Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Regatta
by Steve Harrison on 6 Apr 2010
OTB Start Dinghies on the start line in Race 4 of the Boat Sales Tasmania / Franklin Marine series. Series third place getter Matt Schofield’s Pukeko in the foreground. Steve Harrison
Nathan McMillan’s Laser Radial had a seven point win in the Boat Sales Tasmania/Franklin Marine Off-The-Beach series at the Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Regatta over Easter. Oisin Stimson, in another Laser Radial was second with Matt Schofield’s Mirror third in the yardstick series.
The two-day regatta was characterised by fine weather, but light breezes with courses around the Port Esperance Sailing Club’s permanent marks and the islands in the bay. Race one began as a drifter with the breeze only filling in towards the end. Mystic (Sam Tiedemann) won from Hard Beat (Silka Price) and feel addicted (Alexandrs Price). Races two and three were in more consistent breezes with Nathan McMillan taking both of them on yardstick corrected time.
Race four, on Sunday morning again began in about three knots of breeze but finished in a rush as 10 knots of late season sea breeze filled in, compressing the fleet. Buttout, a Sabot helmed by little William Millhouse won from two Mirrors; Pukeko (Matt Schofield) and Mystic.
Race five was held in a fairly consistent 8 knots of east-south-easterly and boats raced for the prestigious B.K. Price Trophy. With winner of the last two years Justin Barr forced to sail his cruising yacht as a result of a knee reconstruction, the race was wide open. Summer Madness, a lightweight Sharpie helmed by David Cook took the lead early and was the first to finish, as it had done so in all previous races. Nathan McMillan was able to hold on to second on the water to take the race on yardstick and wrap up the series. Second and third series; Oisin Stimson and Matt Schofield were second and third in the race.
Realising the limitations of the permanent mark course, compromised even further this year by having to accommodate the Eighty Options Sabre Tasmanian Titles on a separate windward leeward course, the Port Esperance Sailing Club has resolved to run all off-the-beach classes round true windward-leeward courses at the next regatta, the 150th anniversary Huon Tasmanian Salmon Port Esperance Regatta.
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