Lightweights rule BLiSS 2017

by Lisa Ratcliff on 2 May 2017 The 2016 Brighton Ladies Skippers Series (BLiSS) was cut in half due to a nasty autumn blow while the 2017 edition of the annual Victorian regatta, April 29-30, went ahead as scheduled in perfect weather of five - fifteen knots and flat seas.

Among the 20 female owned and/or helmed boats, the lightweights ruled the four race pointscore thanks to major sponsor Brighton Land Rover. Three short courses were completed by 14 boats on Saturday in seven – fifteen kts of southerly breeze and on Sunday the entire fleet made the most of a light air race from Brighton down to Port Melbourne and back on a cooperative Port Phillip in WNW winds five - twelve knots.

First on AMS and IRC and second on PHS results was Louise Cotter skippering Stuart Lyon’s J11 called Jake. Also on board as crew and good luck charm was BLiSS ‘Queen’ Tracey Baldwin, winner of four previous BLiSS regattas who decided to take a racing back seat this time.

“I scored second on IRC last year so this is my best result, and to almost get the clean sweep was very exciting,” Cotter exclaimed. “On Sunday we got miles out in front then Martini wound us back and pipped us by 24 seconds on PHS! I really wanted to win the Associates Cup – maybe next year.

“The weather played in our favour and we are a regular crew which makes a huge difference, plus we are used to good competition with Martini as the two boats also fight it out in the Super 11 series,” Cotter added.

Second boat on AMS and IRC handicap and first PHS overall was helmed by a young skipper new to BLiSS. Juliet Schilling took the helm of Tony Cuschieri’s racy AC33 Martini Racing as a late entry with crew from her regular Sandringham Yacht Club ride on Smooth Criminal scrambling on the regatta eve.

“We finalised the crew Friday night - it was a late pull together. Normally I’m in the pit on Smooth Criminal and wouldn’t get to skipper Martini. It was a fun weekend,” Schilling said.

The Adams 10 Serious Yahoo skippered by Vanessa Twigg, an active member of the RBYC general committee and BLiSS committee, scored third on IRC results and Twigg’s team was awarded the best performing all-female crew trophy. They and a number of other BLiSS competitors are deep in preparation for the Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta June 10-12 out of the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron.

The BLiSS Teams Trophy went to the visiting club with the greatest level of female participation in all BLiSS activities, including two pre-regatta training days supported by gold sponsor AMS Yacht Racing and the actual regatta plus bonus points for female helms under 19 years of age and over 60, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. Janet Dean, immediate past RMYS Commodore and owner of the Adams 10 Jungle Juice, accepted the honour.

Overall entries were a little down on last year but across the fleet there were more women crew and women stepping up to helm on their regular boats, a great outcome for the organising committee’s ninth annual series conducted by the Royal Brighton Yacht Club.

A third of this year’s participants own boats and three carried an all-female crew.

Sunday’s long race in light winds constituted the fifth and final race of the Club Marine Port Phillip Women’s Championship Series.

Quick Links:

- BLiSS 2017 Series Results
- Website
- Facebook

BLiSS 2017 - Results

Division 123 IRC results Start : 10:05

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	AHC	Elapsd	Cor'd T	Score
1	SM1112	JAKE	Louise Cotter	SYC/RBYC	1.093	01:44:04	01:53:45	1.0
2	B33	MARTINI RACING	Juliet Schilling	RBYC	1.115	01:45:21	01:57:28	2.0
3	B9	SERIOUS YAHOO	Vanessa Twigg	RBYC	1.012	01:59:33	02:00:59	3.0
4	R182	UP 'N GO	Cath Beaufort	RYCV	0.902	02:28:12	02:13:41	4.0
5	B310	WILD CHILD	Marg Neeson	RBYC	0.994	02:44:10	02:43:11	5.0

Division 123 AMS results Start : 10:05

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	AHC	Elapsd	Cor'd T	Score
1	SM1112	JAKE	Louise Cotter	SYC/RBYC	0.949	01:44:04	01:38:46	1.0
2	B33	MARTINI RACING	Juliet Schilling	RBYC	0.946	01:45:21	01:39:40	2.0
3	B9	SERIOUS YAHOO	Vanessa Twigg	RBYC	0.901	01:59:33	01:47:43	3.0
4	B120	UNDER CAPRICORN	Jodie Rebbechi	RBYC	0.873	02:06:32	01:50:28	4.0
5	B779	CAVARLO	Amanda Irving	RBYC	0.837	02:17:13	01:54:51	5.0
6	R182	UP 'N GO	Cath Beaufort	RYCV	0.786	02:28:12	01:56:29	6.0

Division 123 PHS results Start : 10:05

Place	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	AHC	Elapsd	Cor'd T	Score
1	B33	MARTINI RACING	Juliet Schilling	RBYC	0.900	01:45:21	01:34:49	1.0
2	SM1112	JAKE	Louise Cotter	SYC/RBYC	0.915	01:44:04	01:35:13	2.0
3	S621	REMEDY	Yvette De Haan	RMYS	0.869	01:54:44	01:39:42	3.0
4	B9	SERIOUS YAHOO	Vanessa Twigg	RBYC	0.879	01:59:33	01:45:05	4.0
5	B120	UNDER CAPRICORN	Jodie Rebbechi	RBYC	0.845	02:06:32	01:46:55	5.0
6	B83	SANRAFAEL	Jessica Dee	RBYC	0.750	02:22:55	01:47:11	6.0
7	R182	UP 'N GO	Cath Beaufort	RYCV	0.750	02:28:12	01:51:09	7.0
8	S800	TAKE ONE	Kellie Knowles	MYC/RMYS	0.750	02:29:50	01:52:22	8.0
9	B779	CAVARLO	Amanda Irving	RBYC	0.830	02:17:13	01:53:53	9.0
10	B23	KINGURRA	Heather Macfarlane	RBYC	0.835	02:18:02	01:55:16	10.0
11	B673	NOTHING TOO SERIOUS	Margaret Rowe	RBYC	0.760	02:54:39	02:12:44	11.0
12	B310	WILD CHILD	Marg Neeson	RBYC	0.809	02:44:10	02:12:49	12.0
13	S666	SAELIDA	Robyn Brooke	RMYS	0.794	02:49:28	02:14:33	13.0

.