FForever Young wins heat five of winter series ahead of Frequent Flyer and Excitabull

Three Flying Fifteens showed up for heat five of the winter series conducted over a harbour course in ideal conditions.

Compared with the weather during the week, last Saturday was summery with a steady southerly that never got over 12 knots.

The Fifteens began 30 minutes ahead of two division one yachts and it was Simon Lucas in FForever Young that set the pace.

Straight away a spinnaker was hoisted and he immediately opened up a handy lead over Wayne North in Frequent Flyer and an unfortunate Aileen Lucas who was stuck on the start line with a haul malfunction on Crazy.

This cost her four minutes in rectifying the matter and to her credit never gave up the chase.

FForever Young and Frequent Flyer were not far apart in the early stages but the gap got wider as the race progressed.

Enter Geoff Oliver in Excitabull and Brett Hawker in Jessie James the two division one yachts who now had to catch the leading Fifteens.

Oliver with a skeleton crew was showing Hawker his transom as he quickly hoisted a spinnaker and was zipping away from him in his endeavour to get closer to the Fifteens.

FForeverYoung was proving a handful for Frequent Flyer as it kept way ahead.

Crazy was doing well once it got going but trying to make up the lost four minutes was too difficult.

Excitabull was now a threat to the Fifteens as he was showing great speed as he was getting well ahead of Hawker and putting pressure on the leaders.

However FFoerever Young had been sailed so well that it won easily in a wonderful display by Lucas.

North who had been sailing to the best of his ability with Frequent Flyer was rewarded with second place and Geoff Oliver who sailed brilliantly with Excitabull took third place and recorded fastest time in a fine effort.

Heat six which is also the Brass Monkey Race will be held this Saturday with a 1.30pm start.