Mixed Gen and Lady Skippers Couta Boat Race

Having not been able to run the Lady Skippers since 2016, it was a welcome return to our Club calendar. After the scheduled event was blown out by a gale, our crews lined up for the last Sunday before schools went back, giving up the compelling opportunity to get home early to make school lunches!

It was great to welcome Sue Owen in Moon Pearl to the fleet for her first race, however some boat owners had trouble finding a female skipper, with Club Captain Tim Collett fronting up in his nicest pink polo hoping to skipper Fiona, to no avail.  Getting into the spirit of the event our all female Race Committee even knocked back the offer of Peter Osbourne wearing a pink wig to be RO. Volunteer was skippered by Deb Kwasnicki, who with the ever present support of Ben (no pink wig in sight) set the start line and announced the course over the radio. “Start, Centre, West, South, Centre, West, Centre, 8, Finish” – knowing our Lady Skippers would have no trouble remembering the details, and if they did, would fake it till they made it!  The breeze was lovely with the sun occasionally peeping through the clouds.

After a relaxed start on a nice long and true line there was a large triangle followed by a windward and return and a beat to No 8 before finishing at the Club starting line. Congratulations to Sue Neale – Jennifer – winning Div 1 and Jane Morgan helming Duchess in Div 2.

After an extremely positive event our Sailing Committee will be considering moving the event to earlier in the season to enable more of our Lady skippers to be involved.