Central Western Daily, Orange
3 February 2004
Conditions suit sailors
A FAVOURABLE westerly wind had the Carcoar Dam Sailing Club members eager with anticipation for Sunday's 11.30am start.
Jamie Mendham as officer of the day set a basic triangle course for the seventh of the club championship races. Six of the eight boats participating got away to a good start including John Ford who seemed to light afterburners on his Hobie 14 Turbo.
Dick Benson (who has been off for the last six weeks) did his best to keep up but his cat rigged (one sail) Mari-cat was no match for Ford's main and jib sails.
Tony Williams and his crew Shane Lisle took advantage of the extra ballast and strong winds, taking the lead among the tightly grouped monohulls.
The husband and wife team of Peter and Maureen Durkin on their Hobie 14 Turbo made ground on each leg but kept losing it on the turns.
Ben Hone and Andrew Reynolds may have started the race four minutes late but with the use of their spinnaker made ground on the rest of the field.
Ford completed the four-triangle race in 25min 44sec. Dick Benson, the next to cross, came in at 30min 50sec. Tony Williams and Shane Lisle brought the Tasar into third with Marcia Lac on her Laser just outdoing Greg Unwin on his Laser Radial (small sail).
Timothy and Merelyn Hone and crewmate Paul Channon pointed the Corsair across the finish line in 34min 24 sec.
Peter and Maureen Durkin were next, with Hone and Reynolds maintaining their start position.
After handicap adjustments (to give a median to the field between the fast and slow boats), the top five placings were all within a two minute period with John Ford, Greg Unwin and the team of Timothy and Merelyn Hone and Paul Shannon filling the 1,2,3 placings.
The afternoon race was a more complex but enjoyable circuit of the buoys.
With a close tussle for the starting line the field exploded onto the course.
John Ford was up to his usual tricks, with one hull constantly in the air.
Dick Benson, a little more sedate, slipped into second with the Tony Williams and Shane Lisle team fighting it out with Marcia Lac for third and fourth.
With the wind gusting up the lake causing large whitecaps, it was little surprise when one of the contestants had to retire due to breakage.
Peter Durkin's Hobie limped back to shore luckily not to sink at least one hull.
The rest of the field powered home taking up their finishing line positions the same as the morning race, just with different times.
After handicapping John Ford was the winner with second place going to Marcia Lac closely followed by the Ben Hone and Andrew Reynolds team. Fourth place went to Greg Unwin just beating out the Timothy, Merelyn Hone and Paul Shannon team.
Tony Williams and Shane Lisle beat off Dick Benson who came in seventh.
It was good to see the family of Steve, Corinne Whitehead and their daughters Annie and Lizzy and their uncle Nick King out on the water again.
3 February 2004
Conditions suit sailors
A FAVOURABLE westerly wind had the Carcoar Dam Sailing Club members eager with anticipation for Sunday's 11.30am start.
Jamie Mendham as officer of the day set a basic triangle course for the seventh of the club championship races. Six of the eight boats participating got away to a good start including John Ford who seemed to light afterburners on his Hobie 14 Turbo.
Dick Benson (who has been off for the last six weeks) did his best to keep up but his cat rigged (one sail) Mari-cat was no match for Ford's main and jib sails.
Tony Williams and his crew Shane Lisle took advantage of the extra ballast and strong winds, taking the lead among the tightly grouped monohulls.
The husband and wife team of Peter and Maureen Durkin on their Hobie 14 Turbo made ground on each leg but kept losing it on the turns.
Ben Hone and Andrew Reynolds may have started the race four minutes late but with the use of their spinnaker made ground on the rest of the field.
Ford completed the four-triangle race in 25min 44sec. Dick Benson, the next to cross, came in at 30min 50sec. Tony Williams and Shane Lisle brought the Tasar into third with Marcia Lac on her Laser just outdoing Greg Unwin on his Laser Radial (small sail).
Timothy and Merelyn Hone and crewmate Paul Channon pointed the Corsair across the finish line in 34min 24 sec.
Peter and Maureen Durkin were next, with Hone and Reynolds maintaining their start position.
After handicap adjustments (to give a median to the field between the fast and slow boats), the top five placings were all within a two minute period with John Ford, Greg Unwin and the team of Timothy and Merelyn Hone and Paul Shannon filling the 1,2,3 placings.
The afternoon race was a more complex but enjoyable circuit of the buoys.
With a close tussle for the starting line the field exploded onto the course.
John Ford was up to his usual tricks, with one hull constantly in the air.
Dick Benson, a little more sedate, slipped into second with the Tony Williams and Shane Lisle team fighting it out with Marcia Lac for third and fourth.
With the wind gusting up the lake causing large whitecaps, it was little surprise when one of the contestants had to retire due to breakage.
Peter Durkin's Hobie limped back to shore luckily not to sink at least one hull.
The rest of the field powered home taking up their finishing line positions the same as the morning race, just with different times.
After handicapping John Ford was the winner with second place going to Marcia Lac closely followed by the Ben Hone and Andrew Reynolds team. Fourth place went to Greg Unwin just beating out the Timothy, Merelyn Hone and Paul Shannon team.
Tony Williams and Shane Lisle beat off Dick Benson who came in seventh.
It was good to see the family of Steve, Corinne Whitehead and their daughters Annie and Lizzy and their uncle Nick King out on the water again.
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