Loki crew return to race in placid conditions
by Peter Campbell on 24 Nov 2007
Rush - Savills Regatta 2007 Crosbie Lorimer
http://www.crosbielorimer.com
The owner, skipper and crew of the Australian yacht Loki, which they were forced to abandon in the Mediterranean during the storm-swept Middle Sea Race in October, returned to offshore racing today in the Savills 30th Short Ocean Racing Championship.
Owner Stephen Ainsworth, his skipper Cameron Miles and many of the crew of Loki are sailing Miles' own boat Rush in the Sydney 38 division of the SORC.
The crew good humouredly brushed aside quips of 'have you done your safety drills' before today's racing - they were lifted by helicopter from the stricken Loki, which was subsequently wrecked on a rugged coastline in Med.
'I invited them to help me sail Rush in the Sydney 38 division.it was good to get them all back together on the water in today's racing,' Miles said at Middle Harbour Yacht Club after the racing.
Today, they began the series well, with Cameron Miles steering the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club-registered Rush into third place in race one. However, in subsequent races they finished 5th and 8th and are seventh overall after the first day of racing.
Three late withdrawals reduced the Sydney 38 fleet to nine boats, but did not diminish the close one-design racing which produced three different winners.
The Tavern (Ian Guangaria, CYCA) won the opening race in a fresh 20 knot southerly, while race two went to the RPAYC entry Easy Tiger (Chris Way) and race three to overall pointscore leader Calibre (Geoff Bonus, CYCA).
After three races, Calibre is on 6 points from a consistent 2-3-1 series, with Easy Tiger second overall on 11 points (5-1-5). A close third on 12 points (4-4-4) is MHYC member Simon Green with Thirlmere, just one point ahead of West Australian Alan Brierty's Limit on 12 points (8-2-3).
In the Sydney 32 OD division, former State champions Martin and Anna Cross from RPAYC sailed a consistent 1-2-1 series with If to head the pointscore on 4 points, a three point margin over Reality (Joh Groves) also from RPAYC who placed 4-1-2.
In third place overall after three races is Quickie (Stuart Muirhead, CYCA) on 8 points (2-3-3)..
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