Please select your home edition
Edition
Lloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px TOP

Hobart Combined Clubs Long Race Series Race 4

by Liz Rountree 3 Feb 2024 22:57 PST 3 February 2024
previous next
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8

Everything, everywhere, all at once

"It was a typical Derwent River breeze," according to Footloose skipper Stewart Geeves, "0 to 30 knots from all four points of the compass - sometimes at the same time!"

Saturday's Long Race of the Combined Clubs Series was "typical Derwent" as described by many of the sailors, which translates to vastly dynamic and a day for upsets in the scores. Hosting Royal Yacht Club's Race Management team did an excellent job making the most of the day, sending the crews as far as Seacroft Bay.

"[We had] a fantastic spinnaker run down the river after rounding the windward mark," says Joie de Vie skipper Ben Morgan who also expressed sincere gratitude for his crew's efforts. The team finished second in Division 3 behind Camlet Way.

But it wasn't that simple.

"Down at opossum bay it was an absolute drifter," reports Bryan Walpole of Invincible. And then after a seabreeze tickled in, "It swung back around to the North, a catabatic land breeze - which kept the crew on their toes," he continues, "We must have done 20 tacks all the way from Kingston up towards the finish."

He admits the crew was too busy to realise how well they were doing. In the end they used 6 different sails as well as multiple reef settings.

The effort paid off, Invincible won both Div 2 PHS and ORC handicaps ahead of Xcite. Footloose took the win on IRC over division leader IYKYK.

In Div 1, John Lawrie's Tenacity swiped the Line Honours win from usual suspects Fork in the Road and Jazz Player, with the ever-consistent Intrigue sneaking in just behind, proving that a bit of patience and instinct was the key ingredient of the day.

Ian Masters and his team on board Zephyr Insurance Masters put their Sydney to Hobart experience on display, winning PHS and taking 2nd on both IRC and ORC, behind series leader Intrigue. Both Heatwave Fish Frenzy and Joint Custody kept the pressure on, finishing 3rd on IRC and ORC respectively.

Most teams on the water used their entire suite of sails and multiple reefs.

"Hats off to our crew today," says Xcite skipper Nathan Mills, "Who did a terrific job constantly changing gears, working hard to keep the boat moving and keeping cool heads on a hot day."

"It was a really good learning curve for the team, including some newer crew members," Mills continues. "Sailing in a breeze that ranged from 0 to 30 kts and every direction imaginable meant we had to practice reefing and multiple headsail changes. By the finish we certainly felt our boat handling and teamwork had improved from previous races in the series."

Geeves agrees, "The highlight was the flawless performance of the crew carrying out numerous sail changes smoothly and at the right times."

The Dog House didn't make a showing in the end, decided the conditions were marginal with the reduced crew numbers they had for the weekend. Skipper Peter Coad says, "We're now preparing for the Bruny."

Stay tuned for next week's Bruny Island Race, the ultimate challenge of this season's Offshore Series.

Related Articles

iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 4
The Final Series begins in Aarhus under the Nordic evening light The first day of the Final Series at the iQFOiL World Championship brought both patience and intensity to Aarhus Bay. With the fleets now split into Gold and Silver, racing was set to resume with high pressure and limited wind. Posted today at 5:19 am
British Classic Week day 3
Concours d'Elegance parade and the female and youth (under 25yrs) helm race Day three at British Classic Week in Cowes brought the annual Concours d'Elegance parade and the female and youth (under 25yrs) helm race sponsored by Marineware and Awlgrip. Posted on 9 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 2
A day of waiting with no racing held The second day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship began with high hopes: as early as 10:00 a.m., a promising southerly breeze began to build on Lake Garda, hinting at ideal conditions for a full day on the water. Posted on 9 Jul
Admiral's Cup AC2 Class
Offshore legends, small boats, big test In the 2025 Admiral's Cup, AC2 features smaller boats than their AC1 team mates but the challenge is every bit as tough, if not tougher. This is where elite skill meets raw offshore endurance. Posted on 9 Jul
World Diam Tour and Diam 24od Sailing Update
The mainland France circuit is now at its halfway point The Diam 24od season is heating up on all fronts! As the World Diam Tour Caribbean circuit wraps up, the mainland France circuit is now at its halfway point after the SPI Ouest France, the Grand Prix de l'École Navale, and the 4vent Cup. Posted on 9 Jul
Django Team to represent Italy at Admiral's Cup
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda launches two-boat campaign in historic return of the elite offshore race After a 20-year hiatus, the Admiral's Cup is back - and Italy is ready to make a bold return to one of offshore sailing's most legendary stages. Posted on 9 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda overall
Record-breaking event closes in style More than 250 teams, 29 nations, six days of varied racing, and a fleet of young athletes pushing high-performance sailing to the next level. The 2025 29er European Championship, hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva, has officially wrapped. Posted on 9 Jul
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 1
Sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing Tuesday 8th July welcomed the opening day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup in Torquay with sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing. Posted on 9 Jul
Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique. Posted on 9 Jul
Who made the right call to get to the breeze?
And how technology is changing the Transpac Race to Hawaii Boats racing in the 2025 Transpac continue to reel in the offshore miles toward the finish line off Honolulu, Hawaii, in the 53rd edition of this historic 2,225-nautical-mile race. Posted on 9 Jul
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsHyde Sails 2024 - One DesignPredictWind - Offshore App 728x90 BOTTOM