BLUE skies and light winds greeted sailors of the Port MacDonnell Sailing Club on Saturday.
After the following week’s race was postponed due to dangerous conditions, the eight boats were keen as ever to hit the water.
Race officer Dennis Illman welcomed back Niell Thomson to the club as rescue boat driver and together they set a traditional triangle-loop-triangle course.
Steve Dyble and Nick Watson on Austral20 ‘Minty’ had a strong start as the first boat across the line, followed by another Austral20 in Tom Paltridge’s ‘Windy Fred’.
There was ample opportunity for boats to use their spinnakers and most of the fleet made use of this on three legs of the race.
Court650 ‘Pinky’ missed a buoy at the end of the first lap and withdrew from the race, instead using it as a chance to teach their crew how to steer the boat, to the amusement of the rescue boat and tower.
The first boat to finish the first race was Sonata ‘Harmony’ skippered by Don McLennan, who was followed the entire race by Sharon Holmes on 145 dinghy ‘Miki Moto’.
The second race followed the first straight away, with conditions the same.
‘Harmony’ had the best start to its race and was followed by ‘Miki Moto’.
The light wind made for an interesting race with some boats stalling at the start line and others struggling to find wind in patches throughout.
Once more ‘Harmony’ was the fastest boat on the water and try as it might, ‘Miki Moto’ was unable to catch it this race either.
RESULTS
Race 1: Miki Moto (S. Holmes) 1; Windy Fred (T. Paltridge) 2; Minty (S. Dyble) 3; Papillion (M. Ferguson) 4; Harmony (D. McLennan) 5; Em and the Boys (P. Douglas) 6; Salt Peter (R. White) 6; DNF Pinky (J. Jones).
Race 2: Windy Fred (T. Paltridge) 1; Miki Moto (S. Holmes) 2; Em and the Boys (P.Douglas) 3; Harmony (D.McLennan) 4; Minty (S.Dyble) 5; Papillion (M. Ferguson) 6; Salt Peter (R. White); DNF Pinky (J. Jones).
