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Sydney Hobart contenders step up preparations |
Several Tasmanian entrants for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race last night and early today stepped up their preparations for the ocean classic by competing in the Combined Clubs Offshore Series race from Bellerive to the Isle of Caves and return.
While the light winds and flat water of the River Derwent and Frederick Henry Bay were not quite the weather they can expect in the Tasman Sea, the 60 nautical mile race was a test for navigators and for the crews with many sail changes on a dark night south of Hobart.
Several Tasmanian entrants for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race last night and early today stepped up their preparations for the ocean classic by competing in the Combined Clubs Offshore Series race from Bellerive to the Isle of Caves and return.
While the light winds and flat water of the River Derwent and Frederick Henry Bay were not quite the weather they can expect in the Tasman Sea, the 60 nautical mile race was a test for navigators and for the crews with many sail changes on a dark night south of Hobart. An added test for skippers and navigators was that the race was sailed during the conduct of Operation Dugong 2009, the annual RAN minesweeping and clearance diving exercises that have been taking place in the River Derwent and nearby waters since Monday. Conducted by Bellerive Yacht Club, the race was the second in the Combined Clubs Offshore Series, with the third being the 180 nautical mile Maria Island Race in November which is also a qualifying race for the Rolex Sydney Hobart. David Bean’s Beneteau 44.7 Auch took first place under both IRC and PHS handicaps, winning the IRC rating division comfortably from another Sydney Hobart contender, Sally Rattle’s Archambault 35, Archie, skippered by Scott Brain. Auch won PHS by a mere 26 seconds from Todd Leary’s Jones 39 She’s The Culprit, also a Tasmanian entrant for the Sydney Hobart. Third place went to Whistler (David Rees). The new AMS handicap division went to Ian Stewart’s Tas Paints from Archie. The light overnight winds, followed by a massive windless “hole” in the Derwent between Taroona and Bellerive this morning, forced several boats to retire. Six finished outside the time limit, although their finishing times were recorded by Bellerive Yacht Club. This left only two official finishers in the IRC and AMS divisions. The midweek race, the third in a series of five long offshore races over the summer, was programmed to take advantage of today’s Hobart Show holiday, with the fleet starting the 60 nautical overnight race on Wednesday evening. Marineland Focal, skippered by Gary Smith, finished just after 4am, followed home by Auch and She’s the Culprit, but the last boat did not cross the line until 12.32 this afternoon. “A windless ‘hole’ in the Derwent between Taroona and Bellerive saw the first five boats finish, with a gap of two-and-a-half hours to the next group,” Bellerive Yacht Club sailing manager Chris Sheehan said. “Several of the 19 starters retired as they drifted in the river this morning and others crossed the line outside the time limit but for their sake we recorded their finishing times,” he added. - Peter Campbell |
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