Shagabull and Mary Maitland dominate with wins across two divisions in harbour race

Division 1 skipper and Princess Royal Sailing Club commodore Harold Keay had an all-the-way victory in last Saturday’s handicap start harbour race.

Unfortunately Geoff Oliver began late and without some of his regular crew on, Excitabull was found wanting.

Keay showed no mercy and stormed around the harbour aboard Shagabull to be home with time to spare.

The weather was again unkind, with a howling southerly that gusted up to 25 knots which meant that a few skippers and crews stayed ashore. In division 2, Stephen Brown skippering Mary Maitland was given a four-minute start over Stephen Lee’s Flasheart but didn’t really need it as he stayed in front for the duration and opened up a huge gap that Lee could not close.

Brown and his hardworking crew were at their best in a well-deserved win.

In the Flying Fifteens, Wayne North in Frequent Flyer was off to a generous start over Simon Lucas in FForever Young.

Although North was sailing well, it wasn’t good enough as his more experienced rival soon took control of the race and headed for the finish line two minutes in front.