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R
oyal Akarana Yacht Club’s Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess
in Ffrenetic took the title in this year’s Flying Fifteen National
Championship hosted by Waikawa Boating Club.
The nationals – held in the Marlborough Sounds at the top
of the South Island for the first time ever – were part of the Lawsons Dry
Hills Keelboat Regatta.
While the area is renowned for fantastic wine and stunning scenery, it
also has a reputation for what out-of-town competitors discovered the
locals call ‘Soundsy weather’.
Deep coves and high hills make for interesting and hard-to-predict
changes in both wind direction and velocity, and the regular ferries add
another interesting dimension.
“One of the trickiest Nationals in 14 years. No matter how big our leadFFRENETIC
IN FINE FORM
was it was never comfortable and often evaporated and was swept into
the sea before our very eyes! The race committee did a superb job in
very trying conditions,” commented FFrenetic skipper Murray Gilbert.
In addition to the Flying Fifteen fleet, the Lawson’s Dry Hills Regatta
attracted a record number of keel boats for one of the racing event
highlights in the Marlborough sailing calendar.
The local fleet topped the podium with Waikawa Boating Club
yachts taking first place in two out of the four regatta divisions. Crossfire
III, skippered by Bryce Ecklein, took first place in Division 5, and That’s
Amore, skippered by Ian Michel, took first place in Division 4.
Visiting yachts, Loco from Worser Bay (skippered by Jamie
McDowell) and Whistler III from Wellington (skippered by Mike West)
took out Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.by the Butterflies. But Robert Chubb did collect his third Tag
Trophy for the Most Dramatic Sinking Award and Most Artistic
in the Senior category.
The Tin Tin-inspired shark also looked devilishly sleek on the
beach but preferred to swim, as sharks do, with just its fins above
water. Its determined skipper paddled to the end, despite being
mostly submerged, and still picked up the Best-dressed Senior
Award, thanks to his black suit from the op shop.
The Fast Guys team of Paul Fisher, his son-in-law Vinny Astill
and grandson Archie, aged five, were a slick operation. UK-based
Paul saw the event while holidaying in Golden Bay last year and
promised Archie he would come back to enter this year.
He flew in a week before the competition to build the boat,
which had pontoons for stability and a spoiler to keep the
transom down at high speeds. It was superbly presented and
won the Seaworthiness prize in the Senior category.
Jimmy Mackay, deputy harbour master for Tasman, was on
hand to keep other boats clear of the course.FLYING FIFTEEN RESULTS- Ffrenetic – Royal Akarana Yacht Club
- Fflorin – Napier Sailing Club
- Femme Fatale – Waikawa Boating Club
- The Godfather – Royal Akarana Yacht Club
- lff – Royal Akarana Yacht Club
- Snaffler – Napier Sailing Club
- Business – Napier Sailing Club