15 secs decides Sunferries Magnetic Island series

by Rob Kothe & Al Constable on 11 Sep 2007 Excitement today as the winners of the inaugural Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week were decided in the last Round the Bay Race. Under blazing blue skies and with the breeze building Race Director Denis Thompson gunned the fleet away at 1130.

In the IRC and PHS fleets Wayne Millar’s Zoe came in fast to the start line, two boats above her title rival, Harold Clarke’s Invincible. Invincible was pinned underneath Mike Steel’s much slower High Flyer III.

Invincible had to depower and then tack across her stern. Zoe kept going left with John Stoke’s Mach I behind her.

Tactician Mark Vickers positioned Zoe in the middle of the course, while Invincible stayed on the right. When Zoe rounded she was more than two minutes ahead of Invincible but as the fleet ran down Cleveland Bay towards Townsville the breeze was softening, when Zoe ghosted around the Townsville mark, it was barely more than five knots.

Behind her the pressure was building and Mach 1 and Invincible were bringing breeze down the Bay. As Zoe reached north west towards the Middle Reef cardinal mark it looked like she was behind on corrected time, but she made big gains up the beat.

Behind her Invincible has more pressure but she was fighting the traffic, both from her own division and from other fleets.

Harold Clark commented post race; ‘We had to sail out of our skins, we knew every second counted, we had traffic at the corners and we had to dive between boats from other divisions, we were forced wide and lost 20 seconds at the last mark, but we really worked hard up the final beat. That was one of most high pressure races we’ve ever sailed. This whole trip will have been 4,500 nautical miles by the time we get home but it will certainly has been memorable.’

Invincible had won by a heart breaking 15 seconds on handicap from Zoe, Wayne Millar’s Murray 41 from the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club with Mach 1 John Stokes’ Bavaria Match 38, third.

Magnetic Island may be a long way from home for the crew of Invincible, but the journey was worth while as they are the overall winners of the IRC division and the inaugural Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week. Zoe was second and Mach 1 third, in IRC.

Wayne Millar commented, ‘Harold and his Invincible team sailed very well. They picked the shifts and the angles. They certainly deserved to win.

‘This was a very well organised regatta...very good on water management, in some challenging conditions.

In the PHS fleet’s Race 4 today Ian Hamilton’s Farr 1104 Akarana was too good for her opposition. Akarana won from Mummbo, Chris Smith’s Mumm 36 with John Stoke’s Bavaria Match 38, Mach 1, third. Akarana won PHS overall, with Mummbo and High Flyer III (Mike Steel) completing the podium placings.

A smiling Ian Hamilton commented this afternoon ‘We were getting better every day, the handicaps were getting tougher too and we just had to sail harder. Overall the sailing was excellent, a great regatta.’

Today Savanna, Murray Whitehead’s Adams won on handicap in the Cruising with Spinnaker division. Rising Farrst, Peter Robbins’ Farr 1104 was second with Illusion, Graham van Brederode Adams 10, third. Savanna won the Cruising with Spinnaker division overall after coming home in the last two races with first placings. Illusion and The Major, Michael Gillum’s Swarbrick, filled the minor positions.

Whitehead built his 45 foot Adams/Radford Savanna ‘from Port Kembla Pine’ (steel) over a 12 year period and he sailed this regatta with some of the team who helped him build her, including Steve Anderson, Russell Kingston and sailing mate Ronnie Freeman.

‘We really did not expect to win, we have a spinnaker made of reject patches, but the old girl just flew,’ Whitehead said dockside this afternoon.

PHS Non Spinnaker division Race 4 went to Vantage, Bob Kemlin’s Mottle 27 from My Way, Terry Price’s Bavaria 34 with Dave Short’s Hunter, Pro Beat Passion, in third.

Overall in this division Vantage secured the top position today with her win in Race 4, with Pro Beat Passion from the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club second and White Pearl, while Gary McCarthy’s elegant Simonis from the Mooloolaba Yacht Club finished third.

Vantage's owner/skipper Bob Kemlin was all smiles. ‘This is Vantage’s first regatta, it was loads of fun.’

Dave Short from Pro Beat Passion commented ‘the party will light up tonight.’

The inaugural Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week has been a great success, and the team of volunteers from the Townsville Sailing Club has proved an intergral part of this regatta.

Regatta Director Denis Thompson remarked 'The event volunteers deserve high praise for the enthusiasm, professionalism and devotion. This venue has enormous potential; the local sailing community has worked hard to make it the success that it is.’

Martin Cesar, Commodore of the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club commented, 'The volunteers have not only sacrificed the MIRW days, but in the months leading up to the event a lot of time was spent organising boats, crew, equipment and the general logistics of how the week was going to run.'

'A history of successful Townsville club and Dunk and Hinchinbrook Island regattas has seen the Townsville Cruising Yacht Club members participate and gain experience in race management, marketing, merchandising and of course, social functions.

'The volunteers are not only committee members from the club, but the regular club members and friends and family of the racing fraternity and a big thank you to Townsville Sailing Club volunteers.’

Cesar continued, ‘We expect this event to grow with each coming year, just as the Audi Hamilton Island and Meridien Marinas Airlie Race Weeks have, due to its accessibility, excellent weather and the surreal beauty of Magnetic Island.’

Terry Dodd’s the CEO of Sunferries, the major event sponsor had the final word. ‘We are really pleased with what has been achieved this year by a great team.

‘This event showcases Magnetic Island and the Townsville region to both the sailing community and a much wider national and international audience.'

'This week we start planning for 2008, on a bigger and better version.'

BOAT	RACE 1	RACE 2	RACE 3	RACE 4	RACE 5	TOTAL
IRC
INVINCIBLE	2	1	2	1	1	7
ZOE	1	2	1	2	2	8
MACH 1	4	3	3	3	3	16
PHS
AKARANA	2	4	1	1	1	9
MUMMBO	3	2	5	3	2	15
HIGH FLYER III	1	1	4	6	5	17
THE BOAT	6	5	2	2	6	21
INVINCIBLE	5	6	3	5	4	23
MACH 1	8	3	6	7	3	27
ZOE	4	7	7	4	7	29
CRUISING WITH SPINNAKER
SAVANNA	6	2	1	1		10
RISING FARRST	1	7	3	2		13
ILLUSION	4	4	4	3		15
TOO SHEA	7	1	2	6		16
THE MAJOR	2	5	6	4		17
LIBRIAN	5	3	7	5		20
FARRAGO	3	6	5	8		22
CRUISING WITHOUT SPINNAKER
VANTAGE	5	1	2	1		9
PROBEAT PASSION	4	2	1	3		10
WHITE PEARL	1	7	3	6		17
MY WAY	7	3	6	2		18
AUSSIE RULES	3	6	5	4		18
MUSTANG KELLY	6	4	4	5		19
WARRIGAL	2	5	7	8		22
TCYC          Date:	11/09/2007
Event:	IRC RACE 5
Conditions:	8 -13 KTS NE
Start Time	11:30:00
Yacht Name	Details	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	CBH	CBH CT	CBH Place
INVINCIBLE	FARR 1104	14:10:29	02:40:29	0.986	02:38:14	1
ZOE	IMA 41	13:47:46	02:17:46	1.154	02:38:59	2
MACH 1	BAVARIA MATCH 38	14:07:20	02:37:20	1.056	02:46:09	3
TCYC             Date:	11/09/2007
Event:	PHS  BAY TRIANGLE
Conditions:	8 12 KTS NE
Start Time	11:30:00
Yacht Name	Details	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	PBH	PBH CT	PBH Place
AKARANA	FARR 1104	14:19:02	02:49:02	0.825	02:19:27	1
MUMMBO	MUMM 36 MOD	14:01:28	02:31:28	0.937	02:21:55	2
MACH 1	BAVARIA MATCH 38	14:07:20	02:37:20	0.923	02:25:13	3
INVINCIBLE	FARR 1104	14:10:29	02:40:29	0.916	02:27:00	4
HIGH FLYER III	ROSS 780	14:38:44	03:08:44	0.782	02:27:35	5
THE BOAT	WINDSPEED 32 EXT	14:10:29	02:40:29	0.950	02:32:28	6
ZOE	IMA 41	13:47:46	02:17:46	1.120	02:34:18	7
TCYC             Date:	11/09/2007
Event:	CRUISING SPIN BAY TRIANGLE
Conditions:	8-13 KTS NE
Start Time	11:40:00
Yacht Name	Details	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	PBH	PBH CT	PBH Place
SAVANNA		14:02:47	02:22:47	0.639	01:31:14	1
RISING FARRST	FARR 1104	13:38:12	01:58:12	0.794	01:33:51	2
ILLUSION	ADAMS 10	13:44:55	02:04:55	0.774	01:36:41	3
THE MAJOR	S 90	13:44:23	02:04:23	0.778	01:36:46	4
LIBRIAN	SUPERSONIC 27	14:15:52	02:35:52	0.625	01:37:25	5
TOO SHEA		14:25:47	02:45:47	0.639	01:45:56	6
FARRAGO	FARR PHASE 4	DNS		0.796		DNS
TCYC             Date:	11/09/2007
Event:	BAY TRIANGLE NON SPIN
Conditions:	8 -13 KTS NE
Start Time	11:40:00
Yacht Name	Details	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	PBH	PBH CT	PBH Place
VANTAGE		14:32:49	02:52:49	0.578	01:39:53	1
MY WAY		14:29:39	02:49:39	0.602	01:42:08	2
PRO BEAT PASSION		14:13:47	02:33:47	0.670	01:43:02	3
AUSSIE RULES		13:58:39	02:18:39	0.745	01:43:18	4
MUSTANG KELLY		14:14:45	02:34:45	0.680	01:45:14	5
WHITE PEARL		13:40:25	02:00:25	0.874	01:45:15	6
WARRIGAL		DNS		0.800		DNS