Trilogy leads Trailable Multihulls Nationals

Photography by Teri Dodds

NEWS RELEASE
Issued: 27 January 2006
By: Di Pearson, Skandia Geelong Week

Trilogy leads but Raw to the Core flies at Trailable Multihulls Nationals.

Keith Glover’s Trilogy is looking the benchmark boat to beat in the Trailable Multihull Nationals at Skandia Geelong Week this year.

The Queenslander, with well known skiff sailor and designer Julian Bethwaite on crew, looked relaxed as his steered his Grainger Tri design around the two triangle courses sailed off Williamstown, winning Race 1 and finishing second in Race 2.

Seventeen multihulls are contesting the Championship in which Glover, from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, backed up in yesterday’s 34 nautical mile Passage Race from Williamstown to Geelong, winning that race from Slickwillie, Craig Unthank’s Grainger Moth.

Bob and Kim Hutchings’ Egan 9.5 Voodoo Spirit is currently placed second overall following 3-1-3 results, while Slickwillie, from the Multihull Yacht Club of Victoria and Allyachtspars Raider, owned by Joel Berg (RQYS), share fourth place, the two tied on points.

In yesterday’s Passage Race, however, it was Martyn Riley’s new Raw to the Core that stood out. Riley’s boat flew home fast to finish second on line honours from 402 entries, finishing in the quick time of one hour 35min 39sec. Only the super-maxi monohull Skandia beat Riley’s time.

Sailing conditions varied from very light to nice 15 knot winds later in the afternoon on day one, while the Passage Race was sailed in a hot northerly wind of up to 25 knots.

Riley, a local from Melbourne, only launched his Bloomfield 30 design two weeks ago, sailing it at the Southern Ocean Multihull Regatta at Westernport in Victoria, where he capsized it in style. The boat’s, designer, Stuart Bloomfield, is also at Skandia Geelong Week crewing for Riley where their charge is in good form. The two have sailed many regattas together and always perform well.

The Multihulls will contest two further triangle races on Corio Bay in Geelong today, and finish their series on Saturday with another two triangle courses. The overall winner will take home the APC Logistic trophy.