Navy helicopter forces yacht out of Royal Hobart Regatta race
by Peter Campbell on 14 Feb 2011
Granny Apple recovers from the broach and knockdown after being hit by the helicopter downdraft - Royal Hobart Regatta Andrea Francolini Photography
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Royal Hobart Regatta - The downdraft from a Navy Seahawk helicopter contributed to the yacht Granny Apple missing a vital mark of the course and being ruled a non-finisher in yesterdays 173rd Royal Hobart Regatta yacht race on the River Derwent.
The Seahawk was demonstrating a low level sea rescue operation between the Regatta Grounds and the Flagship HMAS Ballarat as yachts sailed past, under spinnaker, towards the leeward mark just south of the Tasman Bridge.
With her spinnaker hit by a strong wind gust churned out by the helicopter, Granny Apple, skippered by Alan Warren, broached and heeled sharply. As the helmsman struggled to regain control, he missed sailing through the start/finish line, as required in race inspections.
Granny Apple completed the race, but regatta officials had no alternative but to declare the yacht a non-finisher.
This was only the first incident for Granny Apple in a somewhat dramatic race for the Geilston Bay Boat Club boat. In almost the same spot on the second spinnaker run, skipper Warren had to sharply change course to avoid a collision with a motor cruiser that powered right across her bows. The yacht clearly had right-of-way.
Apart from these incidents, it was a renewed display of yachting in the Royal Hobart Regatta with a colourful show of strength in a 15 nautical mile race on the River Derwent, sailed in a brisk seabreeze.
The yachting side of the Regatta has been in the doldrums in recent years, but the efforts of members of the regatta committee and the Geilston Bay Boating Club has seen a significant revival in interest among yacht owners from all clubs on the Derwent.
The Regatta was also given a boost when the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania agreed to start its 85th Bruny Island Race from off the Regatta Grounds instead of off Castray Esplanade at Battery Point.
Despite being a premature starter and losing two minutes in re-starting, the Sydney 36 Taspaints, skippered by Ian Stewart, powered through the fleet on the first windward and leeward legs to open up a commanding lead and take line honours.
Sailing the 15 nautical mile course in just over two hours, Taspaints won the spinnaker division on corrected time by 22 seconds from The Saint (John Lewis), third place going to Jibe Talkin’, skippered by Bellerive Yacht Club vice-commodore John Mills.
Launceston to Hobart race winner Footloose, Stewart Geeves’ Young 88, took line honours in the non-spinnaker division but on corrected time first place went to Nigel Grey’s Mottle 33, Bahloo. Footloose placed second on handicap, third place going to Tara, another Mottle 33 skippered by Keith Royal Hobart Regatta website
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