Hobart Combined Clubs Summer Pennant & Long Race Series - Race 2

Invincible and Atilla passing South Arm during race 2 of the Hobart Combined Clubs Summer Pennant & Long Race Series © Ed Glover / Mike Faure

Gary Smith's Fork In The Road returned to her winning ways in race 2 of the Combined Clubs Summer Pennant on Saturday, taking out the PHS Division in Group 1.

Encouraged by a forecast of moderate to fresh northerly winds, the Bellerive Yacht Club race committee chose longer courses for Saturday's races sending Group 1 to Clifton Beach, Groups 2 and 3 to Black Jack Rocks, and Group 4 to Ralphs Bay and Piersons Point.

As usual, tricky conditions prevailed, testing the skills of the crews and resulting in one dismasting when Andrew Jones' Advantedge lost her rig on the run back from Clifton. Fortunately there were no injuries and the boat is expected to be back in race trim in time for the Launceston to Hobart race in December.

Coming second to Fork In The Road on PHS, regular top performer Midnight Rambler, Ed Psaltis, took out Group 1 AMS and IRC handicap divisions with Intrigue in runner-up spot in both. Young Magic, Paul and Michelle Boutchard, finished third in IRC.

Saturday saw a welcome return to racing for top Tasmanian boatbuilder Royce Salter sailing his Hick 35 Prima Donna to third place on AMS.

Group 2 saw a different winner in each handicap division with Natelle Two scoring another PHS win for Glenn Roper, Charlotte Francombe steering The Doghouse to a win in IRC and Peter Haros' recently lengthened Wings Three taking AMS. Mark Ballard's 42 South took second in AMS from Richard Grant's Cromarty Magellan in third.

Steve Chau's Small Gains and Andrew Parker's Arunga filled the podium in Group 2 IRC.

Bryan Walpole's Invincible took the Group 3 PHS, IRC, AMS treble with Rumbeat, Justin Barr, and Stewart Geeves' Footloose completing the podium in the rating divisions and Jonathan Jackson's Attilla taking a PHS second from Rumbeat in third.

Camlet Way, skippered by Steve Mannering, returned to the top of the Group 4 leader board taking PHS from Innovator sailed by Ian Smith and Dean Aberle and Peter Bosworth's Astrolabe.

This Friday evening sees the start of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania's annual TasPorts Maria Island Race while on Saturday BYC conducts the Galapagos Duck long distance race. The next race in the Combined Clubs Summer Pennant is the first Harbour Race Day run by DSS on 20 November.