Festival of Sails at Royal Geelong Yacht Club - Overall
by Lisa Ratcliff / Festival of Sails Media 29 Jan 2012 08:25 GMT
21-29 January 2012
Festival of Sails © Teri Dodds
Festival finale
The Festival of Sails 2012 has been run and won and today divisional winners were acknowledged at two trophy presentations, a breakfast for those whose series finished yesterday and a final presentation this afternoon on the lawn of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
In the Barwon Water Noelex 30 series, Peter Kalin's No Strings Attached raced the perfect series, four bullets from four races. Second was Mark Halton's Maitresse on nine points and third was Mark Holter's Silver Cloud on 12 points.
Crewman Phil Clements represented the top scoring Noelex at this morning's breakfast, commenting, "It was a great regatta, we were very pleased with the results. We found our zone and managed to get the boat going.
"It's the first time we've sailed this boat competitively as Peter has only had it for a short period of time.
"We have been coming down from Albury as reps of the club for going on eight or nine years now. We always enjoy coming to Geelong where the race management is outstanding...we'll be back!"
The Event Office Farr 1020 National Championship was a first time inclusion at the Festival of Sails for the majority Victorian line up with one NSW entry, plus other owners who flew down and were sprinkled among the Farrs as crew.
This is the first time a national championship has been held outside of New Zealand, were the class is run from, and Australian class rep Daniel Edwards, who also skippered the winning Farr, Fast Company, says they hope to hold their nationals at Geelong next year.
"We put the vote out to all owners and crew last night asking them would they like to have their nationals here again next year and without doubt the consensus was yes!
"There has been a lot support behind the scenes. It's a great carnival as well as a sailing event," said Edwards.
"The boat is an inexpensive and beautiful racer cruiser. Hopefully we'll have a couple more owners by next year," said Albert Doggett, also from the leading point scorer.
The Geelong Taxi Network S80 series was won by David Judge and the crew of Outlaw.
"We are the defending champion so we were able to back it up," said Judge at his morning's official breakfast at The Pier where guests had the opportunity to hear from Grant Simmer, John Bertrand AM, and immediate past Australian of the Year Simon McKeon, among others.
"Being a one design class, it's very exciting racing. The great thing about the S80 class is we are very competitive on the water but when we get we all have a good time together – it's a lot fun in that sense.
Pierre Gal's Sports 8XX, Kiss Selden, won the Illuminated Event Hire Sports Boat division by a country mile. Finishing with eight points from nine races, the perfect scorecard, Gal's closest challenger was Cam Rae's Shaw 650, Monkey Business, on 18.5 points with Paul Heyes' Thompson 7, Foamfast, third on 26.5 points.
Principle race officer Denis Thompson took a moment this afternoon to reflect on this year's Festival of Sails. "It's been a very, very good regatta, the winds have behaved themselves and the race management teams have done an excellent job.
"Numbers are slightly down, but mostly at the top end of the fleet. The cruising division numbers, which are the bread and butter of the regatta, are strong.
Thompson addressed some feedback from competitors regarding splitting the Festival over two venues, Melbourne and Geelong, and the ideal length in terms of the number of competition days and the logistics for those boats travelling from interstate.
"We will look at the format as we always do. One of the challenges of this regatta is it's based around the Australia Day holiday, which moves depending on which day the 26th falls on. For the next three years we can at least lock in a format as Australia Day will be on a Monday".
Full results can be found at www.topyacht.net.au/results/2012/fos/index.htm
Bandit steals the win; Bourke on track for SB3 World Championship
"Borrowing a Queensland tourism slogan... 'beautiful one day, perfect the next'" was principal race officer Denis Thompson's summation of the conditions that blessed this year's Festival of Sails.
The shutters came down on the six-day regatta this afternoon, light airs and searing summer temperatures capping off the Geelong component of the Festival of Sails, a Victorian major sporting event that has been running since before both the Melbourne Cup and America's Cup.
Warwick Rooklyn's Bandit has been crowned Melges 24 national champion for the second year running after a stunning series victory.
The Parks Victoria Melges 24 National Championship was a hard-fought 10 race series, the final two raced sailed today in a light easterly breeze on the flat waters of Corio Bay's inner harbour as those yachts that finished yesterday headed out the channel past the divisions still completing their schedule and home.
"We have defended our title, which is never easy to do. The Accru team kept us honest all the way through," said Rooklyn afternoon as the boat was packed up and put on a trailer to return to Sydney tomorrow.
"The venue has ticked all the boxed for us in terms of an international class. It's great to be here at the Festival of Sails," Rooklyn added.
Bandit, helmed by Rooklyn and crewed by Julian Plante, Sean O'Rourke, Jay Griffin and Doug McGain, wrapped up the series with 13 points, a five point cushion back to the nearest Melges 24, Kevin Nixon's Accru on 18 points. Jason McHatton's Arriba! Arriba! rounded out the podium places in third.
Glenn Bourke's Club Marine Hamilton Island is the undisputed champion of the SB3 class contesting the Bundaberg Rum SB3 Victorian Championship.
On his 12 point winning margin, Bourke, a triple Laser world champion said, "It comes down to tactics. This is an odd regatta in that quite often the corners paid, and I'm not a corner kinda guy. But eventually the conservative option, taking shifts in the middle and chipping away, won out.
"You have to be in phase when it's shifting that much, we were in phase more often.
So is Bourke's flair learnt or is it natural ability? "Ten thousand races over the course of a career bashes what's right and wrong into you. Then if you have a little bit of natural ability coupled with that it helps," Bourke said today.
He and his crew of Rod Jones and Greg McAllamsmith are well on track for this year's SB3 world championship, which will be held at Hamilton Island in December.
The last time Bourke was in Geelong was in 1981 for the Flying Dutchman world championships, where he tied for third, and the last Victorian championship he won was in the Lasers around 25 years ago.
"One Victorian championship every quarter of a century is OK, I'll have to try for another when I'm 75," he laughed after collecting his trophy at this afternoon's prize presentation held at the host club, the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
Bourke's long-awaited return to Geelong was a great experience for Hamilton Island's CEO. "I really enjoyed it and I really like the venue because it's tricky.
"The regatta vibe reminds me of Cowes Week, but with sunshine. The whole gala scene on the waterfront is great. It's not sheep stations, although we go out there and try really hard.
It's one I could do a few more of," he added.
Georgia hits the ball out of the park; Executive Decision takes div B; Chutzpah38 victorious
In the spirit of the regatta Jim Farmer's New Zealand Botin & Carkeek 52, Georgia, has sailed the final Festival of Sails race and with their nine point finish from eight races have hit the ball so far out of the park it may never be found.
Georgia wrapped up the Audi Geelong Centre Premier Racing Series Division A with a 12 point margin back to Jason Van Der Slot's TP52, Calm, on 21 points and Rob Hanna's TP52, Shogun V, on 24 points.
The gun New Zealand boat had enough points to stay ashore today, but the crew opted to complete the series, which they did in style with their fifth corrected time win under a scorching hot sun and in the light ESE breeze that dialled left to the ENE and built, the race committee shifting the finish line accordingly.
On his first Festival of Sails experience a delighted Farmer said, "Perfect weather, flat water, lots of boat speed for us and no mistakes.
On his crew, "They are all very good sailors as well as being terrific people to be with. At the end of the day that's what it's about".
Farmer made some changes to the boat following last year's Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, putting in a deeper draft keel and buying new sails.
"We have got it right now, going deeper with the draft and buying North 3DI jibs from the Team New Zealand's designer".
Farmer spoke very highly of the extraordinary organisation that has gone into accommodating 300 plus boats and 3,000 sailors at one yacht club.
"The race management was excellent; it's probably the best run regatta I've ever been to. Just getting all these boats in here is amazing," he said referring to Royal Geelong Yacht Club's marina where boats have been packed and stacked in close quarters.
Kiwi Chris Dickson sprinkled magic dust all over the racetrack for Georgia this week. Shogun V's tactician Grant Simmer acknowleded the effort by his America's Cup compadre at this morning's presentation breakfast "An old mate of mine, Chris Dickson, has been tactician on Georgia and he's given us a sailing lesson," Simmer acknowledged.
On beating the Aussies at their own regatta, Dickson said, "We've done enough racing up and down the east coast of Australia we feel part of the family".
Jason Van Der Slot's Calm, with Barney Walker calling tactics, lived up to its moniker and was consistent over the series. "We sailed our own races and chipped away," said the owner/skipper this afternoon.
"Georgia is in another league, we didn't expect them to be that quick. In the lighter airs they blitzed everyone," he added.
"I do believe it's possible to beat them, but when they sail perfectly and put a faultless week in, they deserve their result" chimed in Walker, giving credit where credit is due.
Premier Racing Series division 2
Grant Botica's Adams 10, Executive Decision, outclassed the rest of the Premier Racing Series Division 2 starters, finishing with 10 points from seven races.
"We had it in the bag at the start of the race so we were more relaxed today," said Botica dockside. "The level of competition this year was fantastic.... fantastic people as well," he said motioning to the three Beneteaus rafted up next to him which took out second to fourth places.
Botica has successfully defending his title at the 168th edition of the Festival of Sails. "This is the second year in a row we have won the event. We had the conditions on our side," he admitted.
Second was Bruce McCraken's Ikon and third was Alan Woodward's Reverie, both Beneteau First 45s.
Sydney 38s
Bruce Taylor's winning Sydney 38, Chutzpah38, is already on its way back to Melbourne this afternoon. A sixth today narrowed their lead to just two points, but was enough to get them over the line.
"We tried to cover everyone today and ended up covering no-one," said Taylor.
"Anyone of the top four boats would have been worthy winners. There's a great spirit among the Sydney 38 crews, it's a fantastic owner driver, one-design class.
Chutzpah38 took the series from Chris Lewin's Another Challenge, on 12 points, and Andrew Mollison's Sierra Chainsaw on 23 points.
Variety families try sailing
The partnership between the Festival of Sails and Variety, the Children's Charity is giving disadvantaged and special needs children the chance to taste a little of what is going on further out in Corio Bay.
While the 3000 or so yachties are mixing it up out in the Bay on the penultimate day of competition, others such as the Pearson family of 10 children, are thrilled to have their first sailing experience off Eastern Beach next to Royal Geelong Yacht Club, the Festival's host club.
For the second year, Variety, a national not-for-profit organisation empowering children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs, is the Festival's charity of choice and for the first time, the Come and Try Sailing program has been opened up to Variety families.
The Pearsons' 10 children are aged 15 to one with two boys and eight girls including the last board, Zahlee, who is undiagnosed but falls under the cerebral palsy umbrella.
All 10 children hit the beach this morning, most donning life jackets to try sailing an Optimist dinghy under the expert tutelage of an instructor.
"The kids love the water and they are confident, this is teaching them about the sea and how to read the water," said John.
He's happy to talk about being the head of a large family, "I always wanted a big family, but that's it for us," said the retail manager.
"It adds a whole new meaning to ‘witching hour,'" he laughed, referring to that time in the early evening when dinner is being prepared and the house is humming with activity.
Variety Victoria events manager, Janette Connolly, said, "We are very grateful to the Festival of Sails for their continued support of Variety and the Variety Splash.
"Thanks to the support of the Victorian boating community we have been able to help many Victorian yacht clubs with their Sailability and Tackers programs, which have been a great way to get special needs and underprivileged children out on the water."
Festival of Sails event manager Bianca Garo has coordinated the families participating in the Try Sailing Program and after a flurry of phone calls was able to introduce children's entertainer Justine Clark to some of the Variety children this morning.
"It's a wonderful way to introduce Variety families to sailing at the Festival of Sails. Their faces coming off the water says it all, and those who met Justine were ecstatic," said Bianca.
"It's also great to see a number of our Splashers enjoying the Festival," she added.