Great start for IRC Champs at Sail Port Stephens

9:35 PM Fri 24 Apr 2009 GMT

'Quest on day one of the Yachting NSW IRC Championship - Sail Port Stephens' Anthony Kelly Click Here to view large photo

Race one of the Yachting NSW IRC Championships got off to a great start offshore in a light north easterly sea breeze with a big swell going across the course - making things a little challenging at times.

In Division 1, Bob Steel's TP52 Quest and Rob Hanna's Cookson50 Shogun lead the fleet around the course - with Shogun close behind the 2008 Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner and the three modified Farr 40's locked in a tight tussle - with some spectacular boat for boat racing.

Rob Hanna’s Shogun - Sail Port Stephens - Anthony Kelly Click Here to view large photo

In Division 2, the current leader in the Audi IRC National Championship, Rod Jones Archambault Alegria, headed off first, closely followed by the Michael McMahon's Sydney 38, X Cubed, with CYCA Commodore Matt Allen at the helm, familiar with his times in Port Stephens with the Farr 40 fleets.

Current Audi IRC Championship leader - Alegria - Sail Port Stephens - Anthony Kelly Click Here to view large photo

The X Cubed crew picked the good wind shifts and sailed a great tactical race to be round the mark first, in a breeze that was flicking through 15 degrees either side of the average.

X Cubed gets their Sail Port Stephens campaign off to a great start - Sail Port Stephens - Anthony Kelly Click Here to view large photo

Meanwhile back in division one, Quest, in their second lap of the windward leeward course off Hawks Nest Beach, streaked away from Shogun to take the gun, and in Division 2, X Cubed took the daily double, with line honours and handicap win to get their regatta off to a winning start.

In Race 2 Division one, Quest and Shogun showed a clean transom to their competition, with the balance of the fleet enjoying very close boat to boat racing.

But it was a case of peaking too early in race 2 for division 2, with PRO Denis Thompson signalling a general recall for a significant number of the fleet breaking the start.

All returned to d'Albora Marina with big smiles and a huge thumbs up for a great day on the water - and eager anticipation for what day 2 will bring,

For a full list of day one results go to topyachtsoftware.com/results/2009/sps/series/index.htm

by Jody O'Brien

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