Atomic blasts to win as fleet waits for wind

by Peter Campbell on 6 Jun 2004 Being in the right place when the light northeasterly sea breeze wafted up Sydney Harbour proved the key to success in most divisions of today’s BMW Sydney Winter Series.

Racing began in a light westerly, then died away to nothing, leaving the big fleet slopping about for more than an hour waiting for the forecast north-easterly. Fortunately, the tide was ebbing to give the fleet some momentum down the harbour towards the filling sea breeze.

Fortunately, the CYCA’s race committee had signalled a shorten course at the start and there was enough puff later in the afternoon to bring all but a dozen or so boats across the finish line before the time limit.

“We a good first work to the Garden Island marks, then a reasonable spinnaker run past the Bradley’s Head mark, but then it just died,” reported Robin Bradshaw, skipper of Hornblower in Division G.

“There we were, small boats and big boats, side by side with our spinnakers sagging and only the tide to keep us moving. We were drifting for more than an hour and almost to the Sow and Pigs before the nor’easter filled in.

“But it did reach us it was a beautiful breeze, just what we needed to reach the Junction Buoy mark and then run back up the harbour under spinnaker to Shark Island and the finish.”

There were, of course, some frustrated crews among boats that had been in the top three of their division pointscore going into today’s seventh race of the BMW Sydney Winter Series. However, in most divisions the lead boat remains unchanged, based on provisional results.

Former Olympic and Admiral’s Cup sailor Denis O’Neil notched up his second win of the Winter Series with his radical Sydney Yachts built, harbour racer Atomic, after a close duel with Andrew Short’s former Volvo 60, Andrew Short Marine, in Division A, third place going to AFR Midnight Rambler, skippered by Ed Psaltis. Andrew Short Marine is now just one point clear of Atomic after seven races.

Stuart Gilbert, a one-time champion sailboarder, steered Inner Circle Rum to its second successive win in Division B to provisionally move to top of the ladder.

Second place today went to Georgia Express (Ian Guanaria), third to the consistent You’re Hired (Andrea Banks and Ros Morgan).

The radical Super 30 from the JOG fleet, The Cone of Silence, gave owners Jamie and Jenny Neill a comfortable win in Division C from Very Tasty (Christopher Sligar) and last Sunday’s winner, London Calling (Stuart Bancroft/Charlie Duffil). Pointscore leader Talon had a disappointing race, placing 13th.

The much sailed Cavalier 35, Superfine, skippered by George Waldhausen, was obviously in the right position when the nor’easter filled in, winning Division D from Casablanca (Stephen Roach) and Mortgage Choice RUMBA (Stephanie Cook, Robert Carr and Kerry Burke). The three top boats in the pointscore going into today’s race, Alibi, Foreshore and Sea Change, were well back in the fleet.

Big Blue, owned by Ann and Bob Penty, missed out on a hat trick of wins in Division E when she finished third, but provisionally still leads the pointscore. First place went to Scarlett O’Hara (Robert Skol), second to Kelly 2 (Neil Hamilton).

The fast finishing Wild Child (Phil Bower/David Eastwood) could not quite catch Half Hour (Paul Hendry) in Division F, but managed to beat Wild Blue Yonder (Terry Rhodes/David Nevell) for second place by just 26 seconds. Of the three top boats in the pointscore going into today’s race seven, the best placed was Froth & Bubble with a fifth place to move to top of the ladder.

In Division G, Peter Fallon and Jason Bennett’s Gold Dust maintained its pointscore lead despite placing seventh today, with victory going to Apache Star (Sandra & Ron Weston) from the fast-finishing Carnaval (Bernie Van’T Hof) and Searug Hoo Haa (Peter and Sally Howes).

Sextant (Dennis Doyle & Lynne Smith) was another boat to maintain its overall points lead with a second in the non-spinnaker Division J, her closest competition finishing back in the fleet. First place went to Kevin O’Shea’s Stormy Petrel, winning from Sextant and the casual entry, Plus 16 (Salvatore Ridulfo).

The Sydney 38 Division continues to see keen competition with first place today going to the black-hulled Team Lexus, owned by James Mayo, Rupert Henry and Angus Miller. Coming from the back mark in the fleet, Lexus won by a runaway 4 minutes 28 seconds from Estate Master (Martin & Lisa Hill) and pointscore leader Cinquante (Michael Jones).

Next Sunday’s BMW Sydney Winter Series race is a non-pointscore event because of the long weekend.