SPRINT RACING

PRO David Airey reports:

Saturday was another glorious day to be out on Sydney harbour although the conditions were at times challenging for the approximately 25 sailors and race management team. Before the briefing, the buoys were set out for a nice 10 knot Westerly. However, by the time racing got under way at 2pm the wind was dying, and the first sprint race took longer than planned. The marks were moved to shorten the course and Race 2 proceeded smoothly, albeit with big variations in wind speed and direction across the course.

Then, while the crew on the Jazzman were focused on flags and timing for Race 3, it was pointed out the wind was now from the NE. A long delay ensued while the RIB crew picked up the buoys and travelled from Clark Island to Shark Island via Bradleys Head. The sailors that stayed out then enjoyed two more races in the new 8 to 10 knot NE.

A big thank you to the crew of Kirk Marcolina and Tory Epworth on the Bergman who were kept busy picking up and re-laying marks, and to Quinn Pierson for his assistance on the Jazzman. The sailing conditions were challenging but mastered most effectively by Kate McHugh who scored two firsts and a second in the Radials, and by Campbell Paton who had two firsts prior to calling it a day.