Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week - Unique week of fun comes to an end

by Di Pearson on 6 Sep 2016 Unique is the only way to describe Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week which wrapped up today after the record 71 entries concluded their courses - some halfway around Magnetic Island to pretty Horseshoe Bay return, the rest on a shorter course to White Rock return.

Magnetic Island Race Week is the last of the northern regattas, which traditionally starts with the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, then moves to the Brisbane Great Keppel Race, Airlie Beach Race Week and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.

Townsville Yacht Club has come up with the right recipe for those who make it this far north and are tired out from serious grand prix racing. It should be proud of the event which celebrated its 10th year in 2016.

Event Chairman and Club Director Mike Steel and his co-organisers have done a wonderful job from the ground up, this year taking over running the event from sponsor, Sealink.

The Club invited competitors heading here from Hamilton Island to a barbecue on the beach at Cape Upstart. Inaccessible by land, and 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. The seafood was fresh and it was really beautiful gesture enjoyed by all,” said Fair Winds owner, Mark Chew.

The location and setting is unique too. Conducted from Peppers Resort where the majority stay, a one minute walk from the Nelly Bay Ferry, Peppers has it all. Everything is within a one minute walk – the marina, restaurant, rooms, pools, a local IGA store and cafes. There is no need to wander far – only on lay day to experience the rest of the compact picturesque island.

Mike Steel, owner of the yacht Boadicca, along with Rear-Commodore, Tony Muller (owner of Brava), also support the event by racing at it, as they did again in 2016. TYC board members and general members are behind the event 100 percent, supported this year by entries from other parts of Queensland and as far flung as Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Tasmania.

“I am very happy with how it’s gone. It’s rewarding when skippers come up to you and shake your hand and thank us for what the Club has put together.

“When you walk around, everyone has a smile and is having fun. The whole mood we have tried to put into place – it’s a party, it’s fun – has caught on. I thank the 20 people on our team who help put Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week together and to our many volunteers who have worked so hard this week. We’re all looking forward to doing it again next year.”

Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week started with 21 entries 10 years ago; that’s equates to a 30 percent increase over a short period of time.

And the conditions and courses could not be complained about. It’s warm and mainly breezy. The opening day eased competitors in with six to thirteen knots of breeze, enough to keep everyone interested and active. Day 2 was very light, but sunny and warm, and the final two days, after a lay day delivered the quality in easterly winds of up to 20 knots.

Elena Nova, chartered from Craig Neil by Andrew Pearson found the groove early on to claim first overall in IRC, counting four wins from five races. It is the fourth time he has attended the event and is just as enthusiastic as ever, despite an 'oops' in the windward/leeward race today.

“It (fourth) was our worst result – a result of too much Pommery champagne last night,” Pearson said. “We had to haul the spinnaker out of the water, but we didn’t hit the start boat. The rest was good. After all the effort Craig Neil (boat owner) has put into the boat, it has reached its potential.”

On the event as a whole, Pearson said: “I still believe what Bob Steel said last year; it is the best regatta on the eastern seaboard.” His crew concurred, as did those moored next to them on Champagne.

“Denis and his team did their usual great job – we had great racing and great conditions.”

Denis Thompson and his race management team set daily courses to suit the conditions, allowing yachts to return to the dock in time for the afternoon festivities, where it became one big party. On the penultimate evening, guests were ferried to TYC for a cocktail party.

Poppy’s owner Michael Phillips, who has come all the way from South Australia commented: “It’s a fantastic regatta, but we should have done better. The average age on our boat is 66 and we’ve all had a great time and we’d love to come back.”

Well known Sydney sailor, Peter Sorensen has done the regatta a few times. “We’ve enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, despite a few mishaps, including running into Middle Reef yesterday and breaking a jib halyard today.

“We’ve loved the entertainment and particularly enjoyed the MC (Scott Hiller) – he made the regatta for me – kept us entertained – he lifts the whole entertainment,” said ‘Sorro’, who chartered IRC third placegetter Botany Access Cocomo.

After a day on the water, it’s back to Peppers for the daily prize giving over drinks and barbecue food, or dinner at the restaurant, right in front of the action, where you can view the daily racing and dockside antics on the big screen.

It’s a fun regatta, and a few crews dressed up each day. Stanley Barnes’ Librian crew kept us guessing with different dress. Goddesses one day, Disney characters the next and on the final day it was the Supremes. Librian has attended every Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week since its inception and will be here again next year.

Because it is such a unique event, the prize giving is a buffet dinner in Peppers Restaurant for all competitors. Remember when we used to do that at regattas years ago?

For the first time there is a Perpetual Trophy – the winner of each division will have their yacht’s name engraved on this inaugural trophy. In another first, each crew of a division winner will receive a gold medallion.

Overall prize winners receive a bottle Pommery champagne, a Sea Hawk voucher for two gallons of boat paint and a Musto cap, while second and third places receive prizes from Ross Haven Marine and Musto.

Overall top three in each division:

IRC – five races:

1. ELENA NOVA, Andrew Pearson, CYCA, 4 - 1, [4], 1, 1, 1
2. PONYO, David Currie, HIYC, 7 - 2, 1, [4I], 2, 2
3. BOTANY ACCESS COCOMO, Peter Sorensen, MHYC, 11- 3, 2, 3, 3, [3]

Performance Racing – five races:

1. LAST TANGO, Phil King, CYCA, 11 - 3, 2, 2, 4, [5]
2. OS WINE-DARK SEA, Peter Lowndes, RSYS/CYCA, 14 - [11R], 4, 1, 7, 2
3. 6838 PONYO, David Currie, HIYC, 14 - 4, 1, [9I], 5, 4

Multihull – four races:

1. THE BOAT, Graeme Etherton, TYC, 7 - 1, 1, 3, 2
2. 1S, MALICE, Malcolm Richardson, PDYC, 11 -, 4, 5, 1, 1
3. MISTRESS, Dennis Coleman, TCYC, 11 - 3, 3, 2, 3

Cruising – Division 1 – four races:

1. TEVAKE II, Angus Fletcher, HBYC, 12 - 5, 3, 3, 1
2. 3S, CHARM OFFENSIVE, James Permezel, RYCV, 17 - 2, 6, 6, 3
3. BIDDY HU 11, Paul Lindemann, RYCV, 17 - 4, 2, 5, 6

Cruising – Division 2 – four races:

1. WHITE NOISE, Daniel Edwards, SYC, 20 - 5, 12, 1, 2
2. FARRAGO, Paddy McCutcheon, TCYC 21 - 1, 1, 11, 8
3. AKARANA, Vicki Hamilton, TYC, 22 - 4, 6, 6, 6

Cruising – Division 3 – four races:

1. NORTHERN MOMENT, Vic Stevens, CCYC, 17 - 2, 3, 10, 2
2. BEROCCA DAZE, Mickey Ink, CYC, 21 - 5, 2, 5, 9
3. MARGARITA PEARL, Gary McCarthy, MOOLOOLABA YC, 23 - 7, 9, 6, 1

Non-Spinnaker Cruising:

1. FARE THEE WELL, Angus Jackson, WSC, 13 - 1, 3, 5, 4
2. FLASHDANCE II, Brian Evans, CSC, 17 - 2, 7, 6, 2
3. 2S FORTIFIED, Graham Van Brederode, TYC, 18 - 7, 8, 2, 1

Complete Results:

IRC & Performance Racing

 

Series Results [IRC] up to Race 5 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		65007	ELENA NOVA	Andrew Pearson	CYCA	4.0	1.0	[4.0]	1.0	1.0	1.0
2		6838	PONYO	David Currie	HIYC	7.0	2.0	1.0	[4.0I]	2.0	2.0
3		5845	BOTANY ACCESS COCOMO	Peter Sorensen	MHYC	11.0	3.0	2.0	3.0	3.0	[3.0]
4		98	ZOE	Mark Vickers	TCYC	13.0	4.0	3.0	2.0	4.0	[5.0]
5		MH60	TSA MANAGEMENT	Tony Levett	MHYC	21.0	6.0C	6.0C	[6.0C]	5.0	4.0

IRC & Performance Racing

Series Results [EHC] for Division 1 up to Race 5 (Drops = 1)

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 5	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		8975	LAST TANGO	Phil King	CYCA	11.0	3.0	2.0	2.0	4.0	[5.0]
2	2.0S	6188	WINE-DARK SEA	Peter Lowndes	RSYS/CYCA	14.0	[11.0R]	4.0	1.0	7.0	2.0
3		6838	PONYO	David Currie	HIYC	14.0	4.0	1.0	[9.0I]	5.0	4.0
4	1.0S	5845	BOTANY ACCESS COCOMO	Peter Sorensen	MHYC	15.0	1.0	5.0	[7.0]	6.0	3.0
5		40021	GUILTY PLEASURES VI	Leon Thomas	TCYC	15.0	5.0	3.0	5.0	2.0	[8.0]
6		65007	ELENA NOVA	Andrew Pearson	CYCA	20.0	8.0	[9.0]	8.0	3.0	1.0
7	1.0S	98	ZOE	Mark Vickers	TCYC	21.0	7.0	[8.0]	6.0	1.0	7.0
8		7717	BOADICCA	Mike Steel	TYC	21.0	2.0	7.0	4.0	8.0	[9.0]
9		6999	SENGA	Belinda Cooper	PDYC	25.0	6.0	6.0	3.0	10.0	[10.0]
10		MH60	TSA MANAGEMENT	Tony Levett	MHYC	37.0	11.0C	11.0C	[11.0C]	9.0	6.0

Cruising - Spinnaker Div 1

Series Results [EHC DIV1] up to Race 4

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		H101	TEVAKE II	Angus Fletcher	HBYC	12.0	5.0	3.0	3.0	1.0
2	3.0S	R83	CHARM OFFENSIVE	James Permezel	RYCV	17.0	2.0	6.0	6.0	3.0
3		R187	BIDDY HU 11	Paul Lindemann	RYCV	17.0	4.0	2.0	5.0	6.0
4	1.0S	SM45	CHAMPAGNE	Mal Pirret	TYC	19.0	1.0	8.0	2.0	8.0
5		AUS52	INFINITY	Edward Fader	RYCT	19.0	3.0	5.0	4.0	7.0
6	2.0S	500	ANTIPODES OF SYDNEY	Greg Newton	CYCA	25.0	9.0	7.0	7.0	2.0
7		1129	FEMME FATALE	Ann Maree Shanahan	RMYS	25.0	6.0	4.0	10.0	5.0
8		E226	PILGRIM	Paul Ley	CYCA	29.0	7.0	9.0	9.0	4.0
9	4R	6344	POPPY	Michael Phillips	CYCSA	33.0	10.0	1.0	11.0	11.0
10		R1318	STORM	Tony Johnson-Sneddo	RYCV	33.0	11.0	11.0	1.0	10.0
11		R6806	BLUE CHIP	Ian Lewis	RYCV	42.0	8.0	10.0	12.0	12.0
12		Q090	SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE	Brett McDermott	TCYC	43.0	13.0C	13.0F	8.0	9.0

Cruising - Spinnaker Div 2

Series Results [EHC Div2] up to Race 4

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		SM3535	WHITE NOISE	Daniel Edwards	SYC	20.0	5.0	12.0	1.0	2.0
2		497	FARRAGO	Paddy McCutcheon	TCYC	21.0	1.0	1.0	11.0	8.0
3		1104	AKARANA	Vicki Hamilton	TYC	22.0	4.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
4		409	BRAVA	Tony Muller	TYC	25.0	10.0	9.0	2.0	4.0
5		11	FALCON	Russell Kingston	TCYC	27.0	2.0	2.0	13.0	10.0
6	3.0S	TSV37	ISEULTA	Tristram Denyer	TYC	29.0	3.0	7.0	12.0	7.0
7		181	TAP DANCER	Owen Stanley	TYC	29.0	8.0	8.0	4.0	9.0
8	3.0S	R604	FAIR WINDS	Mark Chew	RYCV	32.0	12.0	14.0	3.0	3.0
9	4.0S	430	CAPRICORN DANCER	Geoff Ingram	NQCYC	32.0	6.0	4.0	10.0	12.0
10		38	HELENA MAY	Lyndy & Chris Sawbri	TCYC	32.0	7.0	5.0	9.0	11.0
11		6067	JUST MAGIC II	Chad Leggett	ASC	35.0	16.0C	13.0	5.0	1.0
12	3.0S	YC981	CELEBRITY	Wayne McNee	BSC	43.0	9.0	3.0	15.0	16.0C
13		SA310	SHIRAZ	Kevin Williams	CYCSA/TYC	43.0	16.0C	15.0	7.0	5.0
14		YC598	WARRIGAL	James Finch	TCYC	45.0	11.0	10.0	8.0	16.0C
15		361	ANASTASIA	Gary Donnellan	CYC	51.0	13.0	11.0	14.0	13.0

Cruising - Spinnaker Div 3

Series Results [EHC DIV3] up to Race 4

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		C192	NORTHERN MOMENT	Vic Stevens	CCYC	17.0	2.0	3.0	10.0	2.0
2		607	BEROCCA DAZE	Mickey Ink	CYC	21.0	5.0	2.0	5.0	9.0
3		31	MARGARITA PEARL	Gary McCarthy	MOOLOOLABAYC	23.0	7.0	9.0	6.0	1.0
4		4945	UNHINGED	Vaughn Thompson	TYC	25.0	6.0	8.0	4.0	7.0
5		373	JIMMY'S GHOST	Simon Monfries	TYC	26.0	10.0	12.0	1.0	3.0
6		6019	DRAGONFLY	John McFaull	TCYC	28.0	4.0	4.0	9.0	11.0
7		1478	LIBRIAN	Stanley Barnes	TYC	29.0	3.0	7.0	7.0	12.0
8	1.0S	BOW08	SOUL SISTER	Donna Dewhurst	TCYC	31.0	1.0	11.0	11.0	8.0
9		84	SEALINK'S QUINKIN	Rod Finucane	TYC	31.0	8.0	5.0	8.0	10.0
10		C200	ESCAPADE	Mike Schmidt	CCYC	35.0	9.0	10.0	12.0	4.0
11		803	CHAMELEON	Robert Clayton	TCYC	36.0	15.0F	13.0	2.0	6.0
12		CAV35	ZEN	Jack Maguire	TCYC	37.0	15.0R	6.0	3.0	13.0
13		50	RAINBOW	Stuart Cocker	TYC	44.0	15.0C	1.0	14.0	14.0
14		402	KACHINA	Phillip McGuire	TCYC	49.0	15.0C	15.0C	14.0A	5.0

Cruising - Non Spinnaker

Series Results [EHC] up to Race 4

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		6244	FARE THEE WELL	Angus Jackson	WSC	13.0	1.0	3.0	5.0	4.0
2		PF57	FLASHDANCE II	Brian Evans	CSC	17.0	2.0	7.0	6.0	2.0
3	2.0S	MH35	FORTIFIED	Graham Van Brederode	TYC	18.0	7.0	8.0	2.0	1.0
4	1.0S	6632	PINDIMARA	Mark McLean	MHYC	18.0	6.0	6.0	1.0	5.0
5		400	FREYA	Russell McLaughlin	TYC	18.0	5.0	2.0	4.0	7.0
6		7022	STILL DANGEROUS	Ivor Burgess	RPAYC	24.0	4.0	4.0	8.0	8.0
7		00100	ENCORE	Jim Milledge	RYCT	28.0	15.0R	1.0	9.0	3.0
8		PD447	SHAZAM	Doug Ryan	PDYC	29.0	8.0	12.0	3.0	6.0
9		51	CALLISTA	Ron Knott	TCYC	32.0	3.0	13.0	7.0	9.0
10		467	QUIET ACHIEVER	Ben Plummer	MAG	36.0	10.0	5.0	10.0	11.0
11		M45	EQUINOX	Phil & Eleanor Cunni	LMYC	39.0	9.0	9.0	11.0	10.0
12		B38	OSTARA	Lance Denby	TCYC	49.0	11.0	14.0	12.0	12.0
13	10.0S	SB600	SANTIAGO	Catherine Schnell	TCYC	53.0	15.0C	10.0	13.0	15.0R
14		X372	MELITA	Mark Yates	N/A	53.0	15.0C	11.0	14.0	13.0

Multi-Hulls

Series Results [EHC] up to Race 4

Place	Ties	Sail No	Boat Name	Skipper	From	Sers Score	Race 4	Race 3	Race 2	Race 1
1		TV389	THE BOAT	Graeme Etherton	TYC	7.0	1.0	1.0	3.0	2.0
2	1.0S	N36	NACRA36C	Malcolm Richardson	PDYC	11.0	4.0	5.0	1.0	1.0
3		042	MISTRESS	Dennis Coleman	TCYC	11.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	3.0
4		3823	SALACIA	Ian Johnson	TYC	12.0	2.0	2.0	4.0	4.0
5		B112	A WHITER SHADE OF PA	Roger Jepson	RBYC	21.0	7.0R	4.0	5.0	5.0
6		C23	ALLEGRO OF SOUTHPORT	D Bull / P Collidge	RBYC	26.0	7.0C	6.0	7.0F	6.0