Australia

Festival of Fives on Pittwater

Following on from a successful 5.5 metre world Championships in January 2020, the Class had a resurgence of interest at the royal Prince Alfred yacht Club, culminating in a very competitive ‘Festival of the Fives week’ which included the Australian Championships, the Pittwater Gold Cup and ladies helm race, held between the 28th of February and the 7th of march 2021.

The Australian Championships were conducted over three days, in conditions ranging from light to moderate breeze, on the beautiful Pittwater waterway. The Championships brought together boats of the Modern, Evolution and Classic eras, with the Evolutions being the majority Class (7 boats), two Classics and one Modern.

Day One saw the Championships start in light conditions. Race One saw the start of what was going to become a close contest between Ku-Ring-Gai (John Bacon) winning from Black Magic (Jamie McPhail) and Alpha Crucis (Martin Cross). Race Two saw Black Magic come back with a win from Alpha Crucis and Ku-Ring-Gai with the Classic Kings Cross (John Sheehan) a close fourth. Race Three and Alpha Crucis got the win from Baragoola (Jason Antill) and Ku-Ring-Gai with Black Magic taking fourth one second behind Ku-Ring-Gai.

On Day Two the conditions started light and freshened throughout the afternoon. In Race Four Ku-Ring-Gai got the gun from Black Magic and Marotte (Andrew Cutler) closely followed by Alpha Crucis and Kings Cross. Race Five and firming favourite Ku-Ring-Gai led the fleet home from Black Magic and Rhapsody (Chris Hancock) then Alpha Crucis and Kings Cross.

In Race Six saw the breeze settled in at 12-15 knots and, once again, Ku-Ring-Gai shone from Skagerak (Bob Stoddard) and Black Magic.

Day Three brought a fresh 15-18 knot south easterly. Race Seven was Ku-Ring-Gai’s from Alpha Crucis and Black Magic, closely followed by Rhapsody and Baragoola. Race Eight and

Top: Marotte and Baragoola • Right: Black Magic Right page, L-R from top: Marotte, Rhapsody, Alpha Crucis and Ku-Ring-Gai, Start, Baragoola Photos by Warwick Crossman, dinghyfeverphotograpghy.com

Damian maCEY, President of the AustrAliAn internAtionAl 5.5m yAcht AssociAtion rePorts on the successful 2021 festivAl of fives.

once again Ku-Ring-Gai got the result from Alpha Crucis and Rhapsody,then Skagerak and Black Magic.

Race Nine and it was all done bar the shouting for Ku-RingGai from Skagerak, Rhapsody and Alpha Crucis.

The 2021 Australian Championships Results were: 1 KuRing-Gai (AUS 62 John Bacon); Black Magic (Jamie McPhail); 3 Alpha Crucis (AUS 61 Martin Cross); Evolutions: 1 Ku-Ring-Gai (John Bacon); Classics: 1 Kings Cross (John Sheehan)

The Pittwater Gold Cup was held in light conditions with a tight tussle between eventual winner Rhapsody (Chris Hancock) holding out Baragoola (Jason Antill) and Alpha Crucis (Martin Cross).

The ‘Ladies Helm’, held in a dying twilight breeze, with the lead changing times was eventually claimed, for the second year in a row, by Baragoola (Felicity Douglas) from Alpha Crucis (Anna Cross), Skagerak (Lauren Crossman) third and Ku-RingGai (Lyndall Bacon) in fourth.

Plans are afoot to hold NSW State Championships in September/October 2021, with several boats looking forward to an end to travel restrictions and hopefully an Aussie assault on Europe, New York and the Bahamas in 2022.