FFRENETIC IN FINE FORM

Royal Akarana Yacht Club’s Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess in Ffrenetic took the title in this year’s Flying Fifteen National Championship hosted by Waikawa Boating Club.

The nationals – held in the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island for the first time ever – were part of the Lawsons Dry Hills Keelboat Regatta.

While the area is renowned for fantastic wine and stunning scenery, it also has a reputation for what out-of-town competitors discovered the locals call ‘Soundsy weather’.

Deep coves and high hills make for interesting and hard-to-predict changes in both wind direction and velocity, and the regular ferries add another interesting dimension.

“One of the trickiest Nationals in 14 years. No matter how big our lead was it was never comfortable and often evaporated and was swept into the sea before our very eyes! The race committee did a superb job in very trying conditions,” commented Ffrenetic skipper Murray Gilbert.

In addition to the Flying Fifteen fleet, the Lawson’s Dry Hills Regatta attracted a record number of keel boats for one of the racing event highlights in the Marlborough sailing calendar.

The local fleet topped the podium with Waikawa Boating Club yachts taking first place in two out of the four regatta divisions. Crossfire III, skippered by Bryce Ecklein, took first place in Division 5, and That’s Amore, skippered by Ian Michel, took first place in Division 4.

Visiting yachts, Loco from Worser Bay (skippered by Jamie Mcdowell) and Whistler III from Wellington (skippered by Mike West) took out Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.

FLYING FIFTEEN RESULTS 1. Ffrenetic – Royal Akarana Yacht Club 2. Fflorin – Napier Sailing Club 3. Femme Fatale – Waikawa Boating Club 4. The Godfather – Royal Akarana Yacht Club 5. lff – Royal Akarana Yacht Club 6. Snaffler – Napier Sailing Club 7. Business – Napier Sailing Club