FForever Young and Lucas survive eventful day on the water to claim harbour course race

Flying Fifteen skipper Simon Lucas has begun the new season on a high note with his second first and fastest with FForever Young in last Saturday’s harbour course competition.

Three Flying Fifteens began their race in a brisk 18-knot easterly which made for quick times around the marks.

Aileen Lucas in Crazy was able to match FForever Young downwind under spinnaker but lacked speed upwind. Wayne North was doing well with Frequent Flyer and battled to keep in touch of his more experienced rivals.

Division 1 sailed a King George Sound event but only two boats managed to get enough crew.

Murray Deere stamped his authority early with Wild One, leaving Geoff Oliver in Excitabull in his wake. Wild One, being bigger and faster, took the race and recorded fastest time.

Division 2 also sailed a KGS event and things didn’t begin well for Karen Timmins in Grey Moose when she found a sandbank.

This left Steve Brown in Mary Maitland and Neil Worrell in Zuri to find the quickest way around the course and Brown did just that to win easily over Worrell.

Two Vipers ventured out in strong winds for a harbour course race but Bruce Mattinson had rigging problems and returned to shore and then went to the aid of Grey Moose.

Eventually he and Michael Cameron in Bite Me decided to have match-racing practice until Bite Me broke its tiller and had to retire.