22 boats competed in the Fifth Annual Tweed River Passage Race on Sunday, sailed in sunny conditions with a variable light Southerly breeze and a strong ebbing tide.
The race started with a light sou-westerly wind and the fleet quickly drifted away from the start at Condong, with all Corsairs setting spinnakers. The breeze came & went; the fleet remained tightly together as they drifted past Tumbulgum, but after winding through the Stotts island narrows, boats started to spread out. It was a day of light and variable winds which frustrated the fleet all the way down the river until it finally settled down at Chinderah. The final leg along the Fingal reach gave the fleet a steady breeze and an opportunity to set spinnakers and have a fast finish.
The fastest boat completed the river passage in 3 hours and slowest was 4 hours.
This year’s “winners circle” was dominated by visitors; line honors going to Southport Team, Jabin & Zac Crisp in NS14 1592 “Enter the Dragon”, completing the river passage in 3 hours 6 mins, although it took a long time to separate from the fleet, the freshening afternoon breeze in the lower river, gave them the speed to get ahead and win by five minutes.
Second boat to finish, 4mins 30 seconds behind, was Laser “T”, (Tom Slocombe), from Paradise Point and third placed Laser “Dreadnought” (Peter Fell) from Tweed.
4th was Tweed Laser “Bluey”, (Kate Yeomans) then 5th local Laser, Silent Partner”, (John Heywood).
The Lasers got 7 of the top 8 positions and enjoyed a very close race.
Yardstick Results, First Place went to Laser “ T”, (Tom Slocombe), 2nd was Laser “Dreadnaught” (Peter Fell), 3rd Impulse “Itchy Coo” (Tim Brown), 4th Impulse “Splitter” (Lex Branch), 5th NS14 “Enter the Dragon” (Jabin & Zac Crisp) and 6th Corsair “Swell Lady” (Monique Smith, Deb Flannery and Matt Andrews)
3 divisions of One Design mono hulled sailing boats competed, which included 12 single handers with results based on yardstick, (8 lasers, 3 impulses & 1 X3) 3 x 2 handed NS14’s and 7 x 3 handed Corsairs with a total of 41 sailors 7 rescue boat crew and 10 shore side support crew.
Single handers; 1st Laser “T”,(Tom Slocombe), 2nd “Dreadnaught” (Peter Fell), 3rd Impulse “Itchy Coo” (Tim Brown), 4th Impulse “Splitter” (Lex Branch)
NS14’s; 1st “Enter the Dragon” (Jabin & Zac Crisp), 2nd “Zarzan” (Adam Hurt & Tom Busbridge) 3rd “Impulsive Max” (Robert Preston & John Taylor).
Corsairs; 1st “Swell Lady” (Monique Smith, Deb Flannery and Matt Andrews)
, 2nd Keenas (Mark Reynolds, Craig Foley & Dave Chester), 3rd “Minnow” (Bill Fenelon, Elizabeth Gough & Jacob Loughridge) 4th Capers (Alison Blatcher, Matt Colnan & Adrian Colnan) and fifth Odin” (Daniel Sieders, Andrew Jaggers & Bron)
The Tweed Valley Sailing Club would like to thank all those people wo help out to make this event possible.
The clubs next event will be the first Race of summer season on Sunday the 7th of October.
Bill Fenelon