Down to the line to decide Winter Series winners

by Peter Campbell on 9 Jul 2004 Sunday’s final pointscore race on Sydney Harbour will be the decider in six of the nine divisions of the 2004 BMW Sydney Winter Series, with the two top scoring yachts equal on points in three divisions. Only a handful of points separate the leaders in four other divisions.

With a sunny day and north to northwesterly winds of 10-15 knots forecast, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is expecting around 140 boats to compete in an exciting finale to the BMW Sydney Winter Series pointscore.

The Sydney 38 Division, introduced for the first time this winter, has seen nine different race winners and any one of five boats could take out the pointscore on Sunday.

Michael Jones’ Cinquante and Team Lexus, jointly owned by James Mayo, Rupert Henry and Angus Miller, are equal on 369 points after three discards, with Martin and Lisa Hill’s Estate Master third on 367, closely followed by No Options (Darryl Hodkinson) on 365 points and Don’t Blink (Michael Delaney) on 364 points.

Sharing top of the leader board in Division C are two contrasting designs, James and Jenny Neill’s Reichel/Pugh designed Super 30, The Cone of Silence, and Michael Phillips’ Gib’Sea 44, Poppy, a more comfortable cruising boat. Each is on 357 points with The Cone of Silence giving 21 minutes start to Poppy on Sunday. Third on the pointscore is the Mumm 30 London Calling (Stuart Bancroft0 and Charlie Duffill).

Division J yachts race without spinnakers but the competition is just as keen with Kevin O’Shea’s classic Sparkman & Stephens 36 Stormy Petrel and Denis Doyle and Lynne Smith’s X 412 Sextant equal on 375 points going into the last pointscore race. Again, it will a question of catch-up, with Sextant giving Stormy Petrel a 15-minute start. The two leaders are ten points clear of the Sunfast 37 Aquaticus (David Stiz) and the Cavalier Gusto (Phillip Denison) both on 365 points.

A win last Sunday has brought David Fuller’s Sayer 40 Bashful within three points of the Volvo 60 Andrew Short Marine (Andrew Short) going into the decider. Bashful is on 373 points, Andrew Short Marine 370 with a close battle for third between two other Volvos, V2 (Nokia 2UE) owned by Mark Gray, Peter Sorensen, Julie Hodder and Stan Zemanek, on 365 points, and Seriously Ten (James/Roinson/Woodruff) and Denis O’Neil’s black-hulled Murray 51 Atomic both on 364 points.

Stuart Gilbert’s Farr 36 Inner Circle Rum looks near unbeatable in Division B with 370 points on the board, nine points clear of the Beneteau 47.7 You’re Hired (Andrea Banks and Ros Morgan) on 361 points, with third placed Pretty Fly II, another 47.7 owned by Colin & Gladys Woods on 354 points.

A second place last Sunday by Stephen Roach’s Northshore 38, Casablanca, has brought the boat to within three points of Division D leader Integrity, Andrew Stoeckel’s Beneteau 42.7, with the scoreboard reading 369 to 366. Only point back on 365 is the Lost Boys Syndicate’s Swarbrick 111 Alibi.

In Division E, Ann and Bob Penty’s Beneteau 38.5 Big Blue has 376 points on the board, five clear of the classic Swanson-designed Syonara on 371 points, which is one point clear of L’Eau Commotion, Grant Pollock’s Northshore 38.

Consistently good placings in Division F over the past ten races has given Wild Blue Yonder, a Noelex 30 owned by Terry Rhodes and David Nevell, a total 361 points after three discards, seven clear of the Masrm 920 Out of Sight (Matt Wilkinson) on 354 points, one point in front of the Mini Transat Wild Child (Phil Bower and David Eastwood).

With a margin of ten points, the Bonbridge 27 Gold Dust (Peter Fallon and Jason Bennett) looks virtually unbeatable in Division G with 373 points, with the Whiting half tonner, Apache Star (Sandra and Ron Weston) on 363 points and Kirralea (Vincent Munro) in third place on 361 points.

While this Sunday’s race will be the final pointscore, the following Sunday will be a special Trophy Race, with the BMW Sydney Winter Series closing on Sunday, 26 July, with the traditional Ladies Day Race.