Festival of Sails -Spectacular finish

by Tracey Johnstone on 26 Jan 2016 2016 Festival of Sails - Spread across Geelong’s Corio Bay over the last three days, the cruising and classic yachts, multihulls and S80s provided a stunning backdrop to one of Australia’s oldest sporting events, the annual Festival of Sails presented by Rex Gorell Land Rover.

These divisions were part of the impressive 276 boat armada from every Australian state plus the ACT that gathered to celebrate the fun of sailing competition, both on the water and ashore, for the 173rd time.

Their racing finished yesterday, Monday January 25, 2016 on a third day of consistent sea-breezes, 15-20kts, and capped off by a late afternoon twilight race. The winners were announced last night at the host Royal Geelong Yacht Club, the Australia Day eve fireworks providing a fitting tribute to the podium finishers. Official trophy presentations are taking place at 1030hrs this morning at RGYC.

A portion of the 2,500 sailors in town for the festival have arrived at the RGYC this morning dressed in their matching battle gear and ready for the closing two races of the Rex Gorell Land Rover Rating Series to decide the IRC and AMS Victorian champions, the Optimum Time Super 11s and Yacht Safe Performance Racing fleet.

Today’s forecast is south-easterly 15-20 knots with an easterly trend.

Multihulls

Tim Pepperell’s Grainger trimaran Bare Essentials provided dramatic images for the photographers as they flew around Corio Bay, but at the end of the four-race Schweppes Multihull series it was John Williams’ Tyee III that took out the main handicap prize. Second overall after a countback was local boat, David Ruffin’s Kavala and third overall, again after a countback, was Peter Strain’s It’s a Privilege.

S80s

Luke Reinehr’s Intrusion, from Sandringham Yacht Club, is the overall winner of the 13-boat S80 fleet. Reinehr’s team raced consistently to record three seconds and two firsts across the five series races. Second place went to last year’s division winner, Bas Huibers’ Merak and third to Bill Feore’s Skipjack.

Cruising AMS Division 1

The Peroni AMS division was won by Etchells and Contender class champion Mark Bulka with his Dufour 44, Balance. Bulka took time off his small boat commitments to gather together a crew of friends and family for the historical long weekend regatta. He admitted that even though this was to be a relaxed regatta, he couldn’t help his competitive drive coming out as he pitted Balance against a fleet of 30 other division 1 contenders.

In second place was Frank Hammond’s Radford 35 Horizon Sprint and in third place, Martin Vaughan’s Sydney 36cr Wild Side.

The Wolf Blass EHC division was won by Paul Roberts’ Cadibarra 8. In second was Hammond’s Horizon Sprint and in third overall, Gary Prestedge’s One for the Road.

Cruising AMS Division 2

The 29-boat Cruising AMS Division 2 fleet was drawn from clubs right around Port Phillip and Geelong.

Gary Mackinven’s Beneteau 34.7, Way2Go! finished a clear winner for both prizes; Peroni AMS honours and the Wolf Blass EHC honours.

In second place on AMS was Steve Copley’s 36-foot Primo and third overall, James Ryan’s Farr 1020 Johnny Be Goode. On EHC Ari Abrahams’ Xpresso was second and Copley’s Primo finished third overall.

Club Marine Cruising Spinnaker

In Division 1 the winner in the 27-boat fleet was Paul Bunn’s Beneteau First 44.7 Christine. In second overall was the classic 12m, Michael Smith’s Kookaburra and in third place, David Stoopman’s Beneteau First 47.7 Samskara.

Division 2 was won by a strong performance from Ryan Walker’s Sydney 36cr Peregrine. In second place was Stuart Pyers’ Lexcan 41 Suelan. In third place overall was Ian Robottom’s Jenneau 43 Sundancing.

The smaller boat Division 3 was won by Peter Bone’s Bavaria 38cr Baltic. In second place was Tracey De Poi’s Beneteau Oceanis 34 T’Ellen and in third overall by just half a point was Stuart Morrison-Jack’s Wright 10 Copyright.

Hidden Harbour Cruising Non Spinnaker

In spectacular fashion the two Moody 54 footers, Steven Richardson’s Moody Buoys and Grant Dunoon’s TryBooking.Com, speared their way around the four race courses, leading the 23-boat fleet. The winning trophy finally ended up in Richardson’s hands, but not before he and Dunoon tried everything to one-up each other.

In second was TryBooking.Com and in third overall, Robert Bradley’s Farr 38 Escapade.

The RK Group Classic Yachts

Among all the lightweight carbon fibre and latest aerodynamic 3Di sails the classic boats are the sentimental link to the Australian Day regatta’s origins back in 1844, even before the RGYC was founded.

What they lacked in fleet numbers at this year’s festival they made up for in grandeur, particularly James Woods’ Bermudan Sloop built in 1929, Windward II, which finished third overall.

Geoff Sadler’s Herlin classic sloop Lupa Wylo won this year’s honours in the RK Group Classic Yachts series. In second overall was William Newman’s Henry Morgan 31 Maatsuyker, winner of last year’s Cruising Spinnaker Division 3.