The Port MacDonnell Sailing Club returned to the water on Saturday for the second half of its sailing season.
The wind was stronger than the original forecast and sailors found the sea was more choppy than it appeared from shore.
Despite the conditions, six boats started the first race of the day.
A triangle – loop – triangle course with a finish off the club house was set by race officer Sharon Holmes, with Chris Jacobs driving the committee boat and setting the buoys for the race.
The first boat to cross the start line with a wonderful start was Austral20 ‘Mirage’ with Dennis Illman and Donnita Widdison on board followed by Sabre ‘Billy’ sailed by Nick Watson.
The strong winds made for exhilarating and tough sailing.
The first three boats to start stuck together at the first buoy, with the fourth and fifth boats half a leg behind them.
The committee boat was travelling over the course watching the boats in the fleet for any signs of trouble in the tough conditions.
The winds only got stronger as the race went on, and over the course of the race boats began pulling out. ‘Billy’ capsized once, continuing to race for a while before deciding to abandon the race.
Austral20 ‘Windy Fred’ with Tom Paltridge and Darrin Brown on board was the first and only boat to cross the finish line for the first race.
Due to the conditions and a lack of boats willing to race, the second race was called off for the day.
