Slick Keay turns tables in division 1 racing

Division 1 skipper Harold Keay had a telling victory in light autumn conditions around a harbour course last Saturday.

His rival in this match racing series, Murray Deer's Wild One with a crew reshuffle was no match for a slick skipper and crew on Shagabull, which went on untroubled to a fine double of first and fastest — every sailor’s dream.

These two skippers have been arch rivals all season, with Wild One holding the upper hand for most of their encounters. But on Saturday, all that changed with Keay the victor.

Nine Vipers were conducting a regatta with deepwater starts where five Albany yachts engaged in competition with four visitors from the metro area.

The Vipers raced four times over a harbour course on Saturday afternoon with a further four on Sunday.

Nine races in two days is really physical going and the city boys proved too good for the locals.

The best from Princess Royal Sailing Club were Murray Howson in Chinese Moccasin who finished third overall and Michael Cameron in Bite Me fourth overall.

The overall winner was Rod Beurteaux with Nick Jerwood in second place.

In between the Vipers heats club yachts also used the opportunity for deepwater starts and many after their races suggested that there should be more of these starts.

Division 2 had three starters and Stephen Brown was eager with Mary Maitland, and won the start from Stephen Lee in Flasheart and Neil Worrell's Zuri.

Lee eventually moved to the lead midway through their harbour course event, which saw Worrell beginning to make inroads on Brown and with some good spinnaker work made it into second place.

But Lee would have nothing of that and pressed on regardless to the finish line to take a further first and fastest.

Zuri was two minutes of the pace in second place with Brown not far behind in third.

In division 3 there was an uneven race between Rob Cridge in Noel Robbins and Mark Paynter in Serenita.

Paynter started too soon and by the time he restarted Cridge was well away and looking unstoppable.

Paynter was doing well and sailing as fast as the little boat has gone for ages, but not quick enough to do any damage to the lead that Cridge held.

Noel Robbins went on to win easily.

Flying Fifteens enjoyed the relative calm conditions that should have favoured Aileen Lucas in Crazy and Wayne North in Frequent Flyer, but Simon Lucas in FForever Young had other ideas and led for the entire journey around a harbour course to go on to a comfortable win and record fastest time in a mighty performance.

Crazy was just two minutes behind in second place with North, who had sailed well, in third place.