Yachts experience a wet and wild Dent to Dunk Race

by John Graham on 28 May 2007
The 2007 Dent to Dunk Race was sailed in untypical wet and windy conditions that you would expect to find in Bass Strait. Six yachts faced the starter in a five knot SE on Pioneer Bay, off Airlie Beach in the usually sunny Whitsundays. The forecast 25 to 30 knot South Easterly soon developed with rain squalls reaching a reported 40 knots.

Spud Gun, a Schionning catamaran, built originally for short course day racing, but meticulously prepared for this race, owned by Peter Millar of Airlie Beach, took Line Honours in a time of 22 hours 45 minutes. The little yellow speedster had a very fast and wet ride to average just over ten knots over the 228 nautical mile downwind course to Dunk Island then short upwind leg to finish in light airs off Port Hinchinbrook marina at Cardwell. The crew said they had a few 'interesting moments' in the squalls, but sensibly sailed a conservative race to complete the course without any problems.

Mummbo, a Mumm 36 sailed by Chris Smith of Townsville Cruising Yacht Club, was the first monohull to finish 2 hours 44 minutes behind Spud Gun to take the race on handicap. Another Fiasco, a Jutson 43, was next to finish 41 minutes later, after experiencing a few problems and breaking a checkstay in a wild 'Chinese gybe' about 03:00 in the morning, that took a couple of hours to sort out and settle the nerves. Mumbo's race winning tactic appears to have been the long leg out to the inner edge of the Great Barrier Reef and possibly smoother waters in the lee of the reef. This was disappointing for skipper Damian Suckling as he was hoping to achieve a repeat of his Sydney Hobart win on PHF, instead taking third place on PHF.

Mr Bojangles, a Northshore 38 from Hastings Yacht Club in Victoria, skippered by Pauline Cleaver came in a little over two hours behind Mumbo to take second lace on PHF by less than seven minutes corrected, and Naut-I-Lass Too, Neville Nev Edwards from Mackay YC finished in fourth place on PHF.

Greg Tobin’s Dehler 39 Dehler Magic from Mackay Yacht Club had the misfortune to split their main above the reef points so were unable to finish the race but did make it to Cardwell through the Hinchinbrook channel.

 

Dent to Dunk Race 2007

Provisional Results

Finishing order	Div.	Finish time	Elapsed Time	TCF	Corrected time	Place	Club
SPUD GUN	2	09:15:09	22h 45m 09s	----------	Line Honours	1st.	WHITSUNDAY SC
MUMMBO	1	11:59:04	25h 29m 04s	0·857	21h 50m 24s	1st	TOWNSVILLE CYC
ANOTHER FIASCO	1	12:40:10	26h10m 10s	0·915	23h 56m 42s	3rd	ABEL POINT YC
MR BOJANGLES	1	14:06:56	27h 36m 56s	0·795	21h 57m 15s	2nd	HASTINGS YC (Vic)
NAUT-I-LAS TOO	1	18:24:44	31h 54m 44s	0·765	24h 24m 46s	4th	MACKAY YC
DEHLER MAGIC	1	retired		0·820		DNF	MACKAY YC

·1     = 10 minutes / 100 minutes,   or   6 minutes / hour

·01    =   1 minute   / 100      “          or 36 seconds / hour

·001   =  6 seconds / 100      “          or 3·6 seconds / hour