Stephen Brown’s Mary Maitland wins division two race, FForever Young claims harbour course event

Not many races conducted by Princess Royal Sailing Club take yachts into Oyster Harbour and to Green Island but last Saturday it ended in disappointment for the skippers and crew of two division-one yachts when both went aground after successfully rounding the hazardous Green Island channel.

Brett Hawker in Jessie James had been a clear leader over Harold Keay’s Shagabull when his keel found the muddy bottom and was stuck fast.

Keay quickly closed the gap to the hapless Jessie James but he, too, found the bottom.

Meanwhile, three division-two yachts had no trouble navigating their way around the island but Stephen Lee’s Flasheart, the early leader, found the mud twice.

Flasheart managed to extricate himself both times but he then lost his lead to Stephen Brown’s Mary Maitland who, with Mark McRae in Sicarius, managed to find a safe passage to the Emu Point channel.

Hawker spent several minutes using an anchor and spinnaker pole to free Jessie James knowing that getting outside help would disqualify him.

In the end he called for assistance from the club’s rescue boat which had followed the two divisions to Emu Point.

Keay was also dragged free and both yachts retired from the race.

Brown was now the leader in division two and went on to win and to record fastest time in a solid workout.

Sicarius, which had been sailing JAM, scored second place which was a great effort without the use of a spinnaker.

Flasheart after her near miss in Oyster Harbour was third.

Flying Fifteens held a harbour course event and once again Simon Lucas was unstoppable skippering FForever Young.

He displayed great sailing skills and increased his lead at every mark.

Early in this race Wayne North had Frequent Flyer doing well and matching it with Lucas under spinnaker but fell off the pace.

Aileen Lucas in Crazy, which was lagging behind, made up ground on North, but both were no match for Simon Lucas who was never headed and won handsomely in FForever Young.

Crazy took second place and North, who continues to improve with each outing, was third.

This Saturday is one of the big events on the sailing calendar, The Cock of the Harbour Race, which is hoped to draw the biggest number of boats competing in the last race of the autumn series.