Newcastle to Port Stephens Yacht Race - Emphatic win for Iota
by Richard Howard on 15 Apr 2013
Craig Wakefield – Iota (John McNamara) – Line Honours and 1st PHS - Auto Advantage - Newcastle Port Stephens Yacht Race Craig Wakefield
http://www.ncyc.net.au/
In the 2013 Auto Advantage Newcastle to Port Stephens Yacht Race, modified Farr 40 OD Iota (John McNamara) has punched well above her weight to take line honours and PHS.
Following a short delay in the harbour the fleet were ushered offshore for a start off Stockton beach due to variable breeze in the Hunter River. The start gun fired with ‘clear start’ announced to a gentle eight knots Nor-westerly. Without a cloud in the sky the question on everyone’s mind, especially the Race Committee’s, was for how long was the gradient breeze going to hold. As the yachts settled in to a tight spinnaker reach up Stockton Bight tacticians were hard at work deciding whether to take the ‘high road’ along the breakers in an attempt to stay in the morning Westerly for longer or the ‘low road’ in anticipation of a light NE sea breeze building through the North.
As the 36 yacht fleet approached the Northern end of Stockton Bight the breeze started to swing to the NE however rather than rotating through the North it surprisingly swung through the South allowing those yachts inshore to consolidate on their positions by sailing hotter spinnaker angles up the beach to Birubi Point. With the final 10 miles of the race to the Point Stephens finish gate being a light upwind work the fleet ‘rocked hopped’ along the Port Stephens coastline in an attempt to get relief form the Southerly current and stay in best pressure.
Iota finished the race in four hours and 21 minutes with Swish (Steven Proud) and Nine Dragons (Bob Cox) rounding out the podium Line Honours places. On PHS Iota took a convincing win from Secret Men’s Business (Rob Curtis) and Nine Dragons while on IRC Secret Men’s Business took the honour with Nine Dragons and Tow Truck (Anthony Paterson) taking second and third, respectively.
As the reminder of the fleet edged up past Fingal Bay and across the finish line there appeared to be smiles all round from the crews who enjoyed a tactical battle, glorious weather and some great socialising at NCYC on the Saturday evening and Sunday morning prior to the race commencing.
Interestingly, of the 36 entrants in this year’s Auto Advantage Newcastle Port Stephens Yacht Race nine yacht clubs were represented indicating the broad appeal of the race and the Sail Port Stephens regatta for yacht owners. With the majority of the fleet competing in Sail Port Stephens there will no doubt be plenty more battles on the water and socialising off the water over the coming days.
Race 1 (14/04/2013) Race Sponsor: Auto Advantage
Updated: 14/04/2013 17:19:19
PHS results
|
Place
|
Sail No
|
Boat Name
|
Skipper
|
Elapsd
|
ETOrd
|
AHC
|
Cor'd T
|
BCH
|
CHC
|
From
|
1
|
6838
|
Iota
|
J McNamara
|
04:21:33
|
1
|
1.052
|
04:35:09
|
1.323
|
1.078
|
LMYC
|
2
|
8300
|
Secretmensbusiness 1
|
R Curtis
|
04:33:47
|
4
|
1.112
|
05:04:27
|
1.264
|
1.140
|
RPAYC
|
3
|
18889
|
Nine Dragons
|
B Cox
|
04:29:40
|
3
|
1.140
|
05:07:25
|
1.283
|
1.168
|
MHYC
|
4
|
M6
|
Tow Truck
|
A Paterson
|
05:22:15
|
14
|
0.966
|
05:11:18
|
1.074
|
0.990
|
LMYC
|
5
|
226
|
Swish
|
S Proud
|
04:23:37
|
2
|
1.190
|
05:13:42
|
1.313
|
1.220
|
MHYC
|
6
|
AUS5077
|
Long Time Dead
|
M Fensom
|
04:54:26
|
6
|
1.085
|
05:19:28
|
1.175
|
1.108
|
NCYC
|
7
|
N40
|
One For The Road
|
K Butler
|
05:08:36
|
10
|
1.048
|
05:23:25
|
1.121
|
1.066
|
NCYC
|
8
|
USA40063
|
Pt 73
|
T Lobb
|
04:51:22
|
5
|
1.112
|
05:24:00
|
1.188
|
1.131
|
NCYC
|
9
|
N349
|
Schouten Passage
|
R Howard
|
05:19:30
|
13
|
1.032
|
05:29:43
|
1.083
|
1.045
|
NCYC
|
10
|
236
|
Skinny Flat White
|
G Lowe
|
05:36:17
|
16
|
0.981
|
05:29:54
|
1.029
|
0.993
|
GSC
|
Race 1 (14/04/2013) Race Sponsor: Auto Advantage
Updated: 14/04/2013 17:19:20
IRC results
|
Place
|
Sail No
|
Boat Name
|
Elapsd
|
ETOrd
|
AHC
|
Cor'd T
|
BCH
|
Skipper
|
From
|
1
|
8300
|
Secretmensbusiness 1
|
04:33:47
|
3
|
1.164
|
05:18:41
|
1.247
|
R Curtis
|
RPAYC
|
2
|
18889
|
Nine Dragons
|
04:29:40
|
2
|
1.192
|
05:21:27
|
1.266
|
B Cox
|
MHYC
|
3
|
M6
|
Tow Truck
|
05:22:15
|
10
|
0.999
|
05:21:56
|
1.060
|
A Paterson
|
LMYC
|
4
|
226
|
Swish
|
04:23:37
|
1
|
1.240
|
05:26:53
|
1.295
|
S Proud
|
MHYC
|
5
|
N349
|
Schouten Passage
|
05:19:30
|
9
|
1.038
|
05:31:38
|
1.069
|
R Howard
|
NCYC
|
6
|
N40
|
One For The Road
|
05:08:36
|
7
|
1.105
|
05:41:00
|
1.107
|
K Butler
|
NCYC
|
7
|
USA40063
|
Pt 73
|
04:51:22
|
4
|
1.172
|
05:41:29
|
1.172
|
T Lobb
|
NCYC
|
8
|
M3
|
Close Halled
|
05:16:51
|
8
|
1.084
|
05:43:28
|
1.078
|
G Hall
|
LMYC
|
9
|
5845
|
Botany Access Cocomo
|
05:40:58
|
12
|
1.036
|
05:53:14
|
1.002
|
J Brownbill
|
CYCA
|
10
|
35000
|
Next Light
|
05:41:25
|
14
|
1.049
|
05:58:09
|
1.000
|
C Ryan
|
RPAYC
|
http://www.ncyc.net.au/results/2013/club/N2PS2013/series.htm" target="_blank">Click here for full results
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