The final Harbour Pennant is today (Saturday), with the first gun at 1330hrs. The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s Race Management Team will be busy setting up the buoys for the Division one Triangle/Sausage combinations, as well as picking the best geographic tour of the Derwent to give Divisions two and three the most works and runs.
In this short-course style of racing, Jim Thorpe of Hydrotherapy notes, “It’s very easy to go from the top to out the back door.” Add a bit of Westerly to the mix and
Last Harbour series it was Paul and Michelle Boutchard of Young Magic who had a bit of both. They were “in all sorts of pickles” losing a halyard before the first race, and with handy crew work and a last-minute mouse managed to make lemonade of the day.
They head into the final day of racing in tight competition with “CWeed’s” Joint Custody, and Matt Keal’s Heatwave Fish Frenzy on both the IRC and ORC divisions, with Brent McKay’s Jazz Player keeping everyone honest.
Intrigue has both the IRC and ORC Pennant wrapped up before even hitting the line, but if last week was anything to go by, it’s in her nature to finish strong.
Ian Stewart’s Joint Custody currently leads the PHS, with Young Magic in second and Gary Smith’s Fork in the Road in third, a top effort for a big boat on a little course.
Steve Chau’s team on IYKYK has also won the Division 2 IRC and ORC ahead of the final race, leaving series newcomer Andrew Crisp on Bandwagon battling Peter Haros’ Wings Three and “The Xciters” on Xcite for the podium, with David O’Neill’s Kamehameha still in striking distance on ORC. Wings Three and Andrew Parker’s Arunga have wrapped up second and third in the IRC positions.
Charles Peacock’s beautiful Serica, one of the oldest boats racing leads the PHS going into the final day.
Div 3 has a tight scorecard, with Innovator (Ian Smith & Dean Aberle) and Peter Bosworth’s Astrolabe tied for first place, and Hornet (Neville Georgeson & Rob MacDonald) and winner of the Long Race Pennant Joie de Vie (Ben Morgan) tied for third place. There is room for a big upset as Grahan Hall’s Serenity, Brian Flemming’s Miss Conduct and James Ashmore’s Zest have all punched good numbers on the scoreboard when they hit the racecourse, which leaves huge potential for a big shift in the overall point score.
As Rob MacDonald of Hornet reported after the last round, “It went like clockwork.”
Pickles or clockwork – time will tell.
Combined Clubs Series Hosts:
Bellerive Yacht Club * Derwent Sailing Squadron * Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
Words: Liz Rountree
Photos: Colleen Darcey
