Rumbeat ends ‘invincible’ Invincible’s run

by Peter Campbell on 16 Feb 2014 Bellerive yachtsman Harold Clark’s ‘invincible’ yacht Invincible’s winning run on the River Derwent this summer came to an end yesterday – at the hands of a near Farr 1104 sistership, Justin Barr’s Rumbeat.

'Ever since I bought Rumbeat from the then commodore of Sandingham Yacht Club in Melbourne about five years ago we have been trying to beat Invincible; today we did it for the first time and in style,' a jubilant Barr said after hearing the results of the Combined Clubs Long Race Series, Race 5.

Going into yesterday’s 26 nautical mile race to Little Betsey Island and return, Invincible had been unbeaten in the last three long races, under both AMS and IRC scoring.

Rumbeat sailed an exceptionally good race in the light winds that gave the 34 boat fleet a spinnaker run down the river to the Iron Pot and then, after a two-sail reach to Little Betsey Island in Storm Bay, a spinnaker reach to the river and to the finish at Castray Esplanade.

'On the way back up the river we spinnaker-reached up the western shore and abeam of Taroona we were actually leading the Group A and B fleets,' added Barr, who races out of the Derwent Sailing Squadron. 'The bigger boats then caught the breeze, but we still finished comfortably ahead of Invincible.'

Rumbeat scored a handicap double, taking out the main Group A AMS category from Invincible and the Mumm 30 Cleopatra (Matthew Denholm), also from BYC. In the PHS category, Rumbeat won from Black Magic (Graham Mansfield) and Cleopatra.

Invincible placed fifth under PHS scoring, but won the IRC category, although there were only two boats competing with IRC rating.

Bruny Island race winner Footloose, Stewart Geeves’ Young 88, won Group B AMS, while Group B PHS went to the classic yacht Serica (Charles Peacock) from Tom Pilkington’s line honours winner Storm Dragon and Moonshadow (Anthony Ellis).

In Group C, first place on corrected time went to Epoxy Warrior (Ross Mannering) from Quebrada (Tom Maddock) and Camlet Way (Steve Mannering).

Line honours in Group A went to Bellerive Yacht Club Commodore John Mills’ Lyons 40 Nexedge but the corrected time results favoured the smaller yachts.

However, for Commodore Mills it was a good lead-in to next weekend’s Crown Series Bellerive Regatta, conducted by his club. 'We have about 60 keelboat entries and hope to have at least the same number of off-the-beach dinghies and catamarans.