Lexus Lincoln Regatta - Secret Men's Business 3.5 does the business

by Nicole Haack on 23 Feb 2010 Adelaide sailor Geoff Boettcher's Reichel/Pugh 51 Secret Men's Business 3.5, after another close tussle at the head of the fleet with the similar and slightly bigger Scarlet Runner (Robert Date), won the grand prix IRC handicap division in the long race of the 2010 Lexus Lincoln Week regatta today.

The 35n mile course took the fleet out through the southern entrance to Boston Bay, around Taylors Island and return to finish off the Port Lincoln Yacht Club.

Although Scarlet Runner, a very similar Reichel/Pugh design owned by Robert Date from Sandringham YC, was first to finish, by 2min 52sec, she carries a slightly higher handicap because she is slightly bigger and uses slightly larger downwind sails.

Secret Men's beat her by just 14 seconds on IRC corrected time. Third, another 9min 34sec behind, was Kym Clarke's Sydney 47 Fresh from the Port Lincoln YC, with Dave Buckland on the helm.

Fourth was Shamrock, Boettcher's previous Secret Men's Business, a Reichel/Pugh 47 now being consistently well sailed by Tony Donellan's crew from Mornington Yacht Club, followed in equal fifth place by the Beneteau First 40 Two True (Andrew Saies) from the Cruising YC of South Australia and Shining Sea (Andrew Corletto), a Sydney 38 from the CYCSA.

The fleet set off in a 12-15 knot sou'-easter on the windward beat to South Entrance Beacon. Once outside Boston Bay, the yachts were able to ease sheets for a one-leg port tack lay to Taylors Island, had a spinnaker reach back to Donnington Rock at the entrance to Boston Bay, then a run down the bay to the finish.

Caught in a crush at the heavily favoured pin end of the starting line, Two True had to execute a 720-degree penalty turn to exonerate a rules infringement.

Secret Men's Business 3.5 just escaped the jam at the pin to start well with her main rival, Scarlet Runner, making a more conservative mid-line start. Secret Men's worked the wind shifts better to take the race lead in the first ten minutes of the race.

Four miles from Taylors Island Scarlet Runner, sailing slightly faster, passed Secret Men's and established a handy lead.

On the reach back, Secret Men's roared up fast on a 17-knot gust to be only a boat-length behind at Donnington Rock. But Scarlet Runner was faster on the run down Boston Bay under her A2 asymmetrical spinnaker to finish well ahead, but not enough to save her handicap time on the lower-rating Secret Men's.

After three races, Secret Men's Business leads the points score with 5 points from Tony Donellan's Shamrock 10, Scarlet Runner 13, Two True 13.5 and Fresh 14.

For full results go to: http://www.plyc.com.au