Audi Victoria Week Passage Race Sydney 38 win to Cinquante



10:09 AM Sat 23 Jan 2010 GMT
'Challenge - Lou Abraham sitting with a Rotary youth sailor - Audi Victoria Week - Melbourne to Geelong Passage race' Teri Dodds &copy

Being a one-design boat there is very little separating the 10 Sydney 38s contesting Audi Victoria Week, just the crew work and whatever tactics it takes to get an edge on the rest of the division.

In today's Passage Race from Melbourne to Geelong, the opening race of the Morris Finance Sydney 38 Class Series, Ian Murray's Victorian Sydney 38 Cinquante found that edge, finishing four minutes clear of Chris Lewin's Another Challenge in the southerly that built from 10 knots at the start to a fresh 25 knots by the finish off the host club, Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

The Sydney 38s will really come into their own once they commence their windward/leeward racing, the first race scheduled to kick off at 1230hrs tomorrow on Geelong's Corio Bay.

This is when the hot fleet, including the grandfather of ocean racing and more recently Sydney 38 one design racing, 82 year old Lou Abrahams, will add plenty to the colour and excitement of Audi Victoria Week as they and the many other divisions competing take to the waters for their short course racing component.

Six of the Sydney 38s, including Abrahams, had aboard a special passenger for today's 34.3 nautical mile Passage Race. The Rotary Youth program's six successful nominees from regional Victoria joined the Sydney 38 owners for their first ocean passage race.

Amy 'Jean' Van Heumen, nominated by the Bendigo Strathdale Rotary Club was fortunate enough to join Abrahams on the sail to Geelong and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

'It was really good, so much fun. It was a little bit choppy to start with, but fantastic. Being from Bendigo there's no beach, no yacht club, so it was a great opportunity.

'I'll definitely have a good night's sleep tonight,' she said.

Morris Finance Sydney 38 One Design

Race 1 (23/01/2010) PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Place Sail No Boat Name From Skipper Elapsd Fin Tim Score
1 G5038 CINQUANTE RGYC Ian Murray 04:34:29 14:04:29 1.0
2 SM2004 ANOTHER CHALLENGE RBYC Chris Lewin 04:38:27 14:08:27 2.0
3 SM3800 38 DEGREES SOUTH SYC John Chatham 04:40:04 14:10:04 3.0
4 SM6115 SIERRA CHAINSAW SYC Mel Mollison 04:40:05 14:10:05 4.0
5 B331 AUDACIOUS RBYC Greg Clinnick 04:44:51 14:14:51 5.0
6 SM2 CHALLENGE SYC Lou Abrahams 04:45:07 14:15:07 6.0
7 6338 SHINING SEA CYCSA Andrew Corletto 04:46:46 14:16:46 7.0
8 SM3838 CLOCKWORK SYC Gordon Mather 04:48:35 14:18:35 8.0
9 SM138 ADRENALIN SYC Rob Hurrell 04:51:17 14:21:17 9.0
10 6305 MONDO RQYS Ray Sweeney 04:53:36 14:23:36 10.0




by Lisa Ratcliff




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