POWER OFF, POWERED UP WIN BY MICHAEL COXON

by Peter Campbell on 27 Nov 2000 Michael Coxon, along with seven other Etchells skippers who keep their boats on the hardstand at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, was left 'on the beach' for the first race of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's prestigious Milson Silver Goblets Twilight Regatta on Sydney Harbour last Monday.

The cause was the explosion and fire last Monday which blacked out some 20,000 homes and business premises for more than 48 hours, including the CYCA at Rushcutters Bay, leaving the hardstand crane inoperable.

A generator was brought in for Tuesday evening, and a protest committee granted equal points to those who missed the first race, without changing the placings of those who were able to race on the Monday.

Coxon, at the helm of North Sydney Station, hit the water early Tuesday evening and greeted the finish boat first among the 27 boat fleet from the Sydney, Pittwater, Botany Bay and Upper Harbour fleets.

An 11th place in race three saw North Sydney Station lose the pointscore lead to another CYCA-based Etchells, Just-a-Dash, skippered by Phil Dash, who had notched up a 7th and a second and, at that stage, had a more favourable average points for race one.

However, Coxon fought back with two seconds on the last two evenings, while Dash, after a win in race four, slipped back with a 9th in the final race.

North Sydney Station finished with a scorecard of avg (1.67)-1-11-2-2 and after one discard won the 2000 Milson Silver Goblets Regatta with 6.67 points. Just-a- Dash finished with 13.33 points from avg (3.33)-7-2-1-9.

Third place went to Pittwater sailor Richard Hammond who has recently joined the Harbour fleet with his boat, QRS. Hammond finished on 17 points, his placings being 4-3-8-5-5. Fourth place went Richard Champion with Predator (7-2-3-7-13) on a countback from another Pittwater sailor, Julian Plante helming Evisha (6-10-4-3) after both finished on 19 points after discard.