'Royals' hold slender lead in Association Cup

by Peter Campbell on 4 May 2008 After the first day of racing, the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria holds a slender points lead as it defends the Association Cup, Victoria's oldest and most prestigious interclub keelboat regatta.

Two heats were sailed in a light and variable west to sou'sou'westerly winds on Melbourne's Port Phillip, with the 'Royal's' team ending the day with seven points while arch rivals, Sandringham Yacht Club, are on 10 points.

In third place are Royal Brighton Yacht Club on 20 points, followed by Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron on 24 points, Royal Geelong Yacht Club on 25 and Hobson's Bay Yacht Club on 29 points.

The Association Cup, officially the Victorian Yachting Racing Association Perpetual Challenge Trophy, pre-dates the ISAF (International Yacht Racing Federation) which this year is celebrating its centenary.

The regatta comprises four races , 2 Saturday and 2 Sunday, with teams competing in two IRC and two AMS divisions.

Highlight of today's racing has been the boat-for-boat duel with the RYCV's Living Doll, Michael Hiatt's Cookson 50 and Sandringham Yacht Club's Flirt, Chris Dare's Corby 46 in IRC Division A.

Virtually on the same IRC rating, they finished 9 seconds apart in race one, but Living Doll improved in race two to finish just over 2 minutes ahead , beating Flirt in both races on corrected time.

Sandringham's Dekadence, Paul Coombs DK46, took corrected time honours in the first race for IRC A, winning from Royal Geelong Yacht Clubs' Extasea (Paul Bucholz), Living Doll and Flirt, with veteran Lou Abrahams placing 5th in Challenge.

Living Doll carried the breeze to the finish of heat 2, winning from Flirt and RYCV team boat Executive Decision (Geoff Botica) with Dekadence 4th and Extasea 5th.

Competition was intense in IRC Division B, with Tasmanian Nick Rogers, a former World Champion in the Dragon class, steering Surprise, David Ellis' 11m Borrensen, to a close win in heat one for the RYCV. However, Sandringham's Absolut (Rob Hose) won heat two to square the team status.

Former 'Royals' Commodore Bruce Taylor's Reichel/Pugh 40 Chutzpah took heat one honours under AMS handicaps in Division A, while race two saw a win by former Mumm 30 Australian Champion Bruce Eddington in his imported US boat K2.

RYCV boats won both heats in AMS Division B, John Robb sailing his Noelex 25 Footloose to a close win in the first race while Top Gun (M Peters/G Rowland) won the second race.