Division one skipper Geoff Oliver brightens gloomy day on Excitabull, Crazy claims corrected Flying Fifteens

Geoff Oliver’s division one yacht Excitabull competed against four division two boats in an Emu Point-Green Island race last Saturday and came out on top.

Oliver was given a massive handicap but it did not deter him and his hardworking crew from surging to the front after a sluggish start to open up a huge lead.

The weather was dull and gloomy with a gentle southerly that never got over the 10-knot mark.

Sicarius skipper Mark McRae called race control on his way to the start to announce that he was a non-starter.

The malfunction of some kind left Stephen Brown in Mary Maitland, Chris Oldham in Joker, Lloyd Pascoe in Arkessa and Ian Johnston in Cambio to do battle with Excitabull.

During the long leg across the sound to Emu Point Oliver was well ahead under spinnaker, as were Joker and Mary Maitland.

Neither Cambio nor Arkessa bothered but were not far off the pace.

Green Island is surrounded by shallow water and sand banks and skippers are very aware of these issues but not for the crew of Joker, who found the mud and was stuck fast just south of the island.

It was dragged off the bottom by the club’s rescue boat which had followed the fleet in case of such misadventure.

Joker had to retire from the race.

All others cautiously made their way around without incident and headed back to Princess Royal Harbour and the finish line.

Pascoe, after rounding the island, picked up speed and passed Cambio and had Mary Maitland under pressure and looking good coming back across the sound.

Meanwhile, Excitabull had finished 18 minutes in front of the nearest yacht to win easily but only a minute ahead of Arkessa, which had snatched second place on corrected time against its more fancied rivals.

Brown took third place with Mary Maitland in a race that saw good speed and then at times battling.

Two Flying Fifteens competed in a harbour course race that had a husband and wife in action.

Simon Lucas in FForever Young was away smartly and well ahead of Aileen Lucas in Crazy who did not start well.

However, the light conditions suited Crazy and she slowly closed the gap and always within touch but trailed throughout.

FForever Young was never headed but under constant pressure from Crazy, which was rewarded for its determined skipper to win on corrected time.

FForever Young was second and recorded yet another fastest time.