Frequent Flyer capitalises on opponent’s mishap to hold on for maiden victory

Newcomers to the Flying Fifteen fleet, Wayne North skippering Frequent Flyer with Ela North as crew, finally broke their drought to score an impressive maiden victory last Saturday.

It was a wonderful performance by the Norths as they showed great determination to stay close to the leading yachts.

When Aileen Lucas hit a mark midway through the harbour course race she lost valuable time in doing her penalty, leaving Frequent Flyer and FForever Young to push for a win.

North stuck to his task in what was to be his best-ever effort to take the race by nearly four minutes.

Although Simon Lucas finished first he was relegated to third place with fastest time.

Aileen Lucas recovered to finish well to take second place in what was a very interesting encounter.

The weather was ideal with warm sunshine and a steady south-easterly at a pleasant 14 knots.

Division 1 competed in a King George Sound event and Geoff Oliver in Excitabull gave his bigger opponents a scare as he took off under spinnaker on the way out into the sound.

Eventually he was overhauled by Murray Deere in Wild One and Harold Keay's Shagabull.

When Wild One fouled its spinnaker it allowed Shagabull to hit the front and entered the harbour slightly in the lead.

Keay held off the challenge from Deere to take the honours.

Oliver never gave up and his effort awarded him with second place leaving Deere in third.

Division 2 also competed in a King George Sound event in the ideal conditions, which saw Stephen Lee in Flasheart doing what he does best, being in front.

Stephen Brown had Mary Maitland doing well and keeping close to Lee.

Zuri skipper Neil Worrell had sufficient crew to enable them to use their spinnaker and that made quite a difference to the end result.

Flasheart was first back into the harbour only a few minutes ahead of the smaller Mary Maitland and Zuri.

The last couple of legs in the harbour was where Zuri did well enough to take the race on corrected time.

It had been a long time between drinks for Worrell and he was a relieved skipper at the end. Brown after a valiant performance was second and Lee was third and fastest in another fine effort.

Vipers had a match race between Murray Howson in Chinese Moccasin and Michael Cameron in Bite Me and what a great tussle this was, with only a boat length between the two for much of their harbour course event.

They went hell for leather around the course as the interest grew as to who would be in front at the finish.

Howson put Chinese Moccasin over the line three seconds ahead of Bite Me, but all to no avail as Cameron had a better handicap and so took the race.

Great sailing by both skippers and crews.

Division 3 held a harbour course race and Rob Cridge again took control of this match with Mark Paynter in Serenita.

Noel Robbins with Cridge at the helm was too big and too quick for his less experienced opponent and bolted away to a handsome victory.

Paynter never gave up and will be better in their next encounter.