RYCT Winter Series - Pisces catches the breeze

12:51 PM Sun 23 Aug 2009 GMT

'David Taylor, co-skipper of Pisces' Peter Campbell &copy

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania Winter Series report.

Offshore racing team David Taylor and Graham McKibben showed their skills in flat-water river racing today when they scored their first win of the RYCT Winter Series on the River Derwent today with the Sydney 36 Pisces.

Pisces elected to follow early leader Auch (David Bean) and War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith) in taking a long leg inshore into Sandy Bay in search of an elusive morning breeze before working shoreline past Castray Esplanade. This paid off handsomely for all three boats.

The Farr 40 War Games overtook Auch, a casual entry, on the run from the windward mark down to Sandy Bay and scored a comfortable line honours from Stephen Boyes' Farr 40 Wired, Auch and Pisces.

On IRC corrected times, Pisces took provisional first place in Division 1 from Gavin Adamson's Fine Cotton, third place going to Wild West (Michael Denney). War Games placed 4th, Wired 6th to open up the pointscore going the final Winter Series race in September.

The fleet started in a 4 knot north-westerly, which freshened slowly during the morning to a 12 knot northerly breeze under a sunny winter sky.

Division 2 also produced a new winner for the Winter Series with the consistent Serenity, skippered by Graham Hall taking first place from Just Jones (Peter Giblin) and Trouble (Dave Williams) which had fastest time in the division.

Prince Philip Cup champion Dragon skipper Nick Rogers again showed his great skill in picking the right way to go on a light day on the Derwent by taking the line and handicap double in Division 3, sailing Elliott 5.

Rogers also headed into the Sandy Bay shore after the start and held the lead to beat the fast finishing J24 Mrs Pickles, helmed by Kaye Roberts. Third place went to the Dragon class yacht Leander II (Stuart Job).

The Tasmanian crew racing the Bavaria 50 On Location finished second in the opening race for PHS Cruising Division 2 at the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. Skipper Stephen Keal has been joined by Hobart Farr 40 owners Wayne Banks-Smith and Hughie Lews in chartering On Location for Race Week.

by Peter Campbell

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RYCT Winter Series - Pisces catches the breeze

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