fourth overall,” Jacinta said, adding that Katana is for sale.
“We’ve just bought an MC38, Game On 2 from South Australia, so we’re selling the Hanse 54,” Jacinta revealed. The Tasmanian couple has owned a wide range of boats from a Melges 32, a Beneteau 57, The Hanse and an SB20!
Division 3 went to Andrew Mitchell’s Fahrenheit, a modified Farr 11.6 representing the event’s host club. Chris Morgan’s La Quinta, current leader of the pointscore, was second. La Quinta also won the best dressed crew on Saturday, looking resplendent in pineapple shirts and hats, so they are on a roll.
“I had a crew of six, had a good start, a good upwind, good downwind and fast second upwind, where we overtook a few. We got up to about 18 knots on the course, it was good,” Mitchell shared.
“Amaya and Brava were the two boats that we had good competition with. We overtook Brava (Tony and Selena Muller’s Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 from the host club also) on the last leg. It was a little rough coming back, around a metre swell, but not too bad. The upwind really suits us. The crew is happy – including the owner/skipper,” Mitchell said.
“We’re prepared to race tomorrow, but we’ll have to wait and see what the weather and race management decide,” he ended.
Lindsay Powell’s Fandango had the goods in Division 4, the Victorian’s best result by far. He pipped Gary Donnellan’s Matilda V (Qld), by just over a minute. Both boats are Beneteau Oceanis 411’s, so that’s what you call good handicapping and good racing.
“We are feeling terrific. We’ve been playing ‘We are the Champions’, ‘Scaramouche’ and ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ (the first line says: ‘We skipped the light fandango) – loudly,” an excited Fandango owner said.
“We are ecstatic. It’s been a long journey to get here (from Geelong), but we knew it was going to be worth it, because it’s such an excellent event. This is the third time we’ve been here, but usually we race with John Kint (on Bundaberg). We just love this regatta,” Powell said.
“We are absolutely delighted, as our friends came up and jumped on board the boat and we also discovered there was another Beneteau Oceanis here, the same as ours (Matilda V) and they are such nice people. It was a lovely race and we enjoyed every minute,” Powell ended.
Ashore this morning I caught up with Lyndy Sawbridge, co-owner and skipper of the Bavaria 38, Helena May, with her husband Chris. You would normally find the pair out racing at SMIRW, which they have won before, but not this year. The handy duo decided on another tack, pardon the pun!
The Sawbridges are giving back by joining the volunteers in Denis Thompson’s race management team – their first stint in this role.
“I’m really enjoying it. It’s very educational,” said Lyndy, a member of Townsville Yacht Club. “I’ve got a new appreciation for the amount of work it takes to run a regatta – and they’ve put me on the protest committee as well. I sit and critique everyone’s mistakes now,” she said, laughing.
“Seriously, it’s been really good. I hope it inspires a few other people to take it on. We’ve had quite few thankyous from different competitors, both on the water and ashore. It’s nice to be appreciated,” she said before heading out on the water with the rest of the start crew after the morning’s briefing session.
Racing concludes tomorrow (Wednesday), followed by Peppers Race Day Presentation Night.
For all information including full results please visit: www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
By Di Pearson/SMIRW media
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