Cookson 50 match race

Ian Grant reports from the Airlie Beach Race Week

Victorian ocean racing skipper Michael Hiatt and his talented Living Doll crew has emerged as the star performer in the 2006 International Airlie Beach Race Week series contested in ideal conditions on the Whitsunday Sailing Club courses.

The Living Doll crew who won the 903n/ml Sydney to Mackay race on their escape route from the colder climate in the southern latitudes reveled in the T-shirt climate and moderate 15-18 knot trade winds to claim a narrow one point lead after two hard fought tactical windward leeward races on Pioneer Bay today.

Skipper Hiatt who held a strong claim on winning the opening race on Friday but had to accept a 20 second defeat when the official results were declared showed he had placed the disappointment on hold by winning the first of the two races today. He naturally showed a respect for his title rivals by steering Living Doll into a clear wind start then applied a defensive cover to ensure he held control over his match racing rival the Kiwi skipper Anatole Masfen helming the almost clone designed Mick Cookson canting keeled 50 Pussy Galore.

The tactical respect was warranted after Pussy Galore produced unmatched all angle speed to win the opening race in stronger winds on Friday. Naturally there was evidence of a tactical match race when Living Doll and Pussy Galore became deadlocked in a mate against mate boat against boat duel. Living Doll rating 1.286 dictated the tactics and speed to outpace Pussy Galore 1.332 by 1 minute 19 seconds in the 1hour 13 minute 20 second race sealing a deserved line and handicap double.

However the monopoly held by the match racing Cookson 50s was broken when Ray Roberts steering to the race strategy provided by his tactician the World 11 metre champion Steve McConaghy piloted the DK 46 Quantum Racing to a relatively comfortable third race win over Living Doll and Pussy Galore.

After three races and three different winners Living Doll 2-1-2 leads the improving Quantum Racing 3-2-1 by 1 penalty point while Pussy Galore 1-6-3 is another four points off the pace.

In other classes the sleek and comfortable Hanse 37e Hans On sailing in her first major regatta with the experienced Col Thomas controlled the top of the Division 4 leader board with a 2-3 from the Capricorn Coast Farr 11.6 True Love (Roger Down) 7-1 and Tasmanian Dick Knoop in his self designed 39 Magellan 6-2.

Former World 18ft skiff champion Peter Sorensen selected the faster spinnaker sailing angles with Vivace to claim a 19 second line honours win over the Sports Boat class favourite Pierre Gal in Revolution. Gal had sold Vivace to Sorensen when he launched Revolution believing the newer ‘sprint machine’ was marginally faster. That still could be the case with the human element skills expressed by the Vivace crew proving to be the difference.

However while these two exciting Sports Boat sailing combinations have dominated the line honours the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron skippers Jason Ruckert ( Gone Troppo) and Tom Jordan ( Liquid Tactics) share the championship lead with 1-2 score three points clear of West Australian Steve Battley in Road Warriors as the 96-yacht fleet prepares to contest the important third day of the popular regatta tomorrow.