(Hobart, Tasmania)- A powerful, hot and smokey northerly wind, bringing
heatwave conditions to Hobart, sent the fleet 'smokin' down the Derwent
in today's final pre-Christmas Combined Clubs harbour racing series.The temperature in Hobart peaked at 33 degrees, the north to north-westerly wind averaged 25 knots, gusting to more than 30 knots and more as it funnelled down the river below the Tasman Bridge.
The wooden mast of the 77 year old Derwent class yacht Gnome broke under the pressure and the gusty wind saw some spectacular broaches under spinnaker, including the Farr 40 and a large sportboat that was forced to retire after a mid-river broach as she planed downwind. The strong breeze contributed to some last day changes in the final point scores for the Combined Clubs pre-Christmas harbour series.
Group
1 ended with three different winners of each of the three handicap
categories after two final windward/leeward races today. Nevertheless,
the solid, fast J/35 MEM, skippered by Paul Boutchard, finished with a
2nd and a 4th to win the PHS category with a record of
1-8-1-1-3-3-2-2-4-2 for a net 15 points, ahead of Don Calvert's Castro
40, Intrigue, on 22 points and Darren Clark's Farr 1104, Invincible, on
28 points. The wins by Paul Bouthard’s J/35 under PHS handicaps was the
stand-out performance in the handicap divisions.The J/35 MEM will always be remembered as the yacht owned by then Sydney-based yachtsman, John Quinn, from which he was tossed overboard when huge waves engulfed the boat in the Tasman Sea during the 1993 Sydney Hobart Race.
Quinn courageously dog-paddled for just short of six hours before being unbelievably heard by a crew member aboard the tanker, Ampol Sorel, before being picked up by fellow competitor, Atara, owned by John Storey. Atara’s crew did all the right things as they headed to Eden and Quinn was able to walk off the yacht unaided.
Quinn sold MEM and she now lives a more sedate life racing on the River Derwent. Quinn returned to ocean racing and the Sydney Hobart, despite his ordeal, but has now retired from the sport and lives of Hobart.
The Combined Clubs post-Christmas harbour series will start on Saturday, 12 January 2013. Thanks for contribution from Peter Campbell. For more Derwent Sailing Squadron sailing information
