By Ian Grant at Airlie Beach
The Whitsunday Sailing Club catamaran Cynophobe produced another speed sailing performance to dominate her class race in the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week today
Cynophobe co-steered by owner Peter Millar and his long term sailing mate Dave Chittleborough completed the 24 n/ml Saddleback Island race contested in an ideal 10-12knot trade wind in 3 hours 55 minutes 17 seconds.
This was an impressive course time considering they faced a tough 17n/ml slog against wind and current.
“It was another great day of sailing but our backsides are a little bit sore from the long slog into the wind”. Chittleborough said.
However they still managed to set an exceptionally fast averaged speed in their 15 minute 13 second line honours win over the smaller Brisbane Trimaran Stickey Finger while local Whitsunday Sailing Club skipper Bob Thompson steered Sirocco into third place another 13 minutes 58 seconds astern.
The Sirocco crew watched as Cynophobe disappeared over the horizon at a rattling pace on the spinnaker run to the northern turning mark at Saddleback Island.
But they remained positive and sailed to a tactical plan to protect their lower handicap.
Sirocco was in good shape having time in hand when the crew braced themselves for the long slog home to the finish line off Airlie Beach.
They sailed a clever windward beat to clinch their third win in the class championship to secure a comfortable 3 point lead over the Brisbane yachts Moving Finger Intrigue.
Michael Hiatt also steered Living Doll to another impressive line and handicap win to hold a commanding lead in the IRC Class championship.
Living Doll like Cynophobe revelled in the long spinnaker run to outpace her rivals.
They cleared Saddleback Island with a slight hope of winning on corrected handicap.
But her tactician Ben Lamb supported with the local experience of Aaron Linton sealed a rare line and handicap double with unmatched windward sailing speed to clinch their third win and secure a comfortable 6 point lead over the Sydney sloop Victoire while Howard Lambourne’s Farr 40 Lambourdini hold third another 2 points off the pace.