Edges Boat Yard Sprint Race - Winterbourne dominates

by Ian Grant. on 3 Dec 2012 After losing the overall crown in last month’s Telecoinabox Airlie Beach Race Week, Whitsunday Sailing Club’s Ross Winterbourne is back in his winning ways as he guided his Bruce Farr-designed sloop Bobby D to a dominant handicap win in the 45th Race of the Edges Boat Yard sprint race on Pioneer Bay.

Winterbourne’s Bobby D capitalised on 12 knot winds to finish three minutes and four second faster than its next trailer Rod Sawyer’s Peter Norlin-designed Surefoot.

The victory was a welcome return to the winner’s podium for the popular Whitsunday Sailing Club skipper and crew.
They have recovered from losing an important overall class win in the Telecoinabox Airlie Beach Race Week in August to hand the local club fleet a lesson in the prevailing 12 knot tropical sea breeze to eventually record a three minute four second win over the Rod Sawyer helmed Peter Norlin designed Surefoot and the Joe Adams designed Damien Betts skippered Grizzly.

This trio of radically different designed yachts provided an interesting comparison for the Club handicapper who seems sure to adjust the individual time correction factors before Bobby D has the opportunity to remain as the combination to beat of the race track.

Sure their win was full of merit and it would be unfair if skipper Ross Winterbourne and his happy crew on Bobby D were slugged for simply sailing smart.

But the .861 correction factor is set to be changed after they recorded one of the best wins of the season.

The same will apply to Surefoot .977 and Grizzly .861 while respecting the fact of being outpaced on handicap by Bobby D were a class above the rest finishing almost two minutes ahead of fourth placed Sandpiper skippered by new owner Chris Chengody.

Tulip the Bernie Van’t Hof skippered Swan 45 predictably dominated the line honours when his major rival the Charles Wallis helmed Murray, Burns Dovell designed 41 Reignition failed to complete the course.

The Tulip crew were almost ready to prepare the mooring lines when Rod Sawyer steered Surefoot into second a little over 9 minutes astern while Kevin Fogarty’s Beneteau First 40 Twister claimed third another two minutes later.

However while the Bobby D crew remained buoyant over their impressive Division 2 class win Peter Michelson expressed his lengthy experience of racing on Pioneer Bay to steer his Austral Clubman 8 Lorna Rose Too, to an equally impressive line and handicap win in Division 3.

The Lorna Rose Too crew made all the time saving tactical decisions to win the class line honours from the Alan Sneddon skippered Pacific Phoenix and the Dan White helmed Riff Raff.

There clever tactical strategy also resulted in Lorna Rose Too recording a runaway 4 minute 38 second win on handicap with Anthea (Dewi Hughes) and Pacific Phoenix filling the minor places.