By Ian Grant.
Moreton Bay offshore yacht racing skipper Rudy Weber made an important decision when he fell in love with a neglected old yacht left to gather barnacles and sea bird dung at the Tina Can Bay Marina.
At first he was fascinated by her classic lines and when he discovered her name and design pedigree he decided to buy and progressively restore the classic 12.8m Ron Holland designed sloop to race again.
Her name Too Impetuous linked with the Admirals Cup when launched by original owner Graham Lambert 30 years ago has proved to be a worthwhile investment for her present owner.
Rudy Weber who proudly races under the Cleveland Yacht Club burgee has the distinction of winning the Performance Handicap Division 2 class trophy in the 628 n/ml Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in 2008 and followed this up with a popular overall win in the Qantas Link Brisbane to Gladstone race performance handicap class.
As expected Rudy Weber and his Lloyds Business Brokers Too Impetuous crew were exceptionally happy with their result.
This lovely old past generation ocean racer proved her hull speed to finish Queensland’s premier blue water classic with a locker full of trophies when her course time of 1day 22 hours 39 minutes 46 seconds and a race average speed of 6.6 knots was relatively unmatched.
“She is very much like a classic Ferrari the more money you throw at her the better she goes, but it has been well worth it’. Her proud owner skipper said.
Lloyds Business Brokers Too Impetuous answered the challengers from an impressive fleet including the more favoured Sunshine Coast crews on the David Turton helmed Likatiger winner of Division 2 and the Rod Jones steered high performance sloop Audi Sunshine Coast Alegria IV second in Division 1.
Tactically Rudy Weber and crew held a firm grip on the trophy when they weathered the Caloundra Fairway Buoy after a testing light wind sail to clear Moreton Bay.
Their better than expected fleet placing continued to be protected when the crew set their course for Noosa Heads and beyond.
They revelled in the stronger breeze that prevailed for the final half of the course to claim a 17 minute 38 second win in the Performance Handicap Division 3 over Flying Colours 11 (Douglas Cavaye) while Earl Dagan steered his well sailed Adams 10 Extended into third another 2 minutes 30 seconds astern.
This class considered by their design to be in slowest division showed that well sailed older yachts can still race competitively.
While the canting keeled Black Jack set the pace winning the first to finish in the class behind overall race line honours champion Lahana it was the elapsed times of the golden oldies Lloyds Business Brokers Too Impetuous, Flying Colours 11 and Extended which sorted the best from the rest to claim the major Performance Handicap trophies.