Flirt leads Audi Top of the Bay regatta

by Jennifer McGuigan on 12 Mar 2007 After three races in the Audi Top of the Bay regatta series, being sailed on Port Phillip, Chris Dares Corby 49 Flirt leads by two points from Rob Hanna’s DK46 Shogun followed one point back by Michael Hiatt’s Cookson 50 Living Doll.

Royal Brighton race officials send Division 1, 2 and 3 boats on a 25 nautical mile course in 15 to 20 knot breezes.

With beautiful spinnaker conditions on Port Phillip Bay tidy crew work was essential to success today. Despite the lengthy course and gusty conditions individual duels were hard fought for the entire race.

The first leg was a close reach from the start to the first mark so it was important to cross in the correct position. The favoured end was the boat end and those who picked it were able to tack immediately to port allowing them to lay the mark.

Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll won the start and tacked to port to lay the mark closely followed by Blake and Mitchell’s Farr 52 Goldfinger (the former Ichi Ban). The four leading division 1 boats stayed close together for the entirety of the race resulting in a surprisingly close finish for this longer race.

Living Doll the Cookson 50 from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, revelled in the conditions coming across the line some 2.5 minutes ahead of the Sandringham based Flirt. Goldfinger was third across the line ahead of Geelong’s Shogun.

Living Doll also took IRC handicap honours with Flirt second and Shogun third.

In the series standings after three races Flirt leads by two points from Shogun followed one point back by Living Doll.

In the Division 2 start Grant Botica on his Adams 10 Executive Decision read the line well to marginally take the start from Ross Coates’ Affirmative Action.

Sandringham based Frank Hammond on his Radford 35L, Horizon Sprint stormed home to take line honours almost 15 minutes ahead of Executive Decision with Denis McConnell on Schuss a well placed third.

IRC handicap honours went to Executive Decision ahead of Horizon Sprint and Schuss.

Division 2 series results after 3 races have Executive Decision leading by six points from Under Capricorn one point ahead of Horizon Sprint.

Division 3 saw an emphatic victory for the Farr 1020 from Sandringham, Wavelength, Brendan Kruger’s crew working like clockwork to cross the line nearly 8 minutes ahead of Kevin Robinson’s Farr 1104, Rough Red and Greg Raynor’s Farr 1020, Island Trader.

IRC handicap also went the way of Wavelength with Warren Parker’s Double Malt second and Island Trader third.

Division 3 series result with three first places is led by Wavelength four points ahead of Double Malt then one more point to Island Trader.

The fourth cruising division race started with the fleet bunched and tussling for the lead as they headed to the first mark.

Paul Wise’s Instant Karma again showing the way around the mark and pulling away under its blue and white spinnaker from John Lakes Bella Blu on the way to the westerly mark.

At the half way stage Instant Karma had continued to make head way putting over a two minute margin from Malcolm Mitchell’s Caledonia. Mitchell with his big spinnaker flying had overtaken Bella Blu on the downwind leg.

As they came to the leeward mark the breezes easing to 15 knots the leading boats increased sail area Bella Blu making ground on Caledonia but Wise on Instant Karma continuing to show his years of hard fought ocean racing experience to maintain his lead.

Instant Karma crossed ahead of Caledonia with 14 seconds to Bella Blu, Bella Blu paying the price for not running the spinnaker early in the race.

Performance handicap positions went to Instant Karma, Caledonia and Frequent Flyer.

The series position after four races has Instant Karma leading by seven points from Ingénue one point further ahead of Farr Fetched.

Cruising Division without extras showed some close fleet racing, though Michael Eaton skippering Cassata lead from start to finish bringing home line honours from Ignazio Parolini on Stardust.