Season Summary 09

It was a big year for Mackay Yacht Club...

Last Sunday morning saw the final race for the Yacht Division at Mackay Yacht Club for 2009, and culminated a big year of racing on a wide variety of fronts, and a tenuous struggle for the season championship that was not decided until the last boat finished.

The last race was won by Guided Missile skippered by John Rae, and John was happy to take home the bottle of rum. However, the big battle was decided by The Poacher (John Foster) taking second and confirming their season point score win over Daddy Long Legs (Jim Garner), to take out the Tick-Tock Jewellers Championship Trophy, the DGL Financial Services Short Inshore Series Trophy, and the C&J Clark Plumbing Bimonthly series. In all three series Daddy Long Legs came in second and Guided Missile third.

To finish off the season, the final race in the Louise Clare Photography Lady Skippers series was held in the afternoon. Donna Jackson upheld the fine form of Guided Missile and took out the race, with Dragons Abreast ladies Cheryl Machin and Tanja Hanley guiding Daddy Long Legs to second and Nicole Bartels bring in Trinket to third.

The previous weekend, the final race in the G&S Engineering Offshore series was run in light conditions which favoured the monohulls over the higher handicapped multihulls in the long slow race out to Bailey Island and back. This sealed the fate of the Offshore Championship. Line honours went to Trinket (Bob Critchley), with The Poacher taking first on handicap and the Offshore Championship. Slick Willie (Eric Smith) was runner up in the series, with Daddy Long Legs third.

The final race in the Regional Insurance Brokers Long Inshore Series was held on 8th November in heavy conditions. Trinket took out the line & handicap double in the race, but the point score for the Long Inshore Trophy was taken out by Guided Missile.

It has been a very active year for the club’s yachting division, with the revival of the Offshore Series , the revival of the Yeppoon-Mackay race, the revival of club cruise weekends, and strong growth in the Saturday Social Sailing. The club has also had the distinction of being represented by its boats and crews in a large variety of events away from Mackay. The year started well with Bullett Proof (Scott Gralow) taking out the tri-fecta in the Brisbane Gladstone Multihull Race. In the Whitsundays, Guided Missile and Re-Ignition (Seddon Cripps) attended Airlie Race Week, and Trinket was again at the Multihull Rendezvous Race Week. Trinket went on to also participate in the recent Australian Trailerable Multihull Championships at Hervey Bay, and Guided Missile will soon be travelling south to participate in the National Sports Boat Championships.

Social Sailing on Saturdays will continue over the summer break. The club sailing programme for 2010 will be available soon on the Mackay Yacht Club website. Anyone interested in becoming involved should contact the club.