Southern Offshore Series - The Fork in the Road digs yachting double
by Peter Campbell on 21 Oct 2010
PHS overall winner The Fork in the Road Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
Former Olympic sailor and world dinghy champion Gary Smith has taken first up honours in the Combined Clubs’ Southern Offshore Series, winning Wednesday night’s 50 nautical mile race from Hobart to the Isle of Caves and return with his Bakewell-White 45, The Fork in the Road.
The Fork in the Road, owned by Gary Smith and Geoff White, sailed the course in 9 hours 42 minutes to score a comfortable line honours victory from Bellerive Yacht Club Commodore David Creese’s DK46 Dekadence and also win the race on Performance handicaps.
Third to finish was Greg Prescott’s Melges 32 2Unlimited which closed the gap on the two bigger boats as they sailed back up the Derwent just before dawn today in a light northerly breeze.
On corrected times, The Fork in the Road won by just over two minutes from 2Unlimited, with Derwent Sailing Squadron Peter Geeves taking third place in his 30-footer Lock on Wood. John Wearne’s Hick 35, Barking Mad, sailing just two-up, placed fourth on handicap.
Under AMS ratings, first place on corrected time went to 2Unlimited from Justin Wells and Edward Fader’s Ker 11.3 Dump Truck and the syndicate owned Easy Street.
The 19 boat fleet enjoyed ideal conditions for the night race, with a full moon and light to moderate breezes that provided a range of sailing angles, including a spinnaker reach across Storm Bay and Frederik Henry Bay to the Isle of Caves, south-west of Primrose Sands.
The Combined Clubs offshore series comprises five long overnight races, including the Maria Island, Mewstone and Bruny Island. Bellerive Yacht Club conducting the opening race midweek as today is a public holiday in Hobart from the Royal Hobart Show.
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