Winter Series Race 7 – Light Winds, Strong Currents & Some Entertaining Manoeuvres!

It was fantastic to see 11 keelboats on the water last Sunday for Race 7 of the Winter Series. With variable winds and a lively tide, the day served up both some exciting racing and a few memorable moments!

Division 2 led off, followed by Divisions 3 and 4. The light breeze saw Division 3 boats Rush (Danny & Ray O’Byrne) and Dragonheart (Chris Maines) catch right up to the Division 2 fleet by Karrakatta Bank. The timing of the Shorten Course flag at College added a bit of confusion, with Divisions 2 and 3 converging around the same mark. A suggestion for next time is to start Divisions 2 and 3 together to keep things clearer.

At the back of the fleet, things got even trickier. Jack (Tony Guard) was seen going backwards at Chidley Point thanks to the strong current—at one point even dragging what looked like half an aquatic garden beneath the keel! By the time Mt Lyall was reached, the crew had performed some “creative” manoeuvres, much to everyone’s amusement. (See the attached track if you’d like a laugh!)

Despite the challenging conditions, racing results were strong across the fleets:

  • Division 2: 1st – Astro-O (Peter Halliday), 2nd & Fastest – Rumble Fish (Peter Wallington), 3rd – Jolly Roger (Brian Rogers).

  • Division 3: 1st & Fastest – Dragonheart (Chris Maines), 2nd – Rush (Danny & Ray O’Byrne).

  • Division 4: 1st – Ninja (Graeme Springett), 2nd – Precious Little (Greg Simpson & Alex Martens-Halbert), 3rd & Fastest – Nugget (Graeme Cole). Unfortunately Green Room (Brett Roper) was forced to withdraw due to sail issues.

Congratulations to all skippers and crews—especially those who battled the tide and the fading breeze to make it across the finish line! We look forward to an even bigger fleet in the next race.

Photos and report credit to Sam James