Durras - SAILING REPORT
“Last Saturday Batemans Bay Sailing Club put on the last race of the 2007/2008 season, the Durras Race. This race was the final in the 13 race club championship series. This year there was added frisson in that “Ghoster” (Lachlan Brown) and “Black Velvet” (Matty and Peter Walsh) were near level on points going into the race. Both boats like a bit of breeze to sail well, particularly “Black Velvet” which is near unbeatable in power reaching conditions. However, the conditions which greeted the 7 strong fleet on Saturday morning were light and flukey. The forecast south westerly went north west and then dropped out entirely before a light sea breeze set in.
The north wester reached “The Shed”(Ron Spelman) first at the pin end of the downwind start. “Ghoster” gybed across and ghosted into the lead, pursued by “Black Velvet” which eventually got past as the yachts rounded North Head. “Black Velvet” had her spinnaker filling beautifully in the fitful conditions and got away on the leg to Wasp Island. The “Ghoster” crew worked hard to keep in touch doing two spinnaker peels. Meanwhile “Totally Mild” set her enormous masthead kite and came through to second place. “Periwinkle”(Robin Davey and Tony Sutton) was just behind. She was clearly caning everyone on corrected time.
“Black Velvet” had five minutes on “Ghoster” at the Durras rounding mark. She then gained further by laying Wasp Island on the return leg in one tack thanks to a friendly wind shift. The fleet cracked sheets on rounding Wasp Island and then went a little offshore until they were able to set spinnakers on port gybe to lay North Head. “Wishful Thinking” (Andrew Bain) got her asymmetrical kite going well to cruise through into third place. The yachts got back to the finish line off Casey’s Beach in around four and a half hours – slow going for this race.
“Black Velvet” got line honours from “Totally Mild” and “Wishful Thinking”. “Ghoster” finished 13 minutes after “Black Velvet” but has a 5% lower IRC rating than “Black Velvet” so the result would be close. Meanwhile the much smaller S80 yachts “Periwinkle” and “Rascal” (Bob Webster and Glenn Wall) came in not too far behind. When the results came out it was “Rascal” which was first on PHS thanks to a much improved performance. Second was “Totally Mild” and third “Wishful Thinking”. On IRC “Periwinkle” won from “Ghoster” and “Black Velvet”. And the club championship result – all will be revealed at the BBSC presentation night which is to be held on Sat 14th June at the Catalina Club. “
