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Competitors made the most of the conditions last weekend in the Batemans Bay ANZAC regatta. This event is the largest annual sailing regatta on the NSW South Coast. This year there were 88 boats competing ranging from 14 foot long single handed dinghies and catamarans to 25 foot trailerable yachts with five on board. Entrants were mostly from Sydney and Canberra, but included some keen Flying Dutchman sailors from Melbourne and Adelaide.
Saturday featured a rather insipid sea breeze that never got above 10 knots, but nonetheless afforded some tactical sailing. There were two short races held back to back over a triangular course set in the middle of the Bay. There was just enough wind for all the boats to get around the full course and back to shore before darkness fell.
On Sunday a brisk southerly breeze filled in to give the sailors some good rides. The dinghies and catamarans sailed two more short races. The trailerable yachts sailed a pentastar course around the Bay utilising BBSC's permanent marks at Chain Bay, Yellow Rock, Toll Gates, Wimbie Beach and Caseys Beach.
There were a few suprises in the results. Rob and Nicole Douglass, the current world Tasar champions, were upstaged by Rick and Carmen Longbottom from Canberra. Rick and Carmen made the most of their lighter crew weight with some clever sailing. In the Flying Dutchman class Michael Chapman and Alan Griffith scored an upset win over class legends Ian McCrossin and James Cook. Chapman and Griffith were definitely quicker in the light winds on Saturday. McCrossin and Cook did their cause no favours by sailing through the finish line at the wrong time and being disqualified while leading race 3.
The Magic 25 trailerable yacht "Bum Full of Smarties" skippered by Matt Owen flew around the pentastar course in just over two hours. These yachts are big skiffs with three crew on trapeze and no pretence of cruising accommodation. On handicap it was the less spectacular Gem 550 "Dodgem" skippered by Don Shortridge which performed best amongst the trailerable yachts.
After the boats got ashore rain set in and the wind dropped completely, so regatta organisers decided their timing was impeccable.
A big thank you must go to the sponsors Eurobodalla Tourism. Principal Race Officer Robin Foote was assisted aboard "Cape Fear" by Peter Connell, Lachlan Brown and James Levy. The mighty "Wench", with Jacqui Duffy and Jacko on board, acted as a finish boat. Al Rosier and Andrew Bain took out "Ghoster" to run the pentastar race. The rescue boats "Poly", "Side Step" and "Sea Change" were crewed by Rob Hooke, Kevin Harmey, Gus McDonald, Chris Darman, David Boardman, Steve Boardman, Ed Jansen, John Keeling, Tony Sutton, Michael O'Brien, Ray Bull, Andrew Bain and Robin Davey. Helpers ashore included Lynn Bain, Lorraine and Roger Freney, Mike Hills, Judy Brown, Dennis Wilson, Sandra Davey, Rob Douglass and Peter Smith.
1st "The Nude" (Richie Reynolds and Lissa McMillan)
2nd "Octopussy" (Scott Kennedy and Karen Wiseman)
3rd "Blitzkrieg" (Dennis Watson and Michael Watson)
1st "Scooby Doo" (Poppy Moore and Rachael Logie)
2nd "Thicker Than Water" (Adam Forbes and Kurt Warner)
3rd "Everything Zen" (Andrew Stewart and Felicity Killoran)
1st MG14 "The Wizard of Oz" (Robert Morton and Sian Morton)
2nd Fireball "Temeritous" (Rob Hughes and Terry Ward)
3rd MG14 "Roma" (Mary Tulip and Roellen Little)
1st "Evergreen" (Mike Green)
2nd "Humungus" (Angus Reid)
3rd "Woof" (Jim Walsh)
1st "Politesse" (Michael Chapman and Alan Griffith)
2nd "Lupercus" (Ian McCrossin and James Cook)
3rd "Freight Train" (Alister McCowan)
1st Hobie 14 Turbo "Bad Attitude" (Peter Wood)
2nd Hobie 14 "Quinndog II" (Richard Quinn)
3rd Hobie 14 "Mini Me" (Ashleigh Gilbert)
1st "Long Way To The Top" (Mick Butler and Patrick Butler)
2nd "In The Red" (Andrew McKenzie and Will McKenzie)
3rd "No Name" (Jamie Roberts and Sarah Roberts)
1st Taipan 4.9 sloop "The Black Pearl" (Kings Pursch and Lisa Ryall)
2nd Taipan 4.9 sloop "Jungle Juice" (Steve Kiely and Lesley Kiely)
3rd Hobie 18 "Second Obsession (Glenn Gilbert and Michelle Gilbert)
1st "Donkey On The Edge" (Michael Forster, Daryl Roos and Andrew Forster)
2nd "Road Kill (Derek Milligan, Kevin Rosenbahn and Paul Cohen)
3rd "Silent But Deadly" (Rick Outhred, Tim Rodwen and Tom McCrossin)
1st "Platform 9.75" (Rick Longbottom and Carmen Longbottom)
2nd "Scribbel" (Rob Douglass and Nicole Douglass)
3rd "Hair Of The Dog" (Stuie Templeton and Nicole Kidman)
1st Gem 550 "Dodgem" (Don Shortridge)
2nd Magic 25 "Bum Full Of Smarties" (Matt Owen)
3rd Sonata 6.7 "Blu & Me" (Alan Green)
Revised April 24, 2007 10:04 AM