Clean sweep in Scotchman’s Hill Division 2 for Skandia Courage
by Rob Kothe on 25 Jan 2005
Koomooloo QCYC
The 2005 Skandia Geelong Week fleet is certainly the strongest in the event’s history, with boats from every Australian state and territory.
Today, one of the most famous yachts in Australia won the Scotchmans Hill series in Division 2, with a clean sweep.
Don Freebairn’s Skandia Courage, best know as Koomooloo proved she was all class with a fine handicap win on Corio Bay. Koomooloo won the Hobart race in 1968, the year she was launched by Denis O’Neil, and twice represented Australia at the Admiral's Cup.
Last month she was the second oldest boat in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart fleet and was leading the fleet on handicap after the first night before she prudently retired into Eden, in the heavy conditions.
Magnificently restored and looking as pretty as she did in 1968 she rates well under IRC these days, as she showed when second in IRC at Hamilton Island’s Race Week in 2000. Her convincing Skandia Geelong Week Division 2 win illustrates just why the IRC handicapping system is so popular, as it levels the field for the newest plastic, fantastic race boats and for teak and mahogany veterans alike.
Skipper Mike Freebairn, was grinning broadly after the final race. ‘It was a great series for us, ‘the old girl’ loves flat water racing.’
Aboard Skandia Courage-Koomooloo were owners Don and Margaret Freebairn, daughter Vanessa and son Mike with Paul White, Peter Sherwood and Steve Zaphir who are all from the Wynnum Manly area in Brisbane with Williamstown local John Grima, completing the crew.
Second in the series was Shane and Maryvonne La Peyre’s and Al Doggett’s Skandia Passion, otherwise known as Vapour Trail. This Farr 1020 is one of five racing out of the Sandringham Yacht Club in Victoria.
Just as Passion is one of Skandia’s core values, the Skandia Passion-Vapour Trail team are passionate about sailing. In 2003 they sailed 3,200 nautical miles (6,000 km) to Hamilton Island and back, to race.
Gastroenterologist Dr Leslie Norton sailing in his first major regatta had a fine result, finishing third in the series with his Bavaria 38 Match, Mrs Over Newton.
‘We had a lot of fun here this week. We enjoyed this regatta so much we have decided to sail at Skandia Cowes Week later in the year.’
For full results: www.geelongweek.com.au
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