PENSIVE A PROVEN PERFORMER IN STRATHFIELD PITTWATER TO COFFS SERIES

by Ian Grant on 15 Jan 2001 Pensive, owned and helmed by the Rob and Marg Lang valued the long list of hard offshore sailing experience to record a consistent score in the Strathfield Pittwater-Coffs Harbour series.

The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club NSX 38 capitalised on the long-term sailing experience of her principal crewmembers Rob and Marg Lang to finish overall fifth and first in Division B with a score of 6-3-13-11-18.

Experience gained from logging long offshore miles on a wide variety of blue water classics including the Sydney-Hobart, Sydney-Mooloolaba and the circum-navigation of Australia in 1988 have proved invaluable.

Pensive has been raced over the 226n/ml Pittwater to Coffs Harbour course on five previous occasions but none equalled the intensity of this years race which turned into a marathon windward beat lasting over 51 hours.

But her crew were determined to tough it out after recoding a 6-3 in the short course races off Pittwater which gave them the lead in division and second overall behind the eventual Performance Handicap champion Isabella (John Nolan).

Every mile gained on the hard headland-to-headland slog up the coast was important to retain her lead over class rivals, the Lake Macquarie Cassidy 35 Wings (Warwick Nichols), the Max Prentice helmed Jarkan 12.5 She's Apples Two and the former Australian Admirals Cup sloop Drakes Prayer (Ted Crimmings).

As expected the radical diversity of design contributed to some interesting results with Drakes Prayer climbing back into contention with a tenth overall in the long race.

However Wings missed her chance to win the title on count back after a fine overall win in the 18.2 n/ml South Solitary Island race, when Pensive just managed to protect her more consistent score in the final light wind drifter to win the series by one point.

Performance Handicap Division B Final progressive placing's: Pensive 6-3-13-11-18, 536 pts 1, Wings 7-6-20-1-12, 535 pts 2, She's Apples Two 12-20-12-3-16, 525pts 3, Drakes Prayer 26-26-10-16-3, 509pts 4, Prima Donna (Jerry Nelson) 21-25-28-57-57, 384pts 5, Anteater (Phil Hearse) 57-57-4-57-57, 364pts 6.