Mount Gay Monday Twilight Series decided

by Roger Wragby on 7 Mar 2007 Monday night’s shortened final race of the CYCA's 2006/7 Mount Gay Monday Twilight Series was an exciting end to the series with dire warnings of electric storms and destructive winds, none of which eventuated on the Harbour.

Fleets this year have averaged 30 competitors, compared to 25 last year, and the weather has been much kinder than for the Wednesday twilighters with no races abandoned, relatively few shortened and generally good breezes throughout.

Division 1 line honours regularly went to You’re Hired, Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks’ powerful Davidson 58, and this was reflected in their convincing victory in the IRC Division – where after four drops they finished with 13 points from 13 races!

A consistent performance by Cyrene 3, Mike Selby and Elena Wise’s X 412, gave them second place in IRC, and meant that every crew member was able to sport a Mount Gay polo shirt in the final race. Third in IRC was John Balderstone’s beautiful Sydney 47CR Jem, snatching the podium position on a count back from Limebridge Sea-Change, Mike Belakhov’s familiar Sydney 36.

In PHS Division 1, Darryl Hodgkinson’s Sydney 38 Uplift, regularly beat the other 38s and bigger boats to take the pointscore from Rob Skol’s classic 30 square metre Scarlett O’Hara, with its crew of scarlet clad ‘piratesses’. Third place went to Adrian and Jackie Abbott’s Kirribilli, which had great fun throughout the season with their talented young crew.

Division 2 was the most closely contested division with the final positions only clear after the last race. In the end, a determined Nathan Smith and his crew on the Young 780 Froth & Bubble won the last race by four minutes to take the pointscore from Karl Matiszik’s Carter 33 Cartwheel, with Peter Wintle on Morning Calm in third place.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all participants for another successful season of Monday Twilight Racing, and to our sponsors Mount Gay for their support and great prizes.