Planet X in Orbit at Sailing South

by Peter Campbell on 5 Jan 2006 The crew of Mike Rowley’s Planet X were ‘over the moon’ when announced as winner’s of today’s distance race for PHS Division One of the Boag’s Sailing South Race Week.

PHS Division One, which also included most of the boats in the IRC division, sailed the same course down the Derwent River and into Storm Bay to round Little Betsey island and a mark off Yellow Bluff on Bruny Island before returning to the finish off Hobart’s Castray Esplanade.

Provisional results, which are subject to protest, placed Planet X , a Huon Ten designed by Rod Goode and built by Huon Yachts at Port Huon, first from Whistler (David Rees) and Oedipus Complex (Steve Harrison).

PHS Division Two sailed a course to round Betsey Island and return, with Wildfire (Dave Willans) taking line honours and first on corrected time from Madman’s Woodyard (Adrian Peterson) and Mischief (Adrian West).

The Victorian yacht Granny Apple, skippered by Leigh Bone, broke its mast on the return leg but reached the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania under power without assistance.

Tomorrow is the final day of racing in the Boag’s Sailing South Regatta with race officials hoping to resail the races for all divisions missed by yesterday cancellation of racing because of the westerly gale.

The IRC and PHS Divisions are scheduled to sail two windward/leeward races, but officials are planning to sail one of yesterday’s abandoned two windward/leeward races early tomorrow before these races. Then, if time permits, the second abandoned race will be sailed later in the afternoon.

However, the protests lodged following today’s racing will not heard until all racing is completed tomorrow.

The Cruiser divisions will sail their final race over a distance course tomorrow, with their Sailing South Race Week being decided on four races – one last Monday, two today and one tomorrow.