Race Results 21 December 2024
Five boats raced Summer Series Heat 3 on a classic light Sydney summer day, with Tangalooma getting away on a flyer and never headed after The Mistake gave away most of its limit start.
SFS Race Report 21 December 2024 Summer Series Heat 3 A CLASSIC SYDNEY SUMMER DAY We have had some wild and wet weekends so far this summer. But when the weather is kind, there is no better place to be than on Sydney Harbour. Saturday was one of those days with a light ENE breeze and no sign of a sea breeze building up to disrupt the day.
The fleet rigging in the park, photos courtesy of Bazza Watson
Five boats greeted the starters and that, all things considered, was a pretty good result since we would not normally race this close to Christmas Day. Boats that could not field a full crew made up for shortages on the others.
After assessing the conditions, the starters opted for the No.2 Easterly course. The windward, leeward course works well when the breeze is a little in the north and can sometimes offer an exciting three-quarter shy run in the top half of the harbour before it squares up closer to Kirribilli. The E course also does away with a couple of gybes in the NE course that short-crewed skiffs are usually grateful for.
Photos of the boats launching - courtesy of Barley Stewart
Mistake threw away the best part of 4 minutes of its limit start due to her late arrival at the starting line. This let Tangalooma get away on a flyer that saw her never headed all race. Australia and Top Weight set off in hot pursuit, with Yendys, sporting a brand new and beautifully cut mainsail, giving not less than 13 minutes start to its closest competitor on handicap. Yendys was always going to be hard to beat in that breeze. As often remarked, she is a noted light weather speed machine and the new main saw her pointing higher that she usually does. But Tangalooma, too, always does well in the lighter conditions and picking the shifts, as she did on Saturday, saw her lead from start to finish.
At Shark Island on the first lap, Tangalooma led Australis by 2 minutes. Mistake and Top Weight were a further 1 minute and 2 minutes behind. That did not change much at all after the spinnaker run to Kirribilli with only Yendys making a dent in the gap and picking up 6 minutes on Tangles by the end of the first lap.
Photos courtesy of Barley Stewart
Photos courtesy of Barley Stewart
Tangalooma then really hit her straps with some excellent calls on the breeze. Most would have expected Australia and Top Weight to have threatened, but Tangalooma actually increased her lead and with the breeze dropping on the final run home, crossed the line 6 minutes ahead of Australia with Yendys storming home to third place on the podium, a minute further back. Top Weight, after getting away from Mistake on the work from Kirribilli, and looking like a good chance under her ringtail on the run back, slowed in the dying breeze - with her crew, no doubt, missing the fast-finishing A4 that is about to undergo repairs to be back for the Galloping Ghost Trophy races in the Aussies next month. Mistake, still paying the penalty for her late start tailed the fleet (and might have made third place if those 4 minutes were not lost at the start).
Photos on this page courtesy of Phil Franklin
Photos on this page courtesy of Phil Franklin
Photos on this page courtesy of Phil Franklin
Photos on this page courtesy of Phil Franklin
THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!
Photos on this page courtesy of Phil Franklin
Photos courtesy of Barley Stewart
Boats away and crews showered, we gathered on the deck for gourmet hamburgers and live music and for an early start to Christmas cheer. A great end to a classic Sydney Summer day.
Photo courtesy of Barley Stewart
Merry Christmas to all our sailors, volunteers and supporters. Next race is January 11, 2025, the start of the Australian Championship. Saturday 11 January Saturday 18 January Saturday 25 January Monday 26 January
Australian Championship Heat 1 + Summer Series Heat 4 Australian Championship Heat 2 + Summer Series Heat 5 Australian Championship Heat 3 + Summer Series Heat 6 Australia Day Regatta Be a part of history, this is the world’s oldest continuously run annual sailing regatta. Held every year, through peace and war, since 1837.