Secret Mens Business 3.5 dogs Quest this afternoon. Image copyright Andrea Francolini/Audi.
by Di Pearson
Following their overall win in the Passage Race yesterday, Geoff Boettcher and his Secret Mens Business 3.5 crew from South Australia meant business in Races 2 and 3 of the Audi IRC Championship on Corio Bay this afternoon.
Initially racing was postponed on the windward/leeward course due to unstable light airs, but the AP flag was finally dropped shortly before 200pm and Division 1 got away in a very aggressive manner on a biased start line in a light 5-7 knot breeze.
The 26-boat fleet piled up at the windward end of the line and shouts of “up, up, up,” could be heard all down the line. Alan Whiteley’s Cougar II (Vic) pushed Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll (Vic) so far; the Farr 55 stalled in the 5-7 knot breeze and got off the line in a sluggish manner, leaving Bob Steel’s TP52 Quest (NSW) to lead Secret Mens Business and Rob Hanna’s TP52 Shogun (Vic) up the first beat.
While ‘The Doll’ was playing catch up, Quest, Secret Mens Business and Shogun battled for the lead, Shogun, with gun American Dave Ullman calling tactics, fell off the pace and was forced to gybe a quarter of the way down the first run in an effort to retrieve lost ground.
Coming in to the leeward mark, the bulk of the fleet opted for the left turning mark, while Boettcher went right. “That tactic paid off for us; it helped us to second place. That was a fantastic race for us. It’s a fantastic series – very intense.
Boettcher and his crew, led by ‘Reggie’ Kemp navigating and Michael Dunstan calling tactics, clung on like limpets for second place overall in Race 2, only outdone by Nick Bartels’ Sydney 47, Terra Firma (Vic), with Quest finishing third and Shogun fourth, while Cougar and Calm (John Williams/Jason Van Der Slot), finished equal fifth, going blow for blow around the course.
Terra Firma’s win did not come easily either. Bartels had to duck and weave an out of control Goldfinger (Peter Blake/Kate Mitchell) running downwind. In fact a few boats got caught up in the melee and it was a miracle there were no collisions.
Interestingly, Ullman’s tactics paid dividends, as Shogun crossed the finish first, just six seconds in front of Secret Mens Business 3.5, a Reichel/Pugh 51, which in turn finished one second ahead of her larger compatriot, Living Doll. As promised, Division 1 is living up the early promise of a great series for the grand prix yachts in the 50ft upwards range.
With the breeze increasing towards the end of Race 2 to around 14-16 knots, Race 3’s breeze was mainly 9-10 knots, reaching 14 at times. Boettcher finished sixth and Bartels, the Race 2 winner finished second, leaving Secret Mens Business 3.5 leading from Terra Firma by just two points, with Living Doll a further eight points behind with three races remaining.
“It may sound conceited, but we’re not really worried about Terra Firma. We’re having such intense racing with the bigger boats. We’re engaging and beating them and that’s where we sit,” Boettcher said.
“We didn’t do as well in Race 3, it got a bit fluky going into the top mark the last time and we lost a bit of time - but we had a great war with Cougar II and Quest – we went tack for tack up the course and took our eyes off the other boats,” said Boettcher who says his crew will have a reasonably early night in preparation for tomorrow’s racing.
Bob Steel’s Quest (NSW), skippered by Jamie MacPhail, won Race 3, but it is believed she is being protested by Living Doll.
Races 4 and 5 are due to start from 12.30pm tomorrow on windward/leeward courses Corio Bay. The six race series at Audi Victoria Week is hosted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
Audi Victoria Week
No comments:
Post a Comment