Ragamuffin rockets into title contention

FAMED yacht Ragamuffin III has gained the lead in the Spinnaker Division 1 after a mixed bag of racing in the Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week.

A lighter breeze, which produced ideal sailing conditions, threw up a host of new winners on the water yesterday.

Stuart Tivey and Lisa Sampson on Ragamuffin III scored their first win in Race 3 of Sealink Spinnaker Division 1 from the Mark Vickersskippered Zoe.

Tasmanian entry, Ian Johnston’s Zephyr Insurance MA, was third.

There was a minute between each of the boats when the handicaps were applied.

In the second race, Charles’ Weatherly’s Smooth Operator topped the podium from Robert Topping’s Kahala. Just a minute separated them too, with Ragamuffin III doing well again, to place third, a further minute adrift.

While Tivey and Sampson have taken over the pointscore overall, it appears winning was in the family to start the week after their son, Fletcher, took out a division win on Sunday.

All other divisions sailed one race on longer courses yesterday taking them close to some of the beautiful rock formations the Island is noted for.

In Sealink Spinnaker Division 2, Ben Kingsberry’s Amaya II, a Farr 11.6, had the goods to win Race 3 from Tony and Selena Muller’s Brava.

“We just had a good race, perfect for the boat,” Kingsberry said. “It was a much better sea state.”