King of the Derwent series decided

by Peter Campbell on 3 Jan 2011 'Enzo’ Prescott has scooped the pool with his Melges 32 2 Unlimited in the Derwent Sailing Squadron’s offshore/inshore series that ended with yesterday’s King of the Derwent in Hobart.

The three-race series comprised the Tamar Yacht Club’s Beauty Point to Low Head Sprint, the Sargisons Jewellers & Natuzzi Launceston to Hobart Race and the Jeanneau King of the Derwent.

Prescott clinched the silverware with a first place in the AMS division and a second in the IRC division of the King of the Derwent, following 2 Unlimited’s win in the AMS division and a second in IRC division of the Launceston to Hobart Race.

The Melges 32 also placed second in the PHS division of Launceston to Hobart after a last-minute dash north on a trailer up the Midlands Highway once Prescott had assessed the weather conditions for the 285 nautical mile coastal race.

The Tasport Trophy and other prizes were awarded at the DSS on Sunday following the King of the Derwent Race. Prescott collected the Tasports Trophy for the PHS division, the Bruce Watson Memorial Trophy for the IRC division and the Sargisons Jewellers Trophy for first overall in the AMS division series.

Overall winner of the Launceston to Hobart Race, Footloose, did not compete in the King of the Derwent but skipper Stewart Geeves was on a winner, sailing on the overall winner, Veloce, Phil Simpfendorfer’s Elliott 44, to provide local knowledge of the Derwent.

The King of the Derwent was also the final race for Victorian yachts in the Salamanca and Sovereign Series that included the Boxing Day Dash on Port Phillip (previously call the Cock o’ the Bay) and the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoast and Eastcoast races.

Veloce won both the IRC and PHS divisions of the Salamanca Series for yachts that contesed the M2H Eastcoaster Race while Wildside (Martin Vaughan) won the AMS division.

The Sovereign Series saw the IRC division go to Greg Clinick’s Audacious, the AMS division to Nicholas’ McGuigan’s Magazan 53 and the PHS division won by Laurie Ford’s Spirit of Downunder.

Launceston to Hobart website
Derwent Sailing Squadron website