A 20-knot easterly set crews a challenge on the second day of racing in the North Coast Series between HYC and ORSSC. For the windward-leeward course, Alibi, the magnificent start boat and team were pushed back to the reef off Mullaloo so that a beat back to the beach was a good distance. Cray pots now became another obstacle for boats to avoid, not to mention the reef.

Prior to the start, most yachts had opted to shorten sail, putting a reef in the mainsail, and for those with a choice, a no. 3 jib. Pre-start manoeuvres were hectic with boats travelling at speed trying to get away cleanly and not early; too late or an extra tack or ducking a starboard tacker can prove costly when in races of 40 minutes; they are won and lost by mere seconds.

Scott Forrest from ORSSC had his Etchell firing, going away from second over the line Whispering Jack (Bruce Bradford) to be fastest and first on handicap in division one, 59 seconds ahead of Perle and Bad Habits (Ian Holder) third.

In division two (also seven yachts) the first three places on handicap were within a minute 21 seconds with Tim Tucker on Show Me first ahead of Farrouk (Des and Gail Riley) and Blue Chip (Keith and Deborah Fisk). Fastest and fourth was Covert Operation (Bart Brouwer) with Farrouk and Blue Chip not far behind on elapsed time.

First and fastest in division three was Rob Bills on Catabatic with ORSSC Terry O’Grady’s Quicksilver second ahead of Resolute (Damian and Kerry Martin).

For the second race of the day crews assessed the waning wind which was dropping from 18 knots to 14 and most took the reef out of the main. Division one got away okay but by the top windward mark the wind had shifted from the east to the north and the yachts tacked back and forth trying to get around the mark. The following fleets were on a general recall when the division one race was abandoned, and with a course to be reset it was decided that racing for the day was over.

Hospitality and presentations were at Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club with magnificent views across the white capped ocean and rapidly developing new marina.

John Bird