Australians are traditionally believed, not least by themselves, to be outdoorsy sporting types, more
comfortable wrestling crocodiles, than wrestling a spreadsheet, which was generally considered best
left to the less sporty studious types. A rethinking of that image was due following last Sunday’s
demonstration “pursuit” event held in the eastern arm of the Hastings river on Port Macquarie Yacht
Club’s river A course.
Club handicapper and regular Cool Change crew member, Ken McDonald was co-opted to produce
figures that would allow yachts to contest an unofficial pursuit race in lieu of the offshore regatta,
postponed due to adverse conditions. A pursuit race allocates yachts staggered start times with the
aim of all yachts finishing, give or take, around the same time. After analysing literally thousands of
results of club yachts dating back several years, and isolating conditions similar to those forecast for
Sunday start times were published on Saturday evening for the five yachts that originally indicated
interest in competing
Sailing being sailing, however, while winds of 10 – 25 knots had been forecast, on the day sailors
found wind strenghts of less than the lower limit forecast for the day, with a maximum wind speed
of 9.5 knots recorded on the racecourse. In any event with crews being keen to get some sailing in,
the race proceded with allocated start times after a ten minute delay.
Frank Lagudi’s Third Man was the first yacht away, in breezes topping out at 5 knots at the time.
Mimosa followed four minutes behind Third Man with Cool Change following seven minutes in
arrears. Kookaburra 11 was last to start 27 minutes behind Third Man in the two lap event.
The fluky winds continued up to the top mark with Third Man first around the mark, followed by
Cool Change. Sailing in unfriendly conditions Mimosa had dropped back. Kookaburra was trailing the
fleet.
On the return leg, while the wind remained well under 8 knots, a strong runout tide allowed yachts
to generate higher apparent winds and some very pleasant sailing was experienced. At the front of
the fleet there were some lead changes, with Cool Change challenging Third Man, while at the rear,
Kookaburra 11 rounded up Mimosa, which was struggling in the conditions. At the conclusion of the
first lap, Cool Change led Kookaburra 11, from Third Man and Mimosa at the tail of the field.
Kookaburra 11 eventually found the lead, over the second lap, and wind strengths picked up to
around 8 – 9 knots, still well below the wind range forecast. Some close racing between Third Man
and Cool Change, including two calls for water, drew the attention of other crews. Kookaburra 11
managed to hold on to the lead she held to the finish, with Cool Change second over the line Third
Man third closely followed by Mimosa which made up good time.
When final handicaps were applied the finishing order stood, although the margin between Third
Man and Mimosa at the start saw Third Man taking third.
The post race debrief between the handicapper and skippers, agreed the pursuit format could be
tweeked and in it’s tweeked form should be continued. It was also noted that with greater amounts
of data, incorporating more boats, a more flexible system allowing for non forecast conditions could
be produced.