The Port Macquarie yacht club runs sufficient offshore regattas for regularly competing skippers to have a reasonable idea of expected elapsed times for the various courses. Last Sunday, with racing scheduled to commence at 9.30am on the North easterly regatta course a fleet of seven yachts faced the starter at the slightly delayed start, in a light to non existent breeze.

Skippers struggled to get their yachts to the start line, with the majority of boats reaching the line in a time similar to that they may have expected to finish in. Indeed the first boat struggled across the line in around 20 minutes. Winds along the course remained patchy for most of the race with ironic cheers being heard on some boats when hooking into any of the few zephyrs on course.

Enticer reached the top mark first with daylight between that yacht and the following pack led by Kookaburra 2 then Cool Change. Indeed only two other yachts managed to round the mark before Enticer finished. About seventy minutes after the start the beginnings of a moderate breeze began to appear which blew home the backmarkers. Enticer which was first across the finish line in a little over an hour was hoping the margin it built up was sufficient to take handicap honours, which it was.

The second race of the day started over a shortened course in breezes of around the minimum actually forecast for the day. The start saw several yachts jostling for places at the pin end of the start line, with Enticer taking the lead from Cool Change once things settled down. Enticer increased the lead she took at the start and finished this race in a time little different from that she took to cross the start line in the previous race. All boats posted much improved times with Enticer again taking line and handicap with Cool Change second and Urchin third.

Race three saw the light breeze holding, but becoming patchy. Mimosa was unable to continue the regatta, so only six boats contested a much more orderly start than the previous race. Although behind boats at the start Enticer quickly found the lead and completed its shutout of other boats, taking both line and handicap honours in the final race on a day of difficult sailing conditions. Katherine was second, completing a successful regatta for her and Cool Change came third.

Overall regatta placings were, Enticer in first place, the consistent Cool Change taking second place with Urchin pipping Katherine for third place overall on the day. Crews gathered post event at the Westport Club for their traditional Quiet Little Drink to consider the day’s racing.