MC38 spoils go to Ginger at Sail Port Stephens
by Di Pearson 17 Apr 2014 22:40 BST
11-16 April 2014
Ginger wins the MC38 class at Sail Port Stephens © Craig Greenhill / Saltwater Images
In an ongoing running battle between owners in the MC38 class, Leslie Green and his Ginger have come away the winners at Sail Port Stephens, held from 11-13 April, after the usual fight to the finish terminated with the winner decided on count back.
"It shows you just how close the competition in this class is; it's not unusual for the winner to be decided in the last race," McConaghy co-managing director Jono Morris commented after Ginger and Dark Star finished on 14 points apiece.
By winning the final race, Ginger was able to topple John Bacon's Dark Star from the top of the podium when the latter finished fourth. The top two counted two victories in their scores, as did third placed Menace, owned by New Zealander Howard Spencer.
Conditions varied wildly throughout the regatta; winds oscillating and varying from 5 to 30 knots, hot sunny days and rain squalls that swayed moderate conditions to 28 plus knots, and kept all on their mettle.
In five of the past seven events, the top three places have come down to the wire, and in most cases, the final race has been definitive. Even more remarkably, all but one boat has won an event to-date, while only two owners, John Bacon and Ross Hennessy, have won multiple events.
At Audi Hamilton Island Race Week last August, every boat scored a win, but also counted a fifth place in their final tallies. In one race there was six minutes between the winner and fifth place over a two and a half hour passage course, with just eight seconds separating the last three finishers. In the final analysis, winning MC38 events is an exercise in splitting hairs.
At class events, the courses are predominantly windward/leeward, but there is usually a passage race thrown in for good measure to test each crew's skills and open up opportunities to move up the rankings.
The 'must have' of one-design classes is provoking a lot of interest among yachtsmen of mixed experience and ages. At this stage, owners range in age from 40 to Leslie Green, an Octogenarian.
Ross Hennessy, unable to attend Sail Port Stephens, has signed on for all the major MC38 events this season. The 75 year-old has also thrived in club racing at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Taking up yachting as a 60 year old has not impeded him, as the competitive juices are still flowing from his years of surfing and surf life saving carnivals.
Thanks to the MC38 rules, which do not lend themselves to modifications or optimisation opportunities, and with three professional sailors permissible aboard each yacht, the fleet has allowed newcomers, part-timers and stalwarts of sailing to compete as equals.
High-calibre names such as double Olympic gold medallist Malcolm Page, Olympian Steve McConaghy and North Sails' Richie Allanson, whose name graces the crew list of many eminent racing yachts, are threaded amongst the pros in the fleet and keep coming back for more.
For further information, events, results and more visit www.mc38association.com
sailportstephens.com.au