Humpybash launches Humpybong Yacht Club racing season

7:30 AM Fri 30 Sep 2011 GMT

'Sailors cross the start line at Humpybash' Matthew Johnson Click Here to view large photo

Sailors from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay to Toowoomba and Gold Coast to Ballina faced challenging conditions in Humpybash 2011 regatta at Humpybong Yacht Club, Redcliffe on the 24-25 September.

HYC President Matthew Johnson said 39 competitors took part in the two day event on Moreton Bay.

Competitors had excellent conditions on Saturday with 10 to 15 knot north easterly winds building from the first race providing exciting racing. Early wins went to Chris Homan on his Taipan 4.9 and Richard Cullum's Nacra 4.5.

As the conditions built the crews held on for some close racing with Adrian Fawcett and Jess Dobie's F16 holding out the Homan boat in Division 1 while the lead changed race by race in the Division 2 fleet. The monohull fleet was at a deadlock after the first day with a nasty collision on the second race locking the leaders in a win apiece.

The fleet did not contest the third race of the day as conditions became too severe for the smaller boats.

Sunday had the Race Management Team scrambling to keep up with the wind shifts with conditions very quickly building from a gentle North-westerly into a heavy North-easterly with building seas. The Division 1 battle was left to the heavy-hitters with the battle between the F16s of Adrian Fawcett and Don Dull against the Nacra 5.8s of Kroning and Bowles.

Despite being caught out over the start early in the second race of the day Adrian Fawcett and Jess Dobie held off the late attacks to convincingly take the regatta. Robbie Lea ended up with four wins from six races on his modified Arrow to take the series win in Division 2 and Luis Ferro sailing his Sabre beat back the other monohulls, and after a battle of attrition managed to secure three wins in a row on the second day to clinch the series.