2015 Pipe Opener Series – Cleopatra dominates

by Peter Campbell on 20 Sep 2015 2015 Pipe Opener Series – Cleopatra, Matthew Denholm’s Mumm 30, has achieved a remarkable result in Derwent Sailing Squadron and Huon Yacht Club’s traditional Pipe Opener Series, winning all three races, including the Cock of the Huon at Port Huon.

No yacht has been so successful in recent editions of the Series that comprised a Friday night race from Hobart heading south into the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Saturday’s Cock of the Huon on the Huon River and today, a race from Port Huon back up the Channel.

Light winds prevailed throughout the weekend and Cleopatra made the most of the conditions, today taking line honours and her third PHS win of the Series.

The Mumm 30 from Bellerive Yacht Club slowly overtook early leader Tas Paints, Ian Stewart’s Mumm 36, to finish first in today’s shortened course.

On corrected time Cleopatra won her third Division 1 race on PHS but finished second under AMS scoring to Division 2 boat, Steve Chau and Scott Brain’s Young 88, Young Lion.

Cleopatra won all three races in Division 1 on PHS handicaps, to finish the Pipe Opener with a series score of three points, second overall being shared by fellow BYC boat Tas Paints (Ian Stewart) and David Taylor’s Pisces’ from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The Mumm 30 also won the AMS overall score, winning two of the three races to finish with four points, while Tas Paints and Young Lion (Steve Chau/Scott Brain, DSS) finishing equal second.

In Division 2 (PHS) DSS member Michael Hutchinson’s won the Series in his Hobie 33 Emotional Rescue, finishing with six points, while Young Lion finished with eight points. Moonshadow (Anthony Ellis) and Gomez (Noel Cook) ended equal third on 12 points.

Emotional Rescue, a keelboat built by the Hobie catamaran builders, took top points in race three, although the overall winner was Huon Yacht Club casual entry Another Girl (Mick Bartlett). Third place went to Hydrotherapy (Jim Thorpe).

Division 3 boats Lock on Wood (Ron Akhurst) and Kaiulani (Malcolm Cooper) made amends today after their frustrating time in the Cock of the Huon, in which the tide dragged them over the start line before the gun. Lack of wind and the strong tide forced them to eventually retire from that race.

Today, however they finished first and second on corrected time in race three for Division 3 to figure in a tight overall pointscore which saw Take 5 (Ian Gannon finish with eight points, one ahead of Kaiulani and another point to
Lock on Wood.

The 2015 Pipe Opener Series was conducted by Derwent Sailing Squadron the Huon Yacht Club and sponsored by Ronald Young Builders and Huon Aquaculture.