Forty four entrants from 12 yacht clubs participating in the HYC Mitsubishi Electric Pot of Gold and Dash for Cash celebrated everything to love about sailing from exhilarating spinnaker runs downwind, wet upwind-on-the-rail beating, to the camaraderie of teamwork in the Pot of Gold offshore race from Fremantle, around Rottnest to Hillarys, as well as the Dash for Cash coastal course from Fremantle to Hillarys.

On Saturday January 18th, the start team on the HYC club boat Alibi sent 15 yachts competing in the Pot of Gold (POG) event off in a 10-knot south-easterly breeze with kites pushing them along the southern side of Rottnest. Robert Appleyard’s Secret Weapon from Fremantle wasn’t a secret for long as she pushed out the lead coming home in a south-westerly that built to 22 knots, taking just 3hrs 26mins 43sec to be first and fastest in division one on PHS and IRC. Second on PHS was Lithium (Wayne Pitcher) from HYC with Surfer Rosa (Roric Smith) third, also from HYC. Atomic Blonde (Simon Torvaldsen) from RPYC was second on IRC whilst Obsession (Paul Arns) from FSC was third.

In division two (POG) Jason Poutsma’s Stimulus Package from FSC was first on PHS with Sagacious IV (Chris Hind) from FSC, second and Bad Habits (Ian Holder) from HYC in third place. Helga (Mark Taylor) from HYC performed creditably to finish fourth on PHS. On IRC Ian Holder overcame tiller issues to celebrate a win from Salacia II (Ross Norgard) from FSC and Stimulus Package. Salacia II was fastest in division two.

It was a coastal course for Dashers, starting after the POG fleet, to head out to Gage Roads before a long kite run to Sorrento, a beat back to Scarborough before another kite run to Sorrento and the finish at HYC.

In division one Michael Sproxton’s Big Puss, from NYC, was a real flyer in the strong sou-westerly coming home in 2hr 28min 47sec to be first and fastest. The long kite run suited Perle from HYC which was second on corrected time ahead of Parabellum (Shane Phillips) from TCYC.

Ian James’s Taurus from ORSSC showed how quick she is, celebrating first and fastest in division two ahead of Minke and Windswept (Steven Delfos and Ernie Delfos respectively) from FSC. Greg Hill on Not Negotiable from HYC was a creditable fourth, less than a minute behind third.

John Collier’s Gypsy II from NYC may not have been quickest in division three but was first on corrected time, just pipping the fastest yacht, Neil Harrison’s Deckchairs Overboard from HYC by less than a minute with Donetes (Hugh De Vries), also from HYC, in third place.

Commodore Graham Townsend, in welcoming the sailors to HYC, began presentations acknowledging the wonderful support of sponsors which enabled the Pot of Gold and Dash for Cash event to offer the biggest prize pool since the inception of the event. On hand to present the “pots of gold” to placegetters were Mick McKay, State Manager of Mitsubishi Electric and Carol Angove of Diversity Charters to the successful Dashers. A very big thank you to these two companies and also to our corporate sponsors Western Projects, ONN1, Ape Suspension, Nexus Advisernet and GHEMS for their generous support of the event.

Organising such a huge event with a record number of entrants was taken on by no less than 44 HYC Club members as volunteers for everything from race and function management, welcome teams, results, presentations, photos, Alibi skippers and crew to hospitality. Whilst acknowledging the support of all 44 Members, special mention should include the event managers, Marshall Fox and Ainslie McKeone; committee members, Marshall, Sue Osborne, Gail Riley, Ray Murphy and Barbara Richmond. The POG and Shepherdess Cup race management was undertaken by the team from ORWA.