Sunday was a slow start to the day at Paynesville, after a big night for some, rumour has it the bar at the club closed at about 11pm, but some had still not had enough and pulled out the eskies, while the young locals lead the young visitors astray and headed for the nightclub in Bairnsdale.
Many where late to arrive at the club for the 1pm start, a warm sunny still morning finally showed promise with the wind filling in from the south as predicted by the BOM at 10 to 15 knots just before the start.
42 boats headed out to the start and it was good to see all the cats and multis get to the line on time. 5 Mossies with spin, 1 Mossie cat rig, Stingray spin, Hobie 20 spin, Tornado, Taipan cat along with 6 large Multihulls from 22 to 31 feet.
From the start the short beat to the turning mark saw Mossie "Bee Alert" first around, but sailing without spinnaker meant he was quickly passed by Mossie with spinnaker "Thrice Bitten" with all the other spinnaker cats and big multis in hot pursuit. "Bare Essentials" the 26 foot Tri with foils looked the most threatening, but the wind was still patchy and the big multis had more trouble staying in the gusts. "Thrice Bitten" lead a string of Mossie with spinnakers and the Stingray gybing down the outside of Raymond Island. "Thrice Bitten", "Catalyst", "Kryptonite" and the Stingray where all close together as they rounded the mark at the back of the island and commenced the reach to Point King, the gusts where getting stronger and all had trouble holding their spinnakers, but "Thrice Bitten" kept the spinnaker up longest and gained a break on the pack.
It was then a long one tack beat to the Lake King light, the Stingray gradually caught up to "Thrice Bitten" with "Kryptonite" and "Catalyst" still in pursuit, the fastest mover on this leg was the 26 foot Tri "Bare Essentials" using the foils to great advantage, coming from well back to within striking distance of the front cats.
The Stingray seemed to think if it just followed "Thrice Bitten" it would eventually pass the Mossie as it was travelling faster, following "Thrice Bitten's" tacks closely and it was working, but once they entered the gusty, patch winds of McMillan straits heading back to Paynesville, it became more difficult and "Thrice Bitten" stayed ahead to cross the finish line in 1hr 12min 22sec, not a record, but a good time in mild winds. The Stingray second over the line, just 25 seconds behind, 1hr 12min 47sec. "Kryptonite" third across the line, 1hr 14min 4sec. "Bare Essentials" was fourth across the line, first of the big multis, 1hr 14min 17sec, only 2 minutes behind the first Mosquito a big comeback from Point King where it was much further behind, showing the potential to set the fastest time given more wind.
Today (Monday) was blown out, so that was it for another Easter Regatta, but the sailors where grinning any way as they went home with lots of prizes (bottles of wine) and started looking forward to next year.
