Ideal conditions for Port Macquarie Sailing Club’s Handicap Start series

RACE two of the Port Macquarie Sailing Club’s Handicap Start series was held on Sunday.

After morning drizzle, competitors enjoyed mostly sunny skies and a run-in tide that eased as the race progressed.

The nor’easter forecast a week earlier eased each day, so it was a relief when a light south-easter puffed in on Saturday, making for a pleasant race.

Terry Howard was on duty and set a course with all buoys to starboard. It consisted of a downriver work from the start line to Buoy A just before the mouth of Limeburners Creek. Then a work across to Buoy B off Stevens Street, a long run to Buoy C off the Governors Way canal, a reach straight across the river to Buoy D, ending with a work to finish the lap at the start/finish line.

The catamarans did four laps, the monohulls three.

Three Arrow cats lined up for the catamaran division, but Jack Corthals on ‘Crackerjack’ and Frank O’Rourke on ‘Zero’ started early, when their start times appeared in the pre-start instead of in the handicap sequence.

The handicapper adjusted their times, meaning Tony Kuhn in ‘Stella’ took the win ahead of ‘Zero’ and ‘Crackerjack’.

The Monohull division had four starters. Steve Couch in his Laser ‘Lazybuoy’ was the first to start, followed by Germain Corthals in his Impulse ‘Aeolus’, Jeff Walsh in the Impulse ‘Serenity’, and Rob Barwick in another Impulse ‘Drift’.

‘Lazybuoy’ led early, but ‘Aeolus’ was sailing very well and went on to take a good win.

‘Drift’ was also liking the conditions and overtook both ‘Serenity’ and ‘Lazybuoy’ for a solid second place. ‘Serenity’ nearly caught ‘Lazybuoy’ but the breeze eased a little for the last lap and ‘Lazybuoy’ opened out again for the 3rd place, leaving ‘Serenity’ to follow home last.

Next week is the Ted Kuhn Cup, a two-race event with the morning race starting at 11.30am, before lunch is followed by the afternoon race from 2pm. The duty has yet to be confirmed.

By Jeff WALSH

Port Macquarie Sailing Club