Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta 2013
By Damian Devine
Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s PhilipDash’s Beneteau First 40 Just a Dash has won the IRC division in the 2013 ClubMarine Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Regatta one point ahead of DarylHodgkinson’s Beneteau 45 Victoire as the regatta drew to a close today in CoffsHarbour.
PhilipDash’s Beneteau First 40 Just a Dash wins IRC in the 2013 Pittwater & CoffsHarbour Regatta – photo by Damian Devine
With a trifecta of thirds and a 10th today in the fourrace regatta, Dash did enough to end his campaign on 22 points, knowing that hehad to finish within four places of Victoire to lift the coveted IRC regattatrophy. Hodgkinson, who sailed well managed to finish sixth today to finish on23 points, but not enough to overtake Just a Dash. The Mark Tinworth and MarkWaterhouse Beneteau 44.7 Le Billet finished a further point back on 24 pointswith a fourth place today. Double points were awarded for the Club MarinePittwater to Coffs race, the first race of the regatta, in the overall pointscore.
In PHS, it was a clear four point win to PeterHewson’s Sydney 41 Storage King Wallop from the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club whohad to hold off a flying finish from Mitchell Gordon’s Sydney 38 The Goat whofinished with two bullets in the final two races of the regatta. The RoyalPrince Alfred Yacht Club’s Bruce Hogan and Tina Clifton’s Marten 49 PerpetualMocean mentoring seven crew from the RPAYC’s Youth Development squad werethird, a further four points back. A great result for the youth team.
DarylHodgkinson’s Beneteau 45 Victoire were second IRC – photo by Damian Devine
DarylHodgkinson’s Beneteau 45 Victoire were second IRC – photo by Damian Devine
The ORCi title went to another RPAYC boat, Le Billet athree time previous winner of this regatta under its former owner. They won ona count back from the overnight leader Just a Dash after finishing second todaywith Just a Dash finishing seventh. With a better overall result over the fourraces posting a first and two seconds they did enough to claim the title.Steven Proud’s Kernan 44 Swish was third, also four points back.
Only one of the two races scheduled was completed onthe final day of the regatta as the race committee flew the AP flag early todaywith humidity, clouds and rain dominating the skies over Coffs Harbourpreventing any breeze to shuffle in.
The 20 boats competing in the final race had to waittwo hours for the skies to clear to allow the breeze to fill in before the APflag was lowered. Racing got underway shortly after 1pm in a fairly soft 6-8knot ENE. The course was the 20 nautical mile Solitary Island race.
With the fleet pushing for the line with a minute togo, they majority looked to be early at the start with a general recall on thecards, however it wasn’t to be as they jockeyed for positions and in the endonly two were given individual recalls, The Goat and Occasional CoarseLanguage. The top of the leader board boats Just a Dash started in the middleof the line with Le Billet next to them and Storage King Wallop (PHS), andVictoire more to the committee boat end with each keeping a close eye onanother with their regattas on the line.
The boats then set off on a long reach to the islandwith some opting for the inside lane closer to the beach whilst others likeVictoire and Wallop and a bunch of others tacked early for an outside lanelooking for some additional pressure.
The boats rounded Solitary Island in a little undertwo hours with Bruce Hogan’s Marten 49 Perpetual Mocean leading Stephen Proud’sSwish as they set their kites for the journey to the finish line inside Coffsharbour. The two pushed each other all the way on the downwind run home withnothing between them.
In another extremely close finish, Perpetual Moceancovered Swish in true match racing style as they neared the harbour entranceand then gybed a few times inside the harbour to cross the line seven secondsin front of Swish, taking line honours in a time of 2hrs 46mins 59secs. BruceStaples Farr 40 Witchcraft was third.
Oncorrected time, Witchcraft sailed a beautiful race in conditions that suited,won in a time of 3hrs 22mins 37secs by one minute nine seconds ahead ofMitchell Gordon’s Sydney 38 The Goat with Storage King Wallop third.
Today’sIRC race winner was the Farr 40 Bruce Staples Witchcraft – photo by DamianDevine
In PHS, it was The Goat representing the CruisingYacht Club of Australia in a corrected time of 3hrs 16mins 11 secs from twoRPAYC boats, Shaw Russett’s Tailwind a minute 30 seconds behind and GarryHolder’s ID 35, with their first podium performance of the regatta.
In ORCi it was Witchcraft four minutes ahead of LeBillet with Swish third.
An elated Philip Dash, skipper of Just a Dash said onwinning the IRC regatta title, “fantastic, absolutely stoked. It’s our firstoffshore regatta and the first long passage race we’ve done with this boat, soto win it we’re thrilled.”
“We didn’t get a brilliant start today next to Victoirebut we got out OK and we tacked and then they tacked on us. It was very soft,only 6-8 knots which didn’t suit us and we were not looking pretty at all and Ithought we may have blown the whole thing, but we managed to just hold on whichwas good.”
“The crew were fantastic, there was half a dozen ofthe regulars who sail with us every week and we’ve moulded into a good team andwe had two local Coffs guys who came on board with plenty of offshoreexperience and fitted in very well to help us get this win. I look forward tocoming back next year, I’ve enjoyed the whole thing, it’s been great,” addedDash.
Going into today's final race, the Novocastrian boatStorage King Wallop led by one point in the PHS division from Just a Dash andhad to ensure they finished one place higher than Just a Dash, which they didwith Just a Dash posting a 13th today and Wallop a fifth.
Peter Hewson, skipper of Storage King Wallop from theLake Macquarie Yacht Club, who last competed in this event in 2004 said dockside,“this is a good PHS boat that appreciates tight reaching conditions. We have anew set of Quantum sails which has helped our upwind performance and we’ve beenhappy with our boat speed.
“We’re over the moon on this win, it’s just fantastic,in fact it’s awesome. To win any regatta is not easy, you really have to beconsistent. When you get the bridesmaid tag you always reflect on the littlethings you could have done better so we don’t have to do that this time, whichis great. We stuck to our game plan today and had two good IRC boats eitherside of us in Victoire and Le Billet and we managed to sail well, picking theshifts and ploughing ahead to achieve a good result. We had to keep a close eyeon Just a Dash today knowing there was only one point separating us. It’s beena great regatta, we’ve all had a good time and enjoyed ourselves immensely andwe hope to be back next year to defend the title.”
PeterHewson’s Sydney 41 Storage King Wallop won the PHS Division and were crownedthe Australian PHS Champion – photo by Damian DevineSo with the 2013 Club Marine Pittwater& Coffs Harbour regatta now over, everyone’s looking forward to the 33rdrunning of the regatta.
With a welcomed downwind race in the 2013 Club MarinePittwater to Coffs Harbour yacht race that clocked 15 knots, the race offeredup a new line honours winner in Bill Wild’s RP55 Wedgetail in a time of wasshining, we’ve had a wonderful, wonderful time. Thanks to the Royal PrinceAlfred Yacht Club, thanks for bringing the regatta to Coffs Harbour and we lookforward to the 33rd year.”
Rob Curtis, Commodore of host club The Royal PrinceAlfred Yacht Club summed up the 2013 Club Marine Pittwater & Coffs Harbourregatta saying, "The regatta turned into its true name, the warm waterregatta. I mean the weather coming up to Coffs and the race itself wassensational, we got blown up here all the way and when we arrived the cloudscleared, the sun was shining and we have had two beautiful days of sailing. “
“The results were very, very close, reflecting somegreat racing and I think opening up all the handicap divisions to allcompetitors was the smart thing to do and created some great racing. Thanks tosponsor Club Marine and Corey Yeung who is so supportive of what we’re doingparticularly when yacht racing and staging regattas like this is becoming morecostly, so we appreciate their support and it has helped make it a top classregatta.
“My personal thanks to the Coffs Harbour Yacht Club,the marina, John Bacon for the use of his marvellous vessel the MatthewFlinders as the radio relay vessel and start boat up here, the race committeeand the army of volunteers involved and to everyone who has made this a greatevent. I look forward to seeing you in 2014."
19hrs 53mins 3secs and a triple handicap winner in SydFischer’s TP52 Ragamuffin (IRC, ORCi and PHS). This, coupled with the ensuingfour races in Coffs Harbour has ensured the 2013 regatta has been another greatregatta.
The prized Navigator’s trophy was presented to theFarr 45 Pretty Woman’s Michael Lockley for the third year in a row, provinghe’s no fluke. This year he was out by a mere one minute 20 seconds, for the final20 nautical miles from Nambucca Heads to the finish, recorded with MarineRescue at their final radio check.
In closing, Coffs Harbour Commodore Garry Ennis said,“we’ve been blessed, we’ve had great weather, great sailing, the wind wasblowing, the beer was cold, the rum was flowing, the yachties are happy, sun
ByDamian Devine, Club Marine Pittwater Coffs Harbour Regatta media
  
The start of today's finalrace - photo by Damian Devine