MCC avert disaster while IMEI & IMAGINE Battle it out
When the kite halyard snapped as Modern Conception Constructions made its way to the start line for the first of two Manly club championship heats on Saturday, skipper Kurt Hansen thought his shot at the title was also in pieces.
MCC started the day as the overall club championship leader but found drama early on.
“The immediate reaction was ‘there go the clubbies’,” Hansen admitted.
“We weren’t sure if we’d get a drop or carry the result but a DNC (Did Not Compete) was not what we were after.
“We knew two bad results in a day would make it very hard.”
But as Hansen and crew made their way back to the rigging park, they pledged to make the most of a bad situation and get the boat ready for that afternoon’s second race.
They resisted the temptation to go with the second rig and instead mounted the halyard back through the mast just in time to head back out to the start line.
The boat not only held together and handled perfectly, but Hansen guided it into a near impenetrable position that at one stage looked likely to end in victory.
“We had a good race and led for most of it but made a silly error towards the end,” Hansen said.
“We’re lightning quick upwind but lacking a little speed downwind and they put the pressure on us and we got caught by the IMEI boys.
“But considering how the day started, we were pretty happy by the end.”
IMEI (Joel Beashel) just held off Imagine Signage (Nathan Wilmot) to claim race honours, with MCC third and Moonen Yachts (Daniel Turner) fourth.
Earlier, Imagine Signage won the day’s first race from IMEI, Moonen and Red Pumps Red (Zoe Dransfield).
It leaves it all to play for when the final three heats are staged over coming weeks.
MCC (9pts) tops the leaderboard from Moonen (11) and Imagine (13).
Red Pumps (14) and Red Pumps Red (16) are fourth and fifth respectively with IMEI (17), in sixth, having plenty to do.
Defending club champion Wilmot said: “It was good weekend for us as we managed to pull back some points.
“We just headed out to have some fun and see how we ended up, and with two races, it can change around pretty quick.
“As usual at Manly, it will go wright down the wire and it will be interesting to see how it plays out over the last three heats.”
In the handicap division, Red Pumps Red holds a narrow lead over MCC, Moonen and Red Pumps (Tyler Dransfield).
Heat seven of the club championship will be held on March 22, with the final two heats to be sailed April 5.
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