Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Race Weekend

by Steve Harrison on 21 Apr 2006 Just days after the disappointment of having to withdraw before the start of the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race, it all came good for Mick Rowley’s Planet X which dominated the Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Race Weekend over Easter. Planet X won two out of the three races in the series to take first place from Mischief (Steve Harrison) and WWW (Lisa Blackwood).

With engine trouble and adverse weather preventing the Huon 10 from being able to get past Triabunna on the way to the start at Beauty Point they were forced to withdraw from the Three Peaks Race and immediately headed south to Dover for the regatta conducted by the Port Esperance Sailing Club.

The weekend commenced on Good Friday with the Dover Beachside Tourist Park Kettering to Dover Race designed as a feeder event to bring Hobart-based boats south. A very light northerly at the start turned into a southerly soon after with the breeze slowly building to around 20 knots at the finish. Planet X took the gun but it was WWW, Katandra (Paul Cox) and Myfanwy (Adrian Marsh) who filled the podium places.

The southerly persisted for Saturday building to 30 knots as the fleet was sent back out into the d’Entrecasteaux Channel for the Dover Pharmacy Partridge Island Race. With conditions too hazardous to send a mark boat out Course B took the fleet around Zuidpool Rock instead. WWW got an excellent start but was soon passed by Planet X which was first to the rock and to the finish taking third on corrected time. The winner was the J24 WWW from Mischief which also crossed the line second.

With the breeze still building in the bay the Race Committee postponed the Little Watch Shop Skipper’s Dinghy Race until Sunday morning. A unique characteristic of the Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Series this race requires keel-boat skippers to test their skills against each other in dinghies on a yardstick handicap. The breeze was still southerly but light and shifting making both boat handling and tactics a premium. Slingshot (Sharpie – Josh Reid) took line honours from One Vision (Laser – David O’Neill) and Munted Pinky (Corsair – Gavin Rigby) but it was obvious from half way up the first reach that Bad Influence, a 125 crewed by Mick Rowley and Peter Coad was going to take corrected time for Planet X. Second thanks to local knowledge was Armchair Admiral (Sabre – Steve Harrison) with One Vision taking third place points for True Blue.

A quick change out of wetsuits into wet-weather gear saw skippers and crews lining up for the Driftwood William Jackson Memorial Cup, the major race of the regatta. Though not getting the best of the start Scott Sharp’s Mumm 36 Sea Shells headed right and worked the lifts up the Hopetoun shore with Planet X not far behind. A close battle between Twice Five (Lyle Borlase), WWW, True Blue and Mischief continued until Mischief sailed a higher course above Charity Island to get into better pressure on the last run. Steve Harrison had borrowed the Kaufman 32 for the weekend from owner Adrian West after rig damage on the return from the Workforce Marine Mumm 30 Nationals had meant that his regular boat Oedipus Complex would be unable to make the regatta. Sea Shells crossed the line just under two minutes ahead of Planet X with Mischief third. Correct time results saw Planet X win from True Blue and Sea Shells.

Also racing on Port Esperance on Sunday were dinghies and classic boats. The B.K. Price Trophy race for dinghies, sponsored by Tasmanian Private Realty was again dominated by the Price family though this year father and son Scott and Ben sailing Laser Radials were separated by Darren and Caitlin Eggins in the NS14 Bumps. Scott Price was third while Ben accepted the trophy in memory of his great-grandfather from his grandfather John Price!!

The Riseley Cottage Classic Division had a leisurely jaunt around the bay with victory going to the Couta Boat Pelican (David Golding) from Déjà vu (Daniel Pullen) and Aotea (Noel Doepel).

The Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Race Weekend was also the concluding event for the inaugural Athol Walter Huon Challenge Trophy. This is awarded to the best performed boat in the three premier races in the Huon Valley Regattas, namely the Cock of the Huon Race in the HYC / DSS Pipe Opener Series, the PCSC Cygnet Regatta Race and the William Jackson Cup on Port Esperance. The trophy is named after legendary Huon Valley and Tasmanian boat-builder Athol Walter. Fittingly it was won by the boat that had to come the furthest to compete in the three regattas, Lisa Blackwood’s WWW. Vice Commodore of the Derwent Sailing Squadron, Lisa has taken on board the challenge to boost participation at the events and.

Once again shore events were a highlight with partying into the small hours and entertainment from local duo Dave & Jo. At the presentation legendary local sailor Ben Oakley enthralled the crowd with tales of sailing Heavyweight Sharpies in the 1930’s and presented the club with a classic trophy to be presented to the winner of the PESC Summer Pennant Series, this year going to Armchair Admiral (Steve Harrison).

Everyone who attends the regatta knows that it’s one of Australia’s best kept secrets in terms of competition and fun times to be had. PESC Commodore Gavin Rigby asked competitors not to keep that secret and to have the commitment to encourage two more boats each to make the trip down next year.

The Port Esperance Sailing Club would like to thank all the volunteers who made the regatta possible, the bar staff, race committee and the sponsors for making it financially possible.