Victorian yachts in top form as they head north

by Peter Campbell on 9 Jul 2008
Victorian yachts, about to head north for the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race, followed by the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week and the Audi Hamilton Island series, were in top racing form on a chilly and windy Port Phillip last weekend.

Gold Coast Race entrants Flirt, Living Doll and Chutzpah filled the top three placings in the IRC Division of the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s opening Winter Series Race on Sunday while Cougar II joined Flirt and Living Doll in a four-race sprint series on Saturday.

Flirt, Chris Dare’s Corby 49, was most impressive on both days, the modifications that have included a new keel and bulb, together with more crew experience on the boat, clearly lifting performance.

Flirt, which has a full campaign north in July and August, including the Sydney Gold Coast Race, Airlie Beach Race and Hamilton Island Race Week, scored an impressive win the ORCV Winter Series on Sunday, sailed in 25 knot winds gusting to 30 knots.

In a boat-for-boat duel with Living Doll, Michael Hiatt’s fixed keel Cookson 50, Flirt finished 11 seconds astern across the line, but won comfortably on corrected time from Living Doll and Bruce Taylor’s IRC 40 Chutzpah.

All three are entrants for the CYCA’s Sydney Gold Coast Race, with Flirt contesting the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race and all three the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.

The race was not without drama, with one yacht calling an MOB situation after a crewman was caught between the boom and the lifelines. Textbook MOB drilling made for a fast spinnaker drop and return within seven minutes, but another yacht had already made the pick-up – although losing one of their own crew overboard briefly in the process.

Then the leeward mark had to be replaced by a mark boat as another yacht had been taken the mark in tow down the bay.

On the Saturday, the owners of Flirt, Living Doll and Cougar II, Alan Whitely’s TP52, organised with Sandringham Yacht Club a four-race sprint series, with Flirt sailing impressively.

Sydney yachtsman Roger Hickman has again teamed up with Chris Dare to campaign Flirt on the NSW and Queensland winter race circuit and today expressed his enthusiasm for the new Corby 49, which Dare launched just before Christmas.

Hickman described Sunday’s ORCV Winter Series race as 'great event with a large fleet racing over a windward/leeward course on Port Phillip – a wonderful place to sail.'

'It was averaging 24 to 25 knots, but in a short gust of 30 knots Flirt briefly surfed downwind at 21 knots,' he said. 'That was just for 7 seconds, but for the most we where hitting 18 to 19 knots downwind.'

'The lead changed several times between Flirt and Living Doll and in a tacking duel to the finish we finished just a boat length and a half astern, but won comfortably on corrected time.'

Since being launched just before Christmas, Flirt had undergone a series of modifications to improve the power-to-weight ratio and Hickman says this was apparent in the boat’s ability to get up and plane downwind.

Hickman will sail Flirt to Sydney, leaving Melbourne this coming Friday after delaying the delivery trip because of the forecast gale force conditions in the Gabo Island area.