Musto Skiff Kingston Sprint Series at Sandringham Yacht Club

Musto Skiff Kingston Sprint Series at Sandringham © Chris Furey

Musto Skiff Kingston Sprint Series at Sandringham © Chris Furey

Musto Skiff Kingston Sprint Series at Sandringham © Chris Furey

The Victorian Musto Skiff fleet sailed together for the Kingston Sprint Series at Sandringham over the weekend. In attendance were locals David 'Disco' Taylor, Robin 'Daisy' Dayes; the Newman brothers, Jon with a winter 'brooding pouch', Paul having taken possession of Tim Moorhouse's boat along with Wayne Bates from Blairgowrie, Marcus Hamilton returning to the class having finally fixed his knee and Tim Hill, both now sailing at the top end of the bay at Port Melbourne.

The Kingston Sprint series is a short course series meant to improve boat handling with 15 races scheduled over 2 days. The weather forecast was wild and wet, with storm fronts and breeze building to 25-30 knots on both days. Thankfully, the weather held off on Saturday and we got champagne sailing conditions, mostly in sunshine, with a regular building wave pattern.

The race committee got 5 races away next to the sea wall at Sandringham with the finish line set a short way from the rocks, each around 15 minutes in duration. Paul Newman won the first race courtesy of his brother's OCS, Marcus put away Race 2, Tim picked up Races 3 and 5 as the weather lightened, and Jon Race 4. Wayne Bates achieved his stated lifetime ambition of beating Jon to the top mark in Race 5 and Robin cleared the fleet to lead into the top mark in Race 2 and the top 3 were virtually level going into the second day.

Sunday started way too bright and early with the fleet hitting the water at a very rude 9:30am in cold, shifty and gusty weather promised the strong winds forecast late in the day. The RO decided yesterday's death defying proximity to the break water was hardly close enough and set the pin closer to the rocks on a tight line with the pin end favoured. The wind was further to the left than Saturday, so the reasonably regular waves rolling in from the sea had the opportunity to bounce back and forth from the breakwater, running the length of the course, creating a nasty, short and irregular chop.

With a break for lunch, the RO wanted to get 4 races in before an afternoon session of around 6 races to round out the 15, so we got under way in breaking cloud.

From the light weather start of Race 6, the wind filled into to 20-23 knots on Race 7, backed off to 15 knots in Races 8 and 9, giving the fleet air, cartwheels, capsizes and gravel rash as they scraped along the wall next to the club. The difficult conditions kept the top 3 on their feet although not in the water, and they finished the day as close as they started with Tim winning Race 6, Marcus Races 7 and 9, and Jon race 8.

The break for lunch brought a sharp drop in temperature, light rain and loads of wind. With the wind beginning to moan through the rigging, the Musto fleet took the sensible decision and watched the water boil from the club house.

The final results saw the top three separated by a point - Marcus beat Tim on a count back with Jon 1 point behind.