Flinders (AUS) Skiff Weekend

Report by Richard Ekberg ... Tim Hill's below ....

Last weekend saw the Melbourne Musto fleet crack 10 boats for the first time at the annual Flinders skiff weekend. With the recent arrival of 3 new boats a couple of the guys were having their maiden voyage.
Flinders is a beautiful holiday village at the heads of Westernport Bay, about an hour south of Melbourne. The I14s have been making this trip once a year for the last 20 years. Over the last few years the event has expanded to include Mustos, B14s and Formula 15 skiffs.

The conditions in Westernport are quite different from our usual clubs on Port Phillip Bay, with a fast tide, very deep water with ocean swells, and an off shore breeze (ie. very shifty and gusty)
Saturday was quite windy, mostly about 20knts, which mostly proved a significant challenge for the experienced guys, let alone the newbies. The first race set off with Richard Ekberg blasting off the line and showing the whole fleet which way to go, which soon turned out to be the wrong way as current B14 world champion Guy Bancroft peeled off from mid fleet to head for the correct mark. Half way down the first run the entire Musto fleet climbed on their centreboards except for Tim Hill and Marcus Hamilton, and that’s pretty much the story of the rest of the race. Tim and Marcus showing the benefit of training right through winter and holidaying in Garda, followed by Tim Moorhouse and new guy Ritchie Robinson, Richard Ekberg limping home with a busted tiller, the rest still coming. Matt Hannaford was wondering whether his new purchase didn’t like him and he suggested that he shouldn’t have bought a spinnaker if he didn’t need to pull it up.
The breeze eased a little for the second race, but the fleet had already thinned out. Tim Hill was again in control and finished well ahead of the Mustos and just behind the first couple of Bs. Marcus, Ritchie and Tim M followed him round with Matt Hosie showing great perseverance.

Sunday turned out to be much more user friendly, with about 10-12 knts, and 2 more boats coming down. Mark Bulka has had a couple of weeks sailing in his new boat, including a race win at Mordialloc on his first day out, while Tony Nash was jumping on for the first time. In keeping with the nature of this country event the committee boat let us know at briefing that they were too relaxed to take down sail numbers as they finished, so the Sunday results are anybody’s guess. They probably figured the guy whose winning knows who he is and the rest don’t really care as long as they are having fun.

We all had a bit of fun as the first race for the Mustos, Bs and 15s was about 20 seconds after the I14s started their second race, and the reverse situation occurred when we started our second race. The great thing about skiff only regattas, everyone roughly understands the trouble everyone else is having.
I think Marcus bolted in the first 2 races and Tim Hill finished off the overall win by nailing the last race. Both Ritchie Robinson and Mark Bulka had a go at leading until youth and experience took their toll and light weather flyer Mark Elsworth was making everyone else look slow downwind.

The Melbourne fleet is planning a steady build up towards next year’s Worlds. We are having a test event in the second week of January at Black Rock, with the fleet boosted by John Reekie coming from the UK and Russ Evans coming over from NZ. Another 5-6 boats are expected to arrive from Ovi’s by the end of February with half of them already sold. These should be on the water in time for the next all in skiff weekend at Black Rock on 20/21 March.

FLINDERS by Tim Hill

For those who don’t know; Flinders guards the mouth of Westernport Bay, east of Melbourne’s famous Port Phillip Bay. A huge, long swell – usually 3-4 meters high and twice as long -rolls off Bass Strait into Westernport. The wind pulls in and around the point to line up perfectly with the swell; creating a mad cap downwind leg on port gybe; just out from the cliffs and not far from the shipping lanes.
Flinders is a low key event begun by Melbourne’s strong I14 fleet as a break from cut throat competition on the bay. There are at least 4 races - but might be 6. Regattas scores are not kept – recalls are threatened but never enacted – and everybody stays overnight, camping on the foreshore or sleeping in nearby beach houses.

It sounds bizarre but somehow it works.

Around 50 boats in various skiff classes turned up for the event; the Melbourne Musto fleet reached double figures with 10 boats; the second strongest class behind the I14s.
Saturday saw Flinders present its best face; with 15-25 knots racing over the bluff and kicking up a cross chop on top of the swell. With broken cloud breaking into strong sunshine and the air temperature reaching nearly 30 degrees, 2 races were scheduled.

Race 1 saw Marcus Hamilton hit the lead early at the top mark; closely followed by Tim Moorhouse, Tim Hill and Richard Ekberg. Setting kites on starboard in the sheltered, flat water immediately under the point; the lead boats reached the port tack layline in the swell of the shipping channel and as the breeze strengthened to 20 knots. Only Hamilton and Hill made the gybe; scorching up and over the long swells to the bottom mark as the breeze gusted to 25 knots.
Hamilton led Hill narrowly to the bottom mark; Hill fought back, regaining the lead on the second beat and leading down the run. Both boats rounded the bottom mark side by side, Hill gybing inside at the mark having just doused his kite,
“I was pulling down my kite and he called for water. I was out of control on port. I looked up as he gybed and could see a good two feet of the centerboard – his bow might’ve passed over my windward wing. I’m glad he made the gybe, I thought we might have to take the boats home in the boot of the car!”
Eventually Hamilton edged Hill out up the final beat to take a narrow, hard fought win in extremely challenging conditions.

In Race 2, newbie Richie Robertson followed Hamilton into the top mark; with Moorhouse third, Hill fourth. As the breeze settled to 15-20 knots; the port gybe became less a near death experience and more an absolutely, unbelievably fantastic ride.

Hamilton’s kite set in a wineglass and he surrendered the lead at the top of the run. Moorhouse led to the bottom mark; followed by Hill and Hamilton. Moorhouse then held his lead to the top mark, while Hamilton briefly passed Hill only to hit the buoy, capsizing in the penalty turn. Moorhouse caught a chine on the gybe, letting Hill skip away for an easy win. Moorhouse finished second, Roberston third.
The breeze softened to a welcome 10-15 knots on Sunday. The broken cloud burned off once more – and with skies blue and weather warm, the race committee got Race 3 underway at 11am. The right hand side of the course was heavily favoured; Hamilton held a slim lead to the top mark from another newbie, Mark Bulka with Hill further back in third. Hamilton extended his lead on the run to take a comfortable win in the puffy conditions, followed by Hill in second and Bulka third.

The breeze stabilized during Race 4. Hamilton again hit the right hand side; closely followed by Robertson and Bulka. From a poor start Hill fought back down the run to reach third behind Roberston and Hamilton. Hamilton maintained a loose cover on Roberston to take another win.

Race 5 began in a fading breeze; with Hill following Robertson towards the cliffs on the right of the course. Robertson held a comfortable lead from Hill and Hamilton at the top mark; maintaining his lead down the run. Hill and Hamilton worked hard into the right hand shore; and led into the top mark for the last time with Robertson third. Hill held off a hard charging Hamilton on run to win by a boat length at the finish.
So; the weather was perfect – the race management decidedly provincial – but hey – it’s Flinders.
The results that weren’t results might have been as follows but it’s hard to tell because none were posted. Nor do we know whether a race should’ve been dropped.

Hill and Hamilton were tied on 9 points in equal 1st; with Hamilton probably winning on a countback - either boat may or may not have been over the line early - no one knows for sure because – well; it’s Flinders. Newbie Richie Robertson was declared standout performer as probable runner up to the two possible winners in his first Musto regatta.

As with all Flinders regattas competitors were left bemused at the scoring; shaking their heads in disbelief at Saturday’s roller coaster ride in the boisterous, powerful ocean swells - and determined to come back next year.

The next event on the Australian calendar is at Black Rock from the 6-10th of January; with travelers expected from Scotland and New Zealand. This event will be a dry run for the World Championship and will focus on training tips for class newbies as well as testing the course length and location.