Crown Series Bellerive Regatta Twilight Race opener

by Peter Campbell on 25 Feb 2011 Crown Series 2011 Bellerive Regatta, February 25th to 27th 2011is being held at the Bellerive Yacht Club, Hobart Tasmania.

Greg Prescott’s Melges 32, 2 Unlimited, outsailed the Division 1 fleet in this evening’s twilight race that opened the Crown Series 2011 Bellerive Regatta for keelboats, sports boats, SB3s and trailable yachts.

With the breeze mostly less than six knots and varying in direction from south-west to north-east, many yachts failed to finish the course, despite carrying spinnakers in several divisions.

2 Unlimited rounded the windward mark in third position, but a fast spinnaker set saw her quickly overtake Hughie Lewis’ Farr 40, sailing under a new name, Tilford Auto Group, and with new livery. Unfortunately the Farr 40 had a major wineglass with its spinnaker, which made her easy prey for 2 Unlimited.

Bellerive Yacht Club commodore David Creese led the fleet around the windward mark with his DK46, Dekadence, but elected not to carry a spinnaker as he was sailing with family as crew.

As the breeze died away mid-race, 2 Unlimited maintained boatspeed by gybing downwind under her huge white assymetrical spinnaker, finishing 14 minutes and 33 seconds clear of the next boat in Division 1, Tilford Auto Group.

Under PHS results, 2 Unlimited won the race from Jeff Cordell’s Mumm 36, Host Plus Executive, third place going to the Dovell 36 Whistler, skippered by David Rees. 2 Unlimited won the AMS rating division from Harold Clark’s Farr 1104 Invincible, third place going to Host Plus Executive.

Host Plus Executive topped the IRC results, winning from Invincible and Don Calvert’s Intrigue.

Unfortunately, the light winds resulted in many DNF scores as boat ran out of wind and time, but most divisions still produced a winner and placegetters.

In the nine metre division, Footloose (Stewart Geeves) continued its successes this season with a comfortable win from Youngsta (Paul King) and Wildfire (John Ettershank) while the Half Ton division saw a win for Moshula (Max Aird) from Fred Chatterton’s Kamehameha and Mako (Jim Bedford).

Only five of the 17 starters finished the Performance Cruising Division, with Steven Keal’s Cyclone taking the double, winning on corrected time from the Mumm 30 Cleopatra (Scott Shaw) and Masquerade (Tony Harman).

Division 3 saw a win for the J24 Street Car, skippered by Peter Bingham. Another Toy (Greg Rowlands) and Kruza (Adrian Petersen) filled the placings.

The near 100 year old Vanity, one of the original Tasmanian One Design class yachts, raced in the Cruising Red division, finishing second across the line but 13th on corrected time. The gaff rigger made a magnificent sight back on the Derwent where she sailed with success from 1911 through to the 1970s.

Cirrus (Andrew Martyn) won the division from Elsewhere (Scott Lord) and Vite (Bob Wilson).

In the Sports Boats, Fang to the Max, skippered by her designer Fred Barrett took handicap honours from Mustard Cutter (Scott Creen) and Plastero (Tim Ferguson).

Results of the International SB3 class, which is using the Crown Series as its inaugural Tasmanian championship, are not yet available.