Yachting Australia

Ian Thomson’s Catalina 42 Identity Crisis, the last boat to finish the tough Audi Sydney Southport Yacht Race, enjoyed a leisurely cruise to the finish line while importantly still acting as rear guard for Phillip King’s Salona should its mast have toppled.

The two boats were in constant radio contact as Salona motored to Southport having successfully drained four litres of salt water from their fuel tank which allowed them to restart their engine at around 9pm last night. They had been drifting south of Cape Byron for about four hours and given the precarious state of their mast, they were not able to sail.

According to Thomson, Salona’s mast has sheered off at deck level and is therefore unsecured, only being held up by the stays. In the heavy seas and 25 knot winds Salona’s crew found themselves drifting in, there was a real concern the mast would fall.

Not long after their arrival at Southport Yacht Club this morning following a 3.12am finish, Salona’s crew, which had made it to safely port about an hour earlier, went and thanked the crew of Identity Crisis who had offered to switch on their engine and motor to the scene to assist.

This morning Thomson from Raby Bay and his crew of first timers admitted the race was “fairly tough for a crew who didn’t really know what we were in for but everyone had a great experience and we will go away with lots of good memories”.

They would have preferred to be racing at least one other boat however for the final leg of the 384 nautical mile race. “Every boat we got anywhere near retired,” laughed Thomson this morning. “Even the dolphins abandoned us,” he rued yesterday.

But the last laugh is on the rest of the fleet. With Southport Yacht Club’s marina resembling a ‘Chinese laundry’ as boats attempt to dry out sails, wet weather gear and bedding following a wet and wild ride north, “everything on our boat is dry,” says Thomson. “The only water we had downstairs was what we brought down on us”.

Next on the cards for Identity Crisis is the Brisbane to Gladstone race followed by Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August where Thomson plans to complete leg three of a three-leg challenge with Lloyds Business Brokers Too Impetuous which is now one down having retired from racing yesterday.

From a fleet of 45 that began their journey from Sydney Harbour at 1pm on Saturday 24 March, 33 finished and 12 retired. Line honours went to Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban with an elapsed time of 1 day 5 hours 13 minutes 57 seconds.

Final results for all six divisions are now confirmed and today, Tuesday 27 March, at 11am at Southport Yacht Club, trophies will be awarded a day ahead of schedule at the official prizegiving.

Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ AFR Midnight Rambler is the confirmed Division 3 winner, pipping Dennis Cooper’s Amante and the third placed Nips ‘n Tux skippered by Sydney plastic surgeon Howard de Torres.

Queensland entry Margaret Rintoul II finished in the top spot in IRC Division 4 ahead of James Connell’s Zephyr and the oldest skipper in the fleet, 84 year old John Walker and his three quarter tonner Impeccable.

Top PHS honours went to Michael Martin’s Frantic with CYCA Commodore Geoff Lavis finishing second with UBS Wild Thing and David Pescud’s Sailors with disABILITIES third.