Ragamuffin wins blue water championship

by Peter Campbell on 26 Mar 2002 When veteran Sydney yachtsman Syd Fischer steered his Farr 50, Ragamuffin, across the finish line of the Forrester Properties Sydney - Mooloolaba Race this afternoon he knew he had not won the race, but had clinched his eighth Blue Water Championship.

The prestigious Blue Water Championship is the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's pointscore of major ocean races through the season, including the Sydney to Southport, Sydney Hobart and Sydney to Mooloolaba races.

'That's what we set out to do at the beginning of the season, and while we know that Quest has beaten us in this race, winning the Blue Water Championship was our prime objective,' Fischer said after berthing at the Mooloolaba Yacht Club.

Ragamuffin was fifth boat to finish the 469 nautical mile race north to the Queensland Sunshine Coast, crossing the line at 15:00:05 hours, but Quest, Bob Steel's Nelson/Marek 46, was only 34 minutes astern at 15:34:00, with Martin James' Farr 65, Impetuous III, finishing between them at 15:06:30.

Provisionally, Quest is placed first in the grand prix IMS Division and Ragamuffin third, with Ninety Seven, Graham Gibson's Farr 47, looking almost certain to take second place as she powers towards the finish this afternoon in a fresh nor'easterly seabreeze.

Fischer said the race had been decided on when and whether one sailed close inshore or further off the New South Wales North Coast.

'Quest went inshore at one stage and we went offshore; they picked up a lot of time,' Fischer added.

'They also pulled out a lot of time on us when we were parked this morning after rounding Cape Moreton….we were caught between the land breeze and the sea breeze.

'Quest sailed an excellent race…they never made a mistake,' the champion yachtsman added.

Fischer said the race had been mostly two-sail close reaching, although they had had a good spinnaker reach throughout yesterday. 'Our new carbon fibre headsail was an excellent investment.'

Ragamuffin's long established crew included navigator Phil Eadie, crew boss Tony Ellis and trimmer Larry Jamieson, with Sean Kirkjian and Matt Hayes sharing the
steering.

Final results for the IMS Division will not confirmed until most of the fleet has finished as CYCA have to apply a post-constructed course including weather data.

Provisionally, the IMS winner is Quest from Ninety Seven and Ragamuffin, with up to three boats, Austmark, Sting and Brindabella still capable of beating the bigger yachts.

However, CYCA technical operations manager Mark Robinson confirmed that Grundig looked unbeatable in the IRC Division, giving Sean Langman the double of line and handicap honours.

In the PHS Division, the veteran Hogs Breath Witchdoctor, owned by the Rum Consortium from the CYCA, is back in first place ahead of Colin Franklin's Local Hero and More Witchcraft (John Cameron).