Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship - Blast around the Harbour
by Sol Walkling on 27 Nov 2010
SSORC 2010, Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Sydney - 27/11/10
Ben Austin, Gold medal 100m freestyle Delhi Commonwealth games 2010 Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship.
Greeted by a strong nor’easter and 90 racing skiffs just shy of the start line, the SSORC Seven Islands fleet sported a fast downwind start for their course around the harbour.
The fleet was a colourful tapestry of lots of sailors with a common interest looking for that adrenalin rush.....from a 30 year old Holland 30 to the high performance 'Shortwave' with Matthew Short on helm and OAM and Paralympic swimmer Ben Austin as part of the crew.
The course really represents a harbour navigation featuring Shark, Clarke, Goat, Cockatoo, Snapper and Spectacle Islands including Fort Denison.
Middle Harbour Yacht Club Sailing Manager Brendan Rourke said 'Conditions had been perfect for today’s three hour race. Instead of the forecast storm and 30 knot wind, boats were greeted with a steady 15 knots that didn’t pick up until later in the race. A bonus was the weather stayed beautiful with only the red tinged clouds of a bushfire in Terry Hills marring the scenery.
Line Honours were taken by Bruce Ritchie’s 'Union' and at around 4.30pm, the last boat in the fleet crossed the finishing line, making it the Fastest Seven Island Race on record.
Results
Place Sail No Boat Name Skipper
1 5522 UNION Bruce Ritchie
2 6790 JOLT Geoff Masters
3 6664 PEARL 2 Michael Twomey
4 MH11 VIVA LA VITA Tony Bates
Full results available
click here
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