6:21 AM Fri 14 Aug 2009 GMT
It might be the depths of the southern hemisphere winter but it was a light north westerly summer breeze that delivered a perfect 26 degrees and postcard sailing conditions for the 100 boat fleet sailing at the 20th annual Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week today.
The bulk of the fleet sailed north this morning heading for Double Cones and Armit Islands on a 23 nautical mile course.
In the shimmering summer haze the leaders headed back to Pioneer Bay, with the fleet spreading behind them.
Michael Hiatt's Reichel Pugh 55 Living Doll crossed the line almost eleven minutes ahead of Robert Date's Reichel Pugh 52 Scarlet Runner. The Doll was a clear winner on IRC handicap, winning by more than seven minutes.
Scarlet Runner was second on handicap ahead of Ray Roberts Cookson 50 Evolution Racing, which was third on the water and third on handicap.
Dockside Michael Hiatt was beaming. 'Does it get better than this? A postcard day on the water .. great conditions. We had a good race, played the shifts nicely.
'We stayed outside and got more pressure and less current and we just sailed away from Scarlet Runner and Evolution.
'My main regret as an owner driver, is that my crew won't let me look at the scenery, they just make me concentrate. But they told me it was a very pretty course.'
Steve McConaghy the tactician on Evolution Racing commented 'It was definitely too light for us out there today. We did not see breeze above nine knots, but we were very pleased with how we went.
'The fat head (square headed) main really helps in the 5-10 knots. We were able to keep up with the 52 footer Scarlet Runner and we would not have been able to do before. We in fact led her into Double Cone Island.
'I made a mistake there. I thought there was very little wind inside and slammed on her, but in fact I sent her into less current and they gained three lengths and sailed through us and that was the boat race.
''But we are very happy. We have always been good in 20 knots, now we are much better in 10.'
In the battle of the Farr 40's Bob Robertson's Cracklin Rosie led Russell McCart's Night Nurse home by just 27 seconds, with Ian Thomson and his E11even team almost two minutes back in third.
In the Performance Handicap division, Sydney sailor Kim Williams sailed his Melges 32 to a strong line hours win, ahead of Whitsunday Sailing Club sailor Charlie Wallis' Reignition.
Another Whitsunday local Tim Osborne, sailed his Farr 1104 Rising Farrst to a solid four minute handicap victory over Craig Piccinelli's modified Young 88 Wobbly Boot, with George Challoner's Elan 37 Airlie Retreat in third place.
In the strongly contested Sports Boat division there was a tight battle for line honours, with Bob Cowan's Lake Macquarie based Stealth 8 Stealthy, holding out Pierre Gal's Sport 8xx Conquistador in a gybing duel down the last run, to take the gun by just 44 seconds.
The smaller boats dominated on handicap as they were blown home by the freshening breeze. Andrew Holden's Elliott 7 Omen held out three T7's. Leon Thomas' Guilty Pleasure from Townsville was second, ahead of Steve Hunter's Zute and Chris Byrnes' Composite Constructions.
The inshore Sports Boat fleet probably did not realize just how 'big' their Big Triangle course was going to be. Dave Griffin's Boat Speed 23 Scratch sailed the course seven minutes shy of three hours, beating Shan Smith's Blazer 23 Musto, by four minutes. On handicap Musto cleaned up and winning well, over Jamie Jochheim's SB3 Airlie Sails and Michael McLean's Wagop.
Results for IRC Cruising, PHS Divsion 2 and Cruising still to come.
Full results at
www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au
by Rob Kothe
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