THE Port Macquarie Sailing Club held two Easter Cup races on Sunday, 20 April.
“The forecast was for a lightish Easterly, but it never even really got that strong,” said the club’s publicity officer Jeff Walsh.
“The first race started in a light little breeze for the first lap, but by the second lap, whole areas of the course glassed out, although all but two boats still finished.”
The action took place under glorious sunny skies, on a small run-in tide.
Hopes the wind might improve for the afternoon race were not fulfilled, so the proposed three lap race was shortened to two laps in fear of the light breeze dying out again.
“Paul Robertson set a nice little course for the conditions, with a down river start to buoy A just past King Point, across to buoy B just off the end of Park Street, a run up to buoy C across the river from the Governors Way canal, a reach across to buoy D off the Rowing Club, and a work back downriver to the line at the club house,” said Jeff.
The race times were adjusted by yardstick, so there were no separate divisions.
The first race of two laps was won in brilliant fashion by Simon Gandy, competing solo in his NS14 ‘Upbeat’.
Simon was more than five minutes ahead of Rob Barwick in his Impulse ‘Drift’, who was in turn about three minutes ahead of Terry Howard in another Impulse, ‘Flying Dragon 2’.
The next boat on yardstick was Frank O’Rourke with Granddaughter Sylvie Lipscombe on their Arrow cat ‘Turbo’, 13 seconds ahead of Jeff Walsh in his Impulse ‘Serenity’.
Steve Bohlsen was next in his MG14 ‘Interceptor’, followed by Tony Kuhn on his Arrow cat ‘Stella’, who started quite late after rectifying a rigging problem.
Dave McNeil and Ezra Mert in their Tasar ‘Toy of Joy’ and Steve Couch in his Laser ‘Lazybuoy’ pulled out when the breeze died away.
The second race was set to be three laps, however was shortened to two laps due to conditions.
‘Flying Dragon 2’ revelled in the light conditions to take the win on yardstick ahead of ‘Serenity’, ‘Upbeat’, ‘Interceptor’, ‘Stella’, ‘Turbo’ and ‘Toy of Joy’.
