The start of the second consistency race of the eight-race series for HYC keelboats on Sunday was delayed by 45 minutes to allow the sea breeze to fill in, and it was worth the wait with exhilarating sailing on the shortened course D.

Whilst two boats wanted the same spot on the start line in division one, Perle slipped through, pin-end to be first away with Whispering Jack (Bruce Bradford) and Sophia (Bruce Utting) just ahead and to leeward. Beating out to Foam on the first leg, WJ took command and was never headed to be fastest around the course. Mimosa (Tony Brooke), a Jeanneau 42-foot cruising yacht, racing in division one as a JAM (jib and main only) boat, showed a real turn of speed both upwind and on the reaching legs to be second fastest and first on handicap. Perle was second and Sophia third.

It was a masterstroke of Des Riley’s to hand the helm to the better half, wife Gail in his absence, for she handled Farrouk with aplomb, in 17-knots with the kite up to be first on handicap. Panache (Geoff James) was second, by just 46 seconds, and Covert Operation (Bart Brouwer) was first over the start line, fastest and third on handicap. Blue Chip and Show Me weren’t far behind.

Kind of Blue (Boyd Timler) momentarily had the better of La Premiere (Ken and Des Luplau) at the start however La Premiere quickly showed her Beneteau First 35 pedigree to be fastest in division three. Marc Carpenter on Intuition once again saw the chocolates go to Kind of Blue with La Premiere in third place. Chris Blackney on Vaya Con Dios and Hugh De Vries with Donetes both appreciated the stronger winds for their heavier displacement cruisers to finish strongly.

The whole-of-fleet system of handicapping used to calculate division champions and Club champion is starting to stabilise after three race results. Kind of Blue once again achieved the best overall corrected time, Mimosa second, then Perle, Farrouk, Intuition and Panache, the first six of the 14-boat fleet.

Many thanks to the start team of Rob Goldsmith, Jill Tanner, Louise Harvey and Sandy Grant; Marshall for the results and Mimosa for dropping the pin.

Consistency Race three will be held Sunday morning, November 17.

John Bird