First win for new Ichi Ban

The former Brunel VO70 takes line honours in CYCA's Bird Island Race

Sydney yachtsman Matt Allen’s latest yacht to be named Ichi Ban, the former Volvo 70 Brunel, has scored an easy line honours win in her first Australian ocean race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Bird Island Race. However, her elapsed time of just over 12 hours was well outside the record for the 85 nautical mile race off the New South Wales Coast and her margin not good enough for a high placing on handicap.

The overnight race, which started Friday evening, was sailed in generally light to moderate breezes before a freshening mid-morning northerly gave the smaller boats a fast run home. Carrying a heavy impost under the IRC handicap system, Ichi Ban took line honours from the casual entry You’re Hired, Geoff Morgan’s Davidson 55 and Syd Fischer’s Farr 50 Ragamuffin.

You’re Hired, the former Another Duchess, won the IRC Division on handicap, but Ichi Ban placed second last in the 17 boat fleet, with Ragamuffin 9th. Under the ownership of Matt Allen, Vice-Commodore of the CYCA, Ichi Ban will among the bigger boats competing in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Top honours for the Blue Water Pointscore when to AFR Midnight Rambler, the Farr 40 campaigned by Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas which placed second to casual entry You’re Hired. It was an impressive effort in the lead-up to AFR Midnight Rambler’s campaign for the Gosford to Lord Howe Island race at the end of October.

Middle Harbour Yacht Club boats did well in the Tasman Series (PHS) results of the Bird Island Race with Phillip Rowe’s MRZ winning from Rob Reynolds’ Pla Loma and John Walker’s Impeccable. MRZ also finished third under IRC to You’re Hired and AFR Midnight Rambler.

Today a fleet of 26 boats competed in the CYCA Ocean Pointscore race from Sydney to Lion Island and return, with CYCA director Dick Cawse taking the treble with his 60 footer Vanguard.

Vanguard took line honours and won first place on corrected time under both IRC and PHS handicaps. In the IRC Division, Vanguard won by 28 minutes from the Swan 45 Ginger (Leslie Green) and the Sydney 47 CR Balance (Paul Clitheroe)

PHS results saw Vanguard take first place by just 43 seconds from UBS Wild Thing, skippered by CYCA Commodore Geoff Lavis, with Balance placing third.

The Lion Island Race was sailed a strong northwest to northeastly breeze, kicking in to more than 20 knots during the afternoon. “We were hitting 17 knots under kite on the run back…it was a great sail,” said former CYCA Commodore John Messenger who sailed on Vanguard.

Harbour racing today produced some spectacular sailing, with one yacht foundering after being holed in a port-and-starboard collision and another sports boat turning turtle after apparently losing its bulb keel.

The crew of eight were sighted standing on the upturned hull until rescued. No-one was injured in the two incidents, but there were plenty of wild broaches and out-of-control gybes in the strong winds and choppy conditions.