Post-Christmas Combined Club Long Race – Tricky conditions

by Peter Campbell on 19 Jan 2013 The Post-Christmas Combined Club Long Race was held on Hobart’s River Derwent yesterday, Friday 18th January. Two of Hobart’s veteran yachtsmen, Roger Jackman and John Hunn, underlined their experience of the River Derwent and its tricky winds with wins yesterday in the Combined Clubs Long Race Series.

Jackman had an outstanding day on the water with Doctor Who, taking line honours in the 31 nautical mile race down the Derwent and out into Storm Bay to Blackjack Rocks and return in winds that swung 60 to 80 degrees in direction and from 5 to 30 knots in strength.

Jackman and Doctor Who won the Group 1 PHS and IRC handicap categories on corrected time while Hunn steered Atilla to a PHS corrected time win in Group 2 over a shorter course within the river.

Jackman won the IMS division of the Sydney Hobart Race in 1990 with the Davidson 52 and the boat remains one of the fastest in Tasmania as well as competitive on handicap.

The fresh, 18-25 knot nor’wester at the start from off Bellerive’s Victoria Esplanade produced some anxious moments for crews as they hoisted spinnakers for the long run down the river, with a ‘wineglass’ spinnaker on Hot August Night.

Further down the river the fleet was blasted by 30 knot gusts, with Grizzly Adams forced to retire with steering problems and the Cruising Group yacht Sundance retiring after a crewman was hit on the head by the boom.

Doctor Who sailed the Group 1 course in just over four hours, winning Group 1 PHS category from another 50-footer, Stephen Keal’s Cyclone, third place going to Peter Masterton’s Pirate’s Parade. Under the IRC ratings, Doctor Who won from Colin Denny’s Beneteau First 40, The Protagonist, skippered by his son, Stuart, and Martela (Tony Williams).

Atilla won Group 2 PHS category from Birngana (Erroll Pyke) and Serica (Charles Peacock) while Steve Mannering’s Camlet Way won Group 3 PHS from Take Five (Ian Gannon) and Kindred Spirit (Peter Alcock).

Under AMS ratings, Ian Stewart’s Mumm 36, TasPaints, sailed an excellent race to win from Martela and The Protagonist in Group 1.

Yesterday’s racing produced changes in the overall standings, with Taspaints now heading Group 1 AMS by one point from Martela and another point to the Protagonist in the seven race series of Combined Clubs long races.

The IRC standings for Group 1 now see The Protagonist the overall leader by four points from Martela while Taspaints now heads the PHS leader board by three points from Martela, with Pirate’s Pride in third place.