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Club Marine Series, Day Seven - Champagne for some...

Div0 did get away on time at 1400hrs on April 10, to a heading of 240degrees, “with the breeze a bit wobbly”, said David Leroy, the day's Race Officer. However, a lot of Div1 were involved in a barging incident at the boat end (leaving just a few young pioneers at the pin end of the line) and so there was a general recall. This meant they got away at 1415hrs. The breeze went North for a second, then South to 225, so the Committee Boat went to the top, then got on their bike to get back down to the bottom in time to shorten Div0 at six legs and Div1 at four. “It was a massive day of shifts”, said David, “There’ was a temperature inversion over the top of the Bay with NW winds above and SSW below it.”

Sailed well - Veloce. Pic © Steb Fisher

The afternoon’s Division Zero race went to Living Doll, Veloce and then Cougar II in the all-important IRC category. In the Event Handicap Category (EHC) for performance, it was XLR8, Veloce and then Living Doll. As the Club Marine Series is now complete for another year, today’s results mean Cougar II is the clear winner in IRC with Veloce and Living Doll in third. The Composites Constructions 52, Scarlet Runner, was not that far out of it in fourth and like Living Doll, she had taken time out to go interstate for other races. The EHC performance section of the complete series went to XLR8 over Veloce and the Cougar II.

Division One was always going to be closely watched, as this was where there were some real chances for changes to the leader boards. The immaculately sailed, Executive Decision, got up for a win in IRC on the day, ahead of Just A Minor Hick Up and Audacious. Executive Decision also took the series win ahead of Reverie, with the Doyen of Victorian yachting, Lou Abrahams and his Challenge, in third.

Very well done - the clean sweep. Focussed crew.

The other very hotly contested category in Divisions One to Three, is the Australian Measurement System (AMS). On the day this went to Peter Coleman’s Just A Minor Hick UP over Executive Decision and Audacious. Executive Decision, Challenge and then Just A Minor Hick Up are the way they’ll finish for the entire 2009/10 Club Marine Series. In the EHC performance class, Audacious took the day’s honours over JAMHU and Schuss, but the series went to Executive Decision with Barnstormer and JAMHU taking the minor places. Executive Decision will be delighted with their clean sweep in all three categories. They have sailed the Adams 10 brilliantly and been out on the course early each day to get into the groove. Well done team.

On the other hand, just a few boats have effectively owned each class of Divisions Two and Three. Philip Burn was the Race Officer today on the Eastern course and he commented “We had to head South a bit, in order to clear the channel with 1.5nm leg out to the Southwest. We shortened both courses, it was all lovely but the breeze was just dying.”

Part of the family - Apache. Pic © Steb Fisher

Apache took Division Two IRC from Godzilla and then Surprise today. That is almost the way they finished the Club Marine Series, except that Surprise took second from Godzilla. All three crews have done really well and are happy sailors to boot. Godzilla took AMS from Apache and Stitched Up today. There are around 55 boats in this Division alone and Apache, Godzilla and Surprise will finish the season as, 1, 2, and 3. In EHC today it was Godzilla over Can Can and Stitched Up. The latter has done enough to do just that to the performance class for the season and take the top place over Godzilla and Apache.

Finally then, around 50 boats are involved in Division Three. Today, Intrusion got home in IRC over Mood Indigo and Hot Shot. Intrusion, Footloose and Double Malt did finish out the 2009/10 Club Marine Series, Division Three IRC in that order. In AMS, Rhiannon got home over Take Five and the ever-improving, Nouannie. Rhiannon, Intrusion and then Footloose is the series AMS result. Firefox, Rhiannon and Take Five are the EHC scoreboard.

Pic © Steb Fisher

In terms of Premier Club, this season it is the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria from Sandringham Yacht Club and then Royal Brighton Yacht Club in both IRC and AMS. Well done to all the crews from Williamstown.

So that is it for another Summer’s sailing on Port Phillip and certainly some crews did get on their bikes today to get to the line first. They’ll be happy they did. I am sure not only the winners, but all competitors would like to thank the sponsor, Club Marine and the countless volunteers who make it all possible.

By John Curnow