Feore won the series with a score of 13, edging ever so slightly ahead of Outlaw, skippered by David Judge, on 14 points.

The Hobsons Bay Yacht Club sailor finished second and fifth yesterday, after taking a clean sweep in the two windward/leewards on Saturday.

“After winning the two races on Saturday we just wanted to cover Outlaw, so that was strange for us, we sailed the boat and not the breeze,’’ Feore said.

“Geelong can be so tricky, you can go out on a flier and come up trumps. Lucky for us our tactic paid.”

Marek skipper Bas Huibers edged ahead of previous series leader Redstick Revolution, skippered by Peter Stephens, to claim the third and final podium place.

Meanwhile, the Hasting Yacht Club’s Noelex 30s continued to reign supreme in the Geelong Taxi Network series.

Leda Free skippered by David Conway claimed the overall win with a clean sweep in all four races across the three-day regatta, the largest keelboat regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Maitresse skipper Mark Halton finished second in every race to place second overall on eight points.

Peter Kalin’s No Strings Attached from Albury Wodonga Yacht Club finished third on 12 points, followed by Fleurieu Warrior from Royal Geelong Yacht Club, skippered by Trevor Brown in fourth on 16 points.

Full results http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2013/fos/index.htm

Challenge wrapped up the three-day seven-race series well ahead of the nearest Sydney 38, Ian Murray’s Cinquante, on 17 points.

Abrahams’ involvement with the Festival of Sails spans close to half a century and once again the ocean racing legend’s presence has been strongly felt – without the great man being on the water. He’s competed at Victoria’s oldest sporting event through the metre boat and Rudder Cup days with no less than seven former boats, Challenge being his eighth. This year Lou wasn’t on his boat, leaving it in the capable hands of helmsman Mark Bulka and other regulars, including Rohan Simpson.

Murray is also the event chairman and Royal Geelong Yacht Club Vice Commodore.

“It’s been a great success,” Murray declared this afternoon of the 170^th running of Victoria’s oldest sporting trophy and the largest keelboat regatta in the southern hemisphere.

“We were very pleased with entries and the quality of boats entering. Everyone we have spoken to says the racing and officials has been excellent. We think everyone had a great time!” Murray added.

Finishing in third place from 11 starters was Mather McDermott’s Clockwork from Sandringham Yacht Club, their overall series score 22.

“It certainly was a tough fleet to mix it up with,” said Chris Lewin from Another Challenge who has come off the back of the Rolex Sydney Hobart along with two other Sydney 38s and whose next stop is the Port Lincoln regatta at the end of February.

For this year’s Festival of Sails the Sydney 38s raced six windward/leeward races and the series opener, the Melbourne to Geelong passage race last Friday.

The 26-year-old started the final day’s racing with a win in the mildest conditions of the regatta so far, a meek 10 knots from the southeast.

It was enough to make the boat builder nervous; knowing full well that 20-knots wind speed is his racing sweet spot.

“I was really worried at the start, you know, there are nine or 10 blokes out there who could win this,’’ he said.

But, he found new confidence racing his father’s catamaran, a relatively new design DNA A-Class.

“The new design is a lot faster,’’ he said. “I’m pretty happy with dad for lending me his boat, it’s a great feeling to win, especially when there are blokes ranked in the top 10 out there racing.”

Winning the Gill International A-Class Trophy could be the start of a new superstition for Parker, who entered the regatta under his nickname ‘Demon’ for the first time.

“I might have to consider doing it every time if it brings me this sort of luck,’’ he said with a laugh.

Stuart Scott also finished with 29 points, but finished second on countback with Livewire2. Graeme Parker finished third with Chasingshadows on 36 points.

 Sports Boats: No monkeying around

Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s Shaw 650 Monkey Business finished second and third today to claim a home victory, winning the Bundaberg Rum Sports Boat Trophy.

Skipper Cam Rae was ecstatic, and hopeful that the good form would continue heading into the national titles in April.

“We had an really ordinary first race today, so we weren’t confident,” Rae said. “But, as they say, it’s not over till it’s over, and the boys worked really hard.

“The guys who filled the top three spots are all excellent sailors so to come away with a win is a great thing.”

Foamfast skippered by Paul Heyes finished second, six points behind on 22, followed by Noel Leith-Smith’s Vivace in third place, also on 22 points.

SB20: Daring to win

Finally, claiming the Maui Jim SB20 Victorian Trophy was Flirtatious skipper Chris Dare. It was an average day for Dare and his crew, who posted their worst results of the regatta.

Despite today’s form the team rallied to win with 11 points, four points clear of A-Play, skippered by Dean Joel, and eight points ahead of Mark Wolfenden’s Still Out of Control.

Full results http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2013/fos/index.htm

It was less than a perfect performance on day four at the Festival of Sails for Northshore Marine’s skipper Chris Links, who posted his worst result of the regatta in the final race, placing sixth. Luckily he had claimed the win in the first race of two.

With one drop allowed, Links’ crew broke a two-way-tie with Kevin Nixon’s all-family crew aboard Accru to finish just one point ahead on 21 and secure the Parks Victoria Melges 24 Australian Trophy.

Just three points separated the top three teams, with former champions Bandit, skippered by Warwick Rooklyn, rounding out the podium finishers with 23 points.

The Northshore Marine crew will now turn their sights to the Melges 24 world titles that will be hosted by the Royal Geelong Yacht Club in January 2014.

“In that last race it was hard not to think about the results, but we didn’t ever give up, we always thought we could come back,’’ Northshore Marine crewman Heath Walters said.
“We were just ecstatic with the overall result. It’s fantastic how close it is, it just shows the quality of the fleet and that can only get better ahead of the worlds.”

The four-day regatta has made for the perfect test bed for race officials ahead of hosting the world’s best.

The Australian Melges 24 Class Association president Warwick Rooklyn said it would be the first time the fleet’s worlds have been contested in the Southern Hemisphere.

“It’s a big coup for Australia, for Geelong and the Royal Geelong Yacht Club,’’ he said. “To back it up to the Festival of Sails is a great thing.”

Competitors from America, Italy and Japan have already expressed interest in competing in the event that attracts some of the world’s greatest sailing champions.

While it’s been great for the Australian teams to race in Corio Bay over the Australia Day weekend, Rooklyn doubts it would give any advantage come next year.

“It’s always better to have sailed at a venue and have that knowledge, but I can tell you the top guys will wrap their heads around it real quick. They’ll be doing their research. A lot of them would have sailed here. It’s going to be a strong competition.”

The fleet’s super lightweight young-gun James Huon says he can’t wait to compete against the heavyweights at the world titles.

The nine-year-old has had a steep learning curve under the stewardship of his father Damian on board Huey II.

He made a rare and giant leap from racing an Optimist that he got for Christmas just over a year ago, to competing on board the super slick Melges 24s in less than 12 months.

“I just sort of always liked playing with ropes, cleats and pullies and stuff,’’ he said. “But I didn’t like sailing at first, then I started to like it because of all the tipping. When dad got this boat I started to really like it.”

The 31-kilogram pint-sized crewman not only balances out some of the otherwise “heavy” crew, but he proves dynamic with many on board duties Damian said.

“He’s a great hand,’’ he said. “He tip-toes around, sets up the kite, works the jib downwind and calls all the other boat. It’s so great to have him out there with us, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Full results http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2013/fos/index.htm

Like the last time the championship was run at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August, the winning numbers didn’t drop until the lottery wheel was spun on the final day, and in fact the better score in the final race was the clincher.

Shogun V and Marcus Blackmore’s 2011 and 2012 Audi IRC champion, Hooligan, both finished with 16 points, the former winning the tie-break with Calm 2 third on 18 points.

“That’s amazing, we thought Hooligan had it,” said a surprised Hanna as the news was relayed on the dock.

“We were first around the top mark, Hooligan went for a fractional spinnaker and we went for the big bag (spinnaker) and tried to hold it all the way across; fortunately we could,” a grinning Hanna said on what he believed was their winning move in the final 16 nautical mile special course that finished spectacularly off Hanna’s home club, the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

When asked whether a win for the local lad would be popular, Hanna laughed: “I hope so! It’s popular with me and my crew.

“There isn’t much to separate the TPs here; they are three very fast boats. Congratulations to both crews, Hooligan and Calm 2. We thought we lost it because our crew work in the first race this morning was pretty ordinary, then we ripped our spinnaker. We were shaking our heads.

“I have a really good crew but I can’t say enough about the competitors, they made the regatta and it was a lot of fun.”
Tactician Steve McConaghy was knocked for six: “To win on a countback is so special. It’s been good winds and an exciting regatta, it doesn’t get much better.”
Once results were announced, runner-up Marcus Blackmore immediately shook hands with Hanna, who had dogged him all week, saying “They’ve sailed well and deserve to win.

“It was unbelievable, it’s pretty amazing racing when you have three of the best TP52s in the world all trying to beat each other, and letting the other guys in occasionally. Unfortunately that’s what we did today. We had a Code O up and Shogun didn’t, then we got on the wrong side of a 20 degree wind shift,” Blackmore added.

Jason Van Der Slot’s Calm 2 came to the Audi IRC Australian Championship anticipating a third but not such a close finish.
“It was a good weekend; we are still learning the boat and every race we learnt more,” he said. “We always thought we’d finish third but didn’t ‘think we’d be able to take it away from the other boats like we did. Marcus has had his boat for three years, Rob for two and we got on the water in October.”
Before the penultimate windward/leeward in southerly conditions averaging 10 knots occasionally reaching 12, Hooligan and TP classmate Shogun V were frontrunners.

By that race’s conclusion, Jason Van Der Slot’s TP Calm 2 had out-maneuvered the duelling pair and was wedged in between them in second place with a point either side.

The final race, a 16 nautical miler was a thriller, with the wind shifting 25 degrees around 160 degrees and building to 15 knots.
It was a Beneteau triple in Audi IRC Australian Championship Class B.

Bruce McCraken’s Beneteau First 45 Ikon from Hobsons Bay Yacht Club sailed a consistently classy series to close it out with a comfortable six point lead over Chris Manton’s Senna, finishing with 17 points. Alan Woodward’s Reverie finished third on equal points with Senna, 23.
Ikon dropped out of the top standings once from nine races and for his efforts McCracken takes home the silverware and will be presented with a Audi branded North Sails spinnaker.

“Perfect, perfect, perfect as we did some damage to our own spinnaker in this regatta. An Audi kite will look great on the boat!” McCraken said this afternoon as he was organising a crew dinner to celebrate.

In Audi IRC Class C, Grant Botica has collected his own hat-trick, three consecutive divisional Festival of Sails wins. Botica’s worst result was a second, which became their drop, giving Executive Decision the perfect score of nine points from nine starts.
“We had a plan 12 months ago to win, we weren’t sure we could do it, but in the end our plan came true.
“The more wins you have can sometimes mean the harder it is to win. I’m just so proud of the boys, it’s fantastic. I just don’t know what else to say, I’m so happy.”

Roger Hickman’s Farr 43 Wild Rose finished second with 14 points. In third place was Tasmanian boat Invincible, skippered by Harold Clark.
Competitors in the three divisions were exposed to a variety of conditions, from the opening day’s soft start to a gale warning and 30 knot SSW winds for Friday’s distance race to mid Port Phillip, the same day that sent many packing up early from the Melbourne to Geelong passage race for the cruising and other divisions.

A cool Australia Day weekend followed, moderate winds averaging 12 to 16 knots on the Saturday and milder south sou’easters for today’s final two races.
Deviating from the normal festival program, the 170th Festival of Sails opened with the Audi IRC Australian Championship.

“We would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved in the 2013 Audi IRC Australian championship – Yachting Australia, Royal Geelong Yacht Club and the Festival of Sails, the volunteers, race management, yacht owners, crews and families,” said Nairn Johnston from Audi Sailing Sport.

“We thank you for your support and commitment to sailing and the Audi brand. We are already planning and looking forward to the 2014 championship in Newcastle where we hope for an equally close fight for the prized title of Audi IRC Australian Champion.”
Trophies will be presented to the three class winners tomorrow at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club at the Festival of Sails prizegiving starting at 10am on the yacht club stage.

Yachting Australia and Audi Australia have just announced that the 2014 Audi IRC Australian Championship will be held at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club in New South Wales. The Championship will be held over the Easter long weekend, with racing taking place between April 17 and 21.

Most donned wet weather gear for the passage race, some even wore beanies to stave off the wind chill.

Bryan Dorman’s Sympatico, the Beneteau Oceanis 58, led off the mark and continued to hold pole position as the fleet headed into the channel.

The crew recorded a top wind speed of 20 knots and clocked a fastest boat speed of 10.5 knots as they raced to their first win of the series, and to top spot on the overall pointscore.

It was a pleasing result that boat captain Garry Simmons and the crew are hoping to repeat today, the final day of competition at the 170^th running of Geelong’s famous Festival of Sails.

Republica, skippered by Ignazio Parolini, is in second place on eight points, followed by Malcolm Mitchell’s Caledonia in third place on 11 points.

In Cruising division B, Barnstormer, a Bavaria Match 42, was a little too eager and jumped the start.

Horizon Sprint, a Radford 35, claimed the win in conditions that skipper Frank Hammond described as perfect, citing crewman Bruce King as an invaluable local specialist.

“The result was terrific, we’re over the moon,” Hammond said.

John Newbold’s Primitive Cool trails by two points in second place with a tally of 10, while Valiant, skippered by John Newbold is third on 14.5 points.

More than pleased with their first place result in the Club Marine Cruising Series division C, Circe the Southern Ocean 12 M, skippered by Colin Johnston completed the course with a corrected finish time of one hour and 46 minutes. Johnston said he and his “A-team” crew had a great sail. As for today’s final day, their aim is to have a good time and if they win, they win.

Johnston and his crew have a four point lead in the series, over second placed Seduction, skippered by Richard Nichols on seven points. Moneypenny, skippered by Langford Spence is in third place with nine points.
In the Coca-Cola Cruising Series non-spinnaker division, Salt Whistle, a Northshore 340 finished in first place, their second victory of the series.  Trybooking.com is in second place on five points, followed by Jonny B Goode on nine points.

Full results at http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2013/fos/index.htm

Some clever manoeuvres by tactician Steve McConaghy has put Shogun V within striking distance of the IRC Championship win that eluded Hanna by one point the last time he and Blackmore squared off for the prestigious national title at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August 2012.

“From here it’s anybody’s regatta,” admitted Blackmore dockside. “It wasn’t our best day, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. It was very shifty; suddenly you look around and say ‘where did he come from?’ It was one of those days. We blew out a kite, but there are no excuses in this sort of racing. If you have gear damage you probably caused it yourself — it’s part of the game.”

“There’s a bit of golf left in the green yet,” said Hanna. “The boat’s very fast, she’s on fire and downwind it’s a rocket. We went right on the second beat in the last race and they [the other TP52s] killed us. The difference between the various generation TPs racing here are negligible, in the end it comes down to crew work, getting a good start and going the right way.”

Hooligan, Jason Van Der Slot’s Calm 2 and Shogun are not only lined up like ducks in a row on the IRC pointscore, many times today they were side-by-side on the course and barely separated at mark roundings.  Demonstrating how close the racing is, Calm 2 was holding Hooligan out before the final tack to the first top mark rounding in race five. The pair tacked simultaneously, Hooligan called for buoy room but Calm 2’s crew didn’t oblige so Hooligan cheekily created its own fortune, swinging on its axis inside Calm 2 and sneaking into second place behind Peter Harburg’s Black Jack, a gutsy move that had the photographers salivating.

A new player is featuring at the top of the Audi IRC Championship division 2 pile. Anthony Dunn’s RP42 Equinox II has rolled the Beneteau First 45 Senna out of the top three, Dunn now sitting behind Ikon, following Bruce McCraken’s race seven win, and Reverie.

In Audi IRC division 3, three more wins for Grant Botica’s Adams 10, Executive Decision has Botica a step closer to his hat-trick of divisional wins at the Festival of Sails and being named one of three Audi IRC National Champions for 2013. Equally consistent but with more seconds than firsts is Roger Hickman’s Sydney based Farr 43 Wild Rose, currently five points behind Botica and his slick crew.

IRC division 2 starts today were noisy and messy for some, Sally Rattle’s Archie nudging Ikon at the start of race five while Hickman was locked out of the race six start, but still managed a second on corrected time.

Hickman, an old hand at this racing business, is working closely with his 16 year-old tactician, Alice Endersbee, an International Cadet sailor from Melbourne who also has her younger sister aboard the 27 year-old boat. “We are having an absolute ball,” said Hickman. On his young tactician he added, “The good thing about sailing with young people is they have the confidence to make the calls without worrying about egos on the boat”.

Third behind Wild Rose is Sally Rattle’s Archambault 35, skippered by Scott Brain and sailing for the Derwent Sailing Squadron. Archie has an outstanding record of inshore and offshore racing results, including winning several major coastal races, and Rattle has the honour of winning the Australian women’s keelboat regatta on Port Phillip last year.

Conditions on Corio Bay’s outer harbour, where Audi divisions 1, 2 and 3 were racing, were moderate, mostly cloudy skies and a choppy dark green ocean kicked up by a cold SE then southerly 16 knot breeze. There was plenty of bump and grinding on in the first two races, by the final race seven the southerly had backed off to 11-14 knots.

Tomorrow is the last chance to make an impact on the standings and be in the mix for Audi’s fantastic prize pool for the top three placegetters. Racing is due to start at 11.30am and the forecast is for S-SW’ly winds at 15 – 22 knots average easing to 10-15 late morning before increasing to 18-20 knot during the afternoon.

A dockside presentation for the three Audi IRC winners will be held at the conclusion of racing with the official presentation to be held at the host club, Royal Geelong Yacht Club at 10am Monday morning, January 28^th, when trophy winners from all divisions will receive their silverware.

One windward/leeward and one special course will wrap up the nine-race Audi IRC Australian Championship series and decide the three champions for 2013, but for now crews are readying for tonight’s shoreside Australia Day celebrations where they will join with thousands of festival-goers.

Full results at http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2013/fos/index.htm

It was a clean sweep for Bill Feore’s Skipjack, claiming back-to-back wins to shoot to the top of the series pointscore.

Outlaw skippered by David Judge is one point off the pace in second place with seven points. Jack Tar, skippered by Rob Feigan, is in third place on 13 points.

Former division leader Redstick Revolution had a bad day, finishing ninth in the first race of the day to drop to fifth overall.

Meanwhile, Hasting Yacht Club’s Noelex 30s Leda Free and Maitresse are dominating racing at the Festival of Sails.

It’s been a clean sweep for David Conway and his crew on board Leda Free, winning all two races in the Geelong Taxi Network Noelex 30 series so far.

Maitresse trails just two points behind in second place with a tally of four, having finished second twice.

Peter Kalin’s No Strings Attached is third on six points, followed by Fleurieu Warrior, skippered by Trevor Brown in fourth on eight points.

The Noelex 30 fleet will contest two final races today, one special course with fixed marks and an afternoon twilight race to wrap up their Festival of Sails for 2013.

The pair has teamed up with WSUP and Geelong Outriggers to stand-up paddle board their way through a two-kilometre course off the Geelong waterfront.

WSUP director Shaun Warn kick-started the event last year, raising more than $1000. He hopes that with the backing of the Geelong Outriggers the charity race will become an annual event.

“This time as well as gold coin donations, all entry fees and rental costs will be donated to Cottage by the Sea,” he said.

Everyone is welcome to get on a board, from a novice to a seasoned boarder. Competitors must register and collect any hired equipment between 11 and 12 noon today at Eastern Beach, Geelong. The race is due to kick off shortly after registration.

Festival visitors can expect to see the two Geelong players from 11am.

All proceeds from the $25 entry fee will be donated to Cottage by the Sea, a not-for-profit and non-government organisation that provides camps for disadvantaged kids.

Every year about 1,200 children venture to Cottage by the Sea, at a cost of $11,000 a week.

The aim is to empower disadvantaged children by supporting them in developing their self-esteem, health and wellbeing.

A full day’s entertainment program will keep locals and families of visiting crews amused with the Chaparral water ski stunt show, Air Force Roulettes who will take to the skies, and music from popular The Voice contestant Fatai, as well as Aussie favourite, Diesel.

Water Ski stunt show manager Jan Dance says the shows will certainly keep those off the water surprised.

“People can expect a lot of different things, like a three-tier pyramid, girls on guys shoulders whilst skiing and maybe even a barefoot act.“

The Club Marine exhibition is where festival-goers can check out big toys such as Chaparral motorboats, which are on display over the weekend for those interested in seeing the amazing boats up close.

Fairnie Park is lined with food and market stalls all wrapped around the stage that will be the venue for entertainment. Meantime Eastern Beach will have Outrigger Canoes and beach volleyball as well as a newly revamped charity stand-up paddleboard event starting at midday with registration from 11am.