The Sorrento Cup was sailed off Sorrento in a fresh breeze. Peter Osbourne headed out towards the Channel and set a 1 NM Windward Leeward Course.
As expected, numbers were a little down on the GANT Portsea Cup due in part to the Portsea Polo but mainly due to the fresh breeze that was predicted. Making the decision to race, and to continue racing, needs to be considered by every boat taking into account the predicted conditions, the skill and experience of the crew and the suitability of the boat set up for those conditions.
Consequently, we saw some retirements before and during the race when boats considered the conditions on the course and made the call, or had minor but significant gear failure.
The Sailing Committee is quite comfortable with this. The conditions were slightly testing, but didn’t get close to the wind limits for racing. Some boats and crews are not set up for the stronger conditions and it’s great to see them making that call. The Sailing Committee does not think that racing should be abandoned when the conditions are a bit much for some of the boats.
The race saw lots of lead changes with calls having to be made to go left or right up the beat and how close to the corner do you go?
The Div 1 battle for line honours was close all day with the lead changing constantly and half way up the final beat Wagtail, trailing Jocelyn, tacked left while Jocelyn kept going and Wagtail just pipped Jocelyn when they re-converged at the finish line from opposite sides of the course.
It’s hard to pick out the race progress in the handicap Division but Lisa was up there all day and just seemed to pick the best safe side of the course all day. Sailing consistently all day and not taking big risks, she took out Div 1 of the Sorrento Cup.
In Div 2 Blondie took some big risks and they paid off. Approaching the gate, with the fleet going to the 3S mark, Blondie gave what looked like a bit of ground at the time due to the phase of the breeze and took the port gate and headed out to the right. It paid handsomely and so Blondie repeated her success from last year’s race and won Div 2 and the Heritage Trophy for the Sorrento Cup.
The race was umpired and the Umpires didn’t have to make a call all day which is great.
They say ‘If you’re not sure of the answer, don’t ask the question!’ Penalty to the right of way boat
