Another Perfect Day in Paradise for Day 4 of Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week. The trade winds returned just a little today, with south easterly winds starting at eight knots and building across the day.
The Grand Prix IRC fleet sailed the 34 nautical Pine Island course, while the smaller boats sailed a 24 and 20 mile White Rock race.
It was very exciting racing summed up well by Ray Roberts, the 2008 Airlie Beach series winner, who sailed in the leading pack in the Grand Prix fleet aboard his Cookson 50 (the former Quantum Racing) now called Evolution Racing.
Roberts commented dockside ‘Today was one of the most exciting races I have done in the last twelve months. The lead changed between Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll, Rob Date’s Scarlet Runner and my own Evolution Racing about five times throughout the race.
‘We made a mistake at Hannah Point but we made a better selection of course at Pioneer Rock and this got us back in the race.’
From the start line racing was tight. Down the Molle Channel the Cookson 50 Evolution Racing sailed more aggressively, tacking tightly along the rocky shore line to stay out of the current and that yielded good results.
At the Pine Island mark, Evolution Racing was only two boat lengths behind the Farr 55 Living Doll and ten lengths ahead of the Reichel Pugh 52 Scarlet Runner.
However as she has done all week, the red boat Scarlet Runner made big gains on the run and caught her two rivals.
As they headed north it was tight and exciting racing as the three boats worked the Island shore. Along the rocky walls of South Molle there was lots of current and changes in wind direction. In one defining moment the Doll was port boat with Evolution Racing, she misjudged a cross and the smaller boat had to crash tack. Living Doll promptly did her turns, but this gave the lead to Evolution Racing.
However the Doll came again quickly and went wide and with sheer boatspeed advantage led into Hannah Point at the top of North Molle by 15 boat lengths as she headed back across the Molle Channel towards Pioneer Point.
Scarlet Runner led Evolution Racing by about five boat lengths as she rounded and quickly changed to a Code Zero.
Evolution Racing went wide, mucked up her kite set resulting in a rapid spinnaker tear but eventually popped a shy reaching kite. Her loss was at least ten lengths, maybe more.
The pressured had increased and as the canting keel Cookson 50 headed across the channel she really lit up; 16 knots, 17 knots, then 18 knots as the Media cat paced below her.
Up above Evolution Racing, Living Doll and Scarlet Runner were sailing much more slowly into the lee of Pioneer Point and well inside Pioneer Rock.
Evolution swept into second place outside the rocks and headed after the Doll. However as the three boats sailed deeper into Pioneer Bay the wind eased and the race leader was safe. The bigger boat held her nerve crossing 70 seconds ahead of Evolution Racing. Scarlett Runner was another two and a half minutes back.
The Farr 40s, Night Nurse, Cracklin’ Rosie and E11even finished an hour later well behind their handicap numbers.
On handicap Evolution Racing, Scarlet Runner and Living Doll each have seven points; however on count back, it’s Evolution, then the Runner and then the Doll.
Rob Date commented, ‘A sensational race; it was so close and so exciting. We are still searching for speed upwind, but have it down wind. We are looking forward to tomorrow.’
Ray Roberts was still smiling as he headed up the dock to the Entertainment area.
‘We’ve been hanging out for more breeze. We got a taste of it today and with more tomorrow we are looking for more fun on the water.’
The IRC Cruising fleet enjoyed the increased wind pressure today with Stewart Lewis’ Marten 49 Ocean Affinity again taking line hours. Behind her the Geoff Pearson steered Beneteau First 45 Carbon Credits took the handicap victory from Ocean Affinity and the overall series leader, Barry Kelly and his Typhoon team, aboard their IRC Farr 395.
Pearson commented ‘We’ve been hanging in there in the light conditions but with more breeze today, we came into our own.’
The Performance Handicap fleet sailed two windward leewards on Pioneer Bay today. The first of those races was won by Nick Anthineos’ Beneteau First 47.7 Kioni, the second by Alan Sneddon’s Beneteau 405 Pacific Phoenix. Mike Roper’s Beneteau 42 Robabull, with a second and third in those two races, took the series lead from Craig Piccinelli’s Young 88 Wobbly Boot.
A wet and wild day for the Sports Boat fleet. Bob Cowan’s Stealth 8 Steathy took line hours for the third year in a row in the White Rock race but on handicap it was Heath Townsend’s Melges 24 who took first place, ahead of Stealthy and Townsville sailor Leon Thomas on his T7 Guilty Pleasures.
Cam Rae’s T8 Laminar Capital who is fighting for the series lead, finished just 52 seconds ahead of the smaller Guilty Pleasures and scored a sixth place today.
Still slumped on his boat after a physically tough race Thomas commented, ‘It was a good race for the bigger boats, with the extra pressure. We were really pleased to be able to hang with them long enough to take third place.
‘We picked up some lines of pressure on the run and that boosted our position.’
More information overall progressive results
at www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au