RFBYC Offshore Racing season closes along the beaches in Perth
by Susan Ghent 10 Apr 2019 00:15 PDT
What a beautiful way to finish the offshore racing season for Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club with a show of sail along the coast. Seventeen yachts contested the Cape Vlamingh Race which began with a windward leeward course between North and South Cottesloe beach.
A partnership was created to promote the sport to the local community. Patrons of Barchetta beachfront café in North Cottesloe were provided with race programmes and treated to some very close racing right in front of the restaurant. Many family and friends of the sailors visited the beach location to enjoy the opportunity to watch the offshore racing fleet up close.
"Many thanks to the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club and to Perth's Offshore sailing community for including our restaurant in the offshore race last Saturday morning. Perth's biggest yachts circled around close to the shore right in front of Barchetta providing us and all of Cottesloe with a spectacular view. Our customers loved it...brunch with a floor show. It's great for sailing. The yachts are welcome to do this again anytime!" commented Phil King, owner of Barchetta beachfront café.
Division 2 yachts were first to start, five minutes ahead of the larger Division 1 boats. The JPK 10.80 Atomic Blonde was first to the Day Buoy followed closely by Crush, David Davenport's Sunfast 3600. Still ahead of Division 1, the two Beneteau First 34.7's Wyuna (Dennis Vincent) and Dynamic (Laurie Flynne) were next around.
Colourful spinnakers were quickly hoisted, and the fleet ran downwind back to the turning mark off the beach in North Cottesloe. It was a great mix of colour, perhaps the best being the large retro kite on Cannonball. The Farr 1104 was making her debut back to the offshore racing scene with new owner Dan Cannon and his two crew. Previously known as Golden Eagle, the yacht has a long history racing in Perth. The team intends to race offshore through the winter and are keen to charter a yacht and contest the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race later this year.
Geoff Bishop's CheckMate, a Summit King 40, led the Division 1 fleet to round the mark and quickly mowed down her smaller competitors. It was an exciting spectacle for the onlookers as the yachts lowered their spinnakers, rounded Day Buoy 2 and made their way out to sea heading for Rottnest Island.
It had been a light wind start to the race, but the breeze built to an exciting 20 knots through the day. Passing the north side of Rottnest Island was a perfect broad reaching leg in flat water, what a blast. Tracked with raceQS, the fleet were close together for the charge back to the Perth coastline and short work south to the finish in Fremantle.
Mark Nagle's Fred Barrett 35, Weapon of Choice was first over the line, followed by CheckMate. John Rayner's team on the BW 36 Al Fresco had been over the line early at the start and after returning to start, didn't quite catch up again crossing the line in third.
Corrected time results:
Division 1 IRC
1st - Joss (J 122) - Ian Clyne
2nd - CheckMate (Summit King 40) - Geoff Bishop
3rd - Argo (Archaumbault) - Chris Higham
Division 2 IRC
1st - Atomic Blonde (JPK 10.80) - Simon Torvaldsen
2nd - Crush (Sunfast 3600) - David Davenport
3rd - Dynamic (Beneteau First 34.7) - Laurie Flynne
Division 1 YAH
1st - Wasabi (Elan 410) - Nicholas White
2nd - Twitch (Beneteau 44.7) - Barry Walsh
3rd - Joss (J 122) - Ian Clyne
Division 2 IRC
1st - Soon (S&S 34) - Michael Thorpe
2nd - Raya (Beneteau First 367) - Peter Cochrane
3rd - Dynamic (Beneteau First 34.7) - Laurie Flynne
The 2019 Cape Vlamingh Race was a stunning finale for the offshore racing season at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. It closed with the 42nd Farrawa Cup Series Presentation Evening the day after.
Many of the yachts will now go on to contest the 336 nautical mile Fremantle to Albany Race starting on Friday 12 April. Hosted by Royal Perth Yacht Club, this is the final race on the summer calendar for Ocean Racing WA and will determine the overall winner of the Blue Water Series for 2018-2019.
Quick Links:
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