With Lay Day behind them, competitors were ready to race on Day 3 of SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week (SMIRW), the wind already in evidence well before crews left the dock at Peppers Blue on Blue around 10am, but little did most guess what was in store – a squall that brought 35-40 knot winds that wreaked havoc.
Event Chairman, Mike Steel and his crew, went to the rescue of Burke Melia’s Melges 24, No Mercy (NSW), when she lost her rig. Steel had already retired his Elan E5, Boadica (Qld), after coming close to losing Boadica’s rig.
“Look at the backstay,” Steel said, pointing to the mess of spaghetti in the rigging caused by the backstay break. “We were very lucky…,” a relieved Steel said.
Seeing the Melges 24 in trouble, Boadica stood by, then towed the boat to entrance to Peppers Resort’s marina, before the boat’s owner, Burke Melia, motored to the pen.
No Mercy and Boadica were by no means the only retirees. Kim Younger’s local entry, the Gibsea 44.2 Master, Poppy, was first to return and shortly after Dennis Coleman’s 7.3 metre multihull, Mistress, returned to her pen. Others followed.
Most did finish, but had their share of stories. Ben and Matt Kingsberry’s Farr 11.6, Amaya II (Qld), didn’t find a squall that produced 40 knots to their liking: “We had a massive broach,” crew member Jim Nixon said.
Matt Kingsberry took up the story, “We were on the other side of the Island when the squall hit. We’d already been sailing in 30 knots and it reached 40. The seaway was lumpy with short sharp waves and over we went under spinnaker. Some of the crew went through the rails, but nobody went overboard.
“We were on our ear for around five minutes, but recovered OK. We were leading at the time and were first home in our division, despite the broach. A lot of boats were having problems.”
Amaya’s kite withstood the battering. “It’s 40 years old and survived another broach a while back,” Kingsberry said.
Nixon added, “You couldn’t kill that thing with a big stick!”
One that survived the race with no problems was Keith Masters’ Bavaria Vision 40, Windmaiden (NSW): “It was pretty wild out there,” Masters conceded. “It really came in on the other side of the Island,” he said, admitting they were lucky to be on the start line. “A couple of days ago we put it on the beach. I was happy to find the keel still in the boat!”
Dragonfly, Andrew McConaghy’s Northshore 38c (Qld) came through the race unscathed: “We flew our kite and had no problems,” he said.
While wild weather took front seat, there were winners in each division. SeaLink Spinnaker Division 2 was won by James Permezel’s local boat, Charm Offensive, a Hanse 445, by six minutes to Brian Yarnell’s Jeanneau 49i, Mika (Vic), which leads the overall series.
“Down at the Rock it was gusting through 14 to 25 knots,” Permezel said. “It made it a challenge for everyone. At one point we talked about taking the reef out and then we had 22 knots. When we got to the Cleveland Bay mark, I saw 27 knots with a big rain squall. Carrying the kite to White Rock is where I think we made our gain.
“We gybed the kite coming around Horseshoe Bay and kept carrying it, I think we were the only ones. “The only thing that went wrong was the headsail furler didn’t work. The race was challenging but fun. Everyone’s tired,” Permezel ended.
Six minutes was also the difference between the top two in Division 3, where Andrew Clark’s Adams 10, Single Malt (Vic), was the victor over Tim Lowy’s Beneteau First 34.7 Ikigai from the host club.
“We went out and thought ‘this could get very ugly’, Clark shared. “We decided to sail conservatively, no spinnaker, full headsail and main because I didn’t want to rip the rig out.
“From Orchard Rock down to White Rock, we just flew and when the big front came through. just as we came into Horseshoe Bay, we happened to be in the right place at the right time. it gave us the edge. It was 50 percent fun and 50 percent fear!
“Once you got into a rhythm, it was easy enough to sail in the breeze. It’s just that squall smacked us all. There was a bit of carnage out there – let’s say there was a bit of money spent by the weather today!”
Undaunted, Clark said, “This is a fabulous regatta. It’s my fifth or sixth. I just love it here. I have to say that Denis, Jenni (Birdsall) and Mark (Gallagher) do a wonderful job here.”
Tony and Jack Hennessy’s Joan Ellen, a Hanse 548 (Vic) took the Non-Spinnaker Division honours from Pru Bennett’s Bavaria 44, Cloudbreak (NSW). The latter leads the series.
“We had a good start and first windward work, but could see our division boats, particularly Aprez Vous and White Swan, running us down as we reached around the Island. Then the rain squall flattened the spinnaker fleet, so we reduced our sail area to comfortably sail for that period,” Jack Hennessy recalled.
“We rounded the White Rock mark and were able to sail under the boats ahead and get free air to the finish. The crew work and tactical decisions were instrumental in the win.”
Brigus, a Beneteau First 35 owned by Daniel McSweeney (Qld), won Division 4 from Kyle Hancock’s NT30. Neverland (NSW).
“Great crew, great crew work,” McSweeney commented. “We saw 35 knots on our course near Radical Bay and it went for 12-15 minutes. There was a fair bit of carnage. There were lots of ripped kites and Black Betty (David McKay’s little Shaw 650, which had been flying around the course) turtled.”
McSweeney ended, “This is our ninth year and we are committed to the next couple – God willing and good health.”
Graeme Etherton’s The Boat, representing the host club, took first place from Gordon Beath’s Roamance (NSW). They were the multis standing.
IRC and SeaLink Spinnaker Division 1 did two shorter races. In IRC, Tom Woods’ Saltwater Wine won both Races 3 and 4 from Seeking Alpha (David Hamilton), both are from NSW.
Phoenix49 (Brenton and Jennifer Carnell, Vic) won Race 3 in Spinnaker Division 1 from John Whitbread’s Kerb (Qld), while Race 4 went to Kim Jaggar’s Sydney 38, Cinquante from NSW, (which incidentally placed third in Race 3.) Second in Race 4 was Rob Aldis/Peter Byford’s Mylius 50, Daguet 2 (NSW), with Andrew Lloyd/Mary Ann Harvey’s Sydney 38, Clockwork, third.
Today was Harcourts Kingsberry Race Day and Denis Thompson, Principal Race Officer, sent IRC and SeaLink Spinnaker Division 1 on two short races. Spinnaker Division 2 and the Multihull Division did the 20nm White Rock Long Race, while the rest did the similar 15nm White Rock Race, cutting out the Cleveland Bay laid mark of the longer course.
The trick for Thompson and his team of volunteers was in the timing of fleet mark roundings and the start of Race 2 of the two short races, to avoid fleets converging on each other.
Racing will resume tomorrow from 11.00am, when the famed and scenic ‘Round the Island Race’ is on the menu.
SMIRW is supported by Townsville City Council through Townsville Enterprise and Tourism and Events Queensland.
For full results and all information, please visit: www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au
By Di Pearson/SMIRW media
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