Glen Roper’s 34-year-old yacht Natelle Two today won the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s opening race of the season,  the 30 nautical mile Channel Race, thanks largely to a brilliant spinnaker start and a one-tack leg from the Garrow Light to the Castray Esplanade finish.

The veteran ‘two tonner’ hit the start line at full speed under her new big red and white spinnaker whilst other yachts jostled at the outer mark under mainsails and genoas before hoisting their kites.

Whilst overtaken off Taroona by the more modern and lighter racing yachts, Natelle Two held her handicap advantage to the turning mark south of Bligh Point in the d’Entrecasteaux Channel.

The final factor in Natelle Two’s handicap win as she beat to windward  back up the River Derwent was a shift to the east off the Garrow Light which enabled her to almost lay the finish line – she need just one short tack off Battery Point whereas earlier finishing boats had to make several tacks over the final few nautical miles.

Natelle Two won on corrected time from the Farr 40 Euro Central (Hughie Lewis) and Footloose, helmed by prominent J24 skipper Kaye Roberts. Gary Smith’s Marineline Focal took line honours from Euro Central, but placed 5th on corrected time

Built in 1975, Natelle Two been owned by Glen Roper since 1990 and for this season he given the boat a new mainsail and big spinnaker, an expenditure that certainly paid off today.

“I reckon that a month of sailing in the UK and Europe, including competing at Cowes Week and in the Fastnet Race with my son Ashley has really sharpened me up for the summer season in Hobart,” said Roper as he and his crew celebrated at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. – Peter Campbell