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Yachting Australia
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Ausmaid wins 60th Bunbury & Return Race
Rockingham skipper Trevor Taylor has taken overall victory in the 60th Bunbury & Return Race, scorching Ausmaid home in an elapsed time of a little over 21.5 hours, to beat the line honours winner, Walk on the Wild Side by just over 12 minutes on corrected time.
As predicted by Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club’s race committee, it was a big boat race, the predominantly southerly breeze making it a windward/leeward course.
Third place went to Brian de Vries and his Steel de Breeze, with the best of the small boats, and winner of Division 2, Mike Finn’s Constellation, which took fourth place overall.
Confirming the general consensus of opinion on the race, Trevor Taylor commented, “it was a bit of a slog down there, but it was a lovely trip back,” though he confessed that it didn’t go all their way.
“It was pretty uneventful, but on the way back we had a big wrap on a gybe, and we tarted around with the kite for half an hour, trying to get it unwrapped in the middle of the night.”
The boat has an impressive history, having twice won the Sydney/Hobart Race, in ’96 & 2000, though Trevor is quick to point out that was before he bought it, “we’re not that fast,” he admitted, adding “it is a lovely boat to sail.”
However he and his crew are obviously no slouches, with this victory their third in the Bunbury and Return, plus a host of other good results on the west coast offshore scene.
Elaborating on the return leg Trevor said, “coming home was lovely, a bit of wave around but not too much, a reasonable breeze, so we were humming along, it was good.
“I think the top speed, the record, was 16.3 knots, which was as good as we got on the way back, but we were doing 13s and 14s often, we finished an hour or so earlier than we normally do, so it was all rather pleasant.”
Mike Finn’s performance in his new S&S 34, Constellation was impressive for a boat designed in 1968, he said they had a very comfortable beat down the coast, and an exciting ride back, commenting that boats of that era are not designed to plane downwind like the modern ones.
RESULTS:
Division 1 - IRC
1. Ausmaid Trevor Taylor Cruising Y.C. of W.A.
2. Walk on the Wild Side Garth Curran South of Perth Y.C.
3. Steel de Breeze Brian de Vries Fremantle S.C.
Division 2 - IRC
1 Constellation Mike Finn Royal Freshwater Bay Y.C.
2 Bad Habits Ian Holder Hilarys Y.C.
3 Jolie Breeze Tim Gardner Royal Freshwater Bay Y.C.
