Southern States kick off their M24 Summer Regattas

by Donna Evans on 31 Oct 2014 Vostok Europe Series - Adelaide Sailing Club (ASC), Race PRO Mike Rogers and his team of eager club officers and volunteers hosted the South Australian Melges 24 Fleet for regatta one of the Vostok Europe Series over the last weekend of October.

Friday evening's kick-off to the five race event came with a building late afternoon sea-breeze offered from the South West that provided a decent exploration of the fleet's wind-sense. The shifts offering a snakes and ladders route up the beat for the first race in a pair of windward leewards with the leeward mark afforded a spectacular view from ASC's observation deck. Adrenaline helmed by Luke Stephens was immediately on the pace winning the race handily from David Royle's Outlier with most crews taking the first race to adjust from the working week to chute hoists, gybing and spotting the shifts. Race two was a more competitive affair with Robbie Duessen's Red Mist arriving to hold the fleet more accountable. In what was necessarily a short race in sunset, champagne conditions 'Mist made the best of the shifts turning first at the windward mark but losing time hoisting to a rapidly closing Adrenaline and Outlier. Outlier had just the best of the downhill run overhauling Adrenaline at the leeward mark in increasingly tense marginal planing conditions as the sea-breeze fell Outlier taking Race two by a couple of seconds.

The Melges fleet enjoyed ASC's legendary Friday session with the most glorious sunset accompanying an enthusiastic review of proceedings.

Saturday saw a much earlier sea breeze with 12-18kts on offer for three longer races. PRO Rogers set a slightly longer set of windward leewards with the added entertainment of ASC's numerous other fleets racing but well within the Melges area. With Jason and Shevaun Ward's Concubine added to the fleet, the six Melges were swiftly into competitive action with various early-season style jousting matches conducted in vigorous fashion before the fleet cleared to start Race three. Adrenaline immediately had the best of it with a well timed boat-end start and picking the first shift early and building a seemingly unassailable lead only to realize that they were not 100% certain where the finish line was! Adrenaline dropped the kite sailing as if for a downwind finish at the Committee Boat. Fortunately for Adrenaline the better informed trajectories of its peers made the correct course obvious with Adrenaline re-hoisting and setting off to still finish first from a rapidly closing and somewhat amused Concubine and Red Mist.

Race four start was a step up in competitiveness again with boats all initially timing their runs perfectly but in very close order. Adrenaline was seemingly off the pace at the line but with rights ended up forcing series sponsor Ken Abbott's suitably liveried Vostok Europe and Royle's Outlier away and over. Arriving at the windward mark Adrenaline tacked inside on a tight starboard lay with Red Mist on a better starboard angle but a boat length back. Adrenaline were fortunate to gain height in a brief flat patch to round the windward mark first by a nose. All boats rounded in close order to take off on a boisterous downwind leg six abreast across the waves. Great fun and something that makes Adelaide conditions very special at times with Adrenaline taking the win from 'Mist and Concubine.

The last race saw a superb start and superior tactics in the shifts from 'Mist with a brief gybing duel being the highlight between Mist and Concubine for the bullet with Adrenaline having to gybe set to get anywhere near for third. With Adrenaline first, Red Mist second and Outlier third it was all in all a good loosener as teams now build toward the 2015 Melges 24 Australian Nationals taking place on the same waters in early January and with various boats headed to the Eastern States in November.