Back 2 Black gets win

Both races consisted of two upwind and two downwind legs, with Alexander adding: “It was lumpy outside the Heads, as it usually is. We sailed in a stable 14 to16 knots though.”

Back 2 Black’s next challenge will be the Cabbage Tree Island Race, and then the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart starting on 26 December.

While he may have ceded the Division 1 title he dominated for the past four years with Nine Dragons, his DK46 – Bob Cox still finished second in the race with a strong result. It highlighted Cox’s consistent skill on the water, regardless of the increasingly fierce competition this year, which saw the arrival of formidable contenders like Back 2 Black, Victoire, and others.

Cox scored a pair of second places on the windward/leewards to secure second from Darryl Hodgkinson’s Carkeek 40, Victoire, which finished just one point in arrears of Nine Dragons.

Hodgkinson, who won the 2013 Sydney Hobart with a previous Victoire, sealed third place overall by finishing third in yesterday’s Lion Island Race.

We had an exceptional crew on a miraculous 20-year-old IRC boat,” Cox said, once ashore. “The DK is a vintage boat, but a fantastic boat.”

On the contrast in weather over the two days, he added: “It was windy and bumpy on first day and you can’t top those planing boats on a reaching course. We came good in the windward/leewards and had some great racing with the top notch boats. Sailing the angles got us ahead of the others.

“[On Saturday 29^th November] I fell over on my back and couldn’t get up – so a couple of the crew came back and picked me up! I have a little problem with my stability in a seaway, but the crew were very good, I’m proud of them.”

At 80, with his health not the best it could be, Cox has proved that never gives up. “It’s a sport I love with good camaraderie. Better than sitting at home watching the world go by,” he revealed.

Division 2 went the way of Neil Padden and his Beneteau First 40.7, Wailea, from Crazy Diamond, John Bacon’s Melges 32. Third place went to last year’s winner, Matt Wilkinson’s Farr 30, Foreign Affair.

Referring to the mix of races, Padden said: “I think the system here is right. We were conservative yesterday in difficult conditions and that paid off for us. Getting the boat around the course to the finish was key. Today we didn’t do as well, but sailing consistently did pay.

“Before the regatta, I said we normally prefer inshore racing as opposed to a passage race, but I have to say, I like the variety of the mix of the two styles of racing.

“We are very pleased and happy with our win. Both the boats behind us sailed very well,” Padden concluded.

Both Crazy Diamond and Foreign Affair were early retirees from yesterday’s race.

Crazy Diamond’s Darren ‘Twirler’ Jones explained: “It was too windy for the Melges. We don’t have reefing capabilities and even sailing with a No 4 headsail, it was too much with gusts up to 40 knots, so we decided rather than ruin sails we’d save them for the nice nor easter today.

The Melges are very tricky boats to sail. I’m lucky, because I’ve sailed them a long time and when you get them going they’re hard to beat.”

On beating Foreign Affair, Jones remembered, “Matt bought the boat from Richard Perini, who won the Mumm 30 Worlds with it.”

He speaks from experience – having served as the main trimmer for Perini: “It gets around the course well. Like the Melges, they’re a very good boat too.”

He added: “The SSORC was a good regatta for us. We did a Super 40 event before this and decided to do the SSORC to keep us in the game.

“It’s a good option series, because you get a passage race and sailing windward/leewards out the Heads. It’s something a little different and keeps our eye on the game. Moving forward, we’re sailing in the Super 40 class again soon, so it’s all good practice.”

ssorc.mhyc.com.au