Mark Pitt's Beneteau First 35 'Mulberry' defence of their PHF title is off to a strong start with a 2nd in Div 1 PHF and 4th in Div 1 IRC in Saturday's opening race of the Fremantle Sailing Club (FSC) Valmadre Cup Winter Series 2024. Race 1 of the four-race series was sailed in pleasant, if gloomy, conditions with moderate NE offshore winds in the waters between Fremantle, Rottnest and Cottesloe. Despite an early error with sail selection on the first reach out to the Stanton Mark after rounding the day buoy, Skipper and crew worked hard on the next upwind beat to claw back some early time lost. Synergy amongst the crew improved as the race progressed and HYC Rear Commodore Jos Colvin's confidence in his second season at the helm continues to grow. This successful result in the opening race means Mulberry's title defence remains alive. Next race 6 July.

Ray Murphy