Flasheart claims gloomy victory in harbour course flying start race

Division two skipper Stephen Lee was back to his best after a series of disappointing results when he won comfortably with Flasheart in a harbour course flying start last Saturday, conducted in a gentle southerly and drizzling rain.

The race was scheduled to be a King George Sound event but with no apparent wind before the race started it was decided a harbour course was the better option.

The start was marred when three yachts broke the line.

Josh Hughes restarted with Joker and gave chase.

Stephen Brown was a bit tardy in his restart with Mary Maitland, and had a lot of hard work in front of him.

Lloyd Pascoe sailed on, blissfully unaware he too had broken the line with Arkessa, and was disqualified.

Lee, having had a good start with Flasheart, opened up a commanding lead, followed by Neil Worrell in Zuri — the only other yacht to start correctly.

All yachts at times disappeared in the gloom and drizzle, with Flasheart always in the lead when the fleet reappeared.

Joker, meanwhile, had made no ground and was sitting in second spot behind Flasheart and threatening an upset.

Zuri and Mary Maitland were having a slow encounter and Arkessa was moving well, but to no avail.

With the breeze dropping out even further, a decision was made to shorten the course by several legs to enable boats to finish in the allotted time.

Lee reached club stake seconds ahead of Hughes and the excitement grew.

That’s when it all fell apart for Joker, which stalled at the mark and didn’t move.

The frustrated skipper and crew dropped their sails and, for laughs, sculled to the finish, but of course they were disqualified.

Flasheart won and recorded the fastest time in a great showing.

Zuri had done enough on handicap to gain second place just ahead of Mary Maitland in third.

Flying Fifteens had a match race over a harbour course and for the majority of the race, only seconds separated Simon Lucas in FForever Young and Aileen Lucas in Crazy.

These two also vanished for periods in the drizzle, with FForever Young just a fraction in the lead.

As they neared club stake it looked like Crazy’s race as it was leading on handicap, but it took an agonising four minutes to cross the line, handing the win to FForever Young.