WA Offshore Winter Series cliffhanger

by Laurie Flynne on 20 Jul 2010 Valmadre Cup winter offshore series update.

With three races completed and the final race to be sailed next Saturday, the outcome of the Western Australian Valmadre Cup winter offshore series is delicately poised. The series, conducted by Fremantle Sailing Club, is sailed on Gage Roads off Fremantle and this year features an impressive total of 47 entrants.

In Division 0, the big boat division, Trevor Taylor's Marten 49 'Optimus Prime', Dave Walling's champion IRC Farr 40 'The Next Factor', Frank Saraceni's 36 foot carbon Bakewell-White flyer 'Al Fresco' and John Moore's Marten 49 'Charlotte' can all win under the IRC rating system. The finishing order will depend on the results of the final race, and whether 'Charlotte' can finish moving forward rather than backwards as in Race 3. Under the YAH handicapping system, Ray Lynch's Farr 40 'Southern Star' looks to have the series won, with The Next Factor, Al Fresco, Optimus Prime and Ross Swanson's legendary maxi 'Syrenka' set to fight out the other podium places.

In Division 1, Anthony Kirke's Archambault A35 'Archimedes', the 2007 Australian IRC Champion sailing as 'Alegria', the Farr 30 'Problem Child' skippered by Jonathon Clough, Scott Glaskin's IRC Foundation 36 'The X Factor' and Bill Henson's C&C115 'Circa' can all win under IRC. The same foursome will also fight out the places under YAH handicap.

Division 2 features a twenty-three boat fleet and an intense standard of competition. Under IRC, dual Geographe Bay Race Week champion Brad Skeggs, sailing his Beneteau First 34.7 'Mind's Eye', is locked together with sister-ships 'Dynamic' (Craig Carter) and defending Valmadre Cup holder 'Fairy Tern' (Laurie Flynne), with Dennis Vincent's S97 'Wyuna II' also in the mix after an impressive first in Race 3. Under YAH handicap, Dominic Papaluca's Claremont-based Whiting 32 'Kiwi Express' looks hard to beat, with Fairy Tern, Mind's Eye, Dynamic and Wyuna II set to fight out the minor placings.

Both Fremantle Sailing Club and Yachting WA are delighted with the continued success of the Valmadre Cup series, and are confident that fleet numbers will continue to grow under the new 'tiered format' of ocean racing for the 2010/11 sailing season.