Septuagenarian skipper goes high tech in IRC

by Peter Campbell on 17 Aug 2008
Whitsunday yachtsman Harold Menalaus, at the senior age of 79, is arguably the oldest owner/skipper competing in the 2008 Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week, helming Treasure VIII in IRC Division 2.

The retired share investor, originally from Melbourne and then Sydney, has lived at Airlie Beach for the past 15 years and reckons that over the years he has owned 18 boats.

Most of them have been comfortable cruisers, but to satisfy his ‘end of life crisis’ he elected to step up a mark and buy a Sea Quest 36, Reichel/Pugh-designed fast racer/cruiser from the design board of the noted US naval architects who have created such grand prix racers as Wild Oats XI.

‘Harold is a very keen sailor, a good helmsman, but he bought this boat primarily to win line honours in the Whitsunday Sailing Club’s Wednesday afternoon races,’ tactician Chris Pomfret said today.

The impressive-looking RP 36 is built by Sea Quest Yachts in Dubois and while there are no exotic materials used in the hull or rig, this boat is to the forefront of modern racer/cruiser designs.

A feature is the 49% ballast to displacement ratio which makes them a very stiff boat, clearly evident in today’s fresh 18-20 knot south-easterly breeze on Pioneer Bay.

With no overlapping headsails, a sweptback spreader rig and a comfortable interior, the Sea Quest RP 36 is an easy to sail boat for short-handed sailing or a rewarding full-on racing boat, while the interior layout provides for comfortable cruising.

After three races in IRC Division 2, Treasure VIII is third overall in standings with places of 4-2-3. Unbeaten so far is Geoff Pearson’s Archambault 35 Arajilla, while the Sydney 38 Zen (Gordon Ketelbey) has moved into second position with placings of 2-3-2.

Race four for the IRC divisions is continuing this afternoon, with Graham Jones’ Benetau First 45 Bluewater from Port Douglas Yacht Club upsetting the grand prix races in IRC Division 1 this morning’s short windward/leeward course race three.

Bluewater won on corrected time from Michael Hiatt’s Cookson 50 Living Doll and Ray Roberts’ Quantum Racing, leaving Living Doll heading the pointscore.