Skandia Geelong Week

Surviving Geelong week

Skandia Geelong Week just keeps getting bigger and better. The 2008 edition, over the Australia Day long weekend, produced a record 457 entries, exceeding last year's 448, with more than 4500 sailors flocking to the event from Australia-wide and overseas for a spectacular week of racing in front of 100,000 spectators overall.

While the regatta has been running since 1844, starting five years ago, Skandia's (the international long-term savings company) major partnership continues to have a significant impact on the regatta, and newer partnerships with the Victorian State Government and Audi Australia, the German luxury car manufacturer, have enhanced Australia's oldest and largest keelboat regatta. Event organiser, Doug Jarvis, was justifiably proud.

Coupled with the onshore entertainment, including an aerobatics display, kids entertainment and some well-known bands, sailors, locals and holiday makers in Geelong were treated to a fabulous few days sailing and fun in ideal summer conditions.

Audi Series
The undoubted highlight of the Week was the Audi Series for Divisions 1, 2 and 3 yachts sailed in all conditions. Division 1's classy entry list included three of the new-to-Australia and popular TP52 yachts; Cougar II, Quest and Wot Yot - the latter two owners enjoying their first Skandia Geelong Week (SGW) experience.

In a quality 27-boat fleet, the field also featured SGW inductee Karl Kwok's Hong Kong Reichel/Pugh 45 Beau Geste. Two Melbourne sailing identities turned up with new boats; Bruce Taylor with a Caprice 40 Chutzpah and Chris Dare in his Corby 49 Flirt. The TP52s aroused the most interest, though, and went on to finish top three.

Royal Yacht Club of Victoria hosted the first four windward/leeward races of the Audi Series held over two days off Williamstown. Next came the 34.3nm Passage Race from Williamstown to Geelong.

Once in Geelong, the Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) hosted the remainder of the windward/leeward Audi Series for the three Divisions on Corio Bay.

Bob Steel's Quest, from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, was impressive from day one and went on to win. Steered by skipper Jamie MacPhail, and Julian Plante, Quest won the first three and last two races with a pair of seconds in between, but was disqualified from race two following a protest.

Quest's standout score made the end result a no-brainer. Steel said: "We were a bit lucky to carry our disqualification. We were living with a bit of apprehension with the Passage Race, because it could have been a small-boat race."

It nearly was. The forecast was for light northerlies. Just after the start though, the nor'west breeze filled in to around 18 knots. Half-way down the course, breezes dwindled as the sea breeze fought the land breeze which slowed progress and only a few missed falling into the holes down the course.

Skandia Wild Thing
Grant Wharington's Skandia Wild Thing, the line honours winner, managed to keep moving, albeit slowly at times. Victorian Wharington commented: "We didn't get the three lemons, we got down to around 0.8 knots of boat speed, but we kept moving."

The same happened for Quest, which was second over the line and second overall to Beau Geste, which had a great race.

"We had a good run coming down," said Kwok.

"I've never seen so many boats on a start; nothing like it before. It was unbelievable. This is my first time (at SGW), I definitely want to come back," he said.

Thrilled with his impressive nine-point triumph over Sandringham Yacht Club entry Cougar II (Alan Whiteley) and fellow CYCA boat, Wot Yot (Graeme Wood), Steel said: "You can't afford to make mistakes at regattas of this level. You need to have a well prepared boat and crew.

"It was good to have such close racing with the other two TPs and to come out on top. I'm also very pleased to co-lead the pointscore for the Audi IRC Championship," he said.

Up until the final day, Wot Yot had filled second place on the scoreboard, but it was the third TP, Cougar II that came home strongly to steal second place. Wot Yot finished third overall on countback to Cougar II.

Super maxi Skandia Wild Thing expectedly took line honours in all but races two and three, which it did not compete in due to a rigging problem that had to be rectified in time for the Passage Race.

In Division 2 of the Audi Series, confusion mounted when second to fifth placings overall changed after everyone had celebrated. Originally, the top three in the 20-boat fleet were Philosophers Club, a Sydney 36CR owned and skippered by champion skiff sailor Peter Sorensen (NSW), Dick Fidock's Beneteau 40.7 As Good As It Gets (SA) and Patrice Six, Tony Kirby's X-41 (NSW).

All that changed. It transpired that Grant Botica (Executive Decision) and Robert Hick (Toecutter) had not been recorded as finishers in the final race. Once rectified, Botica's Adams 10 claimed second overall and Hick's self designed 30-footer moved into fourth place. Fidock was relegated to third.

Combining with Quest and Wot Yot, Patrice Six made up the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia team for the Teams Trophy, which they won from Sandringham Yacht Club and the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria.

In the 10-boat Division 3, SYC members Mike and Mark Welsh sailed their Lidgard 36 Alien to a stunning overall victory, winning six of seven races.

Audi IRC Championship
Division 1 and 2 Audi Series winners, Quest and Philosophers Club, share a joint lead in the prestigious Audi IRC Championship, the Audi Series at Skandia Geelong Week being the opening event.

When the Audi IRC Championship scores were tallied, the friends found they were tied for the leadership with three events of the series remaining. 

The pair hoisted their Orange leadership flags aboard their respective yachts at the second round of the Championship, the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney on March 1 to 2.

"Sorro used to be my friend, but we're sworn enemies now," Steel laughed. 

"Actually, we're very pleased with ourselves.

"We're doing all the Audi Championship events (Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, Audi Sydney Gold Coast in July, and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August) and have our eye on the prize," said Steel, another first-timer at the Skandia Geelong Week regatta.

Six Australian Championships
Skandia Geelong Week hosted six Australian Championship events. Some wins were expected, others not, while the Sydney 38 Championship ended on a controversial note.

Originally, Cameron Miles' Rush was declared the winner of the Morris Finance Sydney 38 Australian Championship, but Miles ultimately retired from race eight and Limit, with Roger Hickman skippering in owner Alan Brierty's absence, won in controversial circumstances.

Miles, of course, was disappointed. Misinterpreting the Sailing Instructions, he believed a 360-degree penalty turn for running Rush's engine outside the time limit, would exonerate him. An argument ensued ending in a protest. Cleared, he later retired from the race.

"We finished second because we broke a rule," said Miles, "We all learn."

Points wise, Limit finished the Corio Bay three-day regatta on 25 points. Rush was relegated to second place on 28 points and Lou Abrahams was third with 38 points having sailed a mixed results regatta.

"We did better on the windier days," said Abrahams, "Challenge prefers those conditions."

Eleven Sydney 38s from Victoria and NSW contested the Championship sailed in conditions varying from five to 18 knots on outer Corio Bay.

Team GUE Triumphs
Four-time Bundaberg National Sports Boat champion Chris Williams and his Team GUE crew from the Royal Prince Alfred YC in Sydney won two national titles and a regatta series.

Williams added a further title to those and a runners-up place that went before after winning the inaugural Australian Sports Boat Association Championship that incorporated Sports Boats and the Melges 24 class. In doing so, he won the one-design Thompson T7 National's.

Team GUE had a stunning victory in the 21-boat fleet over two Melges 24s; second placed Kaito (Heath Townsend, WA) winner of the Melges 24 title and third placed Matilda from Queensland (Bruce Leslie).

Final placings in the T7 Nationals were Team GUE, Steve Battley's Excel For Sale second and Mark Roberts' Hold the Pickles (SA) third.

A relative newcomer to Australian sailing, the Melges 24 one-design class was showcased at Skandia Geelong Week.

Elliott 7 nationals
Canberra came up trumps again when the Matthew Owen skippered Walter Turnbull to a third successive title win in the FKP Property Group Elliott 7 Australian Championship on Corio Bay.

Owen, the class benchmark for some time, won an extraordinary six out of seven races, finishing second in the remaining one.

British team grabs SB3
A British crew helmed by Beijing-bound Olympic Tornado skipper Leigh McMillan and crewed by Chris Kerrison upset the local Geelong favourite Brendan Garner (Home Team) by taking out the Vectrix SB3 Class Australian Championship by just 1½ points.

This new one design class, introduced into Australia at Skandia Geelong Week, impressed those who sailed it.

The spinnaker carrying SB3s are well established in Europe with the beauty of the boat being its appeal to all ages.

Trailerable National title
Darryn Dyer and his Whatever crew capitalised on a recent win at the RL24 National Championship by winning Division 1 of the Four Points By Sheraton Trailerable Australian Championship on Corio Bay - making it his second Skandia Geelong Week win.

Dyer and crew from the Gippsland Lakes did not stray outside of a top three placing, and counted three bullets in the six-race series.

The Division 2 fleet also enjoyed some tight competition. Simon Walsh and his RL24 DK deserved first place; his tally included four wins and a second in the six-race series.

Performance Racing
Pacemaker's triumph in the Performance Racing class lifted the spirits of her owner Herschel Landes, who is hoping to score a wild entry into the Sardinia hosted J24 Worlds in June.

Multihull series goes to…
Tim Pepperall sailed his Farrier F9 Quickskipskangabag (try digesting that after a couple of drinks) to a win in the four-race Geelong Cabs Multi Hull series following two wins and a third place.

Cruisers' fabulous last day
A third place in the final race gave Arch Burns' Steinman designed Galaxy (Vic) Division 1 honours on a lovely day of light three to five-knot northerly breezes, suiting the graceful cruising yachts.

Division 2 went to Kim Beveridge's Beneteau 38 Firefox (Vic) following a win and two second places.

Half a point made all the difference for Division 3 winner Ivan Knight and his Bluebird 22 Paramour. Ryan Blackstock's Triton 28 Big Blue just missed the main prize; third went to Pure Logic, Tim Hooper's Northshore 27.

The Cruising Non Spinnaker Division also boasted a large fleet. Local sailor Ray Goodwin's three straight wins on Lucky Lady guaranteed success.

Kelly's Cadet series
Mike Kelly, a past Commodore of RGYC, had good reason to be proud after his 12-year-old son William won the International Cadet - WL Curtis Series, a five windward/leeward race event on Geelong's Stingaree Bay.

Skandia Geelong Week chairman, John Kint, thanked all involved for a successful Skandia Geelong Week.

"Next year it will be even bigger, better and longer. We're adding an extra day at the Geelong end to make it a five-day regatta," Kint informed the crowd.