Mick Scully Trophy

Sunday, 2 November 2008

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Sydney Harbour

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Yet another North-East wind (the fourth from as many races) greeted the 23-boat fleet for the Mick Scully Trophy 3-buoys race on Sydney Harbour today.

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For the former Australian champion Micah Lane and the Macquarie Real Estate crew of Paul Schulz and Niall Kinch it was a great result for the newly formed team.

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Macquarie Real Estate took line honours by 33secs from James Francis' Pure Blonde while Thurlow Fisher, skippered by 18ft skiff rookie Bruce Savage, was a further 1min 24secs back in third place.

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Early honours went to the David O'Connor skippered CST Composites which led the fleet to the first windward set of buoys.

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The boats rounding the red (nearest) buoy totally dominated as CST Composites was followed by Macquarie Real Estate, Pure Blonde, Thurlow Fisher and Omega Smeg 2 (Ian Henderson).

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This group maintained their advantage downwind to the wing mark where CST had increased her lead over Macquarie, Pure Blonde, Thurlow Fisher, Omega Smeg 2 and Panasonic 2 , sailed by Andy Budgen and his Project Racing Team from the UK.

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This group had opened up a good break over the next group which was headed by Active Air-2UE (Matthew Searle) and Kinder Caring Home Nursing (Brett Van Munster).

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CST continued to lead to the bottom mark and held off the Macquarie Real Estate challenge on the second windward leg.

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While CST Composites was first to set an extra, the 3-buoys handicapping system turned this around as Macquarie took advantage of the red buoy while CST had to go to the blue on this lap of the course.

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There was still little between this pair and Pure Blonde at the end of the long spinnaker run back to the bottom mark.

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The three teams approached the mark with little between them but CST's hopes were dashed as the skiff capsized as she attempted to round the mark.

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Macquarie Real Estate held off the Pure Blonde challenge to the final set of windward marks and headed for home with a 20secs lead.Lane and his team eased this out to the final 33secs margin at the finish.

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Omega Smeg, skippered by Daniel Phillips, finished fourth, ahead of the UK Project Racing Team (sailing a borrowed Panasonic 2 skiff until their own skiff clears Customs) and the early leader CST Composites.For father and son John Winning (Yandoo) and John Winning Jr. (appliancesonline) it was a race they will probably both prefer to forget.

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The pair, along with Cameron Mc Donald's Club Marine lost all hope when they tangled at the start.

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Each lost several minutes with Yandoo capsizing during the incident.

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Race 1 of the NSW Championship will be sailed next Sunday.

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Frank Quealey

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