Southerly made for challenging conditions during Port Macquarie Sailing Club’s Ted Kuhn Cup

PORT Macquarie Sailing Club held the Ted Kuhn Cup on Sunday, a two-race stand-alone event in memory of a former club stalwart.

The predicted strong southerly didn’t disappoint, but it did keep many sailors off the water, unsure if they could (or were prepared to try) to handle the conditions. The run-out tide provided flat conditions, and sunny weather kept temperatures from dropping.

Steve and Lucy Bohlsen were on duty and set a short course for the morning race, with the catamarans completing four laps and the monohulls three.

Starting upriver to a pair of gate buoys A, then across the river from the Governors Way Canal, a run downriver to a port gybe mark at buoy B off the end of Park Street, another run downriver to port buoy C just up from the mouth of Limeburners Creek, then a work against the wind and tide back to the start/finish line to complete the lap.

Three Arrow catamarans contested the catamaran division. Frank O’Rourke on Zero led the charge and took the win ahead of Jack Corthals on Crackerjack and Scott Witchard on Lukim Yu.

Only three monohulls contested their division. Germain Corthals in his Impulse Aeolus sailed well to win the division. Jeff Walsh in his Impulse Serenity made a few handling mistakes in the gusty breeze, one of which resulted in a capsize and cemented his second place. Gary Herbert is still coming to grips with his Laser Allegro and pulled out when he discovered his skill was not yet up to these conditions.

Aeolus had hit a log with the rudder during the race and cracked the hull around the bottom rudder mount. Corthals decided not to do the afternoon race so his boat could be repaired ready for next weekend.

The Arrow cats also decided not to sail, so the last boat rigged, Serenity, also decided against sailing and the afternoon race was abandoned.

Next weekend will see the fleet reduced once again as Frank O’Rourke will be sailing Zero in the Richmond River Sailing Club’s annual regatta at Ballina, and Germain Corthals and Jeff Walsh will be taking Aeolus and Serenity to contest the NSW State Championships at Great Lakes Sailing Club just south of Forster.

Next Sunday, the Spring Marathon Race is scheduled on a course from the sailing club, down to the Town Green, up to the Dennis Bridge, and back.

But with boats away, staging of the event will be discussed at Tuesday’s committee. No one is rostered on duty at this stage.

By Jeff WALSH and Steve COUCH
Port Macquarie Sailing Club