Sailing News
Princess Royal Sailing Club
Exciting racing on Dymes Cup Day
Racing Saturday 8 February
The annual Dymes Cup Day produced some thrilling performances in three different fleets on Saturday. The handicap start harbour course events were held in warm, balmy weather with a south easterly that rarely reached 12kn and made for colourful spinnaker runs down the harbour.
Div1 and 2 competed for the original Dymes Cups which are more than a hundred years old and the most coveted trophies at the club. The founding commodore, Frank Dymes, donated the first cup in 1910 and any skipper who could win it three times in succession gets to keep it. Lionel Austin did just that and so Frank Dymes donated the second.
Div1 had five contestants and Harold Keay was away first with Shagabull. Keay won this trophy in 2017 and was out to do as well. Jack Spaanderman had Crunchtime doing battle with Keay for much of the journey and it was close racing.
Marco Giuntoli and Craig Anderson in Scappata had a slow start but then hit top gear. Murray Deere, after his brilliant win last week with Wild One, couldn't really get going. Enter Murray Howson, skippering the scratch boat, Sitting Bull, which had the daunting task of chasing and catching the leading yachts.
Scappata was under threat from the fast finishing Sitting Bull as they neared the finish line. With only a hundred metres to go, Giuntoli must have seen the trophy already in his grasp and held Howson at bay to win narrowly. Howson took second place and recorded fastest time in a fine effort. After a tough encounter with Spaanderman's Crunchtime, Harold Keay took Shagabull into third place.
Div2 competed for the second Dymes Cup and eight yachts began their quest for glory. The limit boat was Grey Moose skippered by Karen Timmins who was on a hat trick of wins and had opted to go JAM (jib and main). The scratch boat was Excitabull, skippered by Geoff Oliver, and he meant serious business as he methodically moved through the fleet and towards the end had only Grey Moose to catch. Timmins still held a handy lead but made a navigational error by sailing too far away from the last mark and handed the race to a much relieved Oliver. Timmins recovered to finish in second place in another good effort. Bob Giles, who had a fine day's sailing, stayed well up and took third place.
The Flying Fifteens competed for their own Dymes Cup Day trophy and Aileen Lucas was given a generous two minute handicap with Crazy. Lucas was still using the extra weight which worked better than last week. Simon Lucas began the chase with FForever Young but could only knock off about thirty seconds, which saw Crazy win and take the trophy. What a season these two skippers are having!
Picture: (Above) Div1 Dymes Cup winners on Scappata. Craig Anderson and Marco Giuntoli top right.
Race Day Photos
To see more of Des' photos, including some contributions by others, see the link below.
Walpole in the Trees Regatta 2020
The Walpole Yacht Club is again looking forward to hosting the Walpole in the Trees Regatta on the Labour Day long weekend, Saturday 29 February and Sunday 1 March, 2020.
The Regatta program includes five races over two days and is open to the following:
- All off-the-beach dinghies, Trailer Sailers (JAM only) and Catamarans
- Any shallow draft keelboats, eg: Red Witch, Flying Fifteen
- Any veteran off the beach yachts
The regatta is a safe, family-focused event to be enjoyed by all, and an ideal way to experience the beauty of the Walpole and Nornalup Inlet Marine Park.
The Notice of Race is available here and nominations open 1 January 2020 via www.walpoleyachtclub.com.au.