Intrigue sharpens up for Launceston to Hobart

by Peter Campbell on 11 Dec 2010 Champion River Derwent racing yacht Intrigue, which will return to offshore racing in this year’s Sargison & Natuzzi Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race, again showed her heavy weather sailing skills in today’s Derwent Sailing Squadron pennant racing.

Intrigue, Don Calvert’s Castro 40, dominated Division 1 results in the two windward/returns races on the mid-river course, sailed in north-westerly winds that averaged 15-18 knots with ‘bullets’ that at times reached 35 knots.

One of these ‘bullets’ caused the dismasting of the 9m division yacht Spare Time, a Peterson 30SP, which snapped her rig in two as a 25+ knot gust hit her as she running downwind under spinnaker.

'We got hit by a sharp gust, we rounded up, and the pole hit the forestay, and down came the rig,' skipper Shane Powell said later as the crew brought the boat alongside the DSS jetty.

Intrigue, which Don Calvert’s son David will skipper in the L2H at the end of the month, sailed a faultless race, with the veteran yachtsman picking the wind shifts of up to 30 degrees in both races.

The Farr 40 War Games, skippered by Wayne Banks-Smith, took line honours in both races, after two close duels with Edward Faders’ Ker 11.3 Dump Truck, which is also entered for the L2H.

However, on corrected times, Intrigue won the PHS, AMS and IRC handicap categories in race one and the AMS category in race two, Roger Jackman’s Doctor Who winning PHS and Dump Truck the IRC category.

The AMS handicaps wins for Intrigue are significant as this will be the major handicap division for the Launceston to Hobart race.

In race one Intrigue won PHS from War Games and Dump Truck, AMS from Dump Tuck and Sally Rattle’s Archie, and IRC also from Dump Truck and Archie. In race two, Doctor Who took PHS handicap honours from Pisces (David Taylor) and Archie, Intrigue won AMS Dump Truck and Archie, while Dump won IRC from Archie and Pisces.

Only one race was sailed for the 9m division, with Sunview Homes (R Woehler) winning from Footloose (Stewart Geeves) after Spare Time was dismasted.

Another L2H race entrant to win today was Peter Haros’ Wings Three in Division 2, winning from Mem (Peter Boutchard) and Eliza (Keith Jacobson) while Innovator (Ian Smith) continued its success in Division 3, taking the double and winning on corrected time from Epoxy Warrior (Ross Mannering) and Kaiulani (Malcolm Cooper). Kaiulani is also entered for the L2H race.