Pipe Opener Series - Cock of the Huon Yacht Race to Grizzly Adams

by Peter Campbell on 22 Sep 2012 The Cock of Huon, sailed on the Huon River in southern Tasmania, is the traditional middle race of the Pipe Opener, a weekend long series that kicks off the keelboat racing season.

Each year it attracts boats from the Hobart Yacht Clubs as well as local boats from the Huon Yacht Club and other clubs down the D’Enrecasteaux Channel and Huon River.

Today, one of the smallest boats in the 35 fleet, Joel Bultman’s Adams 8, Grizzly Adams, outsailed a big fleet to win the prestigious Cock of the Huon, the middle race in the 44th annual Pipe Opener series.

Grizzly Adams, representing the Derwent Sailing Squadron, scored a runaway win in the light breezes on the lower reaches of the Huon River to win Group 3 and take out the coveted overall title as Cock of the Huon.

Closest to Grizzly Adams was Group 1 winner Cleopatra, a Mumm 30 skippered by Scott Sharp from the Huon Yacht Club, followed by two other Group 3 boats, Adrian Marsh’s Myfanwy, skippered by Adrian Marsh from Kettering Yacht Club, and last year’s Cock of the Huon Take Five (Ian Gannon, DSS).

Cleopatra won Group 1, Femme Fatale (Geoff Sharp) took out Group 2 and Grizzly Adams won Group 3 of the Cock of the Huon race.

The Cock of the Huon started and finished off Shipwrights Point at Port Huon, once the site for the famous Shipwrights Points Regatta, with the fleet sailing a course around the broad lower reaches and bays of the Huon River.

The Pipe Opener started with a night race from Hobart down the Derwent and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel to Gordon, starting Friday evening. It ended with half of the fleet becalmed while the others who had gone to the eastern shore held a light breeze to complete a long, slow sail.

Huon Yacht Club yacht Red Back, skippered by David O’Neill, took line honours and first place in Group 1 on corrected time under PHS handicaps.

Division 2 went to Insatiable (Patrick Hyman) from the Derwent Sailing Squadron while Division 3 winner was Ian Gannon’s Take Five.

Under AMS scoring for Division 1, Martela won on corrected time by just nine seconds from Whistler (David Rees), third place going to Dump Truck (Edward Fader and Justin Wells).

Final race of the Pipe Opener, which is sponsored by Sargisosn Jewellers and the Kermandie Hotel, will be from Port Huon to Gordon, starting at 9.30am Sunday morning.