Tomorrow, on Hobart’s Derwent River, he has a strong chance of achieving another lifelong sailing ambition – winning the prestigious Prince Philip Cup for the classic International Dragon class.

With Tasmanians Nick Rogers and Simon Brothers, both Prince Philip Cup winners (Nick seven and Simon once) as his crew,  Ingate has steadily moved up the leader board with placings of 15-2-4-1-2-3 and, discarding his first race 15th is on 19.7 points, using the old Olympic scoring system.

His nearest rivals, both on 24.7 points,  are the fellow RSYS crew of Ian McCrossin, Martin Burke and Rick Hall, sailing Riga,  and the top Tasmanian boat Kirrbilli II from The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, helmed by Andrew Crisp with David Graney and John Gardner as crew.

 “The nearest I’ve got to winning the Prince Philip Cup is a tie with Bill Fesq, but I ended up second on a countback,” the veteran but sprightly Ingate said after today’s two races.

Kirribilli II won this morning’s race five, sailed in a light breeze, that switched from a northerly to a sea breeze, by 53 seconds from Whim with another 4 seconds to the Tasmanian boat Aquila, sailed by Jock Young, David Vaudrey and Toby Patterson.

The sea breeze freshened for race six, with first place to another Tasmanian boat, Leander, steered by Hugh Wardrop with John Roche and Nick Griggs as crew.

Riga, which had finished fifth in the morning race, improved to place a close second with Whim maintaining its consistency with a third place. Race five winner Kirribilli II dropped down to 8th.

This has left the provisional pointscore for the Prince Philip Cup, after six races, with one discard for the top seven boats:

Whim (NSW) 19.7 points,  Riga (NSW) 24.7, Kirribilli II (Tas) 24.7,  Leander (Tas) 37.7, Hotspur (Ken Stevenson, WA) 46, Sassafrass (Sandy Anderson, WA) 46.7.