The Club Marine Series Day Five – Cougar Town

by John Curnow on 21 Feb 2010 Non-sailors did not really understand or comprehend the recent America's Cup races. There would be no such issues for them in today's Club Marine Series on Port Phillip, however. Almost so you did not have enough time to even breathe.

It was Cougar that made the most of the brisk Northerlies that beset Melbourne on this hot day. They got the gun and the all-important win in IRC for both the morning and afternoon races. As a result of all of that, they have further extended their lead in the series for IRC and will virtually take the CMS out, solely based on their efforts so far.

Living Doll and Veloce are occupying the other podium positions. Additionally, they now hold a small lead in the Event Handicap category, which is a further mark of their consistent achievements and shows that even the computer cannot rate them out of the calculations. XLR8 and Veloce hold the second and third positions in that category, respectively.

The afternoon's course was set at 355 degrees for 1.8 nautical miles and the breeze moved through the low teens to low twenties in strength, coming mostly from around 340.

By the time the frontrunners were coming in to the bottom mark for the last time it was Shogun just ahead of Cougar, with Living Doll in behind them. They were using a smaller-than-usual kite and had a moment out there in the run, so that may have something to do with it.

The two TPs had a tacking duel up to the finish, with Cougar just getting them on the last one, as they went in to the line. 'It was just fantastic racing and simply does not get better than this. We've all come away very satisfied', said their jubilant owner, Alan Whiteley.

In terms of everything going so well, he commented, 'The teamwork is simply terrific. We had a couple of moments out there in the second race, like a kite hoist that did not quite to plan, but they just recover so well. It's all fixed without a drama. There's a real benefit to sailing with the same crew, so often. We punched on to 20knots in the first race and got into the high teens in the second.'

Rob Hanna and the crew of Shogun must be feeling pretty happy with the way they are coming together with new-to-them boat, barely a couple of months old. They will no doubt be able to see where they can make the gains they need to get the wins. That should then make for even more memorable close racing.

Division One will be remembered mostly for the three-boat collision between Spirit of Downunder, Stampede and Smooth Criminal. Fortunately, no one was injured and it is a shame Spirit of Downunder has lost her rig, just before they go back out to sea for the upcoming Melbourne to King Island race.

We do hope it can all be repaired in time. Best wishes to the team for that one.

The Beneteau First 45 trio of Reverie, Ikon and Schuss took first, third and eighth in Div1 IRC today. Peter Coleman's Hick 39, Just A Minor Hick Up, took the second place on the podium there.

'Did not put a foot wrong all day', was how Peter summed it up. Executive Decision still just holds out the series to date from Lou Abraham's Challenge and Reverie a little way further back.

For Division One AMS, JAMHU went to the top of the table, Reverie to second and Executive Decision took third.

For the Club Marine Series so far, Executive Decision has AMS over Challenge and Swordfish Trombone.

In the Event Handicap category Addiction took the day from First Musketeer and Young Ones. That boat, Executive Decision, has its moniker all over the EHC for the series, just sitting behind Wind Speed and with Clockwork closely next to them in third.

That is sure to keep the flame alight for the remaining two races of the Club Marine Series for 2009/10.

So those Division One results of the day will mean that there are a lot of smiles over at Royal Brighton tonight.

Executive Decision out of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria must be delighted to be so well placed, right across the board, distinctly in to the home straight of the series.

Over on the Division Two and Three courses, closer to the Bayside suburbs, there were 29 starters in Div2 and 23 in Div3. The breeze was coming from more like 350 degrees here and had been up at 28 to 30 knots just before the start, before coming back to a more friendly 18-22 knots.

There were a few cautious souls out there, with reefs in for the first start.

Alas, there was a bit of congestion for the Div3 event at the boat end. One of the Race Officials (those wonderful volunteers), Jenny, thought she was going to be visited by more than boat, however, as she manipulated the flags from the Starboard quarter. The barging buoy was also severely under threat.

It seemed that those with fuller sail shapes went for a bigger headsail and reefed main, while those with bladed sails in the wardrobe chose the full main and smaller heady. Either way, you were rewarded if you stayed in phase with the wind shifts. The breeze did indeed turn a bit, at one stage clocking hard left for 10 to 15 minutes. Those that worked it made some significant place gains.

Apache had a great race, with Magazan 53 and Red Rocks making the most of the day's offering too. The usual suspects did well. Top Gun took the Div2 IRC rights home over Apache and Surprise. Top Gun, Apache and Watermark II was the state of play in AMS and in EHC it was Cousin It, Top Gun and Mystery.

For the Club Marine Series Division Two, to date, IRC is Surprise, Apache, then Watermark II and for AMS it is Apache, Godzilla and Watermark II. EHC sees Stitched Up not quite with it at that level, from Apache and Where's Wal?

Division Three IRC on the day was Footloose, Intrusion and Magazan 53. The series is governed by Intrusion, then Footloose and in third, Double Malt. AMS today, was Footloose, Rhiannon and Magazan 53. Rhiannon, Footloose and Double Malt are one, two and three, respectively, for AMS overall.

That leaves EHC, which today was won by Red Rocks, over Magazan 53 and then Good Question. None of whom feature in the series table, which is Rhiannon, Footloose and Double Malt in that order.

Simon Dryden was the Race Director for this course and he gave his crew work prize to Intrusion from Sandringham. 'Slick work from this crew, with great mark rounding's and tacking. The kites went up, filled and the headsail was on the deck, almost as if it had never been up. Like a well oiled machine, I tell you!'

If Division One was all about smiles at Brighton, then over on this course there are some smiles at Sandringham.

Smiling the most, however, is likely to be the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, who will probably still lead IRC and AMS, when the club tables get completed.

The next round of smiles in the Club Marine Series will be completed on Saturday March 13, which constitutes Day 6 and the penultimate round for the season.

Anyway, in terms of the title, well I'm not sure there will be any producers rushing around to make a series of this Melbourne based Cougar, as she's not old enough to qualify, but her owner insists that you can definitely have this particular one, for your very own show, however.