2011 Batemans Bay Regatta

The 2011 Batemans Bay Regatta will be held on April 9th and 10th.  Traditionally the Batemans Bay Regatta is held on the weekend closest to ANZAC Day. However, in 2011 ANZAC Day will be on Easter Monday. Holding the regatta over Easter would clash with NSW Championships in several classes so the regatta will instead be held two weekends earlier. NSW schools break up on April 8th, giving NSW based sailors the opportunity to have an extended family break in Batemans Bay.
Home » Sailing Report - Sternchaser

Sailing Report - Sternchaser

“Batemans Bay Sailing Club yachties did something a little different last Saturday with the Mariners Lodge Sternchaser race. In this race the smaller yachts are given a headstart based on previous performance. The idea is that the fleet comes together at the finish. If the handicapping is done accurately a close and exciting race ensues which is what happened last weekend. Captain keelboats (Tony Sutton) set a course running from a start line off Casey’s Beach to Yellow Rock, the Marine Park middle mark, Chain Bay and hence to a finish line off Square Head. What seemed like a short course was in fact a prescient choice given the variable breeze during the event. A gradient northerly breeze was gradually replaced by a north east sea breeze but not before some calm periods and dramatic wind shifts took place. All the yachts parked at various stages on the work up to Yellow Rock.
 
The limit boat out of the nine which started, “Juicy Fruit” (Michael O’Brien) went furthest into the northerly and maintained her lead at the top mark. The last boat to start, “Wishful Thinking” (Andrew Bain) meanwhile went hard right and sailed a lot of extra distance but kept moving in the new sea breeze. “The Shed” (Ron Spelman) picked off “Juicy Fruit” under spinnaker on the run down to the middle mark. “Periwinkle” (Robin Davey), sailing double handed didn’t carry a spinnaker and lost ground. “Ghoster” (Lachlan Brown) sailing three handed had a slow spinnaker drop and went wide at the middle mark. Peter Smith and the “Avior” crew had all sorts of problems getting their spinnaker down and retired.
 
On the fetch to Chain Bay “The Shed” maintained a handy lead. The power of “Wishful Thinking” was in evidence as she made up huge ground on this leg. Once round the Chain Bay mark, Ron Spelman and his crew thought they could just cruise it to the line while having a drink. These plans were rudely interrupted when the next few boats sailed right up to them. They hastily set the kite, but it was too late because “Wishful Thinking” was already past and “Ghoster” ghosted through to leeward. “Periwinkle” stuck to the “The Shed” all the way to the finish but could not quite hold on.
 
 Results: 1st “Wishful Thinking”, 2nd “Ghoster” , 3rd “The Shed”.”