Racing in today’s Queensland IRC Championship was all about being able to change gears as the breeze built and faded, gusted and flattened out as the rain squalls kept visibility down.

David Lambourne’s Farr 40 Lambourdini showed the fleet how it was done as they finished the three-race day in first place overall, just one point ahead of the Vaughan Prentice’s 42 footer, Black Jack Too.

The 2012 Queensland IRC champion came into the regatta with no practice, no major work on his boat and a pretty easy attitude towards his likely competition. He is chuffed by today’s results after a tough day, but perhaps a little worried that Black Jack Too is closely in second.

'Today’s conditions were once again good because we had weather conditions from six knots to 23 knots. It was a wide range which suited the fleet. Everyone had an opportunity,' Lambourne said.

Line honours winner in all three races, Prentice’s team did a great job to keep Black Jack Too on speed in the changing conditions while his nearest contenders were never far away. At the end of the day he knew however he was not going to be on top of the podium.

'The Farr 40s with their spinnakers are a bit hard to get on the run, unfortunately. We needed a bit more wind.

'It was good fun out there. It was challenging and very shifty. That rain came through and the breeze increased and shifted.

'It was meant to go left all day, but it was quite right hand the pressure. That last little shift when the rain started to clear, it went into the left. I guess it will start building from there tonight,' Prentice said.

Race One

Half an hour from the official warning signal the northerly breeze was flicking at four knots. The clouds were moving in and the sea sloppy.

By the race start the breeze had picked up to about nine knots and the 13-boat IRC Division got away to a clean start. Black Jack Too led off the line. A few of the fleet were late on the start while took a seemingly conservative approach.

Black Jack Too continued to lead the fleet around the windward/leeward course, extending on each leg, to take line honours as the breeze continued to build and the heavy rain moved from the land across towards the fleet.

In the Sail Mooloolaba Keelboat Performance Division Ian Griffith’s 40-foot Witchy Woman was the handicap winner of Race one after achieving a clean start at the pin end while Peter White’s Elliott 780 Game Over, Col Thomas’s Ella and John Davis’s State of the Ark took the start boat end.

Witchy Woman had a great battle with the little Game Over as the small boat enjoyed the light air conditions. They were with Witchy Woman right around the course.

In the Sail Mooloolaba Keelboat Performance Cruising Division the five boat fleet had a relaxed one lap race. Mark Coghlan and Deb Pfeiffer’s Ocean Warrior had a shocking start, but came back to win on handicap and line in the short windward/leeward race.

Queensland IRC Championship. Black Jack Too leads the fleet in Race One as the wind builds ahead of the rain squall. -  Tracey Johnstone

Race Two

The threatening rain cell arrived as the wind shifted right and the built to 12 knots, gusting 15 and more.

On the start gun for the IRC Division the breeze was up in the early 20s, then it swung and eased to about 16 knots before building again. The fleet were aggressive in the stronger breeze. Antony Love’s Patriot had a great start while Black Jack Too took charge of the race with Tam Farragher’s Kerumba close behind. The three Farr 40s stayed on Black Jack Too’s line after the bottom mark and they moved along well in the stronger wind.

Across the line Black Jack Too had done it again keeping the Farr 40s and Kerumba behind them as they surfed into the finish.

In the Performance Division the stronger wind was taking its toll with equipment damage being reported on some of the boats and retirement for others. On the start line Game Over and Witchy Woman were up the pin end and on fire. Witchy Woman was below Game Over and trying to squeeze her out. Too much boat speed at the critical time coast Witchy Woman a great start as they crossed early and had to return. Game Over was in a perfect position to then head left with clear air.

Sadly for Game Over, their last run saw them come to grief in the stronger winds, as the gusts saw them round up, the kite tangle and backstay caught on the main. Chaos ensued, the mast looked seriously bent near the top spreaders and the team were out of the regatta.

Witchy Woman won line honours again, but it was the big Jeanneau 54 Vanilla that, after sorting out their spinnaker sock problems, came through to take handicap honours.

The Performance Cruising Division were sent off their second race of the day, a 12 mile passage race, east to the Gneerings and back to the finish. It was a long journey for them as they hit offshore rain squalls and gusty conditions. At the finish Ian Brownhill’s Jade Rose was first across the line, but Ocean Warrior held onto the top step of the podium with another first place on handicap. In second place after hitting their stride in the long passage race, was the 82-year-old skipper, Arthur Hodge and his team on S&S30 Crackajack.

Race Three

The volume on the start line was turned up as the IRC Division bunkered down for another shifty, gusty two-lap windward/leeward. The breeze was back left and gusting to 17 knots. And the rain kept returning to dampen the sailor’s race spirit.

The little 32 footer, Perception found themselves sandwiched in among the big boats while Black Jack Too got away cleanly.

As the breeze swung left and the fleet worked towards the shore, the race took on an almost sedate pace after the drama of Race two.

Black Jack Too led the fleet with Kerumba chasing until a slow kite drop on Kerumba cost them precious seconds.

At the finish it was another line honours win to Prentice and his team on Black Jack Too.

Queensland IRC Championship 2014. Black Jack Too powers down the course in squally conditions. -  Tracey Johnstone

The breeze eased down around the 10 knots as the Performance Division got off on their third race. Witchy Woman, with Game Over out of the racing, now had room to settle into leading the fleet around the course.

Vanilla returned to struggling with their spinnaker sock as they rounded the bottom mark while Ella and Chris Warnes’s Tanu were enjoying an extremely close battle right through the race and across the finish line.

On handicap it was Vanilla in first place and Witchy Woman in second.

Racing continues from about 10am tomorrow for all three divisions.

 Queensland IRC Championship Complete Results:

Series Results [IRC Div1] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Bow No	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		8877	LAMBOURDINI	David Lambourne	RQYS		4.0	1.0	2.0	1.0
2		52542	BLACK JACK TOO	Vaughan Prentice	RQYS		5.0	2.0	1.0	2.0
3		RQ1331	PATRIOT	Antony Love	RQYS		10.0	4.0	3.0	3.0
4		NZL40010	BOBBY'S GIRL	John Leman	RQYS		11.0	3.0	4.0	4.0
5		AUS6058	THE FAT CONTROLLER	Cameron Pryce	KBSC		16.0	5.0	6.0	5.0
6		RQ5050	KERUMBA	Tam Faragher	RQYS		19.0	6.0	5.0	8.0
7		6669	CARBON CREDITS	Paul Freeman	RQYS		21.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
8		RQ130	RAGTIME	Chris Morgan	RQYS		23.0	9.0C	8.0	6.0

 

Series Results [IRC Div2] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Bow No	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		HKG1088	CORUM	Todd Anderson	RQYS		3.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
2		3627	GAUNTLET	Peter Miliken	RQYS		8.0	3.0	3.0	2.0
3	3.0S	RQ2404	NOT A DIAMOND	David Redfern	RQYS		10.0	2.0	5.0	3.0
4		6595	BRILLIANT PEARL	Gary McCarthy	MYC		10.0	4.0	2.0	4.0
5		6432	PERCEPTION	Greg Gilliam	SCYC/MYC		14.0	5.0	4.0	5.0

Series Results [IRC] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Bow No	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		8877	LAMBOURDINI	David Lambourne	RQYS		5.0	2.0	2.0	1.0
2		52542	BLACK JACK TOO	Vaughan Prentice	RQYS		6.0	3.0	1.0	2.0
3		HKG1088	CORUM	Todd Anderson	RQYS		8.0	1.0	4.0	3.0
4		RQ1331	PATRIOT	Antony Love	RQYS		14.0	7.0	3.0	4.0
5		NZL40010	BOBBY'S GIRL	John Leman	RQYS		15.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
6		3627	GAUNTLET	Peter Miliken	RQYS		19.0	6.0	7.0	6.0
7	4.0S	RQ2404	NOT A DIAMOND	David Redfern	RQYS		25.0	4.0	11.0	10.0
8		AUS6058	THE FAT CONTROLLER	Cameron Pryce	KBSC		25.0	8.0	10.0	7.0
9		6595	BRILLIANT PEARL	Gary McCarthy	MYC		28.0	10.0	6.0	12.0
10		RQ5050	KERUMBA	Tam Faragher	RQYS		29.0	9.0	9.0	11.0
11		6432	PERCEPTION	Greg Gilliam	SCYC/MYC		32.0	11.0	8.0	13.0
12		6669	CARBON CREDITS	Paul Freeman	RQYS		33.0	12.0	12.0	9.0
13		RQ130	RAGTIME	Chris Morgan	RQYS		35.0	14.0C	13.0	8.0

by Tracey Johnstone