Sunday Series II – Race 4
Our Sunday Series II racing made a dramatic return on 22 August, with dark & stormy conditions greeting sailors on the start line. The easterly and southwesterly systems converged to dump water on the pennant 3 course – as if the skies had prepared a welcome shower for the fleet. The ensuing heavy downpour resulted in an increased difficulty due to the decreased visibility. We expect to see similar conditions for the remaining Sunday Series & Twilight Races, due to the occasional Sumatra Squalls typical at this time of the year.
In the IRC Class, the absence of Red Rum One and Simba meant a modest fleet of 5, with the usual suspects wrestling for podium position. Waka Tere eventually emerged on top after corrected time, but not without a good challenge from Adona & Born in Fire. The X99 sailed a good race to clinch line honours, but only a slim 15 seconds ahead of the Nelson 10. That was not enough for Thomas and crew to take victory, trailing in 3rd by a margin of 1 min 52 secs on handicap. 1st runner-up was earned by the J24 Adona, improving on their 4th place finish at last week’s Twilight race. Waka Tere now leads Adona by 1 point in the Series II standings, and we expect an exciting finale on 5th September.
The challenging conditions resulted in 2 retirements for the PY Class, reducing the finishing fleet to 8. Paul Sneesby’s S&S 42 thrived in the prevailing wind direction and strength, powering through the course to keep close rivals Simba & Sangaree within sighting distance. Remington‘s performance earned her a well-deserved victory, 5 minutes ahead of 2nd placed Simba. Despite leading the fleet by more than 12 minutes, Invictus‘s timing could only award her with 3rd on correction, as the 30ft Farr was expected to be even further ahead. Another class to watch out for in the Sunday Series II standings, the boats currently placed 2nd to 6th are all separated by 1 or 2 points each, setting the stage for a thrilling battle in the finale.
A costly mistake from Kaze at the finishing line saw her relinquish the win to Phoenix in the Multihull Class. Kaze touched the finishing mark and failed to complete her penalty turn, resulting in a DSQ and her first blemish for Series II. She however still leads in the overall standings, going into the 5th and final race of Series II with a 1 point lead over Phoenix.
The Beach Catamaran fleet continue to be dominated by Jeremy Perrier’s Ripple V, as he navigated well in poor visibility to succeed in staying close to lead boat and eventual runner-up on corrected time, Stray Catz. Not-so-newcomers Babe‘s consistent attendance in the Series meant that she has a good chance of breaking into the top 3 going into the final race on 5th September. She currently places 4th, just 2 points from Bad Influence in 3rd place.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you everyone for braving the conditions to complete the 4th race of this series!
Results
Sunday Series II Overall (as of 23 Aug)
IRC_SS2_SeriesResults_2021_23Aug
PYMHBC_SS2_SeriesResult_2021_23Aug
- Sunday Series I 2023 (Race 5) - 5th June 2023
- Twilight Series I 2023 (Race 5) - 4th June 2023
- CSC IRC, PY & One-Design Keelboat Championships 2023 (Day 2) - 29th May 2023