Sail Port Stephens - Chris Williams takes performance racing win

by Di Pearson - Port Stephens Regatta on 18 Apr 2010 Chris Williams and his Melges 32 Team GUE from Gosford Sailing Club skated home to a win in the Performance Racing class at Sail Port Stephens late this afternoon, winning on countback from Sally Warneford’s Sydney 38 Thirlmere from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

Williams’ older brother Kim (Rock N Roll) was sitting in third place until today, but dropped off the podium to finish fourth by one little point behind Tony Bates’ Viva La Vita from Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney, after finishing eighth in the last race of the series to Bates’ second. Bates, in turn, finished five points behind Warneford.

Chris Williams was thrilled with his win. “I loved the regatta – it’s a pretty good place to sail – lovely weather,” the new father said.

On beating his brother Kim, Williams, a gun sports boat sailor commented with a big smile on his face: “It’s always fun beating him; he might not lend me his boat anymore! I’m going to suggest he sell his boat and not the one I sailed – because mine appears faster!”

Getting serious, Williams conceded: “Actually Kim’s very generous. How many brothers do you know who would lend you a new $200,000 boat? I think I’m pretty lucky.'

At her first Sail Port Stephens, Thirlmere’s owner and skipper, Sally Warneford commented: “This regatta is even better than my expectations. It’s not too far to come, you can bring your kids (her kids are seven and a half and five), there’s lots for them to do. The best thing is, that it is fun. I always like to have fun with my crew and we‘ve had lots of it here.”

Warneford said that while she and her crew had fun, “we also tried to sail well.” On her crew were old mates and great ocean racers Larry Jamieson, Phil Eadie and Mike Hesse. Vanessa Dudley joined the crew for a day yesterday. And while they were having ‘fun’, Warneford said it was “really great to do so well.”

Not everyone had the perfect final day. Rob Curtis and his Secret Mens Business crew from RPAYC at Pittwater, were looking good for a top three, but were scored OCS when they jumped the gun this morning.

Despite the mistake, Curtis maintained: “This is a wonderful regatta; the organisers go out of their way for you and that’s why we love coming here – apart from the good sailing.”

The Performance Racing division had a terrific mix of races over three days. A Passage Race opened their series on Friday, followed by two windward/leeward courses on Tuesday and an Around the Buoys race today, starting at 11.00am, the final day. You couldn’t beat the variety with a big stick!

To top it off, although conditions were light throughout, there was enough breeze to sail in, which made it tactical and enough sandbanks to bring you to a grinding halt, making it interesting for navigators. Above all, the weather remained summery throughout – in the middle of Autumn!

For all the news and full results go to: www.sailportstephens.com.au