PORT Macquarie Sailing Club held its first double-header last Sunday, with the second race of the Spring Series in the morning, followed by a barbecue lunch and the first Club Championship race in the afternoon.
The forecast was for a light easterly about 11am, but its late arrival delayed the start by 17 minutes.
The breeze strengthened during the morning race and remained light but consistent on an incoming tide for the afternoon race.
Jeff Walsh set a small course, consisting of a downriver start with a work to the Starboard buoy A off King Point, a run upriver to Starboard buoy B just off the Governors Way Canal, a reach across the river to Starboard buoy C near the North shore, and a work back to the finish line.
Unable to sail due to injuries, Tony Kuhn volunteered to do the afternoon duty, allowing Jeff Walsh to race.
The afternoon course was extended with Starboard buoy A moved into the mouth of Limeburners Creek, a new Starboard buoy B set near Stephens Street off Settlement Point Road, and the morning’s buoys B and C renamed as buoys C and D and left in place.
Two Arrow cats contested the morning Spring Series race two, but due to the light breeze they decided to only do three laps. Despite preferring stronger breezes, Jack Corthals on ‘Crackerjack’ had a good race to finish 29 seconds ahead of Frank O’Rourke on ‘Zero’.
Seven monohulls started the three-lap Spring Series’ second race, won by Rob Barwick in his Impulse ‘Drift’. Germain Corthals in his Impulse ‘Aeolus’ was second ahead of Steve Couch in his Laser Radial ‘Lazybuoy’, David and Hudson McNeil in their Tasar ‘Toy of Joy’, and Gary Herbert in a borrowed Impulse ‘Serenity’ got in two laps.
Kim Williams borrowed Gary’s Laser ‘Allegro’ for a first try at racing and almost completed a lap.
For the first Club Championship race in the afternoon, the Arrow cats again elected to do only three laps, but this time ‘Zero’ finished ahead of ‘Crackerjack’.
The first Club Championship race for the monohulls saw ‘Drift’ sail very well in conditions that suited it to take the win ahead of Jeff Walsh sailing ‘Serenity’, who took two laps to finally get a little ahead of third-placed ‘Aeolus’, which only just got ahead of ‘Lazybuoy’ on the last little work to beat him by 12 seconds.
Back on his ‘Allegro’, Gary Herbert was the final finisher.
Next Sunday is race 1 of the Handicap Start series starting at 1pm, with Tony Kuhn rostered on duty.
By Jeff WALSH
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