Airlie Beach Race Week - Day 1
by Di Pearson 8 Aug 2015 11:37 BST
7-14 August 2015
A magic opening day
The sun was on full beam, and a lovely breeze built to 15 knots for the opening day of the Whitsunday Sailing Club's 26th Airlie Beach Race Week, making it a perfect day out, as all sailors attested to on coming ashore this afternoon.
Ray 'Hollywood' Roberts turned up the heat with his Farr 55 OneSails Racing, defeating Matt Allen's TP52, Ichi Ban in IRC Racing Division 1. The Sydney yachts both have the same handicap, but this is the first time Allen has skippered the former Shogun V in race mode since purchasing it recently.
The two boats were literally match raced around the Passage Race that took in Double Cones and Armit Islands. The entire 108 boats competing across 10 classes were sent on a Passage Race that varied from 23 to 30 nautical miles.
OneSails Racing made the best of the start in Division 1. "We got a good break and on the first leg up to Double Cones we got away from Ichi Ban and the rest of the fleet more," Roberts said this afternoon.
"Ichi Ban made a better sail selection at the back of the island and closed in on us and by the time we were around Armit, we were in a loose tacking duel," the Sydney yachtsman confirmed.
"We tried to gas them to keep them behind us, and then we got a little jump towards the end, but they kept the pressure on to the finish. It was fun but very challenging," he said.
Having been away racing in Asia for some years, Roberts has not been to Airlie Beach Race Week for a long time.
"Stunning racing and beautiful scenery – a great regatta. Shame I had to go straight back to work while the crew partied on," he ended.
Two-time Sydney Hobart winner, Bob Steel tested his new Quest, a Matt 1180 and finished an impressive third to OneSails and Ichi Ban. Quest will be worth watching tomorrow when Race Director, Denis Thompson, sends IRC Racing Divisions 1 and 2 to windward/leeward racing, while the rest of the fleet will undertake a Passage Race.
In IRC Racing Division 2, Jason Close's Archambault 31, More Noise (Qld), came up with the goods in Division 2, defeating Roger Hickman's 2014 Sydney Hobart winner, Wild Rose (NSW), by 22 seconds.
Rob Curtis, skipper of Kerazy, the Ker 11.3 one-design he owns with Glenn Tailby, may have finished fifth in Division 2, but said it was a beautiful day's sail and felt the boat and crew had sailed well.
"The wind was a bit light on at the start and we thought we'd take the tide into consideration, so went to the right of the course, but the reality was, it came down to breeze," Curtis, from the Northern Beaches in Sydney admitted.
"Our crew work was good. We shot up the asymmetrical, as the tide was still south, and ran off to Double Cones – a long leg. The breeze filled in going to the Cones, up to 15 knots.
"We've still got Wild Rose in our sights, but in the meantime, we paced with Tulip (Bernie van't Hof's Swan 45), but when we got around Armit, 45 feet got the better of 37 feet," he said laughing.
In news from other classes, Chris Williams sailed Morticia to a near five minute win over Andrew Stransky's Fantasia in the Multihull Racing class, while John Rae skippered Vivace to a three minute victory over Graham Sherring's Stay Tuned in the Sports Boats.
Drew Carruthers sailed Runaway to a win from Paul Bunn's Christine in Cruising Division 1, while Graham Furtado had the goods in Division 2, sailing Frantic to a win over Sandor Tornai's Skeeter. Division 3 was won by Derek Foley's Wicked, with Greg Hudson's Salty Dog second.
After losing the keel on his Rumgutz in the opening race last year, Peter Harrison was rewarded with a win In the Cruising Non-Spinnaker division aboard his new boat Awesome. Seems the name is working for him.
Sophie Lahey outsails the blokes at Airlie Beach Race Week
Tony Horkings may be the owner of the Southport yacht, Lee-Way, but today 20 year-old 29er skiff sailor, Sophie Lahey, skippered the Northshore 38 design to victory in the IRC Passage division on the opening day of Airlie Beach Race Week.
Horkings has four young sailors aboard from Southport Yacht Club, all at the top of their game in the classes they normally sail in. On Lee-Way, all four are in key positions.
Lahey is usually a 29er skiff skipper and her crew is Yassmina Haime who is trimming main on Lee-Way. Both were at home in the 10-15 knot winds in the race that started on Pioneer Bay this morning just after 11.00am.
Joel Turner, who is calling tactics, has shown talent across multiple disciplines in sailing. Currently Turner is sailing the Olympic 49er class. Winning the Australian title with crew Lewis Brake in January, the two were named 49er Junior World Champions for 2014 and have their sights firmly on the Olympic Games.
Joe Sabin is undertaking bow duties on Lee-Way, but is more at home in the Nacra catamaran class.
Ashore this afternoon, Horkings commented on his four young crew: "They are very professional, they do Southport Yacht Club proud."
Of Sophie at the helm, Horking said: "We do well, but Sophie steers really, really well. She only has two sails under her belt on this boat, and to come up here and win, well that's pretty special.
"Joel did a good job on tactics too," Horkings said. "I wouldn't have gone where he called for us to go. We came in close behind Armit. Most others choose to go wide to avoid a wind shadow, but it paid for us," said Horkings, who had an ear to ear grin. "
It's different having them aboard, not like the grotty old men who normally yell at each other," he said. "We were able to relax; I even had a beer on the way to the finish.
"We wanted to get these guys together and show how good they are and how good the boat is and we proved it today. Only five more races to go," Horkings finished.
Sophie can't see what all the fuss is about, even though she skippered Lee-Way to a near-eight minute win over Blake Boulton's Trumpcard, a Van De Stadt design. Third today was Stewart Lewis' Marten 49, Ocean Affinity.
"I really enjoyed the day - great conditions. I didn't expect to see so many boats here, it was amazing looking around at start," said Sophie, who is in the driver's seat for the entire Race Week.
"Everyone did a good job today, it's a team effort," she said.
The IRC Passage division was sent on a 23 nautical mile Passage Race taking in Double Cones and Armit Island. They will sail another Passage Race tomorrow.
Racing in the Tropical Festival of Sails continues tomorrow on Pioneer Bay.
Full results and all information on Airlie Beach Race Week at www.abrw.com.au
All other information on the Whitsunday Sailing Club website, www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au