The Alfred's News August/September Edition 2017 Alfreds News August 2017 | Page 16

Members News
Sydney to Southport Yacht Race
Eight RPAYC Teams from the 57 entrants took to the winter waters to compete in this year’s Land Rover Sydney to the Gold
Coast Yacht Race 2017. With final results published, RPAYC have taken to the podium across all categories a great
achievement. Full club results can be viewed here: http://www.rpayc.com.au/news/1711-rpayc-teams-triumph-in-the-
sydney-to-goldcoast-yacht-race-2017
Line Honours:
 Wild Oats XI, The Oatley Family 1st – 1:18:37:06
 Showtime, Mark Griffith 20th – 2:19:18:00 (first boat under 40’)
 Pretty Woman, R. Hudson/M. Lockley/R. Murphy 21st –
2:21:10:55
 Nexba, John Bacon 24th – 2:21:28:16
 Xs Moment, Ray Hudson 27th – 2:22:18:42
 Takani, James Whittle, 41st 03:01:58:31
 Sticky, Richard Harris 48th – 3:03:5:44
 Quest, Paul Clitheroe/Bob Steel – RET at Port
Brisbane to Gladstone Race
Continuing on their success in the Sydney to Goldcoast Race, the team of Showtime, Mark Griffiths, Kerr40 dominated the
recent Brisbane to Keppel Race with an impressive spread of results:
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4th Line Honours
2nd IRC Overall (2nd Division 1 IRC)
1st PHS Overall (1st Division 1 PHS)
8m World Championship
The 2017 Worlds was hosted by KNS - The Royal Norwegian Yacht Club. Sail from Hankø
Yacht Club, one of the finest locations for yacht racing in Norway. This 8-Metre World Cup
promises to be very special the Class will be celebrating the 80th Birthday of H.M. King
Harald, honory life president and owner/driver of the 1938 Johan Anker 8-Metre Sira.
Club Member Kraig Carlstrom owner and skipper of Varg represented RPAYC and Australian.
With just one day of racing remaining in the 8 Metre World Cup, the English Yacht MISS U is
now the undisputed leader, 13 points clear of her nearest rival, the Austrian boat PANDORA.
Barring some unforeseen catastrophe, her owner skipper Avia Willment, the only woman
skipper in the 28 strong fleet, will be the new world champion. Ms Willment has been
consistently fast, upwind and down, in winning all but one of the World Series races. Only
two more races remain to be sailed and they will be decided tomorrow in a forecast 16 knot
south westerly- the same breeze in which she excelled today.
The Australian yacht VARG, racing under the burgee of the RPAYC, is now 24th boat and well out of contention for any of the
trophies. Unlike almost all the other classic yacht in this series, VARG remains exactly as she was at her launching in 1924. She
was fast in her day, but now is unable to match other classics which have been stripped to their bare frames for racing.
Full marks to Avia Willment. She is on the cusp of a history making victory for which she deserves every credit. With her
signature James Bond sail number, 007, and a garish 'Girl with the Gold Gun' graphic emblazoned in her bows, MISS U is not
pretty but she is exceptionally fast. It took the tenaniacious Ms Willment four year to convince the official measures that she
is a bona fide 8 Metre, but now that she has been accepted as legally with the rules, she has shown truly remarkable speed
upwind and down.