Last Wednesday our keelboat fleets completed the Leeuwin Estate Midweek Keelboat Autumn Series. Our sailors faced everything – from strong winds that made controlling the boats a real workout, to moments when the wind seemed to disappear, and they had to think on their feet.
The Swan River is known for keeping sailors guessing, and that was the case in this series too. The winners were the ones who didn’t just sail fast but kept their cool in ever-changing conditions and remained consistent, showing up week after week no matter what the weather was doing.
A massive shout out goes to the Race Committee – Race Officer John Rooke, Phil Draber, Gail Cowie, Jan Glancy, Lynne Newton, Helen Pierzak who all had to do a lot of quick thinking and adjusting to ensure all races ran smoothly in challenging conditions. A huge thank you goes to all our Support boat volunteers Brian Boswell, Tess Trouchet, Peter Waller, Aldo Dentamaro, Debra Sumner, Rob Sincich who kept their eyes on our sailors ensuring their safety on the water at all times and last but not least, the one and only Head Judge and Protest Chair Christina Heydon, who had to sort out a last-minute Div 2 protest just before the series results.
Well done, everyone! It was a series to remember, and many stories will be told in the bar about it for weeks to come.
Here’s how things wrapped up:
Division 1 Consistency
1st: Maxstar (AUS158), Skipper: Graeme Monkhouse, Total: 34, Net: 26
2nd: Wicked (SP3), Skipper: Richard Evans, Total: 32, Net: 26
3rd: Slippery When Wet (SP360), Skipper: Paul Harry, Total: 37, Net: 29
Division 1-ORC Consistency
1st: Wicked (SP3), Skipper: Richard Evans, Total: 16, Net: 12
2nd: Helios II (SP41), Skipper: Chris Higham, Total: 24, Net: 17
3rd: Maxstar (AUS158), Skipper: Graeme Monkhouse, Total: 24, Net: 19
Division 2 Consistency
1st: Cover Drive (SP393), Skipper: Peter Were, Total: 29, Net: 20
2nd: Shadowfax (SP1001), Crew: Jim & Mark Gooding, Total: 35, Net: 25
3rd: Fair Game (SP250), Skipper: Dean Picot, Total: 49, Net: 31
Division 3 Consistency
1st: Eutopia (SP140), Skipper: Col Delane, Total: 39, Net: 25
2nd: Tembeya (SP320), Skipper: Mark Landwehr, Total: 40, Net: 26
3rd: Random Times (SP163), Skipper: David Hanham, Total: 46, Net: 32
H28 Division Consistency
1st: Wynella (SP104), Skipper: Glen Stanley, Total: 17, Net: 13
2nd: Swiftsure Saga (SP112), Skipper: Bill Richards, Total: 20, Net: 16
3rd: Anna (SP331), Skipper: John Wright, Total: 31, Net: 24
In Division 1, Maxstar and Wicked were neck and neck, but Graeme Monkhouse and his Maxstar edged out a win. Wicked wasn’t done though, as Richard Evans and his crew took the top spot in Division 1-ORC. Division 2 saw Peter Were and his Cover Drive lead the pack, while Col Delane’s Eutopia took Division 3. In the H28 Division, Glen Stanley’s Wynella sailed to victory over Bill Richards’ Swiftsure Saga and John Wright’s Anna.
Kudos to all the sailors who took part. The changing conditions were a challenge, but everyone fought hard. It was a solid series, and we can’t wait to see what the next one brings!
Premo Jacniacki / Guy Skinner
