Audi Victoria Week: Lowana Five closing in on overall win

A bit of 'Plain Sailing' in the Trailables. Image copyright Teri Dodds/Audi Victoria Week.

by Lisa Ratcliff

Simon Vaughan’s RL24 Lowana Five from Sydney has firmed its grip on the BIA Trailable Yacht Series, today’s fourth and second putting the crew a comfortable 10 points clear of the second placed Plane Sailing.

But with two discards allowed, Herman Van Ree’s Noelex 25 Executive Suite still poses a real threat. Executive Suite has to win tomorrow’s final race and beat Lowana Five by three places to snatch the trophy from the clubhouse leader. Based on Lowana Five’s consistent form it’s an unlikely scenario, but it’s enough to mean an unsettled night’s sleep for the Sydney crew.

On a light and fluky day on Geelong’s Corio Bay, Vaughan and his four person crew, including bowman James Shannon, whose father built the RL24 in the mid 1980s and who bought the boat on behalf of Vaughan, found the day required plenty of concentration.

“The first race was short and very tactical and the first three boats on handicap took advantage of the light conditions, which is not our forte,” said Shannon.

“In the second race we carried a spinnaker longer than the others, which set up a big lead then the breeze died and the others caught us. The eventual winner, Executive Suite, made more of the shifts and we finished second.”

On tomorrow’s forecast, the news is not ideal for Lowana Five. “We think it will be light and shifty, not our favoured conditions. We will need to be on our game so no cutting loose tonight, which is disappointing” admitted Shannon.

Lowana Five is currently on 10 points, Plane Sailing on 20 points and Executive Suite is on 21 points with all boats in the 14 boat fleet allowed two drops for the series.
The forecast for tomorrow is for east to north-easterly winds of 5 to 10 knots tending north-westerly during the morning then shifting southerly 15 to 20 knots during the afternoon.

The final race of the BIA Trailable Yacht Series, which is part of Audi Victoria Week, is scheduled to start at 9.30am tomorrow morning on an inner harbour course.

Audi Victoria Week