Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s Channel Race - Small boats favoured

by Peter Campbell on 4 Oct 2010 Channel Race update: Vistula, the smallest boat in the fleet, beat the time limit by just four minutes to win today’s Channel Race, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s opening race of Hobart’s summer yachting season.

Crossing the line under spinnaker at 5.26pm, with the time limit at 5.30, the Mablec 24, skippered by RYCT member Greg Biskup, then enjoyed the benefits of having the lowest handicap to take first place on corrected time.

Vistula won by almost 32 minutes from another small boat, Dave Willans’ Masrm Club 30, Trouble, with Derek Stoneman’s Jeanneau 39i, Ariadnes Clew, taking third place in the 26 nautical mile race down the Derwent to a mark near Bligh Point, North Bruny, and return to Hobart.

After a spinnaker start in a brisk 10-12 knots, the faster boats lost their advantage when the northerly wind died away, leaving them becalmed at the entrance to the d’Entrecasteaux Channel until a light seabreeze gave them a spinnaker run home.

The Farr 40 War Games, skippered by Wayne Banks-Smith, took line honours after a close running duel back up the river with Greg Prescott’s Melges 32, 2Unlimited, both boats placing down the fleet on corrected time, War Games 12th and 2Unlimited 11th.

The Sydney 38, Ciao Baby II, skippered by Steve Chau, was third to finish in the 16 boat fleet, and on corrected time the best placed of the faster and higher rating boats, placing ninth on handicap.