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With a light N/E breeze and flood tide in their favour Cavalier Express, Manitou and Zig Zag led the fleet of eight boats over the Limeburners Creek start line. S’wonderful, Rock Lobster, Raja, Spray and Splash were not far behind; however it was Zig Zag that took charge, leading the fleet up to Hibbard. With the ferry back in service, the race was once again run in three legs. Zig Zag extended her lead over Cavalier Express, Raja, Manitou, Rock Lobster, S’wonderful and Splash. Spray trailed way back, struggling to make the top mark as the breeze faltered.
Midway between Blackman’s Point and Hibbard, on the return journey, the breeze filled in and by the time the trailing boats traversed the ferry crossing again crews faced a vigorous close-hauled third leg into the wind and choppy river, up to the Limeburners Creek finish.
Zig Zag, Cavalier Express and Raja handled the erratic conditions well to dominate the elapsed time and handicap results.
Crews, along with families and friends, gathered at the Rotary Hall Hibbard in the evening for the club’s annual Christmas dinner and trophy presentation. Last summer’s twilight series went to Frank Lagudi’s Fish & Chips from Jim Bignell’s Rock Lobster and Gordon Southwell’s Manitou.
The naval association handicap to Laurieton went to Les Boaden’s Indian Pacific from Peter Finnegan’s Gypsy and Rock Lobster.
The Marine Rescue ocean classic handicap (Laurieton to Port Macquarie) saw Teddy Clausen’s Cool Change take out her first club trophy from Gypsy and Indian Pacific. Indian Pacific took line honours. PMYC’s annual offshore regatta was won by Gypsy with Revelation second and Whisper third.
Cavalier Express came up trumps in the inshore regatta from Graeme Schubert’s OlMate and Zig Zag. The Charles Nichol Memorial Trophy (Port Macquarie to Laurieton and back) was won by Cavalier Express from Zig Zag and Whisper.
The important ASD (overall participation and performance) Trophies went to Zig Zag, Manitou and Rock Lobster. Club person of the year was awarded to outgoing vice commodore John Freeman, while Jimmy (The Pink Panther) Bignell came up with the Hard Luck (Broken Oar) Trophy.