The Showdown - Spectacular racing on the Derwent

10:41 AM Sun 6 Nov 2011 GMT

'Our Toy powers across the finish line in SB3 class - The Showdown 2011' Peter Campbell Click Here to view large photo

The Showdown annual spring regatta, hosted by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, was held from 4th to 6th November on the River Derwent.

They didn't win the major trophies, but Hobart's fleet of Farr 40s certainly turned on a spectacle of one-design racing in yesterday's final day of the event.

POW and Voodoo Chile racing boat for boat - The Showdown 2011 - Peter Campbell Click Here to view large photo

Voodoo Chile, helmed by Andrew Hunn, got the gun by just one second from POW, skippered by Craig Clifford, in the first race of the day, with a 16-18 knot northerly breeze giving the crews an exhilarating spinnaker run to the finish. Only ten second astern came Wired (Stephen Boyes).

Voodoo Chile also finished first across the line in race two, but this time it was Wired in second place, nine seconds astern, with POW just three seconds astern as the three big boats powered to the line in a slightly softer breeze.

The four Farr 40s from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania raced against some of Hobart's best racer/cruiser yachts in Division 1 of The Showdown, but couldn't hold their time on handicap with overall regatta wins going to Tas Paints and Intrigue.

Tas Paints and War Games in Division 1 start - The Showdown 2011 - Peter Campbell Click Here to view large photo

Tas Paints, a Mumm 36 skippered by Ian Stewart from Bellerive Yacht Club, sailed an outstanding regatta, finishing first and second in today's second day of race for a total score of 15 points in Division 1 PHS results. Second place went to Andrew Sutherland's Farr 37 Silver Mist, third to Voodoo Chile which did have one win on corrected time, race four on Saturday, during the regatta, as did POW which won race five yesterday.

Intrigue, Don Calvert's 26 year old former Admiral's Cup campaigner, won Division 1 under AMS rating handicaps by just one point from Rolex Sydney Hobart campaigner Whistler (David Rees) and Tas Paints.

Intrigue finished The Showdown with three wins and three thirds under AMS scoring, Whistler had a first, four seconds and a fourth place.

Division 2 went to Wildfire (Malcolm Robertson) while in Division 3, Another Toy (Greg Rowlings) took the series by just two points from Street Car (Peter Bingham).

Dragons racing at The Showdown 2011 - Peter Campbell Click Here to view large photo

In the International Dragon class, Aquila, skippered by Jock Young won yesterday's two final races after missing the earlier races because of family commitments. However, the series went to Nick Rogers, helming Karabos IX, who had four wins and two seconds over the weekend.

The SB3 sports boats turned on some spectacular racing, and a couple of collisions, with Brett Cooper sailing Our Toy to overall victory with four wins, a second and last race ninth.

Sailing with the eight SB3s was the Thomson 8 sports boat WA Cromarty Engineering, skippered by Steve Harrison from Port Esperance Sailing Club at Dover. This fast boat finished second overall, but finished a costly last place in the first race yesterday when its spinnaker went 'trawling' behind the boat.

Our Toy won the division with 15 points, WA Cromarty Engineering finished second on 23 while Derwent Sailing Squadron Vice Commodore Steve Chau sailed Ciao Baby III into third overall on 26 points.

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania website

by Peter Campbell

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The Showdown - Spectacular racing on the Derwent

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