Quantum Racing takes IRC on countback - MMABRW

by Peter Campbell on 21 Aug 2008 Sydney yachtsman Ray Roberts, at the helm of his canting keel 50-footer Quantum Racing, today outsailed an international fleet of grand prix racing yachts to come from behind in standings and win the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week IRC division 1 title.

Roberts, one of Australia’s most successful ocean racing yachtsmen in recent years, won the final three races on corrected time but the last race was an outstanding combination between him, steering the Cookson 50, his tactician Steve McConaghy and a dedicated crew as they sailed the 20 nautical triangle course on Pioneer Bay in moderate but shifty breezes.

Quantum Racing, from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, led the IRC division 1 fleet around the course to take line and handicap honours to finish equal on points with Melbourne yachtsman Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll, also a Cookson 50 but with a conventional fixed keel.

On a countback of placings in the seven races, Quantum Racing won the regatta with three first places to two wins by the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria’s Living Doll.

Living Doll went in to today’s final race with a one-point margin over Quantum Racing. To be assured of victory, Roberts had to win the race, with Living Doll second, or worse.

Roberts, who always steers his boats, gained a perfect start and at the end of the short first windward legs was 17 seconds clear of the New Zealand 52-footer Wired, with Living Doll in third place, closely followed by another Victorian boat, Chris Dare’s Corbey 49 Audi Centre Melbourne.

‘Our good start enabled us to consolidate our position on the first beat to windward and from there on we were able to dictate the way we wanted to go,’ said Roberts, who recently took the line and IRC overall handicap double in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race. ‘We were able to sail in clear air almost all day in the 12-15 knot breeze

‘We increased our lead on every leg except for halfway up the final work when Wired hung into a 35 degree wind shift and got in front of us. We took his stern and with Steve (McCOnaghy) again calling tactics superbly, we sailed into good pressure, coming back to regain the lead and get the gun.'

Living Doll lost time at the wing mark when pushed above the rounding buoy by the New Zealand yacht Pussy Galore. ‘We went for the gap and they closed it – as was their right – but we had to drop our spinnaker and tack back to round the mark, probably costing us a couple of minutes,’ a crew member said.

On corrected time, Quantum Racing won the final race by almost 5 minutes on corrected time from Living Doll, third place going to Graham Jones’ Beneteau First 45 Bluewater from Port Douglas Yacht Club.

Quantum Racing placed 6-3-3-3-1-1-1 to finish with a net 12 points, with Living Doll scoring the same points form placings of 3-1-2-1-4-3-2.
Quantum Racing’s three firsts to Living Doll’s two wins gave her the series from the Victorian yacht, with Bluewater taking third place overall on 18 points , followed by Audi Centre Melbourne on 19 points.

IRC division 2 was sewn up yesterday with Arajilla, Geoff Pearson’s Archambault 35 from Middle Harbour Yacht Club, winning six straight races. She was beaten in the final race by the Sydney 38 Zen (Gordon Ketelbey), also from MHYC.

Arajilla, the overall IRC winner last year, finished this year’s regatta with 6 points, Zen tasking second overall on 11 points and third on 19 points to Treasure VIII, a new Sea Quest RP36 skippered by 79-year-old Whitsunday Sailing Club member Harold Menelaus with Chris Pomfret as tactician.

Full results at www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au