21-12-25
THE Port Macquarie Sailing Club held race 8 of the Spring series on Sunday in a delightful North Easter and a run out tide under mostly sunny skies. Dave Winter was on duty and set a North East course consisting of a work from the start to buoy A off Stevens Street, a reach across to buoy in the mouth of Limeburners Creek, a run up to buoy C off the Sailability pontoon at McInherney Park, another reach across the river to buoy D, then a work to the start-finish line to complete a lap. The race start was delayed 25 minutes when the Safety boat shut down while setting the Limeburners Creek mark and the little safety boat had to get it and tow it back – turned out the fuel gauge is faulty – if it shows ½ a tank of fuel it is empty. Re-fuelling solved the problem.
The Arrow catamarans sailed 4 laps of the course with Frank O’Rourke on ‘Turbo’ racing around the course to take the win over Scott Witchard on ‘Lukim Yu’. Good luck to these 2 and Tony Kuhn on ‘Stella’ when they will represent our club at the Arrow Catamaran National titles at Toukley Sailing Club after New Year. Frank will be defending his win last season.
In the Monohull division, 3 laps of the course saw Steve Couch in his Laser ‘Lazybuoy’ have a great race to take the win ahead of Steve and Lucy Bohlsen in their MG14 ‘Interceptor’ who lost time with a capsize and thereafter decided discretion was the better part of valour and elected not to fly their spinnaker for the rest of the race. Dave and Hudson McNeill in their Tasar ‘Toy of Joy’ found the stronger North Easter at the downriver end of the course a bit much, and after wearing themselves out with several capsizes and the buoyancy tanks taking water, decided enough was enough and retired from the race.
Next Sunday there is no racing, but several members a planning some social sailing from lunchtime onwards for anyone interested.
The next race is race 1 of the summer series on January 4th starting at 2.00pm. No one is rostered on duty at this stage.
By Jeff WALSH
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