Quantum Racing is King of the Derwent

by Peter Campbell on 2 Jan 2007 Ocean Racing Yachtsman of the Year Ray Roberts today steered his Cookson 50 Quantum Racing to victory in the opening race of the Boag’s Sailing South Race Week, sailed in conjunction with the traditional King of the Derwent.

He took out first place in the IRC division in both events, the King of the Derwent a one-off event and Sailing South Race Week a six race regatta that continues until Friday, 5 January.

A fleet of 42 yachts raced the 12 nautical mile windward/leeward course in a north-easterly breeze that freshened from 14 to 18 knots then, on the final spinnaker leg for Quantum Racing, veered to the east and freshened to 20 to 22 knots.

'We had a great last spinnaker run…we had 22 knots across the deck…we hit 17 knots boat speed,' the Sydney crew of Quantum Racing said later at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmanian.

The 50-footer’s speed on the last leg, in effect one close reach at high speed rather than longer two reaches and a gybe sailed by most other bots, clearly won Quantum Racing the opening race of Sailing South Race Week from the Melbourne boat Flirt, skippered by Chris Dare with expat Tasmanian Roger Hickman as sailing master – and sometime mastman!

Third in Sailing South results went to Wired, Stephen Boyes’ Farr 40 OD after a remarkable close encounter between the two other Farr 40 OD, Hughie Lewis’ Euro Central and Wayne Bank-Smith’s War Games.

Too close, in fact, at the top mark at the end of the third and final windward leg – the two boats collided, with War Games appearing to also touch the mark. A protest hearing may decide the issue.

Earlier, as the three Farr 40s rounded the windward mark for the first time, War Games broached dramatically as the crew hoisted the spinnaker, with Wired, close astern, having to take sharp evasive action.

Matt Allen’s round-the-world 70-footer Ichi Ban spread eagled the fleet in taking line honours with his Jones 70, modified since the Volvo Ocean Race around the world, crossing the finish line as Quantum Racing, in second place, rounded the windward mark for the last time.

Ichi Ban’s power over the relatively short windward/returns legs of today’s King of the Derwent left spectators – and other competitors agape as she powered away to windward and surfed downwind under her massive white asymmetric spinnaker.

However, Ichi Ban’s big win on the water was not sufficient to overcome her big rating, placing 5th in Sailing South Race Week results and 8th in King of the Derwent IRC results.

In IRC division results for the King of the Derwent which included boats from the Melbourne to Hobart Race and other local boats not competing in Sailing South Race Week, Quantum Racing won by 44 seconds on corrected time from Fruit (Mark Ballard) with the Victorian boat Flirt (Chris Dare) 1 minute 57 seconds astern in third place.

Several boats were penalised 20% of placings for failing the sail the proper course (they did not finish correctly at the leeward end of the course) include the Melbourne yacht Varta (L.Ford) which had provisionally been placed first in PHS Division 1 of the King of the Derwent Race.

This left the Hobart boat Silver Mist (Andrew Sutherland) taking first place from Quantum Racingand A Crewed Interest (Eddy Ragauskas).

PHS Division 2 went to Atilla skippered by John Hunn from Blitzbuggy (Ron Bugg) and Natelle II (Phil Jackman).

PHS and the Cruising Division results for Sailing South Race Week will be announced tomorrow.