Final prizes handed out at Skandia Geelong Week

by Di Pearson as amended by Sail-World on 28 Jan 2007 Skandia Geelong Week came to a close with a number of classes finishing their final races today as sailors families and visitors to Geelong over the Australia Day weekend enjoyed the onshore entertainment such as James Blundell, buskers, comedians, clowns and more, not to mention the big screen action from the Week’s racing put together by Wes Greene and his team and commentated by single handed around the world sailor Nick Moloney.

The Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia and The Royal Geelong Yacht Club shared the Teams Trophy, both finishing the event on 78 points.

The Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia took pleasure from sharing the win in the Teams event with some great results from As Good As it Gets (Richard Fidock), True North (Andrew Saies) and winner of the Audi Series, Hardy’s Secret Mens Business (Geoff Boettcher).

The South Aussies travel a long way to compete at the event each year, so it was a good reward for their effforts.

True North helped the successful team by winning the Beneteau Vicsail Trophy for Beneteau 40.7s from fellow team mate As Good As it Gets by five points, with Melbourne entry Reverie (Alan Woodward) coming home third.

The host club team sailed well throughout the week, producing good results and the Royal Geelong Yacht Club team of Cinquante (Ian Murray), The Bookmaker (John Garner) and Shogun (Rob Hanna) were very pleased and proud of their share of the silverware.

Worthy of note is the fact that the Geelong team also won the Geelong Advertiser Trophy, the first time in some 20 or so years, since Bill Dodds team of Zulus were successful.

In the Classic Yachts for the Parks Victoria Trophy, Col Brandy’s Bungoona from Melbourne took the three race series by three points from George Fisscher’s S&S36 Boambillee (Vic), with Peter Costolloe’s One-Design Alwyn (Vic) third.

Cascade, Alex MacNaughtan’s Crowther 46 (Vic) won the closely contested Multihull Geelong Radio Cabs Trophy by two points from David Tapper’s Cirrostratus designed Shuttle, with former winner, Rob Remilton’s Farrier F9 Wilparina 11 from South Australia third.

Victorians filled the top three places for the Matilda Bay Trophy in Performance Racing. Lowa Paszko’s Jarkan 925 Rhiannon had a fairly easy run to the finish line, besting Geoff Baum’s Catalina 380 6 Foot 10 by five points and Wayne Williams’ Dehler 34 Savage third.

A popular Skilled Trophy victor in the Cruising Non Spinnaker Division was Trader Boat editor Geoff ‘Middo’ Middleton, who happened to win the trophy on his wedding anniversary.

Along for the ride was wife Jen, whom he affectionately calls ‘Darling’. 'I’m ecstatic with my win – especially as it’s our second wedding anniversary,' Middleton said.

'I woke her up this morning and said ‘happy anniversary Darling – we’re going sailing’, and she said ‘we’d better win’, and we did,' Middleton laughed.

The Melbourne pair, with their crew, sailed Lionheart, the S&S34 that Jesse Martin sailed single-handed around the world and made the record books, by becoming at 17, the youngest person to do so.

Lionheart won the three race series by six points from Gary Davison’s Clipper III and Austin Swain’s Saminio, both also from Victoria.

Host venue boats Nimrod 2 (Ian Watson) and Jimmy Blacksmith (John Sykes) finished first and second in the three race Cruising Yachts with Spinnaker A Division for the Coca Cola Trophy, with David Morrell’s Just Chillin taking third place.

Again Victorians topped the scoreboard for the Sunsail Division B Spinnaker trophy. Nicholas McGuigan raced Magazan 53 to victory from Mats Gamby’s Millennium Falcon and Jack Engwerda’s Braveheart.

Victoria came to the fore again in the in the Division D Spinnaker Division, with Geoff Chambers’ Evasion taking first place from Paul Smedley’s Liquid Asset and Paul Murphy’s Spirit in an all Melbourne show.

A number of dinghies and skiffs sailed at Skandia Geelong Week too and it was former Moth world Champion Rohan Veal with his latest spectacular foiling Moth that won the Yachting Victoria Trophy from Clare McAuliffe skippering Statler & Waldorf her 420 and Dark Horse II, a Laser sailed by Peter Wilson.

A Victorian entry also won the OK Dinghy Championship when Epoxy Magic (Michael Williams) came up with four wins from four races to take the trophy from two NSW boats; brothers Tom and Peter Burton sailed Corsair and Rush to second and third places respectively, finishing on equal points!

The International Cadets had two series, one sailed over two days the main prize winners for the Telstra Trophies were: Stephanie Strong with Shockwave and Joel Aulich with Oddessy.