Beneteau book-ends the summer

by Jack McCartney on 4 Feb 2005 Australian summer racing season started with Beneteau successes in offshore races and the Savills Regatta and finished the same way with wins at Sailing South and Skandia Geelong Week

Starting as he meant to go on Michael Spies started the 2004-2005 Australian summer with a first up win with his new Beneteau First 44.7 National Real Estate.

The 27 Hobart veteran and 2003 Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner with the Beneteau 40.7 First National Spies won the Bird Island race, - the maiden race for First National and then followed that with an another impressive win in the Cabbage Tree Island Race.

Then the baton was passed to another Beneteau First 44.7 when David Mason’s Prime followed her classy second at Hamilton Island with an excellent win in the Savills Short Ocean Championships, beating Konica Minolta, Wild Joe and the rest of the grand prix fleet by a comfortable margin.

In the Rolex Sydney to Hobart, only 57 of the 127 starters finished this particularly tough race in what was very much a big boat race with the top six boats all from division A.

Upon reaching Eden, the leaders were greeted with a stinking southerly that inevitably ripped through the fleet reminiscent of a Denis Lillie '6 wicket haul'.

Stricken boats limped back to the confinement of Eden. As per usual, the Hobart brought the unexpected and trounced many of Australia's off shore specialists.

It the midst of the carnage, four of our Beneteau's strapped in and batted through the fearsome onslaught, padding up where necessary, to reach Constitution Dock and finish.

Michael Spies in First National (First 44.7) finished 15th over the line, 9th in IRC handicap overall and 2nd in IRC Division C.

Spies said, “ we had a good run to Eden and spent the rest of the race crashing into it, the boat held up extremely well”. Spies went on to say that he was disappointed to not win back-to-back titles but the crew were fantastic and they were pleased to make it there in one piece.

Integrity (First 42s7) headed by the father son combo, Matt and Andy Stoeckel reached Hobart in flying colours. Matt said “we had a fantastic run down the east coast to Eden, once we reached Bass Straight it became a battle for survival like most others but it was fun”. Enduring some breakages across the straight, this combo took the bull by the horns and rode it like a true cowboy to finish!

Michael Hyatt and his team on Elektra (First 47.7) finished a very respectable 22nd over the line, 22nd in IRC Handicap and 3rd in Division B.

Fine Line (First 47.7) chartered by a USA contingent put on a gallant effort to complete the 628 nm of madness. The ship otherwise known as Kioni finished 42nd over the line, 40th on IRC handicap and eighth in division B.

Colin Woods in Pretty Fly II (47.7) unfortunately was forced to retire resulting from a damaged HF radio. With the boat completely intact, masthead kite up in 30+ knots and smoking down the coast with Col gripped to wheel, it was very disappointing for the team to pull out after a fantastic build up and start to the challenge. Colin said “it was really disappointing as we had prepared so well and the majority of the boat was absolutely fine”.

The much-anticipated performance of the giant-killer Prime Time (First 44.7) came to an abrupt end 40NM into Bass Straight.

After trouncing everyone at the start and making fantastic time on his main rivals down the coast, leaping out the back of a huge wave saw the log pop out of the hull like a shaken champas cork, forcing them to head back to Eden to be re-plugged. Unfortunately the job was too big without outside assistance retiring this pace machine.

Chancellor, Ted Tooher's First 40.7 also retired after making it most of the way to Flinders. At one stage leading their division, Ted was very pleased with the way the boat performed. Not deterred, Ted said “there is a good chance we will be back to have a shot at the title in 2005”.

Rob Hanna and his team on Sea Eagle (47.7) took the go hard or go home approach running down the east coast fully stretched with his masthead kite up. After blowing out a few sails and taking 12hours to beat back to Eden, there was too much sewing for the lads so the call was made, “the 12 hour beat back to Eden was punishing, once there the boys realised the sow job was going to take another 10 to 12 hours the realisation was there”.

The Southern Hemisphere's most famous blue water challenge continues to test the toughest of discerning yachtsmen and is sure to draw a large crowd later this year in the charge down south.

Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs 2004-2005. Amidst the mayhem turning south out of Sydney Harbour heads, just up the coast a group of warm-blooded sailing fanatics chose to turn north out of Pittwater Heads and avoid frostbite! Not a bad option considering it was a spinnaker run all the way up the coast.

Among the golden globe contenders such as Targe and the latest Wild Oats, two Beneteau's joined the challenge. King of Pittwater, Greg MacMahon in Afternoon (First 44.7) competed in the Regatta to finish fifth overall. With two races in Pittwater, the distance race to Coffs and then two more off Coffs, Greg saved his best for last getting a third on scratch and first on corrected time to win the days racing. From Pittwater to Coffs, Afternoon paced with the leaders all the way up the coast only to park it just outside Coffs; Greg said “it was frustrating to watch three boats scoot straight pass us at the end of the race whilst we sat in the doldrums”.

Although Ray decided to relax at home for this year’s event, his Beneteau First 47.7 Honeysuckle competed as a casual entrant for the run up the coast. Ray said his crew had a fantastic race and great time with the only hiccup coming with a near midnight collision with a blind-tanker! A last minute effort by the crew saw them harden-up with the kite to try and cross the ships bow, only to blow out the kite under the load.

Avoiding the collision, Honeysuckle went on to get fourth in the PHS division by only six seconds to second place.

Bateman's Bay Regatta.

Greg Newton took his First 47.7’Antipodes’ down to the Bateman's Bay Regatta after doing Coffs for the previous seven years.

Over the six race tri-series, Antipodes stood above the rest winning on overall arbitrary handicap and Performance handicap. Winning both divisions at Port Hacking, a first and second at Bateman's Bay and going on to get a second in Performance handicap, third on scratch and fourth in arbitrary handicap for the passage race (Port Hacking to Bateman's),

Newton was delighted with the result “it is a very relaxed series which is what we like, it was great to see the boat perform well in conditions that ranged right across the spectrum. After doing Coffs for so many years, it was a nice change”.

Sailing South Regatta - On the Derwent

Michael Spies and his team continued on after the Hobart to compete in the Sailing South Regatta held out of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. With six races conducted on the Derwent, Spies and his team won five whilst coming second in the other. Winning on IRC and PHS, First National was crowned ‘the most outstanding boat of the regatta’. The breeze ranged from 5-40 knots once again proving the all round excellent performance of the 44.7 and Spies' well-meshed team.

Skandia Geelong Week

Returning across Bass Straight to compete in the largest Australian regatta Skandia Geelong Week in Geelong, Spies again had his eyes fixed on adding to his trophy collection. Winning three out of the seven races First National took out the Scotchman’s Hill IRC regatta, sailing against a high quality fleet. . Michael said ‘I’m proud of the team; we have really consolidated on our early hard work to run a tight campaign. Couldn’t be happier with the boat and I’m now heading to Dubai to compete in a regatta sailing on another Be