RACE REPORT

It was ideal sailing conditions for the Pot of Gold fleet and the performance planing boats dominated the results. With Siska Series points on the line, eighteen boats (split into two divisions) participated in the 39 nm offshore race from Fremantle, circumnavigating Rottnest before finishing at Hillarys.

The race began in a light southeasterly breeze off Fremantle and after rounding the obligatory windward Day Buoy, the fleet hoisted spinnakers for a run west in the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean out to the Windmills navigation mark. As the Fremantle Doctor kicked in and the breeze swung and built, spinnakers were dropped at Windmills and the fleet beat their way further west along the southern edge of Rottnest Island dodging the ever-present cray pots and enjoying the gentle 2 m swell to the island’s West End.

With David Davenport’s ‘Crush’ (TP52) recently returned from competing in last month’s Sydney Hobart Race, establishing an unassailable lead, it was spinnakers up again after rounding West End for the long run east along the northern side of the island back to Scarborough Beach.

The performance boats excelled in these conditions and although Crush was setting herself up as the clear line honours winner, competition for the handicap places in Division 1 was intense in the following pack of Secret Weapon (Fast 40+), The Bus (Mc31) and Al Fresco (BW36).

In a rare occasion for the ocean racing fleet, they intermingled with boats competing in the inshore HYC Dash for Cash race as they made their way north after gybing round the mark off Scarborough Beach.

The people on Perth’s northern beaches that afternoon were fortunate to witness WA’s premier ocean racing boats racing north along the coast to the finish at Hillarys in a blaze of colour with spinnakers flying. Winners for Division 1 IRC was Robert Appleyard’s ‘Secret Weapon’ with Murray Smith’s The Bus second and the line honours winner David Davenport’s ‘Crush’ in third place. In Division 2 IRC, the winner was Hilary Arthure’s ‘Wyuna’ followed by Lyn Powell / Ian Whitehead’s ‘Fourth Dimension’ in second place and Malcolm Thompson’s ‘Moneypenny’ third.

On PHS in Division 1 John Rayner’s ‘Al Fresco’ was first followed by ‘The Bus’ and Roric Smith’s ‘Surfer Rosa’ from HYC in third place, a mere nine seconds adrift of second place. In Division 2 Dom Di Latte’s Beneteau First 45 ‘Baci’ was first ahead of ‘Wyuna’ and

Chris Hind’s ‘Sagacious IV’. After a night of celebrations the task on Sunday was to return to Fremantle from Hillarys and what better way than to compete in the Shepherdess Cup. In division one, Bill Henson’s Sirene was first on IRC and PHS, ‘Endorphin’ (Michael Giles) was second on IRC and third on PHS whilst ‘Surfer Rosa’ was second on PHS and ‘Al Fresco’ third on IRC. In division two, Ross Norgard’s ‘Salacia 11’ was first on IRC and second on PHS, ‘Sagacious IV’ was first on PHS, ‘Wyuna’ third on IRC, ‘Fourth Dimension’ second on IRC and third on PHS.