Fresh and fun racing as skies clear on Day 2 of Sail Port Stephens
With the remnants of an East Coast Low still generating 4.5m monster swells off the twin sentinel headlands marking the entrance to Port Stephens, the Race Committee overseeing the Sail Port Stephens Passage Series wisely opted for a course within the huge and spectacular waterway.
A brisk south-south-westerly of 15- 20 knots ensured a press of boats on the start line off the Nelson Bay break wall for each of five divisions competing in the Commodores Cup.
After being OCS on the first Division 1 start, Ross Hennessy’s Condor revelled in the upwind, two triangles and one downwind leg of Course 8. The Ker 40 Mk3 overtook Peter Byford’s Mylius 50 Dauget 2 on the final kite run to the finish at Nelson Bay to take the gun.
Journey, a CNB Bordeaux 60 was 7th on line in Division 1, but secured the PHS honours on the day from Anarchy, Grant Pocklington’s Blakewell White 40, with XS Moment, an XP 44, rounding-out the Division 1 podium.
Journey’s owner David Beck admitted the fresh conditions were ideal for the ‘pocket’ superyacht which weighs in at a stately 30 tonnes.
“Today was our day,” he enthused. “We just need to be powered-up, once we’re over 10 knots we’re ok,” he explained.
Beck and his crew from Melbourne, are performing well and thoroughly enjoying their first Sail Port Stephens. With multiple fridges and coffee machines on the French-built luxury cruiser, Journey’s comforts and amenities undoubtedly make it the most well-appointed boat in this year’s 105-strong fleet. But upstairs there’s a decent sail wardrobe including two symmetrical spinnakers, a Code 0, furling jib and main.
With conditions forecast to moderate further later in the week, Beck admits the big CNB will struggle in the lighter breeze but says they are looking forward to “stretching their legs” in the round-the-Islands passage racing Sail Port Stephens is famous for.
Two hectic starts in Division 2 saw a Black Flag declared and with order restored Graeme Amey’s Dehler 46 YKnot showed why the performance cruisers are regarded as good all-round performers, claiming first place from the experienced locals aboard Saltwater Wine, a JPK 1080 from the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.
Two days of strong south-westerlies on the mainly flat water inside Port Stephens has set up Matt Doyle’s Beneteau Sense 50 La Trosieme Mi Temps with two bullets from two outings in Division 3, with Ataraxia, Scott Knights’ Jeanneau Sunfast 3200 from the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club nipping on their transom with two second places.
Peter Lewis, a Sail Port Stephens veteran with 16 editions to his credit, knows his way around what is a highly tactical racecourse with strong tides, sandbars and fluctuating winds. Ca Va, his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 leads Division 4, with a second and a third. Always fashionably identifiable in their berets and striped tops, the Ca Va team are relishing the fresh conditions.
“Some of the stripped-out race boats have been getting knocked about by the heavy gusts,” Lewis admits. “We do it in comfort on Ca Va,” he adds. “We love the relaxed atmosphere here, it’s a beautiful area to sail and the regatta is very well run,” he says.
In the Non-Spinnaker Division, Elysium, John de Meur’s Jeanneau SO 349, is setting the pace with two bullets. The 83-year-old skipper is stoked but concedes it may be difficult to maintain the momentum.
“We’re not too good in light weather,” he muses. “We’ve really enjoyed the first two days. There’s always a few things you can do a little better but we’ve got some good guys on board and we’ll see what the weather gods give us later on,” he says.
A reset is on its way for the fleet with the light westerlies forecast for tomorrow a chance for the smaller, lighter boats to fight their way back into the placings.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism agency Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council, Pantaenius Australia and subsidiary sponsors.
Regatta website: https://www.sailportstephens.com.au/
Results: https://www.sailportstephens.com.au/regatta-results/
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