Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week - Fair winds celebrate 60th birthday

by Di Pearson on 6 Sep 2016 She is 60 years old this year and is spending part of her birthday tour at Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week, where the beautiful timber yacht ‘Fair Winds’ is unsurprisingly being admired by all.

Mark Chew and wife Sally Ann Balharrie are used to all the attention their Philip Rhodes designed yacht built by Abeking and Rasmussen in Bremen, Germany, receives.

“We get a lot of people want to come on board and have a look – I love that,” Chew says.

“I am her fourth owner,” Chew says of the 13 metre classic yacht which was originally built for a West-Coast American owner. “I saw her for sale in Trader Boat – the bible of dreams. I went to Auckland in 2002 and fell in love after a holiday on board. I bought her and sailed her back to Melbourne.”

“I’ve had wooden boats before and wanted another. She was designed by Philip Rhodes – a most underrated designer,” he says. “She is design number 633 and was originally built of mahogany on oak frames, but we replaced the oak with Kauri planks,” he says of the yacht which is beautifully varnished timber below decks.

Since his purchase, Chew and a growing list of friends have done a lot of sailing around Tasmania, up to Hamilton Island, up and down east coast, back to New Zealand, then up to New Caledonia. “Sally Ann is really into the sailing when we arrive at regattas,” he says.

“Four friends who came back from New Zealand with me are sailing at Magnetic Island Race Week with me. Fair Winds lives at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria in Williamstown, but we are away a lot of the time. We will sail back there eventually,” her owner says.

Painted white and flying an Australian flag at the stern, Fair Winds appropriately has a meticulously crafted wooden dinghy to match.

“We had an old leaky dinghy that was forever being patched, so we ordered plans for a Philip Rhodes seven and a half foot wooden pram (dinghy). Anthony Perry, a friend from Melbourne who is also here sailing with us, built it for us from goodness of his heart. It was made to sit on top of coach house when not in use – it was purposely built that way,” Chew explains.

“My boat has no auto helm, one foot pump, no hot water. It’s not an easy boat to sail. My crew are wonderful. Without them, deliveries, maintenance etc. would not get done. Chris, our navigator/tactician, and his wife Sally Clapp have helped so much.

Chew, originally from England, and Balharrie are first-timers at Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week.

“We did our second Hamilton Island Race Week this year and because of the 60th birthday, we wanted to do a different trip with it, and Magnetic Island fitted in well. We sailed Fair Winds up to Sydney – we do bits of deliveries in drips and drabs. We took it easy from Mooloolaba to Hamilton Island and went into Lady Musgrove and Percy Island,” the yachtsman says.

“We saw so many whales – breaching right beside us this year. The whales have been a bonus – it’s been lovely.

“So here we are at Magnetic Island and we are absolutely loving it. It’s a different vibe. Everything is so central - we have an apartment right above the marina – 50 metres from boat. The feel of it, even on the water – everyone is so friendly. No testosterone flying, no pressure. Everyone is so helpful.

Everyone is still trying hard to win, but there is no aggro. I am really enjoying that – and we’ve still got two more days to go. We’ve never sailed up here before; the water and location are beautiful. I love everyone being together, not spread out, and the feeling at the prize giving is relaxed. Given the right circumstances, we would come back.

Chew also enjoyed the pleasant surprise of the Townsville Yacht Club organised barbecue on the beach at Cape Upstart prior to Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week. Totally unique to this event, around 100 people attended and dined on seafood donated by the Club.

“Competitors supplied the drinks. It was a wonderful night with a big fire on the beach, which is only accessible by water. It was really beautiful gesture,” Chew says.

Back in Melbourne, when Chew is not competing in the fortnightly classic races with Fair Winds, “We get 30 odd boats out and its competitive and getting bigger and better,” he helms ‘A Cunning Plan’ for owner Jon Lechte, taking in local events and the odd Sydney Hobart.

Results:

IRC & Performance Racing

Series Results [IRC] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		65007	ELENA NOVA	Andrew Pearson	CYCA	3.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
2		6838	PONYO	David Currie	HIYC	8.0	4.0I	2.0	2.0
3		5845	BOTANY ACCESS COCOMO	Peter Sorensen	MHYC	9.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
4		98	ZOE	Mark Vickers	TCYC	11.0	2.0	4.0	5.0
5		MH60	TSA MANAGEMENT	Tony Levett	MHYC	15.0	6.0C	5.0	4.0

IRC & Performance Racing

Series Results [EHC] for Division 1 up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		6188	WINE-DARK SEA	Peter Lowndes	RSYS/CYCA	10.0	1.0	7.0	2.0
2		8975	LAST TANGO	Phil King	CYCA	11.0	2.0	4.0	5.0
3		65007	ELENA NOVA	Andrew Pearson	CYCA	12.0	8.0	3.0	1.0
4		98	ZOE	Mark Vickers	TCYC	14.0	6.0	1.0	7.0
5		40021	GUILTY PLEASURES VI	Leon Thomas	TCYC	15.0	5.0	2.0	8.0
6		5845	BOTANY ACCESS COCOMO	Peter Sorensen	MHYC	16.0	7.0	6.0	3.0
7		6838	PONYO	David Currie	HIYC	18.0	9.0I	5.0	4.0
8		7717	BOADICCA	Mike Steel	TYC	21.0	4.0	8.0	9.0
9		6999	SENGA	Belinda Cooper	PDYC	23.0	3.0	10.0	10.0
10		MH60	TSA MANAGEMENT	Tony Levett	MHYC	26.0	11.0C	9.0	6.0

Cruising - Spinnaker Div 1

Series Results [EHC DIV1] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		H101	TEVAKE II	Angus Fletcher	HBYC	7.0	3.0	3.0	1.0
2		R187	BIDDY HU 11	Paul Lindemann	RYCV	13.0	2.0	5.0	6.0
3		R83	CHARM OFFENSIVE	James Permezel	RYCV	15.0	6.0	6.0	3.0
4	2.0S	500	ANTIPODES OF SYDNEY	Greg Newton	CYCA	16.0	7.0	7.0	2.0
5		AUS52	INFINITY	Edward Fader	RYCT	16.0	5.0	4.0	7.0
6		SM45	CHAMPAGNE	Mal Pirret	TYC	18.0	8.0	2.0	8.0
7		1129	FEMME FATALE	Ann Maree Shanahan	RMYS	19.0	4.0	10.0	5.0
8	1.0S	R1318	STORM	Tony Johnson-Sneddo	RYCV	22.0	11.0	1.0	10.0
9		E226	PILGRIM	Paul Ley	CYCA	22.0	9.0	9.0	4.0
10		6344	POPPY	Michael Phillips	CYCSA	23.0	1.0	11.0	11.0
11		Q090	SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE	Brett McDermott	TCYC	30.0	13.0F	8.0	9.0
12		R6806	BLUE CHIP	Ian Lewis	RYCV	34.0	10.0	12.0	12.0

Cruising - Spinnaker Div 2

Series Results [EHC Div2] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1	1.0S	SM3535	WHITE NOISE	Daniel Edwards	SYC	15.0	12.0	1.0	2.0
2		409	BRAVA	Tony Muller	TYC	15.0	9.0	2.0	4.0
3		1104	AKARANA	Vicki Hamilton	TYC	18.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
4		6067	JUST MAGIC II	Chad Leggett	ASC	19.0	13.0	5.0	1.0
5	1.0S	497	FARRAGO	Paddy McCutcheon	TCYC	20.0	1.0	11.0	8.0
6		R604	FAIR WINDS	Mark Chew	RYCV	20.0	14.0	3.0	3.0
7		181	TAP DANCER	Owen Stanley	TYC	21.0	8.0	4.0	9.0
8	2.0S	11	FALCON	Russell Kingston	TCYC	25.0	2.0	13.0	10.0
9		38	HELENA MAY	Lyndy & Chris Sawbri	TCYC	25.0	5.0	9.0	11.0
10	4.0S	430	CAPRICORN DANCER	Geoff Ingram	NQCYC	26.0	4.0	10.0	12.0
11		TSV37	ISEULTA	Tristram Denyer	TYC	26.0	7.0	12.0	7.0
12		SA310	SHIRAZ	Kevin Williams	CYCSA/TYC	27.0	15.0	7.0	5.0
13	3.0S	YC981	CELEBRITY	Wayne McNee	BSC	34.0	3.0	15.0	16.0C
14		YC598	WARRIGAL	James Finch	TCYC	34.0	10.0	8.0	16.0C
15		361	ANASTASIA	Gary Donnellan	CYC	38.0	11.0	14.0	13.0

Cruising - Spinnaker Div 3

Series Results [EHC DIV3] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		C192	NORTHERN MOMENT	Vic Stevens	CCYC	15.0	3.0	10.0	2.0
2	3.0S	373	JIMMY'S GHOST	Simon Monfries	TYC	16.0	12.0	1.0	3.0
3	1.0S	31	MARGARITA PEARL	Gary McCarthy	MOOLOOLABAYC	16.0	9.0	6.0	1.0
4		607	BEROCCA DAZE	Mickey Ink	CYC	16.0	2.0	5.0	9.0
5		4945	UNHINGED	Vaughn Thompson	TYC	19.0	8.0	4.0	7.0
6		803	CHAMELEON	Robert Clayton	TCYC	21.0	13.0	2.0	6.0
7		CAV35	ZEN	Jack Maguire	TCYC	22.0	6.0	3.0	13.0
8		84	SEALINK'S QUINKIN	Rod Finucane	TYC	23.0	5.0	8.0	10.0
9		6019	DRAGONFLY	John McFaull	TCYC	24.0	4.0	9.0	11.0
10	4.0S	C200	ESCAPADE	Mike Schmidt	CCYC	26.0	10.0	12.0	4.0
11		1478	LIBRIAN	Stanley Barnes	TYC	26.0	7.0	7.0	12.0
12		50	RAINBOW	Stuart Cocker	TYC	29.0	1.0	14.0	14.0
13		BOW08	SOUL SISTER	Donna Dewhurst	TCYC	30.0	11.0	11.0	8.0
14		402	KACHINA	Phillip McGuire	TCYC	34.0	15.0C	14.0A	5.0

Cruising - Non Spinnaker

Series Results [EHC] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		MH35	FORTIFIED	Graham Van Brederode	TYC	11.0	8.0	2.0	1.0
2	1.0S	6632	PINDIMARA	Mark McLean	MHYC	12.0	6.0	1.0	5.0
3		6244	FARE THEE WELL	Angus Jackson	WSC	12.0	3.0	5.0	4.0
4	1.0S	00100	ENCORE	Jim Milledge	RYCT	13.0	1.0	9.0	3.0
5		400	FREYA	Russell McLaughlin	TYC	13.0	2.0	4.0	7.0
6		PF57	FLASHDANCE II	Brian Evans	CSC	15.0	7.0	6.0	2.0
7		7022	STILL DANGEROUS	Ivor Burgess	RPAYC	20.0	4.0	8.0	8.0
8		PD447	SHAZAM	Doug Ryan	PDYC	21.0	12.0	3.0	6.0
9		467	QUIET ACHIEVER	Ben Plummer	MAG	26.0	5.0	10.0	11.0
10		51	CALLISTA	Ron Knott	TCYC	29.0	13.0	7.0	9.0
11		M45	EQUINOX	Phil & Eleanor Cunni	LMYC	30.0	9.0	11.0	10.0
12	10.0S	SB600	SANTIAGO	Catherine Schnell	TCYC	38.0	10.0	13.0	15.0R
13	11.0S	X372	MELITA	Mark Yates	N/A	38.0	11.0	14.0	13.0
14		B38	OSTARA	Lance Denby	TCYC	38.0	14.0	12.0	12.0

Multi-Hulls

Series Results [EHC] up to Race 3

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		TV389	THE BOAT	Graeme Etherton	TYC	6.0	1.0	3.0	2.0
2		N36	NACRA36C	Malcolm Richardson	PDYC	7.0	5.0	1.0	1.0
3		042	MISTRESS	Dennis Coleman	TCYC	8.0	3.0	2.0	3.0
4		3823	SALACIA	Ian Johnson	TYC	10.0	2.0	4.0	4.0
5		B112	A WHITER SHADE OF PA	Roger Jepson	RBYC	14.0	4.0	5.0	5.0
6		C23	ALLEGRO OF SOUTHPORT	D Bull / P Collidge	RBYC	19.0	6.0	7.0F	6.0