Light wind tested the skill of sailors in the 36th Annual Malaspina Regatta held Saturday, Aug. 9.
The sun was out and it was blistering hot, but the wind failed to fill in until near the end of the race.
This year it was decided to move the date of the Regatta to the second weekend in August from its usual July long weekend date. (Please stay tuned as we may be changing the date next year.) This had the Regatta occurring on the same weekend as the Annual Wooden Boat Festival and the Rotary Club Show & Shine making it a very busy “Pender Harbour Days” weekend!
The first leg of the race had a light breeze from the south (despite a strong wind warning for a northwesterly) propelling the fleet out of Lee Bay to Hospital Reef at a somewhat tolerable clip.
Rounding the Hospital Reef mark first was Peter Jones on “Fourth Quarter,” who led from start to finish.
Most of the fleet hoisted asymmetrical sails or spinnakers after rounding the first mark, however, there was barely enough wind to fill them.
As the leaders rounded the second mark at Akland Rock, the wind filled in briefly allowing the first half dozen boats to separate from the rest.
All boats finished the race this year, which was a marked improvement from last year where only one boat finished.
With 24 boats registered and 21 participating, the results are as follows:
Line Honours –– Fourth Quarter skippered by Peter Jones
First overall on corrected time –– Artemis skippered by Ron Badley
Division 1 –– Raven Lunatic skippered by Brad Lowell
Division 2 –– Bumpercar skippered by Colin Jackson
Division 3 –– Wildside skippered by Wayne Stremmel/Lorraine Wareham
Division 4 –– Artemis skippered by Ron Badley
The ensuing banquet at the RCL112 was fantastic with melt-in-your-mouth roast beef and all the trimmings served to 80 hungry sailors.
The race committee would like to thank RCMSAR Station 61 for setting and collecting the buoys as well as watching over the fleet during the race. Also thanks to Bill and Lyn Charlton for acting as race coordinator and committee boat once again this year. The Garden Bay Sailing Club donated $700 to the food bank from donations given at the banquet. Well done everyone!
