By Ian Grant.
Sydney businessman Stephen Ainsworth is in a strong position to add the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week championship to his impressive career.
The popular owner skipper who lost his previous Loki during a violent storm in the Mediterranean Sea was impressed after the new Loki proved her handicap rated speed to hold a perfect 1-1-1 score after three races.
Loki was in the frame as a championship favourite with the 2009 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week champion Living Doll when the weeklong series began with the 23 n/ml Molle Islands race on Saturday.
But after 2 hours and 43 minutes of smart tactical sailing in a breeze which hardly gusted above 12 knots the Loki crew had shown that they were on the pace claiming a 57 second handicap win over Michael Hiatt in Living Doll while the Iain Murray helmed line honours winner Wild Oats X filled third place.
However all of the Loki crew including the talented helmsman Gordon Maguire were aware that one win never makes a champion and there was harder racing ahead.
They were confident when they sailed out of Hamilton Island Marina and expressed this confidence by starting in clear wind and selecting all the faster sailing angles to protect their handicap rating against the larger and faster Wild Oats X, Black Jack and Lahana.
The Loki crew supported the ‘think tank’ in the back end of the yacht with slick spinnaker sets, gybes and drops which allowed the smooth sailing sloop to win race 2 by 41 seconds over Wild Oats X with another 1 minute 27 seconds to the South Australian sloop Secret Mens Business.
Gordon Maguire showed he had a strong feel for the breeze when he steered Loki to a 40 second win over Black Jack and Wild Oats X.
After three race Loki with her 1-1-1 3 point score leads Wild Oats X 3-2-3 8 pts and Living Doll 2-5-5 12 pts.