Nostalgic return to helm of Stormy Petrel

by Peter Campbell on 10 Jun 2002 Sydney yachtsman John Maclurcan today made a nostalgic - and winning - return to the helm of the classic Sparkman & Stephens 36-footer, Stormy Petrel, in Division J of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's BMW Sydney Winter Series.

Maclurcan sailed aboard Stormy Petrel in many Sydney Hobart Yacht Races and other ocean races when the late Tony Pearson, a past Commodore of the CYCA, owned the yacht.

Current owner, Kevin O'Shea, invited him aboard as a guest helmsman for today's race, with the classic 32-year-old sloop revelling in the fresh and gusty 15-20 knot westerly winds to score a comfortable win in this non-spinnaker division from Gusto (Hugh Denison) and Tickalara, sailed by the Livermore syndicate.

'I was delighted to be asked to sail today and winning was a exciting bonus,' Maclurcan said after the race. 'She is still a fine boat with great power to windward.'

Stormy Petrel was built in 1970 and sailed to victory in the 1971 One Ton Cup in New Zealand when skippered by Syd Fischer, later being bought by Pearson.

The fresh and gusty westerly winds whipped up choppy conditions on the Harbour for today's race nine of the BMW Sydney Winter Series, but with the sunny weather conditions were ideal, with close competition in most handicap divisions.

Australian IRC champion, Loki, Stephen Ainsworth's Swan 46, scored her second successive win in Division A, leading from the start to beat Geoff Lee's strong pointscore contender, Taurus VIII, and Terry Mullen's Farr 49, Sting, which outsailed her major IMS offshore rivals.

The Beneteau 50, Champagne on Ice, owned by Philip and Nada Dickinson, maintained her grip on the Division B pointscore with a close second to the Sydney 38, Kone Next (Richard Holstein) with John Gilder's powerful Beneteau, Storyteller, taking third place.

Although not figuring in the top placings, the three highest placed boats in the Division C pointscore, Akela (Akela Syndicate), Peugeot Racing (Peter Whitford) and Sommerbreeze (Hans Sommer), finished one place apart today, with Peugeot Racing, helmed by Neville Wittey, edging one point closer to Akela with four races to sail. First two places today went to casual entries, Avanti (Geoff Pearson) and Flynn-Q (Patrick Quinlan), third going to Enticer (Enticer Syndicate).

Division D saw John McCarthy's Cougar notch up her second win of the Winter Series, beating Deception (David Mason) and the casual entry X-Citation (Robert Green).

Welllknown yacht chandler Doug Sturrock and co-owner Tom Perry found the fresh breeze to the liking of their boat, Windflyt, scoring a 12 second win in Division E from Blue Max (Tony Sutton) and L'eaau Commotion (Grant Pollock). Pointscore leaders, Redeemer (Michael Phillips) and Caprice of Huon (David Champtaloup) placed sixth and 13th respectively today.

The J24, Hyper Activ, skippered buy Simon Lavers, was certainly that in today's fresh conditions, racing away from the fleet in Division F to win by almost six minutes from Naughty Call (Gregg Watson) and Laissez Faire (J.Hill and G.Connery).

Biggest win of the day came in Division G with frontmarker Slingshot, the Always Sailing School's converted Etchells, getting the gun by an extraordinary 19 minutes 50 seconds. In contrast, Respite (Graham Pennefather) took second place from Wait for Want (Michael Morris and David Dale) by a mere two seconds.

A fourth place today has moved the consistent Endeavour 26, Clewless, skippered by Guy Irwin, from third to first place in the overall pointscore for Division G, with previous leaders Sea Rug Hoo Ha (Peter Howes) and Syonara (G.Maughan) finishing well back in the fleet today.