2014 Sydney Harbour Regatta at Middle Harbour Yacht Club - Day 1
by Di Pearson, MHYC media 8 Mar 2014 07:24 GMT
8-9 March 2014
Spectacular start
Win, lose or draw, the beautiful north easterly breeze on a summer-like day provided perfect sailing for all on Day 1 of Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Sydney Harbour Regatta.
The 9th edition of Sydney's largest regatta gave everyone fair and enjoyable racing as 12-15 knot winds settled in, although it pressured up and down enough to keep competitors on their toes and the Harbour was bumpy with so many boats, including the two exhilarating AC45 multihulls which arrived in Australia during the week for some Team Australia and Oracle Team training.
"It pulsed up and down quite a bit," Toy Box's owner Ian Box said of the wind this afternoon. "Originally there was more north in the breeze, but by our third race it had swung almost 80 degrees to the east – it was hard to hold a kite.
Nevertheless, with two second places, Box and crew sailed themselves into second place behind Mike West's Xpress, winner of both races in the X-Yachts class.
"But it was a magnificent and sparkling day on the Harbour and better than what tomorrow is supposed to bring – up to 7 knots of north-easterly," Box, a past commodore of the MHYC added back ashore enjoying a couple of cold ones with his crew on the beach as The Regulators rocked the crews on the beach.
Some of the biggest names in yachting are contesting the two Premier IRC class divisions on windward/leeward courses as they put in final practice before the Audi IRC Championship in April.
Rob Reynolds is the front runner in Division 1 with his DK46, Exlie. Ending the day with 1-3-2 results, the MHYC member is one point ahead of 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, Quest (Bob Steel) and a further point in front of fellow MHYC member and DK46, Nine Dragons (Bob Cox), which won the opening race.
Although Matt Allen's Ichi Ban won Race 2, the new Carkeek 60 is in fourth place, after adding fourth and fifth places to its tally.
In Division 2, Nigel Smyth's Tomato leads Paul Clitheroe's Balance and Roger Hickman's reigning Blue Water Point Score champion, Wild Rose. The latter two are on equal points and only one point off the lead.
Ahead of their national championship next week, it was a bitter fight to the end in the Melges 32, and up until today, Greg Prescott's 2 Unlimited had reigned undefeated. However, last year's class newcomer, Chris Way, pulled out all stops, defeating the Tasmanian champion by winning two out of three races for a two point advantage.
After winning every race last year, and winner of the class for the past two years, Prescott is second with one day of racing remaining, his scorecard showing 3-1-2 results. In third is Canberra entry, Angus Reid's Maxstar.
Nothing has changed in the Melges 24's, where winner of the past two years, Warwick Rooklyn (Bandit) leads this afternoon after a third and two wins. Heath Townsends Kaito, all the way from WA is in second place with a win and a pair of seconds, with Stephen Girdis' +GST in third place. As can be evidenced by the photos, both Melges classes provided very close racing.
Mitch Miller lived up to Rock Solid's name today to lead the Adams 10 class from Brian Lees' Contentious after winning Races 2 and 3. Ben Nossiter's champion, Sirius, is sitting third, but is renowned for coming from behind when it matters most. Nossiter started well by claiming Race 1 victory.
The four PHS spinnaker divisions sailed two races around fixed marks on the Harbour, creating a spectacular feast of colour for the eyes, the competition proved so close that the win in each will come down to the wire tomorrow.
Division 1 is currently being led by Chris Hancock's Vino from Steve Connors' Arch Rival, with the 'cow patch' boat, Holy Cow! (John and Kim Clinton) in third – just one point separating the trio.
In Division 2, Chris Sligar has positioned Very Tasty in first place. His third and fourth places were enough to overcome challenges from Marco Tapia's Flying Brandy and Marcus Grimes' High Anxiety, which won a race apiece.
Third and fourth places were also enough for Robert Carr and partners on regular competitor Mortgage Choice Rumba to take the lead in Division 3, with Juliet Pegler's Perfect Match currently second and James Camerons' Luna Sea third.
Egon Ostergaard's L'Attitude had a good day out with a bullet and a second to lead Division 4 from James Francis' New Territories and John Walker's Impeccable. At the ripe old age of 91, the nimble Walker is still incredibly the skipper/helmsman of his Peterson ¾ tonner, Impeccable.
In the former Olympic class Yngling keelboats, Hamish Jarrett has sailed Miss Pibb to first place after reeling of two bullets against triple Olympian Karyn Gojnich's one on Evie, with Gary Wogus' Karma in third place.
There were three separate winners in the Cavalier 28's, but with 2-1-3 results, Greg Purcell's Scuttlebutt leads from Craig Mitchell's Centaurus and David Brown's Quattro.
Pointscores are provisional, pending any protests which should be finalised by tomorrow. Many other classes are sailing at the Sydney Harbour Regatta and full results and all information can be found at www.shr.mhyc.com.au