The meaning of sailing as a sport has been debated ad nauseam over the years. A refuge, an emotional escape, a cold analytical exercise to name but a few. Or perhaps as on show last Sunday, when four yachts only fronted up for the scheduled “long” river event from Settlement Point to the Dennis Bridge and return when the great choreographer (weather conditions), optimism rewarded.

While having only four starters could have been considered disappointing, the great choreographer ignored disappointment and provided an “as advertised” set of conditions, with wind strengths ranging from around 7 – 8 knots at the start, and topping out in the return leg at around 30 knots. Pointscore contenders Third Man and Cool Change started along with River race regular Tribal Wave, while irregular river racer Kookaburra 2 rounded out the fleet. The breeze was at the lighter end of the scale when the fleet set off from the Settlement Point start line. Third Man timed the start to perfection, crossing the line at speed after a timed run start, and quickly gapping the rest of the yachts by over a hundred meters.

Cue great choreographer. Third man sailed into a knock and softening breeze, allowing the following yachts to recover lost ground, such that by the end of the first leg to the Hibbard ferry, Third Man had slipped back to second place, while Cool Change was nipping at her heels, with Tribal Wave also having made up ground.

Once across the ferry, the yachts split to different sides of the river for the run to the Maria river. The winds were at their lightest and with the tide running in, at times it was almost but not quite the tide that was the major contributor to forward progress. Kookaburra 2 maintained a slight lead on this leg while Cool Change began to get the better of Third Man, while Tribal Wave dropped back a little.

The order at the top turning mark remained unchanged, with Kookaburra 2 leading Cool Change then Third Man and Tribal Wave battling on in conditions that didn’t really suit her, last around the mark.

With the weather forecast predicting a front around 12.30 sailors noticed clouds approaching from the south, a harbinger of what was to come. While it turned out the promised front hadn’t read the forecast arrival time, arrive it did, some 15 minutes later than predicted, providing champagne sailing with an average 20+ knots for the majority of the homeward journey. The change in conditions favoured the larger yachts, and while Kookaburra 2 maintained her lead it was Third Man that benefitted most, closing the gap that had been opened up by Cool Change. The increased wind strengths did no favours for Tribal Wave which with a crew of two, found the conditions hard going.

The final leg from the Hibbard Ferry to the finish saw Kookaburra 2 first over the line, while Third Man finishing fast overtook Cool Change in the final leg. After the handicapper had his say, however, Cool Change took out the race, followed by Kookaburra 2 with Third Man, third.

In all, on a day when the full gamut of conditions was experienced, Sailing, and, Port Macquarie Yacht Club, “the little engine that could” deadheated as winners.