Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

Combined Clubs Harbour Pennant Overall

by Liz Rountree 25 Mar 2024 06:46 UTC 4 February 2024
Young Magic with a pink kite comes in for a tight finish © Collette Calver

The I's Have It

Intrigue, IYKYK and Innovator finish as season Champions, but not without a final fight. The RYCT Race Management spun magic in the tricky conditions setting two courses that gave the competitors a tough final bout.

"The starts were just how I like it," says Ian "CWeed" Stewart. "The little boats all amongst the big boats, a little bit of argy-bargy, that's what it's all about."

More than a few crew shared how happy they were with the racecourse on such a shifty split-breeze day.

Division 1 featured two races, with Young Magic winning both IRC and ORC, while Hooligan won on PHS.

"At one point we could see the Division 2 boats with kites coming up the river, and we had kites up going down the river, so we thought, OK time to act," reports Michelle Boutchard, co-owner of Young Magic, "And that's racing on the Derwent."

"I just love the Windward-Leeward stuff. You don't get a moment to get bored," adds co-owner Paul Boutchard. The team had a tight Port-Starboard duck with Intrigue and Heatwave Fish Frenzy at one of the top marks. "And You've got to be pretty switched on."

Jazz Player took all three titles in the second race.

"It probably helped that Fork in the Road and Wargames had to go back [at the start], that gave us a bit of a hop on them," says skipper Brent McKay. With a clean start, Jazz Player was able to extend in clean air, while more than a few teams had a tough time laying the tight reach.

Intrigue was right behind, however, pulling in seconds and a third, as series new-comer Eye Candy snuck ahead on the IRC results in the second race.

"The Mumm30s were always on us today, keeping us on our toes," reports Intrigue spokesperson, bowman Jack Harris. "It was always pedal to the metal."

The Intrigue crew unanimously thanked Year 12 student Charlie Salmon, for his phenomenal progress this season. Apparently, it all started as a bit of a joke, "Just come for a sail," said Jill Calvert.

Fastforward to the last long-race of the series where Salmon stepped up to replace bowman Harris who was away for the weekend. His standout performance is a testament to Intrigue's commitment to training up new sailors and bringing them into the sport.

Young Magic took second overall in the series on IRC, edging out Joint Custody on a tiebreaker, second on ORC ratings, and won the PHS.

"Drew Latham did a great job steering," shares Paul Boutchard, who co-owns the boat with wife Michelle, "We're really pleased with the whole team, and the work we've done to get an old boat up to speed. [Young Magic] is doing what it was designed to do."

In Division 2, Xcite clipped IYKYK on the final leg to the finish for the Line Honours win, by hugging Wrest Point shore, but it wasn't enough to win on handicap.

"Certainly worked the forward hands hard today, we did," laughs Scott "Brainy" Brain of Team IYKYK. "The Kites went up and down a few times today." Well done, Toby Burnell, and to all the bow and mast teams.

But the action didn't stop there - the highlight of the day was the massive pod of dolphins off the Garrow, "One nearly jumped on board and landed on Colleen!" exclaimed Brainy. "It breached right by the beam of the boat."

Bandwagon cleaned up on ORC, with IYKYK holding the IRC win, and Kamehameha taking first on PHS. Kamehameha owner and usual skipper David O'neill thanks Ed Psaltis and Jim Reid for taking the boat round the buoys for the last race of the season.

Bandwagon's late season success propelled them in the overall series to clinch second place on ORC ahead of Wings Three, just edging Xcite off the podium.

IYKYK started the day already winning the series on IRC and ORC and finished the day taking the PHS win off Serica by a mere point.

In Division 3, Astrolabe won overall on PHS, but it wasn't quite enough to beat out Innovator for the series win, who took Line Honours and finished second overall. Unfortunately, podium hopeful Hornet was nonstarter, unable to make the start line due to unforeseen circumstances, but the team had a competitive season with a very tight fleet in Division 3.

The series might be over, but sailing isn't as Hobarts local champion looks outwards. "It's been a tricky season, but a rewarding one," shares Harris, "Proving that [Intrigue] can go well for the IRC Nationals."

Harris has been crewing a few seasons now, and the learning never stops. Being aboard Intrigue has been an opportunity for him to observe crew work at it's best.

"[The communication] is always so calm and collected," shares Harris. "There's no stress on board the boat, which makes it easier for everyone to do their job right, which then makes things run easier - especially for me up the front."

Good luck to Team Intrigue and their endeavors representing Tasmania at the IRC National Championships - we certainly hope to see them "up the front".

Full Results can be found here

Combined Clubs Hosts: Bellerive Yacht Club * Derwent Sailing Squadron * Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania

Related Articles

Fishing: Patterning brown bass
Post-spawn through summer smallies Whitewater Fishing B.A.S.S. tournament pro, Alex Redwine, talks fishing the transition period Posted on 26 Jun
2025 Bahamas Fly-fishing Tournament Series
Anglers to compete across some of The Bahamas' top bonefishing spots The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation announced the launch of Bonefishing Tournament Series that will showcase diverse pristine flats across four islands - Grand Bahama, Andros, Eleuthera and the championship round will be held in Exuma Posted on 20 Jun
Mote leads seagrass restoration initiative
Florida legislature establishes the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative Seagrasses play a crucial role in the health and resilience of Florida's coastal ecosystems. They provide nursery habitats for keystone species and stabilize shorelines and sediments. Posted on 20 Jun
Maritimo M50 Flybridge & S60 Sedan Video
We speak to Maritimo's Neil McCabe & Phil Candler We talked to Neil McCabe, Maritimo's Design Office Manager, and Phil Candler, Maritimo's General Manager Operations, to find out more about the M50 Flybridge and S60 Sedan during the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Posted on 17 Jun
“I'm living my dad's dream”
Carl made sure to provide young Kyle the chance to be a seasoned pond hopper Carl Cortiana is about to turn 70, but he still remembers the days four decades ago when he'd cast a practice plug across the living room floor and his toddler son, Kyle, now a highly accomplished Vexus pro on the MLF Toyota Series. Posted on 14 Jun
Stories From The Salt - Ep.6
Insights from PENN's top anglers Whether you're a passionate saltwater angler who eagerly dedicates every spare moment to being out on the water, or you simply enjoy watching the techniques and experiences of others, we invite you to anchor up and learn some valuable insights Posted on 14 Jun
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Six
Episode Six is now live - Are boat shows still relevant? Episode Six - asks the question, 'Are boat shows still Relevant?' We also offer some thoughts on changes and updates. The final episode of Series One is now live Posted on 13 Jun
Scania, Viking showcase renewable diesel
Mack Attack shows outstanding efficiency without compromise in performance of Scania V8 Engines Scania, one of the world's leading manufacturers of engines, announced today the successful demonstration of the performance and viability of renewable marine diesel fuel in a Viking 48 Convertible powered by twin Scania 1,150 HP DI16-liter V8 engines. Posted on 10 Jun
Sportfishing industry applauds decision by NOAA
Elimination of proposed South Atlantic bottomfishing closure The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries withdrew the proposed bottomfishing closure from Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic. Posted on 10 Jun
Marine Auctions: June online auctions
Bidding to open on Friday 20th June The Bidding for the June Online Auction will commence on Thursday 20th June and will end on Thursday 26th June at 2pm AEST. Posted on 7 Jun
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo M600