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THE Port MacDonnell Sailing ecently held its Coastal Classic, with ideal weather conditions greeting skippers and crew.
The early-morning 2-3 knots of breeze from east to north-east allowed for some chat while rigging the boats, with a stern chaser as the format for the race.
Officer of the day Max Schleuniger, boat operator Nick Watson, plus race control staff Briony Schleuniger and Jen Ferguson had an earlier start than normal to organise sign on and race proceedings for the day.
A short start/finish line was set south of the clubhouse in approximately four metres of water adjacent the end of the breakwater.
The first boat to start was due at 11.44am and hit the line right on time to get the race underway.
In light winds boats tacked either out to sea or along the coast to work their way to the first mark.
From there the fleet of 10 boats headed into the shore adjacent Eight Mile Creek, which provided a real spectacle on and off the water, with the entire fleet bar one running downwind under full sails with colourful spinnakers on show.
The wind began to pick up, increasing to steady 10 knots from the SSE and remained that way there for the rest of the day.
Unfortunately for one boat – Easy Going – the going was not so easy as it snagged a craypot line with the centre board when under full sail, which required some intervention from the rescue boat to cut it free, with skipper and crew then heading back the boat ramp and retired from the race.
After rounding the inshore buoy the remainder of the fleet headed back out to sea beating into the wind to round the seaward mark before heading for home and the finish line.
By then the fleet began to bunch up with the advantages of the staggered start times pulled back by some of the larger and faster boats.
After rounding the seaward mark Windy Fred skipper Tom Paltridge with Lesa Van-Utiert as crew held a good lead over the next Austral class boat Papillon, with skipper Mack Ferguson and crew member John Kain trying to make up ground.
As the finish line loomed visiting boat, South End’s Imagine, with skipper Evan Steele and crew Brad Mann, Sue Westgarth and Darryl Brooksby just managed to slip in front by only a boat length to snatch the win.
Next over the line was Windy Fred, two boat lengths ahead of Solace, skippered by Lars Gustavsson with crew Damien McMahan, with Port MacDonnell’s Papillon fourth.
