(Adelaide, South Australia)- The end of February saw the start of the 70th "Teakle Classic" offshore race from Adelaide to Port Lincoln. Following the offshore "feeder race", the fleet enjoyed Lincoln Race Week; comprising six races over four days on the waters of St Vincent’s and Spencer Gulfs in South Australia.
The event starts with the 160nm Adelaide to Port Lincoln Race which starts off Outer Harbour in the Gulf St Vincent. Once in Port Lincoln, the teams race on the waters of Boston Bay and Spencer Gulf for a four-day regatta run by Port Lincoln Yacht Club.
Established in 1931, Port Lincoln YC, today, operates very much by its foundation principle-- "To Foster a Love of the Sea". PLYC members enjoy sailing and racing on one of Australia's best natural harbours. With consistent breezes, Mediterranean-style climate, minimal shipping traffic and only an hour's sail to an aquatic playground of spectacular islands. It’s no wonder the annual event is always a success.
Rob Date trucked his J/111 SCARLETT RUNNER from Sandringham, Victoria to Adelaide for the event.
Rob said, "It was a great regatta. The race to Port Lincoln was close to typical conditions, although a little windier at the start. We struggled with our reefing system soon after the start and dropped 30 minutes on our competitors in the 40.0nm upwind section."
Unfortunately, the J/111 then also struggled to set her Code Zero at the start of the next 40.0nm section (needed a Jib top), but along the bottom of York Peninsula the wind gradually went left and the angles improved as the wind freshened.
According to Rob, "Eventually, we set the Black A3 asymmetric, with the crew mantra “Never Go Back From The Black!” In 20-25 knots of pressure and travelling at 14-18 knots, we rode the 4-meter swells throughout the night in pitch black, no moon. It was a wild ride until dawn, and we had our J/111 back in the hunt. With good navigation, we avoided the fish farms (though some did not). 80.0nm VMG running in 10-14 kts of wind, resulted in a respectable non-podium finish.”
Lincoln Race Week consisted of a total of four windward-leeward races on Monday and Thursday inside Boston Bay in flat water. On Tuesday, the fleet sailed a 40.0nm offshore race and then a 15.0nm inshore fixed mark race on Wednesday.
In the end, winning was SCARLETT RUNNER with five 1sts and one 2nd, discarding the 2nd to win with a perfect scoreline racing under the AMS (Australian Measurement System).
Race Week is just as much about the social side of sailing, with Port Lincoln being home to the country’s largest commercial fishing fleet, a diverse aquaculture industry, and undoubtedly a seafood lover’s paradise, with some of the freshest and most sought-after seafood in the world. Additionally, there are award-winning wineries, local goodies, and an incredible diversity of coastal activities and ocean experiences such as shark cage diving, swimming with sea lions, rugged coastlines, breathtaking coastal views, perfect beaches, native wildlife and so much more.
Evening events included the Teakle Winery Skipper's Dinner on Monday. Clean Seas, Kingfish, Yamaha Generators, Boston Bay Winery sponsored the entertainment and BBQ on Tuesday. Scarlet Runner and Shark House sponsored the dinner on Wednesday, with thanks to Kim Clark, Ralph Czabayski (Shark Diving), and Coffin Bay Oysters for their generous donations. Then, on Thursday's Awards Presentation Dinner, Port Lincoln Hotel was both host and sponsor of the event.
On Friday Scarlet Runner sailed back to Adelaide on a joyous 10-12 knot beam reach, all be it in 3-5m rolling seas from the south pole! Rob is now planning to truck Scarlet Runner 2500km up to Queensland ready for Hamilton Island Race Week! Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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