11:20 AM Fri 26 Feb 2010 GMT
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'2Unlimited sailed an impressive race despite ripping her headsail. - Crown Series Bellerive Regatta'
Peter Campbell ©
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The Farr 40 and Division 1 fleet got away to a bumpy and rowdy start to the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta on Hobart's River Derwent this evening, with for'ard hands in full voice and afterguards hoisting red protest flags.
At least three of the Farr 40s are involved in protest hearings as a result of incidents as the fleet crowded the committee boat end of the line in a fresh 15-18 knot seabreeze. Several yachts also were squeezed out at the
start.
The opening race for all keelboat divisions was a twilight, non-spinnaker race, but it certainly was full-on at the start and on the long beat downriver to the windward mark. Trailable yachts and sports boats sailed an invitation race for what are also their Tasmanian State championships.
All results are provisional, notably the Farr 40 division, with War Games, skippered by Wayne Banks-Smith crossing the finish line just 16 seconds in front of Voodoo Chile (Andrew Hunn), with a further 15 seconds to Wired (Stephen Boyes). All three are involved in the protest hearings.
The Farr 40s also had onboard a celebrity guest crew member, radio personality Dave Noonan sailing on War Games, Greens leader Nick McKim on Voodoo Chile and Kim Napier, also a breakfast radio personality, aboard
Wired. Deputy Premier Lara Giddings had to be content with being aboard the fifth and last boat, Craig Clifford's POW.
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Close encounters of the Farr 40 type in Crown Series twilight race - Crown Series Bellerive Regatta - Peter Campbell ©
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Division 1 saw Steve Chau skipper his Sydney 38 Ciao Baby II to first place under PHS and AMS handicap categories while IRC winner was Sally Rattle's Archambault 35, Archie.
Ciao Baby II sailed an excellent race on the long beat to windward from Kangaroo Bluff to a mark abeam of the John Gower light to record its first major win since being purchased this season by skipper Chau. The Sydney 38 won the PHS division from line honours winner The Fork in the Road (Gary Smith & Geoff White) and Archie. Under AMS ratings, Ciao Baby II won from Harold Clark's Invincible and Archie.
Archie won the IRC division from The Fork in the Road and Invincible. Greg Prescott's brand new Melges 32, 2Unlimited, sailed an impressive race to outsail bigger boats around the course, despite ripping her headsail
approaching the windward mark. She finished third astern of The Fork in the Road and Tony Lyall's Valheru, but with her high rating was unplaced on corrected time in each division.
The Half Ton Division produced close finishes and handicap results, with Walter Knoop steering Silicon Ship to a 17 second corrected time win from Half Hearted (Chad Grafton) with Mako (Jim Bedford) are mere seven seconds further astern.
The 9 Metre class also saw close results, with just nine seconds the winning margin for Rouseabout (Grahame Inglis), third going to Just in Time (Mick Sheehan).
The new Performance Cruising Division attracted a fleet of 15 boats, with first place going to Birngana (Ernest Targett) from Jibe Talkin' (John Mills) and Twitch (Rod Marshall). Results were also scored using AMS ratings, with Prion (Rod Viney) winning from Stephen Keal's Cyclone and Tony Harman's Masquerade.
Division 3 produced a 22 second corrected time win for Quebrada (Barry Morgan) from Peter Bugg's Don't Bug Me, third going to Free 'n' Easy (Bob Jones).
The Cruising Red Division went to Twillo (Rob Westland) and the Cruising Green too Jelly Roll (M Brazendale & J Mikul).
The keelboats, sports boats and trailables will be joined tomorrow by more than a hundred off-the-beach classes in what promises to be a spectacular sea of sail on the River Derwent. Racing will start from 10am, with most classes scheduled to sail several races.
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Ciao Baby II racing to windward - Crown Series Bellerive Regatta - Peter Campbell ©
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by Peter Campbell
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Manly, QLD
