The Passage Spinnaker Series attracted the largest numbers at Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s Festival of Sails from January 26 to 29.
The event also hosted the Melges 24 Australian Championship and the S80 Series and in all, there were 297 boats split between 13 series and multiple divisions, while the VIC Sailing League held its two-day final and the Cadet dinghies also raced.
Gordon Ketelbey’s Zen, from Division 0, was hot from the opening day when the NSW based TP52 took line honours in the 180th Passage Race and ended the IRC overall winner from Tasmanian Andrew Smith’s Cockwomble and Sebastian Bohm’s TP52, Smuggler (NSW).
Damian Thomas’ PPI, a Cape 31 one-design from Melbourne won AMS overall, the predominant scoring system used in Victoria. Cam McKenzie and Nigel Jones’ Ginan and Robert Date’s Scarlet Runner filled out the top three.
Division 1 came down to three boats in IRC; Bruce McCraken’s Ikon, Alan Woodward’s Reverie (she won the Passage Race) and Bill Barry-Cotter’s Maritimo, with Michael Spies at the helm. And that is how it finished.
Under AMS, it was Ikon again. McCraken and Ikon are the reigning Division 2 Australian Yachting Championships victor. Mark Nicholson’s Javelin was second, while Phil Bedlington’s BKT JAMHU claimed third place.
Division 2’s results were clear-cut. Ari Abrahams’ X-Yacht, Xpresso, cleaned up in IRC with five straight wins and AMS, winning four from five races. Paul and Sally Neilson’s Northshore 33, De Ja Blue, won Division 3 under AMS by 11 points.
