Pursued But Not Caught
Wednesday Wonder Race 10 Summer Series 2016-17
(7 Dec 2016)
It is a rare privilege to be first to start and first to finish a pursuit race. To do this twice in one series is
even rarer. This is what MIDNIGHT MAGIC (Bernadette Moore) achieved when she won race 10 with
a margin of 3 minutes 39 seconds to become the only yacht to have 2 wins this series. She was hotly
pursued around the 6 leg, 9.9 nautical mile course 14 by the other 39 yachts but despite their best
efforts MIDNIGHT MAGIC was a comfortable winner. In 2nd place was BON VIVANT (Russell Keays)
who recorded her 2nd podium finish of the series. The Jeanneau 35 MARIBEL (Graham Fraser) was
3rd across the line for her first podium finish.
ESPRIT (Garry Anderson) became the 10th different winner of Start of the Day and the 3rd yacht this
series to have a perfect start. She started right on her 52 minute handicap. NUTCRACKER II (Rob
Davis & Andy Baker) recorded the fastest elapsed time for the 5 th successive race. She was 3
minutes 24 seconds faster than her closest rival. Sailing her first WW race was the Beneteau First 40
BRANNEW (Clive Sondheim). She sailed the course in an elapsed time of 1:40:25 – 11th fastest of
the race and only 1 minute 7 seconds slower than WICKED (Mike Welsh).
The result of this race did not affect the aggregate leaders with LEBROK (Theo Korbel) 1 st; INSX
(Rob Sill) 2nd; and, SALTSHAKER in 3rd place. However, there were some big moves with MIDNIGHT
MAGIC moving from 20th to 4th place; BON VIVANT from 30th to 15th; and, BABYDOLL (Brendan
Kruger) from 37th to 26th.
From observations at Fawkner Beacon the average wind speed was about 12 knots. It increased
steadily throughout the afternoon from about 7 to a maximum of 14 knots. It shifted from the south to
south east.
20
15
10
5
0
1300 1330 1400 1430 1500 1530 1600 1630 1700 1730
Wind Speed
7
8
11
12
13
14
14
13
13
13
Wind Gusts
8
11
12
13
15
16
16
15
14
15
135
135
157.5
135
135
Wind Direction
180
157.5 157.5 157.5 157.5
time
360
315
270
225
180
135
90
45
0
wind direction
(degrees)
wind speed (knots)
WW Summer Series 2015-16
Race 10 Wind Speed & Direction
MIDNIGHT MAGIC registered a comprehensive win in race 5 when
she led the race from start to finish and crossed the finish line 5
minutes 6 seconds ahead of the rest of the fleet. She sailed a similar
race on this occasion when she again led from start to finish and cross
the finish line 3 minutes 39 seconds ahead of the fleet. MIDNIGHT
MAGIC started this race 3 minutes 44 seconds ahead of WILLARIE
(Graeme Kaufman) and 20 seconds late for her 1 minute handicap.
She rounded number 4 for the first time in first place having increased
her lead over WILLARIE in 2nd place to 5 minutes 8 seconds. When
MIDNIGHT MAGIC crossed the finish line at 15:45:39 her lead over
WILLARIE had extended to 9 minutes 28 seconds. She had sailed the
course in 2:14:39. This was the second podium finish for MIDNIGHT
MAGIC in 7 completed races and helped put her into 4th place in the
series aggregate.
BON VIVANT started this race from her largest handicap of the
series so far. She had a very good start from 7th place only 2
seconds late for her 23 minute handicap. She sailed the first 3
legs of the course in 1:08:24 moving up into 4th place by the first
rounding of number 4. BON VIVANT completed the final 3 legs of
the course in 47 minutes 52 seconds crossing the finish line in 2nd
place at 15:49:18. She had sailed the course 12 minutes 49
seconds faster than SALTSHAKER who was allocated the same
23 minute handicap. BON VIVANT has completed 4 races from 6
starts. She has collected 2 podium finishes winning race 7 and
then a 2nd in this race. This result moved BON VIVANT from 30th
to 15th in the aggregate.
Completing her 4th race of the series and crossing the finish line
1 minute 46 seconds after BON VIVANT was MARIBEL.
MARIBEL completed 2 races in the winter series as a casual
entry so this is her first series as a block entry. She started the
race from 4th place 40 seconds late for a 18 minute handicap.
MARIBEL dropped a place to be 5th following the first 3 legs of
the race to be 10 minutes 20 seconds behind the race leader.
She sailed the last 3 legs of the race in 49 minutes 36 and
crossed the finish line at 15:51:04. MARIBEL moved up 3
places and reduced the time between herself and the race
winner to 5 minutes 25 seconds. This was the first podium finish
for MARIBEL and she moves up from 45th to be 43rd in the
aggregate.
With 21 yachts starting within 10 seconds or less of their
handicaps this was another competitive start.
The start was won by ESPRIT who started on time and was
challenged for the start by BON VIVANT, WHITE NOISE
(Daniel Edwards) and BARSTORMER (Brian Barnes) who
each started within 2 seconds of the handicaps. The median
start time was 8 seconds
The fleet started the race 55 minutes 48 seconds apart and after the first 3 legs this difference had
reduced to 28 minutes 48 seconds. The last 3 legs of the race saw the fleet come closer together and
finish 22 minutes 40 seconds apart with 17 yachts finishing within 10 minutes of the winner. The
closest finish was 1 second separating ALIBI (Denis Hambleton) and PIZAZZ (P Martyn & R Kemp)
in 11th and 12th place. BLUE TACK (Andy Lynch) finished 3 seconds behind PIPPA (Jeffrey
Woolhouse) who crossed the line in 23rd place.
During the first 3 legs of the race each yacht moved an average of 6 places. During the second 3 legs
of the race each yacht moved an average of 16 places.
The average elapsed time for this race
was 1:52:06, which was slightly less than
the average time taken to sail around the
marginally shorter course 13.
NUTCRACKER II recorded the fastest
elapsed time with ESPRIT taking 3 minutes
24 seconds longer. BRANNEW and
STAMPEDE (Christopher Gendala) did not
quite sail the course in the same time but
only 2 seconds separated them.
As often happens, the breeze for this race increased as the afternoon progressed. It is reasonable to
expect that yacht speed would increase accordingly. The following chart plots the apparent yacht
speed for each yacht for the first 3 legs of the course and the last 3 legs of the course. In most cases
yacht speed increased but there were instances where it decreased. On average the fleet sailed the
last three legs of the course 0.3 knots faster than the first three.
MARK WINDWARD
Plan your holidays carefully.
Alan Tyndall is getting tired of being asked, “How many more races are there this year?” The
following dates are taken from the sailing instructions:
A fun race in between seasons?
The Sail Committee may be considering having a non-serious race at the end of each season which
would allow for a fun race that did not count for a WW series.
Your opinions about his idea are invited. Reply to Mark Windward
Rules of a NO Extras Race
The Secretary was heading for his usual tenth place finish when someone on board decided that they
were travelling so well with their light No 1 jib that two number one’s might make the boat go faster.
Just split the sail in two was the quickest solution. The sail is only rated for about 7 knts and the
breeze by 3:30 was around 15knts. Having two genoas set in a no-extras race is illegal, so George
was forced to retire. Only the sail repairer was pleased with this result.
Sailing Rules for non-human crew
Mark is unsure if having a puppet as a forward hand being controlled by pulling strings is within the
sailing rules?
Century Class
A new member to the elite Century Class Sm2627 Andrew Stopp was welcomed into this exclusive
class and replied by stating “Thanks for the welcome. But I would rather have got there with an old
boat and young skipper. See you afloat.”
This brings the total of yachts in the Century Class to nine.
Sm 2627
Razzle Dazzle
Follow up from last week:
Ronnie Blint has purchased “The bike” he had displayed on the
Classic Car Race day. He is now attending gym 8 days a week.
TWO HOUR CLUB
Just to keep things interesting for the slower yachts a table has been drawn up for the
TWO HOUR CLUB. Only results of race time over two hours are scored.
WW Summer Series 2016-17 Two Hour Club
YACHT
Race Number
AVERAGE
3
4
5
6
7
9
2:46:36
10
DOLPHIN PLAY
3:03:07
3:14:05
MIDNIGHT MAGIC
2:31:09
3:00:56 2:22:37 2:03:01 2:20:49 2:35:09 3:00:55 2:14:39
3:08:41
PIZAZZ
2:25:14
2:25:22
WILLARIE
2:25:13
MOANA
2:23:01
PIPPA
2:21:38
FOGGY DEW
2:21:09
CARRERA
2:20:01
BALI DANCER
2:18:51
SURI
2:18:43
2:12:00 2:25:26
SUMMER WIND
2:18:15
2:05:02 2:21:08 2:28:35
CASSANDRA MELBOURNE
2:17:34
2:02:23 2:16:55 2:37:20 2:13:36
DEJA VU
2:16:48
2:08:31 2:25:09 2:26:07 2:07:25
MARIBEL
2:16:44
MYUNA III
2:14:55
SALTSHAKER
2:14:53
WHITE POINTER
2:12:45
2:11:30
2:13:10 2:13:34
VANTAGE
2:12:37
2:19:14
2:04:32 2:14:05
FIREFOX
2:11:50
SALT WHISTLE
2:11:41
TRUE COLOURS
2:11:36
2:17:18 2:16:06 2:01:24
SECOND NATURE
2:11:20
2:09:40 2:13:00
UPBEAT
2:10:54
HOT CHIPPS
2:10:50
PRIMO
2:10:05
2:05:43 2:14:27
RAZZLE DAZZLE
2:09:54
2:03:53 2:15:55
FUN AND GAMES
2:06:35
MELTEMI SYC
2:04:59
BON VIVANT
2:04:55
BABYDOLL
2:03:37
FAST COMPANY
2:02:32
PUBLIC BAR
2:01:56
BACARDI
2:01:49
ULUWATU
2:01:00
WHITE NOISE
2:00:34
2:24:26 2:25:54
2:16:32 2:08:04
2:16:42
2:56:09 2:20:07
2:04:55 2:33:23 2:37:05
2:16:48 2:03:49 2:10:28 2:27:10 2:52:46 2:18:49
2:29:06 2:01:49
2:06:05 2:24:26 2:47:09 2:18:19
2:10:24 2:29:38
2:09:44
2:27:58
2:05:47 2:21:06 2:37:00 2:03:04
2:13:21
2:02:24 2:21:27 2:22:30
2:02:56 2:15:38 2:31:39 2:09:17
2:11:50
2:18:43
2:01:25
2:24:35 2:02:03
2:08:57 2:12:51
2:09:35
2:10:40 2:12:15
2:06:35
2:03:11
2:01:52 2:09:53
2:07:34 2:00:41 2:06:30
2:00:46 2:06:28
2:02:32
2:01:56
2:01:49
2:01:15
2:01:25 2:00:19
2:00:34
WW Summer Series 2016-17 Race 10 Two Hour Club
YACHT
Time
WILLARIE
2:20:07
PIPPA
2:18:49
FOGGY DEW
2:18:19
MIDNIGHT MAGIC
2:14:39
CASSANDRA MELBOURNE
2:13:36
SALTSHAKER
2:09:17
DEJA VU
2:07:25
MARIBEL
2:03:04
SALT WHISTLE
2:02:03
TRUE COLOURS
2:01:24
Yacht Secrets.
While it is obvious that some yachts and their skipper’s car are colour coordinated, the hidden history
of another yacht matching his partner’s car has been discovered by Mark.
Bacardi has a previous coat of green hidden under her present coat of paint.
It did have the nickname of the “Green Gherkin” and the colour matched Lorraine’s MG Midget as
illustrated below.
A new Skipper for Wednesday Wonders?
Who is this skipper? Can you pick the yacht?
The skipper of this yacht always wears an orange shirt.
Is this an imposter?
The yacht (left) looks different in this WW Race 10 from most of
this season’s races. Can you pick the difference?
“I know the electronic instruments are not working
but just look at the top of the mast and watch
which way the arrow is pointing”
Racing Photos Thanks to Bruce Parry for a large collection of race photos. Keep watching this
space, as we will try to sort out an easy way for WW sailors to access these photos.
Thanks to the sailors and skippers, and in particular to the Pappa-Art-Sea for their contribution to this
report. Last week’s Mystery Man was “Big” Bob Reeves.
Send your comments and contributions to Mark Windward