Festival of Sails - Bare Essentials and Shogun takes Line Honours

by Lisa Ratcliff on 26 Jan 2012 Festival of Sail 2012.

Tim Pepperell's Grainger 8 metre trimaran Bare Essentials was the first boat to finish in 3 hours 35 minutes and 57 second, taking overall line honours victory while Geelong sailor Rob Hanna’s new TP52 Shogun V has taken the monohull double of line and handicap honours in its maiden Melbourne to Geelong Passage race, the 34 nautical mile course which traditionally marks the start of the Festival of Sails proper.

Under sunny skies and with a building afternoon sea breeze, Shogun finished in a time of 3 hours 38 minutes 8 seconds, and placed first on corrected time with Georgia runner up across the finish and on handicap.

Jim Farmer’s 52-footer from New Zealand was leading the fleet until a peril of being out in front - a navigational slip-up - saw them take the wrong mark, which is when Hanna pounced.

'We didn’t play the shifts properly on the first leg and Georgia wasn’t going to let us past,' said Hanna dockside at Geelong this afternoon. 'It was a drag race, first we got Living Doll then Georgia made a mistake and we took them.'

On the week ahead Hanna says it will be interesting if the breeze lightens off to 8 knots, when boat speed will matter less than good tactics.

Previously Hanna has finished second in the passage race with a former Shogun, his DK46, so today’s line honours victory was alien but welcome territory. Having taken his yachting into fifth gear with the purchase of a newer generation Med Cup TP52 late last year, Hanna can expect to be crowned more often.

Shogun’s crew reads like a who’s who of yachting...Grant Simmer, Alby Pratt, Morgan White, Tristram Eldershaw.

Georgia also has plenty of good guys – Chris Dickson, Ricky Royden, George Hendy – and women too – Jackie Hendy and Keryn McMasters, who has done two Volvo Ocean Races.

Farmer is eagerly anticipating the three days of competition ahead, and expects to be very competitive against the gun Australian boats. 'We have a deeper keel and new 3DI jibs and we are going to be competitive.

'This event traditionally clashes with our Bay of Islands event, which we like to support, but this year we decided to come to Geelong'.

Michael Hiatt’s Farr 55 Living Doll crossed the finish line third ahead of Jason Van Der Slot’s TP52, Calm, third placegetter on handicap in Premier Racing Series Division A.

Premier Racing [Melbourne] - Div A

Hosted By Royal Geelong Yacht Club

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Updated: 22/01/2012 16:53:21

Series Results [IRC DivA] up to Race 6 (Drops = 1)

Place

Ties

Sail No

Boat Name

Skipper

From

Design

Sers Score

Race 6

Race 5

Race 4

Race 3

Race 2

Race 1

1

AUS280

SHOGUN V

Rob Hanna

RGYC

Tp 52

6.0

1.0

1.0

2.0

[3.0]

1.0

1.0

2

SM5252

CALM

Williams Van Der Slo

SYC

Farr Tp52

9.0

2.0

2.0

1.0

2.0

2.0

[2.0]

3

SM24

TERRA FIRMA

Nicholas Bartels

SYC

Cookson 50

14.0

3.0

4.0

[4.0]

1.0

3.0

3.0

4

SM11

SCARLET RUNNER

Robert Date

SYC

Rp-52

23.0

4.0

3.0

3.0

9.0C

[9.0F]

4.0

5

SM460

XLR8

Ray Shaw

SYC

Reichel Pugh 46

24.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

[9.0C]

4.0

5.0

6

R55

LIVING DOLL

Michael Hiatt

RYCV

Farr 55

45.0

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

[9.0C]

6

10000

GEORGIA

Jim Farmer

RNZYS

Botin & Carkeek

45.0

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

[9.0C]

6

CR1

OPTIMUS PRIME

Trevor Taylor

TCYC

Marten 49

45.0

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

9.0C

[9.0C]

Premier Racing Series Division B winner was none other than Grant Botica’s Adams 10 Executive Decision.

Conditions were perfect for the offshore hit out, sunny skies and a coolish but consistent 12-14 knot southerly breeze tending east by the time the fleet reached Corio Bay and the finish off Geelong’s busy waterfront.

Entrants in the Festival of Sails Melbourne to Geelong passage race are still making their way to Geelong and the finish line where they will join locals and visitors for this evening’s huge waterfront party to mark Australia Day.

Tomorrow most divisions will revert to short course racing, the warning signal for the grand prix boats scheduled for 1225hrs.

Results at www.festivalofsails.com.au