Last weekend the Port Macquarie Yacht Club scheduled races to Laurieton and return. After
reviewing the weekend weather forecast and in view of dangerous conditions forecast for Sunday,
the whole of weekend event was abandoned and replaced by a Saturday non-point score long ocean
race.

In variable winds ranging from two to four knots, five yachts faced the starter on Saturday, evoking
Coleridgian thoughts of “painted ships upon a painted ocean”. Conditions rendered the five minute
start procedure somewhat irrelevant with the first yacht not crossing the start line until two minutes
into race time. The five starters somehow straggled across the line and headed out to sea, where the
breeze was just sufficient to ripple the water.

Kookaburra 2 was best placed to take advantage of this zephyr and took a handy lead over Cool
Change and Zig Zag who were engaged in an enthralling duel in the light airs prevailing on the
journey to the wing mark. The heavier Third Man and Mimosa battled valiantly in conditions totally
unsuitable for those boats. With conditions showing little chance of changing the OOD shortened
the course by deleting the “sausage lap” that normally concludes the southern course.

From the bottom mark on the homeward run, Kookaburra 2, with only two crew elected not to run a
spinnaker, which allowed Zig Zag to launch a code zero and take a clear lead, before problems
onboard caused Zig Zag to withdraw. Cool Change sailing to conditions launched her spinnaker and
began running down Kookaburra 2. Those onboard Kookaburra 2 were sweating on reaching the
line in front of the fast finishing Cool Change and fell over the line a matter of seconds in front of
Cool Change. Third Man was third across the line with Mimosa fourth.

Being provisioned for a weekend away, Kookaburra 2, having been nominated by the Commodore,
opened its bar post race and welcomed crews of the other yachts on board for cheers and beers.

Although a non-points race, handicaps were applied to the finishing times, with “Shaman” Teddy
Clausen’s Cool Change taking the “win”, Third Man second place, and Mimosa in third. While one
sailor dryly described the event as a “Pretend Ocean Race”, few of the crew who participated on the
day would agree.

Three of the five boats head out to race. Pic from on-board Mimosa