DSS Autumn Short-Handed Series – Hobart’s new boats show their paces

by Peter Campbell on 19 Apr 2015 Derwent Sailing Squadron’s Autumn Short-Handed Series – Hobart’s new fleet of Elliott 7 sports boats today dominated results in division four on the River Derwent, again filling first and second place on line and handicap.

Versatile Tasmanian yachtsman Rod Chamberlain, steering Elliott 1, followed his second place last Sunday with a hard-fought win today from Elliott 2 (Ollie Nicholas) in this two-handed spinnaker division.

The two boats crossed the line just 37 seconds apart and with identical handicaps placed the same order on corrected time, third place going to Which Way Up (Steve Davidson).

Four of the six Elliott 7 sports boats recently acquired by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania have been chartered by members for the short-handed series, also known as the ‘world championship of two-handed yacht racing’.

With entries now totalling 73 boats, it is the biggest short-handed sailing regatta in Australia, with a fleet of 50 contesting today’s race, sailed in a chilly 16-18 knot south-westerly breeze with gusts of 25 knots coming off the mountain.

Mark Ballard’s Ballard 42 South took out the line/handicap double in division one (two-up with spinnakers) second place going to Chris Sheehan’s Saga, third to Trouble (Dave Willans).

Division five (spinnaker) saw a bigger fleet of SB20s competing with Export Roo (Michael Cooper) dashing away from the fleet to take line/handicap honours from Big Ted (Alice Grubb) and Hypertronics (Stephen Catchpool).

The new division six for boats sailed three-up with spinnakers went to Wings Three (Peter Haros) and line honours winner Pisces (David Taylor).

Division two (two-up, non-spinnaker) saw Mem (David Kirkland) win on corrected time from the consistent Silver Mist (Andrew Sutherland) and Ciao Baby II (Gary Cripps), which had fastest time.

In division three, also a non-spinnaker division, Mon Amie (Phil Conyard) followed its second place last Sunday with a win today from Trad Jazz (Chris Thompson) and Dynamo (Stephen Davidson).

Pointscore leaders are two Sunday morning races are Saga (division one), Silver Mist (division two), Mon Amie (division three), Elliott 1 (division four), Hypertronics (division five) and Wings Three (division six).