SYNTEGRA RAPSCALLION WINS PHS IN MILSON CUP

by Peter Campbell on 4 Feb 2001 Syntegra Rapscallion, skippered by Dick Voorderhake, has won the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s prestigious Milson Memorial Cup, sailed off Sydney
Heads yesterday.

The Cup is decided on PHS handicap results, with Syntegra Rapscallion scoring comfortably on corrected time from Neville Crichton’s maxi yacht, Shockwave, and Kevan Pearce’s
Ausmaid, the Overall winner of the recent Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race.

Shockwave again showed remarkable speed, sailing the 20 nautical mile course in 1 hour 44 minutes 44 seconds, an average speed of just under 14 knots in the northerly breeze of
20 to 25 knots.

The strong breeze and short, steep seas saw several withdrawals with sail damage, while one yacht lost a man overboard in a spectacular 'chinese' gybe in a sharp gust just inside
the Heads as she neared the finish line. The well-trained crew recovered him within a few minutes.

Shockwave also won IRC Division 1 on corrected time from Ausmaid and the Sydney 38, Obsession, skippered by Michael Jones. Ausmaid reversed the result in IMS Division 1,
third going to Howard De Torres’ IMX-40, Nips ‘n’ Tux.

Kingtide, skippered by Colin Boyle, took out a handicap double, winning both IMS and IRC Division 2, but only by a matter of seconds from 1998 Sydney to Hobart winner, AFR
Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas) in each handicap category.

On the Harbour, the northerly gusted to more than 30 knots, providing Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Middle Harbour Yacht Club harbour fleets with some highspeed spinnaker
runs – with many spectacular broaches and at least one dismasting (a J24).