The appeal of the George Law Foundation Race was evident by the presence of some seasoned offshore racers who have more recently chosen to cruise, but dusted off their skills to get out there and battle it out again behind Rottnest.
Conditions were perfect for this year's race, one of the most anticipated offshore races in the calendar. A fairly steady breeze of a very comfortable 12 - 15 knots made a welcome appearance, and a change from the fluky and extremely light conditions during the winter.
There was very little swell and I didn't hear any reports of sailors being doused - either by rain or seawater!
John Moore from Mandurah took the little boat out, This Way Up, as Charlotte is being repaired after a close encounter during a recent inshore race. It wasn't all beer and skittles for John and the crew, however, as they were unfortunate to pick up a heavy piece of weedy rope somewhere along the course which ruined their day and helped explain their disappointing performance.
This Way Up's Anchor Photo by Andrew Savill
A number of boats sent crew for excursions up the mast during the race, which turned out to be a real 'reach-fest'. The usual debates about which reefs to try to cut off the course were less prevalent than other years, with most boats following a similar line around the west of Rottnest.
Isabel Aujoulet-Law flew the flag for the George Law Foundation, skippering her Spirit 28 Babystar around the course in Division 3 and pipping stalwart Clodagh Irwin's Anastasia by 5 minutes on corrected time.
The Mandurah boats put Division 2 on notice, with Fairy Tern and Without Fear doing well in IRC, and Fairy Tern also featuring on the podium for YAH. Ian Jamieson represented FSC on the podium, taking 2nd on YAH.
Divsion 1 saw Knee Deep gaining line honours, beating Optimus Prime by just a few minutes. The newly beautified Syrenka was only seconds behind, and clinched 1st on YAH in a well deserved win.
All in all it was a very successful day of racing and a great way to ease into the new season and get ready for Geraldton.
