Prince Philip Cup 2015 - Ingate sets another age record

Prince Philip Cup running under spinnaker on Port Phillip today with Melbourne skyline in the distance - Prince Philip Cup Australasian Dragon Class Championship 2015. David Staley - copyright

Veteran Gordon Ingatge and his crew of Whimsical - Prince Philip Cup Australasian Dragon Class Championship 2015. © David Staley - copyright

In a last day duel, sailed in steady rain and light winds, Whimsical finished just one point clear of British yachtsman Robert Campbell, sailing the borrowed Sydney boat Indulgence.

Third place overall went to another RSYS entry, skippered by Wolfe Breit with an experienced crew that included Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race winning skipper Roger Hickman.

The victory climaxes a remarkable sailing career for Ingate spanning some 75 years, including 58 years sailing in Dragons, which has seen Ingate represent Australia at the Olympic Games, the Admiral’s Cup, the America’s Cup and at world championships in the International Dragon and 5.5 metres classes.

He also finished a close second overall in the 1972 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, skippering the famous yacht Caprice of Huon, beaten by USA America’s Cup sailor Ted Turner sailing a converted 12-metre, American Eagle.

Despite his long career in the Dragon one-design class, Ingate had not won the Prince Philip Cup until the 2008 regatta on Hobart’s River Derwent.

The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron member began the 2015 Prince Phillip regatta, the Australasian championship for the Dragon class, with a four-three result but went into the lead with a two-one score on day two, just one point ahead of fellow RSYS member Wolf Breit, helming Shapes.

British yachtsman Robert Campbell at the helm of Indulgeance - Prince Philip Cup Australasian Dragon Class Championship 2015. © David Staley - copyright

Today, with discards coming into effect, the major opposition came from Breit and Robert Campbell, a past international president of the International Dragon Class Association who had until today had carried a 17-point penalty incurred from an OCS in race two.

A regular visitor to Australia for the Prince Philip Cup, Campbell had already made a cleansweep of the Albert Memorial Cup, a precursor to the Prince Philip Cup but the OCS made it a question of catch-up in the major event.

Day two saw Campbell and his crew of Sydney Dragon sailors Robert Alpe and Richard Franklin fight back with a 1-3 score, but still carrying the 17 penalty points.

Discarding the OCS result Indulgence and Whimsical on net six points each with Shapes on a net five points going into the final day after day three racing had been abandoned because of extremely stormy weather over Melbourne.

Today’s racing started in pouring rain and light wind. Ingate posted a win in the first race of the day, race five, from Shapes and Indulgence with the overall scores then being Whimsical and Shapes seven each, Indulgence nine points.

Indulgence won the sixth and final race but Whimsical’s second place gave Ingate and his crew of Brad Sheridan and David Giles the winning margin and his second Prince Philip Cup in 58 years of racing Dragons. Final scores were:

1. Whimsical (Gordon Ingate, RSYS) (4)-3-2-1-1-2, net 9 points.
2. Indulgence (Robert Campbell, Burnham-on-Crouch Yacht Club, UK) 2-(OCS)-1-3-3-2, 10 points.
3. Shapes (Wolf Breit, RSYS) 1-1-3-(6)-2-3, 10 points
4. Wizzzardry (Raymond Chatfield, RFBYC) 5-4-52-4-(8), 20 points
5. Ridgeway (Jeff Rose, RTYC) 3-5-4-5-5-(9), 22 points

Overall Results - Prince Philip Cup Regatta

						Race Number						Points
Pl	Name	Boat	Sail Num	State	Club	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total Points	Net Points
1	Gordon INGATE Brad SHERIDAN David GILES	Whimsical	DKA217	NSW	RSYS	(4)	3	2	1	1	2	13	9
2	Robert CAMPBELL Robert ALPE Richard FRANKLIN	Indulgence	AUS218		RSYS	2	(17) OCS	1	3	3	1	27	10
3	Wolf BREIT	shapes	aus213	NSW	rsys	1	1	3	(6)	2	3	16	10
4	Raymond CHATFIELD Peter MASSEE Karen CHATFIELD	Wizzardry	AUS201	WA	RFBYC	5	4	5	2	4	(8)	28	20
5	Jeff ROSE Zane RIDGEWAY Damien DANIEL	Ridgeway	AUS180	VIC	RTYC	3	5	4	5	5	(9)	31	22
6	Sandra ANDERSON	Liquidity	210	WA	RFBYC	6	2	(8)	4	7	4	31	23
7	Michael WILKINSON Roger MASTERS Stephen FRIES	Xanthos	AUS212	TAS	RYCT	(12)	9	7	7	9	5	49	37
8	Angus RONEY	LYLA	194	VIC	RBYC	7	7	9	8	10	(12)	53	41
9	Paul JACKSON Glenn NORTON Peter COLEMAN	DRAGON LADY	AUS165	VIC	RBYC	8	8	(11)	11	6	10	54	43
10	Anthony ARMSTRONG Brendan MOSS Andrew HOWE	FrenchConnection	AUS211	NSW	RSYS	11	6	12	(17) DNF	11	6	63	46
11	Hugh HOWARD Manuela GALVAO Julie CLARK	Tarakona	GBR600	VIC	Brighton	9	12	(13)	12	13	7	66	53
12	Charles STANTON Andrew MOSS Greg STANTON	AMAZING GRACE	AUS176	VIC	RBYC	13	10	(15)	9	8	13	68	53
13	Sarah CLOUGH Jayde ROSE Jacqui LOFT	Magic	D183	VIC	Metung Yacht Club	10	(17) DNF	14	13	12	11	77	60
14	Donald BLANKSBY Steven NEWLANDS James HARLAND	ASA	DAUS177	VIC	RBYC	(17) DNC	11	10	12.70 RDG	14	14	78.70	61.70
15	Christian BOILLOT Paul MCKENZIE James HEYWOOD	IMAGINATION	AUS179	VIC	METUNG YC	(17) DSQ	17 DSQ	6	10	17 DNF	17 DNC	84	67
16	Jeremy NOLAN	Dejoka	AUS148	VIC	RBYC	14	13	16	(17) DNF	17 DNC	17 DNC	94	77