Important win for Wobbly Boot in Edges Boat Yard sprint race series

by Ian Grant on 19 Nov 2012 Perseverance played a major role when Craig Piccinelli and his Wobbly Boot crew recorded another important win in the Edges Boat Yard sprint race series over the Whitsunday Sailing Club course on Pioneer Bay.

They were held to a slow time when the breeze started to fade late in the day however Wobbly Boot the smallest in the fleet still managed with the skill of her crew to record an important two minute corrected handicap win.

While their arch rivals the John Galloway skippered Queensland Marine Services and the Charles Wallis skippered Reignition became tactically involved in a close duel for the minor places.

As he revealed Craig Piccinelli was on the top of the tactical game to show that Wobbly Boot can produce the required all angle boat speed to protect her .907 time correction factor when confronted with softer wind velocities.

They won their battle by making sure there were no time consuming foul ups in their sail handling and tactical strategy to leave Queensland Marine Services (.929) Reignition (1.061) and the line honours winner Tulip (1.148) to become involved in their own private race for the minor places before Queensland Marine Services finally filled second 42 second ahead of Reignition with Tulip another eight seconds astern.

This was an important victory for the progressive championship leader Wobbly Boot as they settle into the final month of racing to decide the short course racing crew for 2012.

They have recorded a string of minor results since returning to club racing after recording a disappointing result in the Telcoinabox Airlie Beach Race Week in late August.

However following her important win Wobbly Boot is now well back on track to wrap up the 2012 Edges Boat Yard trophy series when the final race is decided next month.

Meanwhile Dan White managed to protect his sailing space in the slower sailing conditions which prevailed for the Division 3 class to steer Riff Raff to a 46 second line honours win over the Alan Sneddon helmed Pacific Phoenix while Brian Fleming steered Concubine into third another 20 seconds astern.

Unfortunately Roger Boast and his Serendipity crew who finished almost five minutes behind Riff Raff had sailed fast enough to protect her low rating to deny the Riff Raff crew the chance of securing the line honours and handicap double when Serendipity officially claimed her 43 second victory over Riff Raff who just managed to beat Concubine by four seconds.