IP Global Autumn Regatta - Day 1

Sept. 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Scanning the harbour earlier in the day, Deputy Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen found a wide range of breeze from 2 to 10kts, at angles varying from 20 to 80 degrees and, given the inconsistent conditions, Race Officer Sofia Mascia elected to set the start line at Hung Hom.

After the AP had been displayed twice, once for a dragging pin end boat and then for a tow passing through the start line, Mascia finally managed to get racing underway with the combined Big Boat Divisions 2 and 3, totalling 23 boats. Thereafter the starts went smoothly, with the exception of the 14-strong Etchells fleet, where a 20 degree wind shift resulted in another AP. After a start sequence totalling 55 minutes, the final Division to start was Big Boat Division 1, featuring eight starters.

With the usual course finish mark of Gate Buoy being unavailable due to construction works in the harbour, the RO was forced to shorten course at Dock Buoy and split her team onto two separate committee boats to deal with the finishes for the long and short course fleets. While most of the boats had no problem recording a finish within the cut-off time, seven boats ran out of breeze and were scored DNF.

The forecast for Sunday’s racing is for more of the same, with rain. Racing gets underway at 1005hrs with Big Boats 2 and 3 once again leading the fleet around Victoria Harbour for the first of two races. The Regatta prizegiving will take place immediately after the finalising of results.