Fruit Machine leads Sydney 38 Teamsail Trophy

by Rob Kothe on 21 Apr 2002 The first day of the Teamsail Trophy regatta, conducted by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht club was sailed off Palm Beach, Sydney in light winds.

Neill Whiston's new Sydney 38 Fruit Machine leads round one of the Teamsail Trophy, the NSW State Titles after the first day.

The familiar Fruit Machine emblem on topsides, the battle flag and spinnaker has now been seen across three major areas of Australian offshore racing.

The first Fruit Machine, a Beneteau 40.7 took the 1999 Hamilton Island Race week series under IMS and went on to represent Australia in the Kenwood Cup in 2000, and then Whiston campaigned a Farr 40 Fruit machine before switching to the Sydney 38 One Design class.

Fruit Machine had an excellent steady start in the record Sydney 38 fleet with a third in the morning race behind Bashful and Cuckoo's Nest and overhauled Chainsaw in the afternoon race to win and lead the series

In second place is tough campaigner Nigel Holman. His Cuckoo's Nest was well sailed yesterday, the morning race second was followed with a steady sixth in the second race.

Third overall in the series is last years NSW titleholder Cameron Miles, who steered Rush consistently for a fourth and a fifth.

Hugo Van Kretschmar and David Fuller started their series well with a morning race win aboard Bashful, but in race two they overran the mark at the first spinnaker drop and sat bare-headed losing ground to record a ninth.

Combined Club Champion of the last two years Barry Moore's Blowfly is holding fifth place, after sailing into some windless holes yesterday.

Moore is this morning hoping for more consistent breeze to allow his experienced crew to shine. The weather bureau is forecast stronger conditions today and so his wish may be granted.

Last night was party time at the Royal prince Alfred Yacht Club with the skippers, crews and families enjoying the warm Pittwater evening on the lawns.

Alec Barrass commented that The Club was jumping last night; the atmosphere was almost like the last night of the Hogs Breath Airlie Beach Sydney 38 Nationals.

This morning Rod Walton's 60 ft floating restaurant 'Skippers Afloat' will be out on the racecourse.

As Race Director Denis Thompson explained, 'It will be a course obstacle but it will allow spectators a close up view of the racing.'

Skippers Afloat will leave the dock at RPAYC at 10am sharp Sunday April 21.